The Florida star., 1901-05-10
JOalR FlfHT, THE HUNTED.
Realistic Novelist and His TronbIss with
the New York Police.

Aiau III NcW 1OEh. ne udS Sdlucu tIlS
distinction by reason OF a series OF at
taeks On the integrity OF the New York
police force. both In a booss and In
magazine articles. For days the police
authorities camped on his trail. but
he always succeeded in bathing their
desire 10 learn from his own lips just
what he claims to know OF the modus
operandi OF Gotham's finest.
Josiah Flynt is only a pseudonym.
The writer's real name is Willard, and
he is said to DC a relative Of the fa-
nous reformer, Frances Willard. He
Is a clean shaVen. alert looking man.
and that he is possessed OF an excess
I've amount OF daring is evidenced not
only by his attacks on the police. but
by the life he has led for several years.
From choice and desire to study
character he became the consOrt OF
tramps and thieves. a dweller In but
not OF that mysterious under world"
which he describes with an exceeding
ly faeile pen.
Mr.. Flynt's peculiar line OF literary
development was made known to the
world some years ago through the me-
dium OF The Century Magazine. which
published a series of articles by him
on the subject OF tramps and their lie.
Mr.. Flynt has been a tramp among
tramps. He has learned to know the
hobo like a book. Not a trait In the
eccentric character OF the wanderers
has escaped him. Habited like a no.
mad. he has slept In barns with them.
camped with them, stolen rides on
freight trains with them. suffered and
rejoiced with them. And his training
as a tramp equipped him for his later
work among the denizens OF the pur-
lIeus OF New York and Chicago.
The story OF how he wrote the book.
"The Powers That Prey" which has
caused such cOmmOtiOn among the
bluecOats. forms an interesting chap
ter In his life history.
One evening he and a friend-since
better known as Francis Walton. his
cOllaboratJr OH THE Powers That
Prey"-were sitting In a Bohemian re-
sort Of the New York Tenderloin. They
were neither OF them blessed with any
superabundance OF "backsheesh" and
were pOndering deeply on the question
OF ways anu means.
Casually the talk turned on the
dwellers Of the TenderlOin and the
east side. the true Bohemlans and the
criminals. Walton suggested thar a
field Of literary research scarcely touch
ed lay before them. and straightway
they decided TO work together upon il,
TO delXe earnestly aud To try 10 raise
a profitable harvest They drank sue
cess TO the undertaking and at once
began their labors.
New York was nj first the scene OF
their activity. and here Flynt found
that the Lingo" he had picked up in
his hobo days stood him in good stead
He learned the "patter" of thieves very
easily and moved among them without
creating Il suSpiciun that he was other
than member Of the fraternity. Lat
er he and Walton went west. Flynt
continuing his studies In Chicago aud
Walton going still farther toward the
land or the setting sun.
Their work completed. they returned
10 New York. and with their return ap-
pearcd the book that was destined 10
arouse so much comment. For a time
Ii passed almost uunOticed by the pO-
lice. hut al article by FlynI in mag
aZine. in which the authorities were
described as having an anlance with
the dwellrrs OF the under world und
being recruited from the ranks OF those
dwellers. aroused ire 1T once.
One police official declared that when
he got hold nf Flynt he would make
him power that prayS." and word
was sent out TO apprehend the writer
But Flynt was singu'arly elusive.
veritable Robin GOOdfellOw. here one
minute. gone the next. Despite every
endeavOr, he evaded the men who were
most anxious 10 see him. And IL has
even been asserted that he bearded the
lion In his den. as II were. by inter
viewing Police Captain Titus on his
own case. But this Titus has denied.
The police promised Flynt that If he
would only report al headquarters he
would be given an opportunity OF de
scribing a new experience in his life
In the neither world. the experience OF
undergoing the famous third degree"
But even this did not induce him Ia
surrender strange as IL may seem. So