The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-13


distinguished service order was con-
ferred on Froest whose decorations for
one thing and another would make
double row across even his broad
chest IL he cared to wear them all at
one time.
'Debonair' is the word that best de-
scribes the superintendent The iron
strength and bulldog grit that have
carried hinl--not without some nasty
stabs and slashes-through life and
death tussles with thieves, murderers
and maniacs are masked behind the
sleek, weli-fed appearance of jeyial
club-man, and this effect his dancing
blue eyes, which. however, can hard
en- pitilessiy, his cock little mustachs.
and his ly-shaven Uranium com
bine to heighten. His hands are man
toured as carefully as those of a Fifth
avenue dandy, but they are as decep-
tive as the rest of his appearance Of
careless bonhonie, for the strength
of steel is in them and they can bend
a sixpence or tear q pack OF cards in
two almost as easily as yours or mine
could shatter q peanut. Yet 1t is
wrong to say that frankie" Froest's
air Of an out-and-out good sort" is
deceptive, except as appearing to in
dictate a soft-Hving man who would
be easy to get the upper hand Of, for
even the big, bad men he has landed
IN "qund" wiz tell you that he is one
Of the best.
Has Had Many Fights.
My. the fights the man has had
The tough customers who have had to
knock under to his Porthos- like
strength He finally put the bracelets
on one man after q Titanic struggle
alrSover q first -elass compartment of
an express train, and even after he
was handeuffed the thug managed to
ratye an iron footwarmer beneath his
nlanacled wrists and tried to brain the
detective with 1t. Perhaps the Aveiiest
fight of Froests whole life, however,
was against an American cowboy who
already had six murders to his credit
and who did his level best to maize
the killing OF Ffoest constitute sew
enth.
This was early in the detective's ca
reer, but he already had tasted the
mettIe of Americans-or rather Irish
Americans. for under Inspector Little
child he had fought the Fenians In
Ireland and gone UP against them in
Paris--( those people You were kind
enough to send over to u.s." ne said,
describing theTn), so he knew what TO
expect in real bad man from the
States"
This bad mans name was Kuhne,
and he hailed from Primrose City,
Wis. The murders he was wanted for
were particularly brutal ones, and af-
ter committing them Kuhne signed
on cattle boat bound for Liverpool.
At Queenstown Froest, who then was
unknown to fame. put off in a small
boat, met the cattle boat and climbed
up over her side. There were men on
deck and one Of them was giant.
inches taller than Froest, who Is not
much over medium height.
rs your name Kuhne?" said Froest
to the big man, drawing his bow at
venture.
WHAT" was the answer. "Oh noi'
But Froest saw that he had got his
man. Tn police officer" he snap
ped, and instantly the giant drew a
bowie knife and jumped at him. Over
on the deck they rolled, clasped to-
gether, struggling furiously. Up and
down they went, the cowboy jabbing
his knife through the detectives
clothing and trying to grip his throat
But gradually the Scotland Yard
mans iron strength wore down his
man and that's why there isn't a sew
entk notch in the hilt of the "sticker
that now lies on F'roest's mantelpiece.
Tt was Characteristic Of him that ]
had to drag the details of this affair
out Of him bit by bit. He was much
more in his element when describing
picturesque little sequel to the adj
venture.
I'VE let them know in Wisconsin
that we had Kuhne under lock and
key" said Froest. and the sheriff Of
| his town came over to take him home.
| Oddly enough. though he came from
Primrose City. he declared he never
had seen a primrose in his life. and
| 1t seemed to be the thing-after KHhne
that he most wanted to see over
here. Well, it wasn't the season for
| primroses, so I sent him some seeds,
which refused to come up. Then sent
him some young plants, but they died
en- route, so the best could do was
| to send the sheriff some dried prin-
roses. and he was pleased most to
pieces"