Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-15
TELLS OWN STORY
A. E. Lyford, Year a Fugitive
. From Justice, Returns
With Sheriff.
GLAD TO BE BACK HOME AGAIN
81 Took a Chance and Lost" He
Says-Had Spent Year on
Vancouver Island.

-AlOtII IL IN IOIO, IuSillNG SlISt
the 9Th of September, 1902, when he
disappeared after Incorporating
about $4,000 of the funds of Rock
Island county, is a prisoner at the
county Jail, awaiting a hearing at the
coming term of the circuit court on Il
charge of embezzlement.
Sheriff w q. Heider arrived in the
city with Lyford this morning over
the Burlington road from Victoria,
b. C., after a journey of five days.
Friday a snow storm was encountered
at Minot, y. D.. and the train on
which the sheriff and his prisoner
were passengers was snowbound all
night.
An Argus reporter who called on
Lyford at the Jail was greeted pleas
antly. In one way | am glad to be
back said Lyford. betraying ner
vous smile, for with my return that
feeling that one is a fugitive and in
constant dread of apprehension has
gone. Then again, for the sake of my
relatives, | regret that l am here.
have made no effort to evade the
officers of the law. as you will under
stand when l tell you that for the
greater part of the time l was located
in Victoria | boarded at the home of
Mrs. Langley, the mother of the chief
of police. The chief and | were
friends, and passed many pleasant
hours together, playing cards in the
evening, etc.
Mrs. Stanley Did Not See Him.
The story of Mrs. Clara Stanley, of
Moline, that she saw me in Sacrament
to, Cal, is mistake. On leaving Rock
island 1 went to Chicago, and from
that city direct to Victoria. Victoria.
You know, is on the island of Van
couver. Well, | never left the island
from the day | arrived there until
Sheriff Heider came for me.
IL had little money, barely enough
to pay my way during the last year,
when l left Rock Island. l was at
tracted to Victoria by the mining
prospects of that country. hoping to
make a strike eventually that would
make it possible for me to square
myself with the world. | never
dreamed my speculation would bring
me to my present plight. It's hard
to be obliged to face Il charge of en-
bezzlement, for never meant to
steal.
Il simply took a chance and lost, |
not realizing the cnormity of my of
Tense until after | had gotten so faFt
involved that there seemed naught for |
me to do but run away. l did not give |
the matter n second thought-that is |
the idea of leaving town-for if I had. |
firmly believe | would have decided |
to remain and do the best | could to-
ward making good the amount had |
squandered.
Loses on Wheat and Corn.
THE money all was dropped in corn
and wheat on the Chicago board of |
trade. | had been using the county |
funds but few weeks. First thou |
sand would go, and l would endeavor
to recover by following it with IL SINH |
lar. amount. Day to day the figures |
on the wrong side of the account grew !
larger, and l could not win. l have /
done wrong, of course, and have no
right to expect sympathy. l have not |
retained lawyer, and do not expect |
TO do so. / am here ready to stand |
the penalty. l will make no defense.
I will plead guilty
Lyford has changed his appearance
considerably, removing his moustache
and having his front teeth filled with |
gold. When arrested he had $75. He
had become well known in Victoria,
passing under the assumed name of |
Miller and representing himself as Il
mining man.
One of his closest friends was Chief |
of Police Langley, and every patrol
man and detective in the city knew
him. There was doubtless method in
Lyford's cultivation of the police au-
thorities. for in this manner he would
hear any tips concerning himself. The
tip came, bat the evidence was so con-
elusive that LyfOrd was unable to con
vince the police they had made a mis-
take in arresting him.
Sheriff Heider paid over the $500
reward offered by the county to De-
tective Thomas Palmer, of Victoria,
who arrested Lyford.