The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-10

where he was going and what his
business was. one OF Them whom MI 7
Pinkerton had known for years, had
said. Why, the man at Reno is in
nocent- The men VINO committed that
robbery are IN this city. One Of them
Is a smooth-faced boy, about 20 years
OF age, and the other IS heavy-set,
dark complexiOned fellow, with dark
mustache. They are the intimate
friends and companions Of Jack Den
ton, the well-known gambler Of Salt
Lake. and only g short time ago, at
salt Lake, they entered a house one
night, going in through a rear door.
and compelled two ladies, who were
just returned from a ball, to give up
a large amount of diamonds"
Though not interested in this par
ucular robbery, Mr.. Pinkerton had
men tally jotted down the intimacy of
Jack Denton with this class OF people,
and he recalled it now in connection
with the fact that Jack Denton was
one OF the two gamblers to whom Pol
lock had exposed his diamonds at the
paWnshOp in Omaha He at once de-
cided to secure definite information in
regard to the boy who had been with
Denton at Salt Lake three years earlier.
Proceeding imme diately to Salt Lake
City, and making cautious inquiries,
he learned that the boy in question,
since he first heard of him, had been
arrested and convicted of robbery at
Ogden, Utah, and sentenced to one
years term in the penitentiary. An
investigation at the penitentiary dis
closed that the young man had given
the name of James Burge. had served
out his sentence under that name, and
had been released about one month
previous to the Pollock robbery.
Denton, in the meantime had left
Salt Lake and gone to Omaha, there
to make his home. The boy Burge,
argued the detective, had naturally
followed his friend to that place. An
accurate description of Burge was got
from the records of the Utah peniten-
tiary, and some idea Of him and his
friends was derived from the officials
or the prison. But where to find him
IN the whole great west was a question.
Inquiries at Salt Lake DEVELOPED the
further fact that Burke had had one
intimate friend there, a man named
Marshall P. Hooker. Hooker had now,
however, left Salt Lake and removed
TO Denver. For man Of his class.
Hooker was unusually laxative, and
was known by crooks throughout
the country as Windy Hooker. Plans
were made for keeping a watch on
him and on Jack Denton. in the hope.
by "shadowinS'' the movements of
these two. of ultimately locating Burke.
Through she free talk Of Hooker, re-
ported back to the detective, it was
soon learned that Burke was known by
the alias of kid" Mccoy, and that he
had recently been operating on the Pa
cific coast in holding up" faro banks.
and had also been concerned in two
large robberies, one at Lincoln, Neb.,
and the other at Sacramento, Cal His
whereabouts at that time, however,
We're unknown.
Much time had now elapsed since
the robbery. and the sensation caused
by it had died out. Jack Denton and
his friends seldom spoke of it, and
Hooker never spoke of 1t unless the
subject was introduced to him. Both
men We're extremely shy Of strangers,
and it was almost impossible for a de-
tective to draw them out as anybody
who introduced the subject Of the rob
berry was at once looked upon with sus-
picion. For the purpose of creating
further talk upon the subject Mr..
PinkertCn caused to be inserted in the
Omaha papers an advertisement as
follows:
Five hundred dollars viii be paid
for any information leading up to the
Identification of the party who robbed
William G. Pollock on the Sioux City
/ & Pacific train November 4, 1892.
WILLIAM a. PINKERTON.
Paxton House. Omaha. Mel"
This at once attracted the attention
of the local newspaper men, and when
Mr. PinkertOn arrived in Omaha he was
interviewed by all the papers in the city
in regard to the robbery. Thus interest
in the robbery was at once renewed.
Denton and the other persons under
suspicion commenced talking Of the mat
ter again. none more freely than Hooker.
The latter was then in Denver. Mr.
Pinkerton instructed Mr.. James Nc
Parland. Denver superintendent Of the
+ Pinkerton agency, to send for him. and
say to him that he had understood that
4 he (Hooker) could throw some light on
the robbery. and that large sum of
money would be paid him for the in
I formation he gave. Mr. Piukerton ex-
planned to Mr.. MCFARLAND that Hooker
s as..zs