Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-09-03
NOTABLE MAN HUNTS
HOW CRIMINALS HAVE BEEN CHASED
TO THE ENDS OF EARTH.
Benson, Who Posed nv Nine. PATHS
Agent, Cheated Justice by Death.
Relentless Energy of the Police In
Tracking Counterfeitcrs.


Relentless Energy of the Police In
Tracking Counterfeitcrs.
There have been many long pursuits
Of criminals, great in the distance trav.
eled, the obstacles overcome and the
persistence Of the pursuing officers. but
that of Sergeant Wood of the Natal
South Africa police Is doubtless q
record breaker. The man sought by
Sergeant Wood was charged with EN-.
bezzling large sums Of money at Pie
termaritzburg. He got away from
South Africa and went to New York.
Although the detective had infOrma-
ton as to where bis quarry was hid
ing, yet he had first to visit London to
obtain the necessary extradition pa
pers. Then he hurried to America and
with the assistance Of the United States
police ran down his man. By the time
he had reached Maritzburg he had been
travelling hard for nearly three months
and had covered nearly $1,000 miles.
One Of the sternest chases of recent
years was after Logs Darrell, formerly
sergeant in the Seventh United States
cavalry. Darrell enlisted at the begin.
ming Of the Spanish American war and
distinguished himself at Cuba There
he fell in love with pretty Spanish
girl and beggared himself In buying
finopxy oI,k 30
more money he robbed and murdered
a companion in arms named Crouch.
He then fed.
A detective named Dupuy was put
upon the murderer's track and, finding
n clew, started for New Orleans He
was right in his surmise that Darrell
had gone there, but when he arrived
the bird had flown. He had left on
British mule transport for South Afri.
ca. Dupuy took train for New York,
fast boat for Southampton, rushed by
rail across Europe, caught n boat Of
the German East African line and
finally arrived at Belra, in Portuguese
East Africa
There he waited like spider for a
fly, and just as Darrell was fancying
himself safe from pursuit he bounced
upon him. Later on the detective de.
posted his prisoner safely in Castle
William jail in New York. He had
Travelled in all $1,000 miles and spent
81, 250 in the chase
One Of the most astonishing GRIM
inals England ever produced was
man named Benson. who began oper.
ations I'm London with two confeder.
ates He organized series Of swim.
ding companies in the city, while he
himself, pretending to be an invalid,
lived in the greatest luxury in the Isle
OF Wight. He posed as a great phi
lanthropist was foremost in charitable
works and went into the very best
society. BY dint of bribing certain
officers of the law he lived for some .
years on the proceeds Of his swindles. f
But one day the crash came He was
sentenced and got long term !
in Portsmouth Jail.
No sooner was he out than he was ut .
his old tricks again These eliminated
In Switzerland, where he managed TO
gain the affections Of the daughter of
an English officer Through her he in.
duced her father to trust him with the
of his entire capital, some
S35, 900 He bolted with the money.
Chased across Europe, detective
caught him at Bremen. TO avoid sean.
dial the victim promised not to prose.
cute If Benson would give up the
money. The latter did SO and left for
America. Hardly was the vessel out
Of sight before it was discovered that
The bundle of scrip the thief had
handed over was worth at most S1G0.
Followed across the Atlantic, Ben
son escaped to Mexico. where he made
5000 by passing himself off as Nine
PATHS agent and selling forged con-
,ert tickets By this time his photo
graph was in almost ever police bu-
eau in the world. Yet he lodged and
visited under q dozen aliases and was
heard Of In almost every South Amer
can state before clever New York
detective ran him down in Rio after a
wo years hunt.
Even then he cheated justice. Land
d in prison in New York, he walked {
Upstairs, chatting amiably to his jailer.
suddenly he made spring and jumped
lean over the banister He was picked +:
ID with n broken back and died that
light.
The police never exhibit more relent. {
ess energy than in hunting down a c
DINER A colner's crime is against a
overnment, and SO the whole forces I
f the state are against him. The
United States suffers far more from 4
Diners than England does and is
roportionately keen to run down such
TENDERS. Early In 1000 a man named n
hastings was surprised In his work |
hop, from which he had issued many .
thousands of small silver COINS but he =.
'as too quick for his would be cap. :
IFS and escaped. No fewer than seven :
ecret service men were put on his II
'ack. The remarkable fact is that I
hastings never attempted to leave the II
.ates. &
Ellfer, one Of the detectives. got Il 4
Int that stranger was in the woods. Il
e took n blanket and some food and :
id himself in a thicket. Very early
the morJing Hastings passed. carry
e bag OF food Ellfer tracked him
his refuge and saw that the forger
as armed. He waited some distance
way in hiding. When night came.
astings came out with dark Ian.
rn and searched every bush near his