Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-12-13

any particular crime, and / wished Il
see how Brady would act about THU
case. found him in liquor store IL
First avenue with the gang, and h'
greeted me very kindly. went on
18th him alone after he hsd q CHR
with several of the gang. and gave
him ghost sUory about Jne Lawrence
robbery. volunteered the informa
ton that some Of the gang we're sus
pected. had expected to hear Brady
deny that he had ever heard of the
robbery, but instead of this he opened
up and gave me his idea of the crime
He said that none Of the gang were in
it, as they we're all at the wake Of
Andy Owens, who had been killed in
a rough-and-tumble fight in Williams
burgh.
"Tf yer want ter find de bloke
what did de trick. said Brady. take
a pipe on some of de friends Of dis
Lawrence, and yer will come near hit
ting bottom
Il investigated the story told by
Brady as to the whereabouts of the
gang on the night of the robbery, and
found that he had told the truth
which satisfied me that / would have
to look elsewhere for the assailant OF
Lawrence. 1t was possible, of course,
that some other gang might have done
Lawrence up, but the more l thought of
the case the less confidence did have
in the gang and robbery theory. 1t
was the belief of all the detectives
who had taken part in the investiga-
ton that Lawrence had been robbed.
Il went alone to look for a clue in
some other direction. Down at the
hospital looked over all the property
which had been found in Lawrence's
pockets. Among several letters I
found one signed GIL Bender. who kept
a saloon at Second avenue and Thirty
sixth street, asking Lawrence to meet
him at s o'clock on the night Of the
robbery. also picked up another fact
which set my thinking-box going. On
Lawrence's right arm were the letters
"A. b. in India ink. What these meant
| did not know; but they were not the
initial letters of Lawrence's name, and
started out to find what they stood
for
Il dropped into Gil Bender's place,
and he said that he had not made an
to meet Lawrence by let
ter or in any other way. He willingly
agreed to write certain words for me
which were in the letter and to sign
his name. I compared these with the
letter and saw that there was no point
Of similarity in the two handwritings.
| showed him the letter and he said
that he had never seen it before and
had no idea who could have written
IT, Bender was an ex-convict and had
been useful to the police in many
ways. accepted his denials as truth
and then / mentioned to him about
the "A. B. marks on Lawrence's arm.
He appeared a bit surprised when
mentioned this, and / felt that had
struck something good He denied
that he had any idea what the letters
meant, but when l gave him my word
that | would never tell what / had
learned from him. he said that Law
renee was the name selected by Abe
Baker to use in living on the level.
had seen Baker many times, but aft
or getting out of Jail the last time he
had grown p full and very heavy
beard. and put on eyeglasses, which
80 altered his appearance that, taken
N connection with the respectable
people he travelled with, made a COM
olete transformation in his appear
,nce.
The mystery was deepening with
every new fact that l discovered in
he case, and tell you l had many
vild-goose chase. Baker had survived
he operation and was improving
every day, but his mind
vas in a very confused state and he
made many contradictory statements
lbout the way he received his in
uries. The woman who lived with
Baker did not, or pretended not to
know anything of his history.
with the motive of robbery out of
he way, except incidentally, became
convinced that the assailant of Baker
vas some one who had a grievance
against him. carefully went over
his career as a thief While making
his investigation learned that Baker
had turned states evidence in the
Empire bank robbery in Troy, and
given information which led to the
conviction of Cliff Dempsey and Ling
DAILY. who got the full sentence, while
Baker got of with a nominal punish
nent. Baker did not have to testify
n court. and when l heard that Cliff
Dempsey had made a threat to take
lis life for his treachery, / saw my
way clear. Dempsey was a man who
tept his word, and the records show
ID that he had Just finished his term
If sentence and that DAILY had died in
prison.
1T took me a week to plant Demp-
icy in this city, as he had been keep
ng very quiet. In the meantime had
'icked up evidence to show that he
vas at the Fashion race track and had
'een noticed logging Lawrence there.
also found several persons who had
zen man answering Dempsey's ap
'earance in the neighborhood Of Bak-
RS home shortly before he was hurt.
got a sample Of Dempsey's hand
writing, which was identical with the
etter making the appointement
igned by Bender. These facts made
t a string prima facie case against
Dempsey and l arrested him.