The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-03

Following is the story from San
Francisco:
After skillfully evading their pur
suers for two weeks through three diff
ferent states, Edward S. and Samuel
Sproat, who are wanted here on
charges of feloniously obtaining more
than $60, 900 worth of merchandise, were
run to earth on Thursday evening as
they were about to slip over the Mexi-
can border.
Two detectives left Los Angeles for
this city on the Owl train last night
with Edward Sproat. The sheriff of
Santa Clara county will probably dis
patch man to Santa Ana for Samuel
Sproat within a few days.
The capture of the much sought men
was made by members of the Curtin
Detective agency, who have been trail
ing the refugees from one hiding place
to another for the last two weeks. The
utmost secrecy has been maintained
concerning the chase and capture OF
the men, and only the private detec-
tives and a few members of the board
of trade are in possession of the de-
tails of the case
Edward Sproat, who is alleged to be
the prime mover in the conspiracy, was
taken into custody in the little town of
Capistrano, a few miles outside Santa
Ana, in Orange county. Samuel was
captured in the hills north of Santa
Ana whittier he had gone after leaving
suers off their scent. The mother and
sister of the men were with Edward
when he was intercepted in his hasty
flight, but no attempt was made to hold
them
The story of the chase and capture of
the two brothers is a vivid one and
reads like q tale from a yellow covered
novel A telegram which was dispatch
ed by a clerk formerly in the employ of
the Sproats to a. small town in Nevada
gave the detectives a clew, which they
followed diligently till their efforts were
finally rewarded with the capture of
both men.
When the Sproat brothers suddenly
dropped out of sight few days after
their failure, in the latter part of De-
cember, the members of the board of
trade called a special session and de-
cided to bring the accused men back to
face trial at any cost. It was first sug-
gested that the matter be put into the
hands of the police department. but on
second consideration the members of the
hoard decided taht the case would at
tain too much publicity, and finally it
was intrusted to the Curtin Detective
agency.
the agency, at once began to look for a
possible clew as to the whereabouts of
! the brothers. A warrant was secured
against Edward in this city, and an
| other was sworn to by San Jose fruit
man for the arrest of Samuel
Edward was traced to Utah, where he
| suddenly threw his pursuers off his
trail There seemed but little chance
| of apprehending him, so the detectives
| finally decided not to molest Samuel, but
| to use him as a decoy by which to trail
! his brother.
| Samuel dropped out of town several
/ times and always reappeared. His
movements were closely watched by the
sleuths and abeu Z. week age he was
seen in consultation with Arthur w
Wiseomb, confidential clerk of the
| bankrupt firm, who was looking after
the interests of both men.
Wiscomb was followed by one Of the
detectives to the Western Union tele-
graph office, where he sent a message
| He had the words roughly scrawled on
the back of an envelope and after leav-
| ing the Office tore the envelope into
small pieces and threw them into the
street
TELEGRAM SUGGESTS A CLEW.
The detective picked up the small
| scraps and after three hours of diligent
work finally pasted them together. The
| message read. j H Wilson. Toano.
/ New I have no troubles Have you =
| This message proved the undoing of
| Edward Sproat, for a detective was at
| once sent to Toano. where Edward
| Sproat was living under the name of
| Wilson. The detective reached there
about tWenty-four hours after Edward