The St. Johns herald., 1900-09-15

but it was locked.
 ''In a few moments Ed came out
 of the express office and motioned to me to walk up Broadway. 1 walked
 up two blocks, then turned the cor ner and waited. Crawford was right
 behind and said:
 "'All right, JohnnieI You're in! Take the bag up to the house.
 "I often wondered since why I did not open it and again why he trusted me; but it was his only chance, and J he took it. At seven o'clock he came 1 to the house and asked for the grip.
 'I kicked at this, then he handed me three $50 bills and said he would give me more the next day. Where he went don't know, nor did I see him the next day, and when heard that the amount taken was $4O,OO0 you can bet was sore.
 '1 went to him, but he told me to keep away, as he could not touch the money for few days. We'll, all told, got $500 from him. It was the first wrong thing I had ever done, and was scared to death thinking I would be found out.
 ''It's dead, now, though, and they could never prove anything against me. This is the first time I have ever spoken of it to anyone, and it will be the last. No, never heard from him, but often felt like writ ing and asking for a little more money"
 Crawford had wit enough to remain at the bank, doing nothing to attract notice. But, although his employers did not suspect the messenger, Rob- ert Pinkerton kept a close watch on him
 At the end of ten months he told his friends that he was going to Cen tral America to manage a plantation belonging to his benefactor.
 Thus he left New York in high feather. He did not know that a Pinkerton detective sailed on the same boat, but if he did he could not have conducted himself with greater circumspection.
 In the tropic luxuriance of British Honduras the former car conductor and bank thief lived the life of a rajah. But Robert Pinkerton was ferreting patiently in New York, and the last act was still to be played.
 Pinkerton's labor was rewarded. His first important step was to discover that Crawford had lied in stating, when questioned after the robbery, that his only relative in New York was a brother. 1t was learned that he had three aunts and many cousins.
 This led to the discovery that two days after the robbery he had given to one of his aunts for safe keping a package ostensibly containing gloves. When she read of the robbery this aunt was moved to tear open a cor ner of the package.
 Her curiosity was rewarded by a glimpse not of gloves, but of bank notes. She communicated this dis covery to her husband, who ap- preached Crawford on the subject. Greatly excited, the bank messenger declared that the money belonged to his rich friend. His uncle-by-mar- riage remarked that just the same his conscience impelled him to men, tion the matter to the Adams EX- press company. Crawford gave him S1,5OO.
 Finally it appeared that Crawford, under the name of Eugene Holt, had hired a deposit box.
 There seemed to be strong enough | case to justify arrest. The trouble treaty at that time between the United l States and British Honduras. Rob- | ert Iinkerton decided to attend to | this delicate matter personally. So he sailed, incognito.
 Yellow fever was raging through | out the country, and the detective was | beset with many difficulties. Craw- lords plantation was at Punta Cor dh, 90 miles by steamboat from Be inze, where Pinkerton landed.
 ''There is Senor Crawford!" ex- claimed the captain of the steam boat, as they drew near the end of the trip.
 Pinkerton saw beautiful steam launch skimming by. Near the stern, under a brilliant awning sat bronzed young man in white linen.
 When the planter landed that aft ernoon he was met by stout, keen eyed gentleman, who held out his hand and exclaimed: " How are you?"
 Pinkerton was quite frank about his mission, which was, primarily, to recover the money for its rightful owners. Crawford entertained him at his house for the night, but the detective, suspecting treach- cry, did not permit himself to doze for an instant.
 En the morning, having failed to in- duce Crawford to surrender any of the stolen money, he skillfully directed the in such way as to make his host believe that an extradition treaty did exist with British Hondu- ras, but not with Spanish Honduras.
 The bait was swallowed That night Crawford gathered all his wealth and crossed the bay to Porto Cuertos, in Spanish Honduras, with which this country really did have a treaty.
 But Pinkerton, stricken with yellow fever, was unable to follow up the success of his clever ruse. All he could 1 do was to wire to New York for help.
 Detective Hotchkiss was dispatched in response and after an exciting chase, aided by Spanish soldiers, he caught Crawford at Santa Barbara, with S32,OO in his pocket. The pris- oner confessed
 Hotchkiss by this time was down with the fever and was obliged to re-