Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-05-30
Running Down a
FOr9er.

copyright, 1907. by P. C. Eastnentl
/ was with Detective Hogan the day
he first saw the little widow Carson.
He had case on In court, and she
was a witness for the defense. Her
testimony cleared his prisoner, al
though he had good case, but he did
not hold it up against her, as would
have been natural
For long weeks l kept tab on Hogan
a3 a citizen. He acted just as another
man would. His admiration for the
little widow impelled him TO seek an
introduction. After hat he was hard
hit He became frequent caller, and
In time we all came to know that he
was one of her suitors and the favored
one. 1t seemed funny that he should
send her bouquets and don dress suit
and accompany her to the theater
One day | was surprised out Of my
boots by the detective sitting down
with me and giving me his confidence.
Don't imagine it was about any OH
cial case 1t was as man that he
wanted to talk with me about being in
love with the widow. A very young
man or an old bachelor Will often do
that. She hadn't accepted him in so
many words, but he was sure that his
love was reciprocated. He vas low
ing her as n man, but he had sized her
up as a detective From his reading
of her character she was close upon
the order Of angelic He had looked
for flaw in vain. He was satisfied,
and more than satisfied and naturally
he wanted all others to be so. ! could
tell you here that ] differed with him
in many respects. not orally. but men
tally. and thus make out that | was
possessed Of superior acunen. but |
am not posing In that direction. To
some one else I might have said my
say, but not to Hogan. He would have
been down on me at the fl 7st word
The case In which the widow had
been II witness for the defense was
one Of forgery. About the time Hogan
gave me his confidence three banks
were victimized the same day. sigma
lures OF depostors were counterfeited
and over $4,000 hauled in In each
case the check was presented ,y a
woman, a fairly tall woman, wearing
glasses and supposed to be over mid
die age. AS her identity was vouched
for, the teller had to count out the
money. The case was given to Hogan,
and he took 1t up with the utmost
ardor and confidence. A week passed.
and there were two more forgeries
Then, few Days later, two or three
checks were kited. 1t was all done
by the same woman, and yet Hogan
hadn't struck n clew. He was so hot
on the trail, however, that she changed
her tactics She intrusted the checks
to an old man and raised $4,000 In a
day. whats the matter with Ho-
gam" was being asked at hel1quar-
ters; but. bestir himself as he would
and did, he could not advance hts case.
BY forgery and check raising the gang
scooped In nearly 100000, and not one
OF them was spotted.
Then occurred what some of us call.
ed a laughable thing and made merry
over. Hogan was a thrifty man. He
had saved money from his salary, and
he had speculated, and his bank ac-
count stood very close to $4,000. He
was deposltor at u state bank, and
one day the same old man presented
check for $4,000 and drew out the
money. 1t was Hogan's signature IL
plain as day, and he had not only
vouched for the signature of the 9th.
er. but had sent along brief note
The teller tried to reach him at head,
quarters, but failed to get the con.
uection and the check was paid Two
hou-s later Hogan was roaring around
that bank like an angry lion. He had
been done for. 1t was only natural
that he should call on the widow that
evening to relate his loss. and, her
sympathles being aroused, the climax
came-that Is, she leaned her head on
his stalwart shoulder and murmured
that she would be his. She was sorry
for his loss, but she had enough for
both
Two evenings later he went up to
make sure of the date of the wedding
day, and she was out. He did not so
again for Il week, being busy on his
case. and when he next appeared the
house was empty and had been for
several days. His petite tiancee had
fled. For a day or two the man fought
hard against the belief that he had
been duped Then the man took a
back seat, and the detective came to
the front and II did not take him long
to figure out things, The cute little
widow was no widow at all. but the
wife of an adyenturcr, She had been
an actress, and she knew all about
makeups, Shl had been driven TO ev-
cry bank In carriage In shoes that
increased her natural height by six
Inches. Pencil and paint had put on
wrinkles and lines, and She had taken
care to dress for the t<casion. Hogan
himself would NOT have known Ter on
the street Her husband had been
Just as artfully disguised, and when
the point of safety had been reached
the Held had been abandoned
Thu chino hogn hu rI n,