The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1904-03-03
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and capture of criminals
lE RI that has been developed for
l94 EalJ years, was performed by
an olncer Of the New York detective
police force some years since.
About that time the officers of the
City Bank of New York discovered
that they had been swindled out of
$4,000 by means Of a forged check
for that amount, purporting to have
been drawn by Commodore Wander
bilt. Nearly month passed before the
fraud was discovered, and in the mean
time several other checks for large
amounts, drawn By the same party,
had been honored; so it was almost i'm
possible for any of the employees to
remember with satisfactory distinct
ness any of the circumstances con-
nected with the payment of the fraud
ulent document. However, it was
placed in the hands of shrewd detec-
tive. and he went to work to find a
clew, and trace out the mystery.
The officers lrst suspicion was that
some of the clerks of the banks had
been in collusion will the forger, and
doubtless shared the profits OF his
crime. After two weeks scrutiny of
the character, habits and associations
Of the various clerks, that theory was
abandoned, and it only remained for
him. to gather from them, if possible.
some clew, however slight, of the bold
operation. His first inquiry was IL
any one, not in the habit of presenting
checks, had been seen doing so within
the past month. Only two of the clerks
had any memory on the subject, and
theirs was o. the most shadowy and
unsatisfactory character. One remem-
bered seeing stout, elderly man drive
strikingly beautiful black horse and
fine carriage up to the bank, enter the
office, and transact some business, he
knew not what, and depart, since
which he had not seen him.
The other clerk, after thorough ex-
animation and numerous questions put
to assist or quicken his memory, at
last concluded that he did recollect
strange man. who entered the bank one
day about the time the forged check
was presented, and had a check cashed
for large amount. A popularity in
the mans necktie attracted his atten-
ton, and he looked him full in the face
and retained vivid recollection of
every feature. He was an amateur
artist, and especially expert in pen
drawing. Taking a sheet of paper and
an old pen which was lying upon the
desk, he quickly produced portrait,
which he declared to be an accurate
likeness of the man he suspected
The officer did not look upon these
clews, if such they might be called,
as promising much hope of success.
He first exhibited the drawing to the
clerk who had seen the suspected
rogue drive up with the fine black
horse, and he confidently identified it.
Here at last was some encourage
ment. The first attempt was to trace
the horse and carriage. and discover
who owned or who had hired such a
rig. The effort was unsuccessful; the
officer, however, was convinced that
the man, whoever he might be, was an
admirer of fast and stylish horses, and
he. therefore commenced a search
among the establishments devoted to
the stabling and sale of such animals,
hoping that he would find some one
who could identify the party. After
going to nearly all such establishments,
exhibiting the portrait,she came upon
a man who recognized in the drawing
one William Livingston, whom he had
known year or two, but who had dis
appeared within the past month, after
paying up some old debts and buying
one or two fancy horses. Further in
quiry brought out the fact that Liv-
ingston was in very straitened circum-
stances but a few months previously
and how he could honestly obtain the
means to pay his old debts and crafty
his love for horsefiesh was not so clear
and gave fresh encouragement to the
persevering detective. To follow Liv
ingston was necessary but how could
he be traced? He had disappeared
and no one knew when or whittier
What, then, was to be done? Should
the trail be abandoned and the cast
given up as one Of the mysteries tha
baftied solution?
Never, said the iudefatigable officer
and ne went TO work with desperate
energy TO unrayel the tangled skein.
He fnally reached the following con