Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-10-18
said he was Just the person he had
been looking for

said he was Just the person he had
been looking for.
"The stranger in q very few words
| explained that he was secret service
agent. He said he had been on the
track of the thieves who were In the
| bank for week. He outlined a plan
which would certainly lead to their
| capture and also the capture of two
other thieves, who had just robbed
the postof1ce, which the constables at
| that time had not heard of.
1.-THE bogus secret service man and
the three constables watched the
thieves break open the safe door with
a drag, saw them pack the money and
other valuables into a sack, put out
the lights and leave. The stranger
kept the constables from making an
attack at that time by explaining that
he had three assistants waiting near
| the spot where their wagon was wait
ing. By going there the force would
be large enough to bag the whole
gang without trouble.
When the thieves came out the
stranger did not follow them, but went
in another direction. He quieted the
suspicion of the constables by telling
them the thieves were going the
| wrong way just to see if any one
would follow them. By hurrying they
would reach he wagon before the
thieves and could lie in ambush for
them. The police walked rapidly for
few moments and then 2 sharp whis-
tie was heard. The strange cried out
for all hands to get under cover, as
the thieves were coming toward them.
Everybody jumped into the shadow
I In few moments when the constables
hunted for the stranger he could not
be found. All the simple-minded rural
police could hear was the clatter of a
team of horses going up the road,
fully half mile away. They got a
team as soon as they could, but the
thieves had obtained such a start that
it proved to be useless to follow them.
Not one of them had recognized, in
the smooth-faced young man who had
duped them, the woman sewing ma
chine agent.
II got good description Of all the
thieves. While I had general idea
| who was in the gang, was not certain
until I made a little more investiga-
ton. I dropped the gang altogether
and did not try to find what had be-
come of them. knew that it would
nr1xy no of oH
them twelve-hour start. The only
one was interested in was the wom-
an. I made up my mind from her de-
scriptfon that I knew her, but I had to
verify 1t. This task took me to a
farm owned by Samuel Hooper, about
ten miles out of Pittsburgh. The
woman I was after was his wife. It
was just as suspected. She was not
at home and Hooper had not heard
from her for a long time.
SIT is necessary to make a little ex-
PLANTATION at this point. Peg Foster,
a very clever thief, was convicted of
robbing hotels in Philadelphia several
years before. The papers had been full
of her beauty and innocence. Hooper,
who was very eccentric chap, read
all about it. After Peg had been sent
to Jail he visited her, offered to marry
her and worked for her release if she
would promise to lead an honest life.
She led Hooper aleng for several
months and then married him in Jail.
Hooper worked night and day for a
year, and finally induced the goI er.
nor to pardon his wife. Everybody
aided Hooper in his efforts. When he
took Mrs. Hooper home he was prais-
ed for his philanthropy.
II met Hooper several times and
took such an interest in the case that
I visited Peg Foster in the peniten-
tiary and also at her home after she
got out of jail. She seemed quite
happy as farmers wife, but after six
months trial she went away with all
Of Farmer Hooper's spare cash.
ST put up little scheme with Hoop.
ers' consent. I had 4 story published
in the Pittsburgh papers about Hoop
er's infatuation for Mrs. Hooper. It
stated that he was very sick and had
made a will in which he had left an
estate of 100000 to her upon condi-
ton that she appeared to claim 1t
within one year after his death. If
she did not appear the money was to
be used to build a home for ex-con-
victs. The story was copied every
where. In two weeks it bore fruit in
the shape of letter from Mrs. Hooper
to the farmer, begging to be forgiven
and promising to return and live with
him to the end Of his days If he would
let her 1t was beautiful letter, and
could not have been better worded if
it had come from broken heart
81 fixed up the answer for Hooper.
It was directed to an address in West
18th street, New York. I started at
once for New York and telegraphed
Hooper to mail the letter after I had
put plant upon the house, which had
long been suspected as a fence for
stolen diamonds and jewelry. The let
ter told of Hooper's love for the won-
an who had deceived him, and PROM
ised her everything if she would re-
turn.
''The letter was delivered all right,
but it was not until the next day that
there We're any developments. Then