Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-01-04
PART I.-Contlnued.

LCopyright 1908. by Marion G. scheitlin.I
PART I.-Continued.
Mrs. Watson was apparently stylish
" and was agreeable in manner
Those who came into contact with
them decided that Clinton had made a
valuable business and social acquisi-
tion when the Watson" family set
tIed there. The newcomer and his
good wife chose the better and more
centrally located of the two houses
rented for their residence. Into the
sISher house. which was about a mile
a.Ua quarter back from the river and
the last house on the street, there
n0ved about the time of the advent of
Che "Watsons" a family of four Ger
mans, the father, mother and grown
son and daughter, giving the name of
5chafer. This new family, according
TO the gossip of the town, were in the
employ or under the care of watson, 4"
Che exact relations being ill-defined
Both families were unobtrusive, es-
pecially the German family, and there
was nothing in the known affairs of
either family to arouse uncommon in
Garest.
1t was shortly before this-a few
days, in fact-that I had had my first
look at the man l believed from the
yneager description to be Nelson
briggs. After the trip to Nauvoo
had come up the river and stopped at
fort Hamilton, small town across
The river from Keokuk, where, one
day, on the porch of the town hotel,
Z saw man answering the descTip-
tion of the notorious dealer in the
queer" He was talking to a man
whom l did not know, and l did not
allow myself to be noticed by the
pair. The man l believed to be
briggs was about SIS years old heavy,
with full beard and the air of a well.
Jo-do farmer. | did not allow him to
get out of my sight and when he went
TO Clinton | became convinced that
had not only found briggs but that
my information from Nauvoo was
correct Therefore, Immediately
after the suspect had been fol-
lowed to Clinton a man registered at
the Revere House. in that city under
communicative and unobtrusive chap.
who attracted no attention. Soon
sfterward another stranger made his
appearance and rented a room in a
house directly across the street from
the one occupied by 81. K. Watson"
RnG his wife. The following day still
EHothcr stranger appeared in Clinton.
Between "Demarest" and the last
tTo arrivals there was apparently no
acquaintance nor communication; but
under cover of the darkness at night
and in the most cautious manner pos
alble "Demarest" did communicate
with the strangers, one at a time. In
fact every item in the domestic routine
IN both the Watson" and "Schafer"
residences found its way daily to
Demarest." One day while this play
was going on Watson" made an eX-
cDrsion to La Glare, Ia, distance of
seven miles. He had taken his de.
5arture without precaution against
being followed, for there is no reason
to believe that he suspected there
p5cTe in Clinton three men to whom
his every move was of vital interest.
AT La Clare Watson" made his way
I'D an old stone house on the river
hank and spent some time in the com
pany of middle-aged man. who oc-
cupied the house with his wife. Leav.
Eng the piping" of the Watson" and
~Schafer" homes to my assistants and
in my role of "Demarest" had taken
up the chase of Watson" on his excur-
sion to La Clare and of the man whom
he had gone to meet This was on
August II, 1875, and during the
months | had been working on the
case / had not had the slightest clew
60 the whereabouts OF Ben Boyd.
After the visit Of Watson" to La
Clare | mad little difficulty in estab.
fishing in my own mind the identity
OF the man on whom Watson" had
called as Ben Boyd. the most expert
piate-cuttsr in the United States and
che man on whose skill and activity
there depended the success or failure
af the entire band of "koniackers," :"
aais and female. then operating In