The times., 1899-02-20
PRISONERS TRIED TO
lose THE SHERIFF
Troubles of a Louisiana Of
fetal in Washington.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus for Two
Alleged Swindlers.
A Long Chase for Carl Alderman
md His wifc-How They
Eludcd Capture.

Sheriff Alexander Griffin, OF Ouchita Par-
ish, La, and Detective l.. Miller, of Heidel-
berger's private detective agency in New
York, arrived in the city at IL o'clock Sat
urday morning from Baltimore having in
their custody Carl and Jennie Ackerman,
husband and wife, who are wanted in Mon
roe, La, for alleged grand larceny and vio-
Iation of the State laws by fraudulently
purchasing goods on credit and disposing
of them for cash. 1t is said that they will
also be held to answer for having swindled
firms in New York, Chicago, and St. Louis,
and other towns in Arkansas, Mississippi,
Louisiana, and Western States.
The party left Baltimore at 1915 o'clock
and stopped over here for the day in order
that Sheriff Griffin might confer with Rep
resentative S. T. Baird of Louisiana in ref
erence to the course the former was to pur-
sue in handling his prisoners. After en-
countering many difficulties here, which
were but small when compared with those
encountered in Baltimore and New York,
Sheriff Griffin succeeded in leaving the
city with his prisoners at S:55 O'Clock Sat
urday night. The party left over the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad en- route for Lou
isiana.
Detective Miller, who had journeyed here
from New OTh WIN liie SutIli hts
prisoners, left for his home one hour later.
The offence of which Alderman and his
wife are alleged TO be guilty was commit
ted two months ago. They started mer-
camille business in Monroe, and, accord
ing TO information received by the authorl-
ties. they purchased goods from various
firms under pretence of stocking what ap-
pears to have been a mythical store. The
goods, il is said, were purchased on cred
ii, and then disposed of The total amount
alleged to have been secured by the pair
under false pretences will amount to con-
siderab bly, more than $l5, 900, and may possi-
bly, reach double that sum.
Sheriff Griffin arranged to arrest the Of
Tenders at Monroe, but they eluded him
| and left the State. He traced them through
| Arkansas, Mississippi, and adjoining
States and learned from indications that
they had operated extensively at all stop
ping points After a lapse OF considerable
| time the Ackermans were located in New
York The sheriff found them through
the assistance of Detective Miller, OF
| Hedelbergers agency. Miller went 10
Albany to arrange for extradition papers
| and while he was there Ackcrman hed the
| city.
Information was received by the New
| York detectives that they had gone tc
Baltimore, and Captain Frieburger, of the
Baltimore police was notified He learned
| that Ackerman had brother-in- law
| Percy Cohen, living in Pennsylvania Ave
nue. Later information was received thai
| Mrs. Ackerman, accompanied by her foul
small children, had left New York, sup
posedly TO rejoin her husband in Balti-
more The supposition was correct, ant
when the train carrying the woman anC
children reached the station they were me-
by Alderman. The party was then shad'
| owed TO the Cohen home. Upon receip
| of information that the .iCFermans haC
been located Sheriff Griffin and Detective
| Miller came from New York to Baltimor,
and arrangements were made to arrest tht
pair. In the mean" time Ackerman wal
| confined to his bed with an attack of grip
and the arrest was deferred. but stric
| watch was kept over him during his III.
| ness.
| When Ackerman recovered he and hi!
| wife were placed under arrest at the broth
| inlaws S home. They Immediately So
| licited Cohen's aid and he hastily sough
| the assistance of lawyers in an effort Il
| institute habeas corpus proceedings. TIL,
| detectives circumvented this by taking tn,
| prisoners to the Northwestern district po
lice station, where Justice Roberts turned
| them over to Sheriff Griffin. The de
| tective and sheriff then escorted their pris
1
the 1918 O'Clock train for this city. Th'
party was followed to the station by
number Of lawyers and great difficulty wa
experienced in getting the prisoners ava,
without legal interference.
When the party arrived in this city the,
proceeded at once TO the Riggs House an,
registered. Representative Baird. whom
Sheriff Griffin was in search OF, occupie
apartments at the hotel After talking til
matter over IL was decided that the part
should proceed to Louisiana on the So
p. N. train and arrangements were az
cordingly made.
In the mean time the brother in law, Co
hen. had not been idle He secured tn
services OF MessTs. Raiston & Siddons
local attorneys, and they secured a wri
of habeas corpus from Justice Cox TIL
writ, made returnable before Chief Justic
Bingham, was placed in the hands of Dep
uty United States Marshall Won Mugge
who served il on Sheriff Griffin at the Rigg
House. The serving OF the writ put
check on the plans of the sheriff and h
was in quandary as TO what course I
pursue He secured the aid of Representa-
tive Baird as legal adviser, and accom-
panied by him the party appeared at tn
home of Justice Bingham at 730 o'clock I
answer the writ.
Mr.. Baird stated the case to Justice Bing
ham and on motion the justice dismsse
the writ. Sheriff Griffin then, with ever