The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21

sistant District Attorney Perkins of New York down with a feather when he learned of this last week. He has charge of all indictments, and in due course he
 got the case of man who had stolen a large sum of money from his employers and fled the country. He was located in Cuba.
 That's easy," said Mir. Perkins. Just
 wire Governor Odell to have the neces-
 sary extradition papers prepared"
 The message was forwarded to Albany,
 but some delay snsued. MT. Perkins
 wired again, and to his amazement he
 got, this reply from the Governor:
 ''secretary of State telegraphs that the
 United States has no extradition treaty
 with Cuba. Provisional arrest impos-
 sible."
 q was completely taken off my feet"
 said MT. Perkins, in telling of the incl
 dent to a writer for the Sunday World Magazine. T thought, of course. that
 with Cuba, above all nations, we had some arrangement for the swift and easy apprehension of fugitive criminals. but 1t seems not. q wrote a letter to Washington to in- ouire further and found out that there IS no safer place in the world for criminais | to flee than to Cuba. just ninety @ m.es off our coast In the reply to my letter | the State Department frankly admitted | that in the future they hoped that some such treaty would be negotiated But | that isn't doing us any good now.
 With Canada no longer refuge. 1t IS Cuba now, and just as convenient or ac- cess, It is even safer, too, Tor when ne was en route for Canada in bygone years
 the escaping fugitive was liable to arrest anywhere till he crossed the porder' put
 once the steamer for Cuba leaves the
 xVaii a
 fleeing passenger Is as safe as II ne were 900 miles away and not three.
 When Cuba was Spanish territory the
 fugitive was no safer than If he were m
 Europe. because our treaty with Spalh
 guaranteed that he would be given up to
 the United States upon demand, just as
 we give up Spanish fugitives. But no"
 1t Is different.
 However, the world Is gradually clos
 ing in on escaping criminals. Year atter
 year finds new treaties and new laws for the arrest of men wanted by Ohcle 0dhi in foreign lands.
 A treaty with Great Britain some years ago made Canada-long the haven or bribetakers, embezzlers and theving
 bank oficials-a dangerous country 10 flee to, There had always previously
 been a colony of expatriated Americans in Montreal. The New York Board ot Aldermen in 1884 went tnere dIIhosI HI 9
 body.
 John c. Emo, who cleaned the Second National Bank of New York out Of N'- 900, ,OO0 made Montreal his home for many years When he came back few years ago the indictments were quashed. HIS father effected the settlement.
 Mexico, too, was another haunt TOT
 wealthy gentlemen who found 1t desirable
 to live beyond the bounds of the Union
 But the unsympathetic dons calmly
 signed an extradition treaty with the United States, and now the beautiful
 City of Mexico is no longer the abode of
 a distinguished colony of embezzlers, ab- sconders, forgers and boodlsrs Tewks- bury, the fleeing New York banker, and
 some of the St. Louis boodlers made for Mexico when they found that discovery was due at any moment.
 | Brazil, too, has shut down the bars, ana | so have some of the principal South American countries. Central America Is still open to receive gentlemen who have | to leave Uncle Sam's country in hurry. | Francis H. Weeks, who ruined more faIn@ l files than any other New Yorker evCr dreamed of doing, made for Costa Fiea, | but Costa Rica arrested him without due process of law and held him till two | central office men could get there from New York Weeks fumed and stormed but it wasn't any use. He did his ''btt'' five years in Sing Sing-after pleading
 guilty. -'
 Egypt was a favorite resort for others | chiefly European soldiers of fortune. But with Great Britain at the helm no
 American Is now safe under the soft
 tropic skies of Cairo. Tunis and Tripoli