The Meeker herald., 1905-05-20

& m Washington, has just re-
q g ceived report from In
spector Thomas Darcy,
80C Of Plattsburg, N. Y, which
reads like chapter from "Old Cap
Collier or some other thrilling detec-
tive story. Although the inspector
! failed to capture gang of smugglers
and their human contraband, the chase
he describes was a hair raising one
from start to finish, and he succeeded
in blocking the plans of "the villains"
Mr.. Darcy writes under date of Feb
ruary 1, and tells of the attempt made
by "a notorious smuggler. Frank Cas-
tine" who was trying to bring sleigh
load of Cinnamon over the border.
Word reached Inspector Darcy from
Douglas Corners. Quebec, on the night
of January 30. that CastIne and his Ce-
destials had started from that place
and were pointing for La Prairie. Hur-
riedly summoning and arming Inspect
ors Weeks, Maher, Ketchum and Mac
Gregor, Darcy proceeded to Dewey's
Corners with sleIghs and dogs. Two
roads leading from Canada run through
Dewey's Corners, and so the inspect
ors decided to intercept the smugglers
and the struggled at that place. They
Waited until after o'clock in the
morning before sthe dogs gave the
alarm. The thermometer stood at
twenty degrees below zero. and it was
necessary to keep the horses of the
United States officers constantly NOV
ing in order to prevent them from
freezing to death.
+ Finally huge sled filled with China
men hove in sight, followed by a small
cutter containing one man. The in
spectors barred the road and ordered
the strangers to halt. Instead of obey
ing, the two sleighs were quickly
wheeled around and started back in
the direction of Canada. The inspect
madly over the snow covered roads
mile after mile, the keen wind nearly
blowing the breath from their bodies
and the hail of ice thrown back by
the heels of their horses pelting them
like Calling gun bombardment. They
gradually gained upon the smugglers.
and when within calling distance
shouted for the fugitives to surrender.
The pursued only replied with curses
and whipped their horses all the hard
or. Finally Darcy fired his revolver
after the speeding sleighs. but the
shots went wild. Still the inspectors
gained, and soon it became evident
that they would be able to overtake
the smugglers within the next few
hundred yards.
The man in the small cutter realized
his dangerous straits as soon as the
pursuing inspectors, and resOrted to
a desperate ruse. He rose in the sleigh
and, deliberately leaning far over to
one side, overturned 1t in the middle OF
the road. The inspectors sleigh WAS
close behind. There was no time to
turn out, had there been room in the
narrow road, and in another instant
Darcy and his men were sprawling
in the snow on top Of Castine and his
wreck. Castine did not give up with
out struggle, however, for when
Darcy picked himself up, he found
the smuggler rushing toward him with
one of the broken sleigh shafts uplift-
ed to strike. Darcy grappled with
him and soon had him subdued. In the
meantime, the sleigh containing the
Cinnamon had. disappeared up the Ca
madam road. Placing Castine in
charge of Inspector Weeks, Darcy and
the others again took up the chase,
but the big sled had had too long
start and was not overtakeD.
Inspector Darcy reports that when
they got Castine back to Dewey's Cor
ners, 1t was found that he had sus-
tanned a fracture of the rib, either in
the capslzing of his sleigh or the hand
to hand combat in the snow. Acting
upon the advice Of the United States
attorney, Darcy writes, he allowed
Oastine to go home for medical atten-
tion. "The attorney says that he will
probably not try to escape" concludes
the inspector, "but If he does the coun-
try will be well rid Of him." - New
York Tribune.