The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-26
CAPT. HOWGATE'S CRIME
EMBEZZLED s3sO,O0O AND WAS NOT
CAPTURED FOR TWELVE YEARS.
Dfsbursing Officer of the Signal Serve
ice Who Robbed the Government
To he Set Free Saturday.

Howgate who stole S3SO.O0O from the
United States nineteen years ago. and for
twelve years eluded the tireless search
of the secret service sleuths, will be re-
leased from the Albany Penitentiary next
Saturday. ami will celebrate New Years
day at the house of his daughter in Wash
ington.
1t was for love of Nellie Burrill. a beauti-
full clerk in one of the government depart
ments, that Howgate robbed the United
States. The story of his crime, his pur-
suit and his capture after twelve years
makes up a romance which is now most
unhappily ended by bis release from prison
a free man with his long standing debt
| paid in full.
No official crime-not even the stealings
of Capt Oberlin NJ. Carter-made such a
sensation as that which accompanied the
arrest o. Captain Howgate Aug. 6, 1881.
| He was a captain in the signal service.
| trusted by his superiors, admired by emil
nent officials, and occupying high place
in the estimation of scientific men who
were interested in polar discovery and in
meteorology. He had an ambition to be-
come head of the Weather Department.
and was in fair way of success when
| his crime was discovered.
| He would probably have been a different
man to-day had he not fallen in love with
| Nellie Burrill. To supply her with lux
| uries he betrayed his trust disbursing
| officer OF the signal service, and stole sums
of money from the government aggregat-
| ing nearly 100000.
For many years he had been secretly
| robbing the government in order that he
| might support Miss Burril in surround
| ings of oriental spiendor III house on an
Island in the Potomac, where he spent
much OF his time.
Openly, he lived in a modest house in
| Washington, and although he was known
as a lavish entertainer 1t was believed he
| had got the money from fortunate Specu-
| lations in real estate mines in the West
and other resources of which he often
| boosted.
while Howgate and Miss Burril were Wis
| Ting Mount Clemens in Michigan. Some
| Of his methods had been questioned and
| he had promptly resigned. General Hazen
| investigated. found shortage of $4,000.
| and the captain arrested and taken
| to Washington. The deputy who had him
| in charge took him to his house at his re-
| quest. Howgate asked the privilege of re-
| tlring TO wash his hands. 1t was granted.
| and he escaped through window into
| the street and was never again sighted by
/ the United States authorities until Sept.
| q, 1894 when he was found living quietly
| in this city as an obscure dealer in second
| hand books, with basement shop at 50
| Fourth avenue. He was then living at
| 195 West Tenth street with pretty young
| woman VINO passed as his wire.
| Howgate might never have been caught
| had it not been for the professional. pride
| or instinct of a former secret service de-
| tective, A. l.. Drummond, who had been
| assigned eighteen years ago to the task of
| finding the embezzler, and who, like Javert
| i'm Hugo's tale, could not resist the tempta-
| ton of finding his man, even after he had
| lost his position in the government employ.
Six years ago Drummond was keeping a
| private detective agency in New York. His
| thoughts always reverted to the Howgate
nInx hi I.
| former captain had baffled his pursuers
| 1t occurred to him that the captain had
| been a great lover of old books and he
| conceived the notion that the embezzler
| was probably in New York and if here
| was sure to be found at auction book
| sales.
He wrote to J. Sterling Morton. then sec
| rotary of agriculture, and asked that some
| one who had known Howgate be sent on to
| aid In the search. Mr.. Morton complied.
| and an employee of the War Department
| came here with orders to do whatever
| Drumlnond should advise. Thus primed
| the men began the search for the embez-
| zler.
The agent from Washington visited book
| sale after book sale. For long time it
was TO no purpose, but one day late in Sep
TENDER, 1894. he saw an old man who re-
sembled HoWgate. The agent spoke to the
| suspect and told him a yarn about a
nephew for whom he was purchasing
| books. The dealer gave the agent his card
| with invitation to call upon him at his
| house. The next day the agent called and
| made certain that the old man was the
| defaulter.
Howgate's arrest and conviction quickly
| followed He was sentenced to imprison-
ment for eight years, and has served his
| sentence like model prisoner, winning all
| the combinations for good conduct pro-
| vided by law. At his release he will be
| seventy years old. Nellie Burrill has dis
appeared long since and nobody knows
| where she is.
| When Howgate escaped from the window
| of his house in Washington he went d.
| rectly to his bower on the island in the
| Potomac, where Miss Burrill was waiting
for him. There he stayed in security for
| several weeks. preparing for his flight
| while the detectives of the secret service
| were securing the country for him. The
two then, at their leisure proceeded in dis
| guise 10 the coast, took passage sail
! ing vessel, and went to the West Indies.
| Many times did the sleuths come upon
| the trail of their man, but always when the
| trail was year or so Old They followed
| him up and down the range of North
| America. but he was always long before
| them From the Indies into Mexico, from
| New Orleans to the borders of British CO.
| lumbia. from New York to Colorado to
| Nevada, to Dakota, to California, to Vic
| toria and back again to the East the trail
| led. Sometimes the woman with him,
| sometimes he was alone.
| Finally the sleuths grew weary and the
| scent was lost But Drummond never for
! got the forger and embezzler, whose char
| acter he had craven upon his mind. al
Though he had never seen the original of
the photographs he pored over by day and
night for years. Although discharged from
| the service, Drummond never gave up his
| interest In the case. and his persistence
and patience were crowned with success