The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-11-09

Injustice. And here I wish to ny that
in my many years Of work In hunting
down and securing evidence against
criminals Of all kinds career begun
in 1861 have never been dishonest
In trying to manufacture evidence
against any person suspected or &C.
cused, and have never formed prema-
ture notions of the guilt or innocence
OF suspect, always reserving conclu.
sions on this point until the facts
cleaned forced such conclusions. am
fully aware that many detectives of
my personal acquaintance first assume
the guilt of suspect and then make
the evidence fit their preconceived idea.
Even-handed justice is due the worst
criminal. If they are guilty intelli-
gent, honest and persevering work on
the part of the officers Of the law will
develop that fact If the evidence is in
any way obtainable. If not-well, I
have always believed in the adage that
1t is better for nine guilty men to es-
cape than for one innocent man to be
punished. So in the case of Nellie
Bailey l took the stories of her firta-
tious wanderings for just what they
were worth as shedding light on the
character of the woman-and for notk.
ing more.
On April "a the Baileys moved into
their De Smet home. For three days
Bailey was seen about town in good
health and spirits, engaged in the pet
ty affairs connected with the furnish.
ing Of his home. So far as could
learn on my arrival at De Smet several
months later, he had not been seen by
any of the neighbors after the 9th Of
the same month. He had babe no one
good-by and none of the townspeople
had seen him leave. Mrs. Bailey went
blithely about her daily household
duties, and when questioned concern
ing the absence of her husband, ex-
planned he had business interests in
California and had been summoned
thither by telegraph. OF course, there
was some gossip over the hasty and
unseen departure of The lawyer, but it
turned more on his having deserted his
wife on account Of her frivolity and
freedom of action with other men than
on anything more serious.
For two months Mrs. Bailey lived in
De Smet, and then she announced taat
her husband did not intend to return
there, and that she intended to leave.
The newly bought furniture was sold
at a sacrifice and other preliminaries
to her departure quickly arranged.
Elgin, ILL.,, was given as her destina-
ton, and later this was found to be
the place to which she went. Thus the
Baileys faded out of Dakota.
On my arrival at De Smet went to
the bank Of Kingsbury. had sent in
an assumed name, and while waiting
to be admitted voice called out:
Hello, Tyrrell, is that your"
found the speaker to be Mr.. Ruth,
who had served on jury before which
I had had counterfeiting case in st.
Paul. There was no further chance for
me to conceal my identity or my mis-
sion. The Ruth brothers placed their
services at my disposal. From them I
ascertained that Bailey had deposited
several thousand dollars in the bank
when he first came to De Smet and
that he had withdrawn it soon after
ward. From the same source learned
of the arrival and departure of the
baileys and of the gossip that attended
the disappearance Of the lawyer.
ITO BE Continued