The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-08-27
EVANSVILLE, CALHOUN COUNTY, W. VA.
'pen door. keeping a close watch

open door. keeping a close watch
upon his prisoner. Instead of secur-
ing his coat. Let's sprang through a
room and out of the back door of the
house. quarter of a mile distant
was q patch of woodland. The fugi-
tive started for this cover on q dead
run, with the sheriff in hot pursuit.
firing his~ revolver, 1t was a close
and exciting race, and the officer,
having exhausted ono revolver, drew
another and emptied that also, but
all to no purpose. Let's gained the
cover, lodged into the brush, and
found a hiding place. At night ne
crept away and escaped from the
countryside. although the wood was
surrounded and extraordinary efforts
made to recapture him.
Once more the railway detectives
took up the trail. They followed
slippery Let's" to Canada, and
found where he had tarried briefly in
many places, but he never remained
long enough In one locality to be
caught. Then he was traced back
Into the United States: to New York
and other cities, of the East, always
disappearing just as the officers were
about to arrest him. Finally, he
dropped out of sight entirely, and
nothing was heard of him for several
months. The secret service men were
of the opinion that he had escaped to
some foreign country, and their sur
misses proved to be true.
Recently and quite unexpectedly,
through one OF his many avenues OF
information, Chief German learned
that Let's was in the Panama Canal
zone, working as a telegraph opera
tor for the United States Govern
ment. He did not cable the officers
to arrest him-that plan Lad failed
too often. Instead, he detailed two
of his most trusted men to make the
long journey to South America and
secure the fugitive. Armed with the
proper extradition papers and pass
ports, the men set out upon their
mission. Weeks passed, and then
came cablegram saying that "Slip-
perry Let's" was once more in Gus
tody, and that he would be returned
to his own country Immediately. The
two officers had rushed in upon him
unexpectedly and handcuffed him, at
the muzzle of revolver. They were,
moreover, acting under strict and I'M
usual orders. From the moment
they placed their hands upon the sur
prised operator in his Panama office
until they delivered him to the peni-
Tertiary one of them was handcuffed
to him constantly, day and night. To
bolt. or to trick or dig his way to
liberty was impossible. His only re-
course would have been to attack his
keeper, and that he had never shown
disposition to do, and did not at
tempt. In due time the journey was
completed. and after the necessary
legal details were adjusted Harry
Let's was incarcerated in the frown-
ing State prison, there to pay, in re-
morse and toll, the long deferred PEN
atty for burning the station and steal
ing the property of the railway COM
pany.
In many respects Harry Let's must
be classed IS one of the most re-
markable criminals of the day. For
a man to break away and run when
- ~NAO"S W % SOAb tndI uG VIII
be fired upon with deadly intent EVIL.
dences an unusual Willingness to
take desperate chances. Let's never
hesitated for an instant to bolt in the
open in broad daylight in tho very
face OF bristling revolvers with cool
and experienced men behind them.
In all, during the chase, over forty
shots were fired at him, most OF them
at short range. He never received
so much as n scratch, and a feeling
amounting almost to q conviction
prevailed among the officers that
some supernatural power protected
him. His original offence was not
very remarkable-the company deals
with more serious ones every month
but subsequently he caused the Sc.
cret service department more trouble
than any other criminal, big or little
with whom IL has had to deal. Not
counting his original populations, his
escapades cost the company over five
thousand dollars in cash, while the
distance Travelled by it's detectives
If record had been kept, would ag.
gregate many thousands OF miles
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