Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-11-09
HOW YORK WAS CAPTURED.
Wrench Used To Tighten Artificial
Limb Led To Forger's Downfall.

Tile fascinating story Of how Thad-
doouS +. York. one Of the most can
Scrous ana DARN" forgers that has
operated in the United States in many
years. was trailed hundreds of miles
and finally arrested. with no stronger
clcW than a niclIcl-plated wrench
which he carelessly forgot in a black
smith shop into which he had gone to
tighten up Tho screws uf his artificial
log, was told by William A. Pinkertun.
who is in Denver for a few DAYS Of
combined business and recreation.
Mr.. Pihkcrton is now at the head of
the great detective agency that was
founded 90 years ago in Chicago by
the original Allan Pinkerton. with a
force of "n'y 10 men, and has now
grown 10 strength of from 1900 to
1900 skilled detectives, operating from
26 offices throughout the country.
We now have 2500 banks under our
wing, ard it was because of our deter
mination to look after their interests
thoroughly that we got after this man
York. said Mr.. Pinkerton.
The Bank Of Klamath Falls. Ore
which York sWindled vas not one of
our c:ierts. but We knew York to he Il
fnrger OF the most dangerous and Slip
perry kind, 50 We went after him and
determined to put him ont of business.
TO SHOW you What a daring fellow
York was, let me tell you a trick he
pulled off at the expense of the North
err Pacific Express Co. He stole one
of thcil chcckbOokS, made out and
caSled 50 pay orders and then mailed
the empty book to the company, with
note telling them how easy they
were to sWindia, and that they would
better adopt more businesslike meth
DDS IL the future.
''NcXt he went to klamath Falls, in
sratiated himself with the real estate
men, vas introduced at the banks, and
soon began to organize company to
build a big hotel. Tie deposited in one
Of the banks g draft purporting to
have been drawn by bank in Lexing-
ton. Ky, for $1,000. His standing in
town was such that he drew $9SU0
without difficulty and disappeared.
Our detectives found that the forger
mad stopped at blacksmith shop one
day during his Sojourn in klamath
Falls and taken out of his pocket a
! nickel plated wrench, with which he
tiShtenen the screws in his artificial
leg. He forgot the wrench and left it
lying on the ground in the shop.
"Woll. we had q description of the
| forger and knew that he was a one
| legged man. and we also knew that
his artificial limb was Peerless
| the wrench told US that
We found by communicating with
-, % b., ~
| disposed OF 80 artificial legs like tn,
one this forgcr wore. At first We set
| to work running down the 80 one leg
ged men.
| Then ii occurred to us that the
! Peerless company would not likely
| give away a fine nickel plated wrench
| with every one Of those so legs. So
| back We went to the company and
learned that only six men got
wrcnchcs
Finally we located Iorks mother
| at Los Angeles, and learned that his
| brother was a Wells-FarGc messenger
running between san Francisco an'
Los Angeles. We watched his moth
er's movements closely. One day sh'
packed upesuddenly and started Nortl
to meet her son Thaddeus, who, wt
J were informed, had bought tru'
ranch up in Washington state.
! Our Seattle office was instructed t
he or the lookout for Mrs. York wheI
she stepped off the boat at that place
! and, sure enough. when the boa
| steamed into her pier. down the docl
came tripping, as cool as you please
| our clever forger. Thaddeus 4. J orK
"And the best part of it all. at leaS
for our client was that York had ol
| him $1,000 in cash and deeds to M
property, the whole aggregating NOR