Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-09-11
MURDERER FLEEs $1,000 MILES,
BUT is RUN DOWN.
SOME INTERESTING CASES
The Search for Coiners is Perhaps
the Most RemorseIess, as Their
Crime is One That Seriously
Affects the Entire Community of
the Earth.

|
lance travelled, the obstacles overcome
and the persistence of pursuing Of
fcers, but that of Sergeant Wood, of
the Natal, south Africa, police, is
doubtless a record breaker, says the
! Chicago Chronicle. The man sought
by Seargent Wood was charged with
embezzling large sums of money at
Pietermaritzburg He got away from
south Africa and went to New York.
Although the detective had lnforma-
yet he had first to visit London to
obtain the necessary extradition pa
peTs. 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
21 900 miles.
One Of the sternest chases of re-
cent years was after Logs Darrell
formerly sergeant in the seventh
United States cavalry Darrell en-
listed at the beginning Of the Span
ish-American war and distinguished
himself in Cuba. There he fell in love
with pretty Spanish girl and beg
CARED himself in buying finery for his
sweetheart. To obtain more money
he robbed and murdered a companion
-. 1 I.
A detective named Dupuy was put
upon the murderer's track and. finding
a clew, started for New Orleans. He
was right in his surm!se that Darrell
had gone there, but when he arrived
the bird had flown. He had left on a
British mule transport for south
Africa. Dupuy took the train for New
York, fast boat for Southampton,
rushed by rail across Europe, caught
a boat of the German East African
Line and finally arrived at Beira in
Portuguese East Africa.
There he waited like a spider for
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 81 900 miles and spent
$3.50 in the chase
One of the most astonishing crimi-
nails England ever produced was a.
man named Benson, who began oper-
alions in London with two con-
rG1arotac JJo nruopi1o5 n cor;or - p
swindling companies in the city, while
he himself, pretending to be an in
valid, lived in the greatest luxury in
the Isle of Wight. He posed as a
great philanthropist, was foremost In
charitable works, and went into the
very best society. By dint of brib-
iEg certain officers of the law he lived
for some years on the proceeds of his
swindles. But one day the crash
came. He was arrested sentenced,
and got a long term in Portsmouth
Jail.
No sooner was he out than he was
al his old tricks again. These cul-
minated in Switzerland where heI
managed to gain the affections of the
daughter of an English officer
trust him with the investment of his
Through her he induced her father to
ertire capital, some $4,000. He
hClted with the money. Chased across
Europe. a detective caught him at Bre-
men. To avoid scandal the victim
promised not to prosecute 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 $3.50.
Followed across the Atlantic, Ben
son escaped to Mexico where he made
$4,000 by passing himself off as Nine
PATHS agent and selling forged q, con
cert tickets By this time his photo
graph was in almost every police
bureau in the world. Yet he lodged
ard twisted under a dozen aliases and
was heard of in almost every South
American state before a clever New
York detective ran him down in Rio
after a two years hunt
Even litH ne NHtdltu Justice.
Landed in prison in New York. heI
walked upstairs. chatting amiably toI
his iailer. Suddeny he made a spring
and jumped clean over the banister
He was picked up with a broken back
and died that night
The police never exhibit more re. /
lCntless energy than in hunting down
Coiner. A Coiners crime is against
government, and so the whole forces |
United States suffers far more from
coners than England does and is i
proportionately keen to run down such
offenders. Early in 1900 a man
named Hastings was surprised in his
workshop, from which he had issued
many thouands of small silver coins.
but he was too quick for his would-be
cSptors and escaped. No fewer than
seven secret service men were put on
his track The remarkable fact is
that Hastings never attempted to
leave the states
Ellfer, one Of the detectives. got a
hint tbat II tbn