Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-10-26
BEUTLER KNEW
$1,000 CROOKS
He Was Long ldentIfier For the
PIakert0ns.
WORKED N MANY BIG CASES.
Could Nab Thief From Description
and Seldom Made Mistaks--Arrsst-
cd Sophie Lyons, Notorious and
Clever Pickpooket.

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cd Sophie Lyons, Notorious and
Clever Pickpookes.
Seymour Bentler. for years the icen.
tliier for the rinkerton detective agen-
cy, died recently in New York. II was
said Of Beutler that he Ind knowledge
OF 10000 crooks Of various sorts and
that those whom he knew would have
TO put gu very effective DISCUSSES to
keep him from recognizing them again.
For years he went to state and M.
tional conventions to look over the
crowd that entered the halls for IA.
miliar faces. In the race track days
his post was outside the track to see
that no pickpockets got past the gate
keeper.
Most of the crooks whom he knew
well enough 10 pick out OF crowd he
had never seen. but his memory for de-
scriptlons was so good that he seldom
made mistake. BESIDES descriptions,
he made II q part OF his work to mem.
orixe the records OF those he needed to
know
For the past thirty years he had been
In demand for the entrance 20 impor'
tant meetings Oh all sorts. He had
Travelled from one end OF the country
to the other identifying criminals who
had never seen him, The ears. Beutler
said. we're his principal means OF iden.
tificntion. They never change and can
not be disguised.
Mr.. BeetIer was a slender. gray hair
ed, gray muatached man, but he had
great powers of endurance. He was
at work on forgery case one time,
where firm of pork packers had lost
$4,000 He traced an employee OF the
firm to Canada and then decided to put
him under surveillance.
Beutler hired nm adjoining room and
went two days without food or sleep,
keeping constant watch on his man.
He wanted to see II his man had GER
tain papers necessary for the case, and
Beutler didn't leave the door until he
made certain that the man hed these.
An arrest followed, and the forger
settled with the firm by giving back
$4,000.
Arrested Sophie Lyons.
One Of Beutler's famous cases was
the arrest of Sophie Lyons, the most
notorious and clever woman thief In
the United states. He had caught her
once IN Springfield. Mass. picking a
pocket and tried to arrest her. The
cutlery she raised brought a crowd
down on Bcutler. and he was badly
beaten.
His Identification of Billy Coleman,
who stole $4,000 from the Coopers-
town (N. X, office OF Ambrose Clark.
stepson Of Bishop Potter, was consid'
cred remarkable. Coleman was taken
In New York with some Of the jewels,
but the headquarters detectives could
not say who he was. Beutler. who had
never seen him. but had seen a photo
graph OF the crook once, accosted Cole
man as il he had known him well and
the prisoner admitted his Identity.
To Pat Sheedy has generally been
given credit for recovering the Gains
borough portrait OF the Duchess OF
Deyonshire. but the story has been
told that 1t was Beutler who FIRST learn
ed where tho picture was. A convict
sentenced to Dannemora. to whom
Adam Worth had coniided the hiding
place OF the picture. told BeutIer. and
after shecdy had conducted the nego-
tiation for the return OF the picture
Robert Pinkerton delivered It to the
Agnews In London. the original owners.
He had wide acquaintance with
racing men through his own connec-
ton with the track and was very pop
ular. Barney Schroeder once named q
horse after BeutIer. Beutler had
charge OF the Pinkcrton work at the
Polo grounds. New York.