The Neshoba Democrat., 1909-01-21


don, tried, sentenced and imprisoned.
After he had served his time he
started on tour of the continent, ac-
companied by mysterious blonde
| woman who passed as his wife. He
played cards, engaged in the pastime
of bunco steering and varied these
performances occasionally by assum-
ing the part of the wronged husband
He had scheme by which the bank
could be broken, and offered to show
the man how he could take thou
sand dollars and come out with
profit of ten thousand. The man ac-
cepted this glowing offer, but instead
of going to the house that was desig-
mated -he notified the District police
and the versatile rogue was once
| more arrested-this time under the
name of Frank Tracy. He was re-
leased on bail, however, and soon
after again sought the historic at
mosphere of London.
His latest exploit is really deserv-
ing of chapter in itself, but because
of lack Of space must be condensed
into few paragraphs. Superintend-
ent FrOest, who was always on the
lookout for queer characters, learned
that Tracy-as he now called himself
was in London "a hours after he had
set his feet on English soil. He in
structed his subordinates to be on the
lookout for Tracy, but otherwise did
not give much thought to the man.
One morning the telephone bell at
Scotland Yard rang, and the voice of
an excited individual, who proved to
be clerk in banking house near
Leadenhall street, informed the au-
thorities that a thief had entered the
institution that morning and robbed
one of its depositors of 5000. There
was much excitement; crowd had
gathered in the corridors, and in the
confusion the thief had escaped with
the money.
Pardon me-" said the stranger,
"but you have dropped one of your
notes."
The depositor glanced at the floor
on the other side of the desk and, sure
enough, there was bank note.
Thank you," he replied gratefully,
and stopped down to pick up the odd
note. The act only consumed two or
three seconds, but when the depositor
Strengthened up and was about to add
| the missing note to his pile he found,
to his amazement, that the original
package of money had gone, and with
it the stranger. He gave the alarm and
rushed out of the bank, but when he
reached the street the crowd was so
great that it was impossible to find
his man.
When Superintendent Froest re.
ceived news of the theft, he immedi.
ately dispatched one of his men to
the bank but, not satisfied with this,
he resolved to go there in person as
soon as he had finished the work in
his private Office at Scotland Yard.
That only consumed few minutes,
and at it's completion Mr.. Froest
pulled down the top of his roll-desk
and hurried towards Leadenhall
street. At Oldgate, where Cornhill
and Leadenhall street converge, he
IL,
along amidst the crowd. 1t did not
take him many seconds to recognize
the man as his old friend, the versa.
tile rogue, who had lived successfully
under the titles of Frank Macy, Frank
Lacy and Frank Tracy. Instinctively
the superintendent associated the fel
low with the theft of the bank in
Leadenhall street. He walked up and
took Tracy by the arm.
my dear friend" he said, 'T would
like you to go down to the office with
me and have talk over old times"
Tracy made no resistance-indeed,
this was characteristic Of the man.
The moment an officer of the law
touched him he surrendered without
a struggle. The two men proceeded to
Scotland Yard and Tracy, when
searched, was found to possess the
G200 which had been stolen from the
depositor in the bank that morning.
He was tried for that offense convict.
ed and served his time.
The versatile rogue is at liberty
once again, and for the time being Is
honoring the United States with his
presence. This brief sketch is not
offered as story of his life. It is
, onyl what it purports to be--a frag
ment from the life of versatile
rogue
Copyright. 1soS by w. G. Chapman.>