The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-08-27

Dlossomed out as an expert criminal.
he gave the authorities an iufinity of
trouble, and his frequent sensational
escapes from custody earned him the
nickname which heads this story.
Many thousands of miles had to be
traversed by the detectives, many re-
volver shots fired. and much money
spent before this audacious Jail
breaker was finally laid by the
heels.l
One night, about four years ago,
an alarm of fire was sounded in the
little town of Princeton, Kansas, on
the line of the great Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe Railway. Those
who rushed out. in various stages of
deshabile, discovered that the rail-
way station house was in flames.
There being no flre-f1ghting appara-
tus, the little coop of building was
quickly consumed, together with all
It's contents. No night agent was
maintained at Princeton, and the day
agent, Harry M. Let's, was sleeping
In his room at the village hotel when
the fire broke out. Let's was OF the
type of young men usually found in
charge Of wayslde stations in Amer
tca-of mediocre ability, unassum-
Ing, popular with the young ladies',
and on speaking terms with everyone
In the town.
Let's made a satisfactory report
70 the company, saying that he had
no knowledge of the fires origin;
NJ hn of h. n
o'clock everything was in proper
shape; and that he was entirely in
nocent OF any negligence or inatten-
tion to duty. After the customary
investigation the report was accepted,
the cause OF the fire attributed to
tramps, and the incident was appar-
emily closed. A few days afterwards.
however, Let's telegraphed his resig-
nation from his box-car Office, men
tioning ill-health as his reason for
wishing to quit the service OF the
company. He was promptly relieved.
and forthwith dropped entirely out of
the company's ken. His accounts
were straight; he was apparently I'm
no way responsible for the loss by
IRE; he wished to stop working, and
was permitted to do so.
Several weeks later Mr.. II. II. Ger
main, chief secret service agent OF
the railway company, was sitting at
bis desk examining a couple of pas
senger tickets which had been Sc
cured from a "scalper" by one Of his
spoilers" Noting the numbers
printed upon the tickets and consult
Ing a large record-book, he gave a
low, meaning whistle, for the num-
bers disclosed the fact that the tick
cts belonged to the considerable
quantity supposed to have been de-
stroyed in the Princeton fire. From
that moment the fire incident was
reopened, and gay young Harry Let's
once more entered into the hearty
concern OF the great railway com
pany. Before the chief left his desk
ne had started a chain OF events
which was to fasten the title of
slippery Let's" upon the callow, all
Ing, wayside agent, and develop him
into one OF the me st skilful and elu-
sive criminals OF the dGy-a mai
seemingly proof against revolver bull
lets, and for whom jail-bars offered
little restraint.
The methods Of the secret service
department In finding and following
clues, are, OF course, hidden from the
people. 1t is sufficient for this narra-
tive, therefore, TO say that after sew
eral weeks OF careful search II was
positively established that Harry
Let's burned the station house ut
Princeton, after robbing tho ticket
cabinet OF all the unlssued ticket
forms. With the aid and conI,ivance
OF An expert ticket manipulation the
tickets were prepared for sale
through tIcket-brokers and repre-
sented n value OF about forty thou
sand dollars. The manipulation was
easily traced and arrested aud a por-
ton OF the tickets were found I'm HIS
possession and connscated. Then. as
a matter OF routine, little Duspecting
the temper OF the man with whom
they had to deal, the officials pro-
ceeded 20 find and arrest Harry
Let's.
Following the trail OF the ex-sta-
ton agent the detectives located him
In Kansas City, Missouri, and two
OF them called at his boarding house
one evening and requested him 70
accompany them to Ottawa, Kansas,
where he was TO be tried for his al-
legged crime He consented quietly
enough. and the three proceeded to
the central station by boarding
street car. Near the station, just as
they had left the car, each oficer
holding an arm OF their prisoner,
Let's suddenly threw the two men
on and bolted. They sprang after
him, commanded him to halt without