The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-09-26

me lot OF trouble several years 18-
fore. Then I started In TO get a III.
tie information about the Simpson
robbery II was like milling teeth,
The gang would not discuss the rob.
berry nj all except in n general way.
for the life OF me I could not get A line
on my of the gang who were out OF
the CITY.
"I tried IN ret n start on tho fences
where the property was dIsposed OF
| usually but I ran nm against n solid
wall Every thief met I took a look
| for an T. on his right hand bur none
I was able 10 find had the accusing
mark wanted TO got some informa.
tion from the outside about n crook
known as Peg Reilly so ono night 1
ouit the gang and sneaked 10 head
ouarters was followed nv Red
Wormser. He had been suspIcious of
mo after the robbery on Long Island
because 7 would not lot him abuse an
old woman who defended her property.
81 did not know that he was looking
for me or I would have been more
cautious only learned Il afterward
when turned the gang nm and land.
ed seven OF them in Sing Sing After
leaving headnuarte@s | went To Andy
Mullen's. He smoke very pleasantly
TO me and threw me completeIy off nv
guard. We had n few drinks and then
Red went out with several OF the
crooks. tried to find out n ANYTHING
was I'D, but could not. left Andy's
to 20 TO my room about midnight.
had only gone a short distance when I
got n terrific blow from n sandbag. II
was meant for the back of my neck.
but the aim was bad and | caught It
on the shoulder. -Four of them came
at me. The darkness was In my favor,
and escaped the lunges OF three
knives Mt my heart got pretty we'll
bruised and battered. Help was out
OF the question. At the first oppor-
tunity ran like a deer and several
shots came after me.
"The next day we received report
from Scotland Yard of the robbery of
ieweler named Bennett in London,
believed to have been committed by
American crooks. In the description
was the statement that one of the
thieves had the letter Il on his right
hand. A how who had been apprentIced
by old Bennett saw the men enter tho
store and noticed that India ink mark
on the hand. The how knew that old
Bennett had a lot of money in a chin
ney. This had been taken, and the
old nan was found unconscious. He
could not tell what had happened. The
police kept the facts quiet as to the
evidence OF assault on him. hoplng
that the thieves would believe .he
story which had been printed about
his misery habits making him III.
az was Gent to London 10 look the
matter I'm. There learned that lin.
my Parsons had been mixed up In It.
in some way, though there was no EVIL.
dence of his actual participation in the
crime. Years before | had done Par.
sons a favor when he got into trouble
In New York. He had been arrested
for forgery. | proved that he was en-.
tlrely innocent and cleared him. /
went to see him and made myself
known, At first he was very r.tlcent
l went to see him every day for a
week to urge him to explain how his
name had been brought into the Ben
nett robbery. When ! gave him my
word that would protect him he told
me all he knew.
HE said the two crooks from New
York had come to him with load OF
diamonds, and he bought them lie
did not know who had been robbed. as
II was not his business to inquire.
Ihey stayed around Tor week ana
mad spoken TO him about old Bennetts
money the robbery or Bennett oc'
CURED the next day ana the thieves
skipped
Parsons told me with tears rolling
down his cheeks how they had induced
his daughter Nellie to steal bag OF
gold that he had In the safe and go
with them He had thought at first
that she had only run away for little
change, and he tried to get the police
to find her. Then he got letter from
her saying that she had gone to Amer
L 81