The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-11-05
TRACKING CRIMINALS.
THE SEARCH FOR COlNERS Is THE
MOST ReMosSsLesS


o. criminals. great in the distance
Travelled, the obstacles overcome ana
the persistence of pursuing officers,
but that nj Sergeant Wood of the Ma
tai. South Africa, police, is doubtless
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 information
as to where his quarry was hiding
yet he had first to visit London TO
obtain the necessary extradition pa
rers. Then he hurried to America,
and with the assistance of the United
States police. ran down his man. ~
the time he rad reached Martizburg,
he had been travelling hard for nearly
three months, and had covered nearly
| 81 900 miles.
One of the sternest Chases of recent
years was after Loys Darrell. formerly
sergeant in the Seventh United States
cavalry. Darrell enlisted at the begin
ming of The Spanish American war, and
distinguished himself in Cuba. There
! he fell in love with pretty Spanish
| girl and teggared himself in buying
finery for his sweetheart. To obtain
more money he robbed and murdered
n companion in arms named Crouch.
He then fled.
A detective named Dupuy was put
upon the murderer's track and finding
a 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 Az
rica. Dupuy took train for New York,
fast boat tor Southampton, rushed by
rail across Europe, caught a boat OF
the GermanEast African line. and
finally arrived at Beira. in Portuguese
East Africa.
There he waited. like q spider for q
fly and just as Darrell was fancying
himself safe from pursuit he pounced
upon him. Later on the detective de-
lGsited the prisoner safely in Castle
William Jail in New York. He had
travelled in all 81 900 miles and spent
si257 in the chase.
One of the most astonishing crimi-
nails England ever produced was n man
named Benson, who began operations
in London, with two confederates. He
organized a series of swindling com
panies in the city, while he, himself,
pretending to be an invalid. lived in
the greatest luxury in the Isle of
Wight. lie posed as a great philan-
thropist, was foremost in charitable
works, and went into the very best so
c:ety. BY dint of bribing certain OIL
GERS 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 ne was at
his old tricks again. These eliminated
in Switzerland, where he managed to
gain the affections of the daughter oil
an English officer. Through her he
induced her father to trust him with
the investment of his entire capital
some $4,000. He bolted with the
money. Chased across Europe, de.
tective caught him at Bremen. TIC
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 s1G0.
, Followed across the Atlantic. Benson
escaped To Mexico, where he made S25,.
900 by passing himself off as Nine
, PATHS agent and selling forged concert
, tickets. BY this time his photograph
I was in almost every police bureau in
2 the world. Yet he lodged and twisted
: under dozen aliases, and was heart
OF in almost every South American
. state before clever New York detec
tive ran him down in Rio after a two
years hunt
Even then he cheated justice. Land
ed IN prison in New York he walked
\ up stairs chatting amiably to his jailer
Suddenly he made a spring and jumpe,
clean over the bannister, He wal
picked up with broken back and died
The police never exhibit more re
q lentless energy than in hunting dowI
4 coiner. A coiner's crime is agains
government, and so the whole forces
OF the state are against him. TIL,
United States suffers far more from
= colners than England does and is pro
s portionately keen TO run down sucl
offenders. Early in 1900 man name,
t Hastings was surprised in his work
O shop, from which he had issued man,
thousands of small silver coin, but H.
c was too quick for his would-be cap
a tors and escaped. No fewer than sevei
secret service men were put on hi
track. The remarkable fact is tha
:, Hastings sever attempted to leave tn
States.
Ellfer, one of the detectives. got
Lint that a stranger was in the woods
3 He took a blanket and some food an
hid himself in thicket. Very earl
l. in the morning Hastings passed, car
| iyine n bag of food Ellfer trac.a