Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03
ARRESTED BY MISTAKE

dcfaulter, In the little back room Of Bos-
ton boarding house, reminds me of board
Ing house capture in an embezzling case
that I figured In myself about eight years
ago." remarked st. Louis detective who
was in Washington on business of a pro-
fessional nature the other day. 1.-THE treas
urer of St. Louis building and loan asso-
citation got away with a little matter of
100000. He didn't take the money in drib-
lets, but he took 1t all in bundle, and then
he went. The discovery Of his defalcation
wasn't made until two days after the treas
urer had gathered in the funds and de-
parted, so that there wasn't a particularly
hot trail to work upon. But we found out
with measurable certainty that he had gone
south, and l was put on that scent. AS 1
got along toward Meridian, Miss, I began
to feel what the young ones call warm.
Inc absconder was big, ford man, like
and the conductor of local train that
winds up its halfway run at Meridian had
seer my man on his train the day before,
and the defaulter had left the train at Mer-
idian. l got or there and poked around the
hotels, but no man answering the descrip-
ton Of the fugitive had been seen at any of
the hostelries. I closely questioned al! OF
the depot employees. and none of them had
seen the man answering the description OF
the absconder leaving on any of the trains,
although some of them. like the conductor,
remembered his arrival. So l felt meas
urably certain that my man was In hiding
in Meridian. I got a list of. all of the
boarding houses in the place and made a
quiet tour of them. At the very last one
1 visited the landlady told me that big,
forid man, perfectly answering the fugl-
tive's description, had engaged board and
lodging at her house on the afternoon be-
fore, and that he was then in the house,
In the third floor back room. wanted to
be sure that he was the right individual, OF
h &c q nd
so the landady permitted me to take up
station in the woodshed back OF the
house and keep an eye on the windows OF
the third floor back from that colgn OF
vantage. l hadn't been in the Woodshed
with an eye at knot hole, for more than
ten minutes before the occupant or the
room stood before one of the windows In
order to shave himself He was my man,
although 1 didn't know him personally, in
st. Louis. ] went to the Meridian CHIEF or
police at once. and had the ch1ef accom-
pany me to the boarding house room.
who's that?' Then 1 turned the knob Of
the unlocked room, closely followed by the
Meridian chief Of police.
"How are you jones'? I said to the alb
sconder. giving him his right name.
He wasn't a bit surprised and greeted
us pleasantly. The police chief put MIN
under arrest. and the man said that ne
been expecting to be arrested. asked MIN
If he'd come along back to st. Loo with me
without requisition papers, and ne repEed
that he certainly would-that he d1dn
want to give anybody any unnecessary
bother.
az suppose you've sailed the money! I
said to him, but he only smiled in far-
away sort of fashion and made me no
reply.
Il had him back in st. Louis two days
later and the officials of the building ana
loan association were on hand at the sta
fo together with the police
officers. The man greeted the building and
loan associations officials cheerfully, re-
marked in reply to their questions that he
had nothing whatever to say and was
taken to police headquarters. The next
day he was remanded to jail without bail.
He was frequently visited by the officials
of the building and loan association, but
he preserved stolid silence, angering them
to such an extent that they promised him
they'd see to it that he received the full
penalty of the law.
Just two weeks after his capture the
prisoner sent word to the chief of police
that he wanted to see him. Inc chleI went
to the prisoners cell.
"T want to be turned loose from here
mildly said the prisoner. and at once l
haven't done anything. 1 don't know what
L m being held for.
Stop that jollying.' replied the chief.
You know very well what you've done and
what you're being held for
mo, I don't honest replied the pris-
OHeT. wv nat 3 HlOEe, 1 " dut Sou ioiho I"
let me out of this right off there'll be
trouble for somebody.
"'You have a startling nerve, haven't
you" said the chief, bit nettled. I sup
the man who pldndered st. Louis build
ing and loan association of 100000 of its
funds and then skipped?'
"'Well. 1 guess I'll admit nothing Of the
sort because l never did anything Of the
kind complacently replied the prisoner.
This is the first time / was ever In st.
Louis in my life. I had twin brother
here who was the treasurer of building
my business, and If he's jumped with the
associations money there's no reason why
I should be held for 1t.
THE chief was fabbergasted, and he
didn't believe the man for minute. The
prisoner insisted, however, that the build
ing and loan association people be sent for
again, and the chief sent for them. The
prisoner told them they'd got the wrong
man, and certain tones of his voice and
other characteristics made them waver.
The prisoner was SO earnest about it all
that they were almost ready to acknowl-
edge themselves wrong. when he SAIL:
" I suppose you gentlemen may remem-
Der, if you've ever happened to see the
mark that my brothers left forearm was
badly SCARED from burn he received
when a young one?
That's right was the reply of one of
the officials. I've often seen the marks Of
that horrible burn when he's had his shirt
sleeves pQlleQ DacR IN not weather..
THE prisoner puiied back the left sleeve
of his shirt. and the forearm was as white
and smooth as a woman's.
3" Turn him loose said the president of
the building and loan association, ana the
prisoner was a free man in something less
than five minutes.
He had known all the time that his
brother was in trouble and fugitive, and
when 1 took him in charge he seized the
opportunity to let the guilty twin get clean
away. Nothing could be done to him. Of
course. for that. He hadn't acknowledged
anything or made any sort of statement
whatsoever. and the only thing to do was
to release him.
THE actual fugitive had gone straight to
New Orleans from st. Louis. and there he
had taken ship for Honduras. He died In
Tegucigalpa. Honduras, two years after his
arrival there, from the effects of drink"
Tale of ChfvaIry.
The Knight. on his prancing steed, rode
up to the Castle gate, and striking his hal.
berd upon his brazen shield the changing
sound rang out upon the morning air and
echoed through the moatad uropra