The Springfield herald., 1912-10-18
DETECTIVE sRlrroN,s STORY.

"The Middletown postoffice rob-
berry" said Detective Britton. who WAS
formerly postoffice inspector. "arous-
ed the authorities to feverish action.
A large force of men was turned out
to run down the gang. They had done
work In dozen places. From their
away every time without leaving q
single clue. 1t appeared that they were
in the first rank of crooks. While
was trying to run down one robbery,
would hear of another one almost un-
der my nose. This did not improve
my standing with the heads Of the
department at Washington.
"One great difhculty in postofice
and bank robberies is that the thieves
get plunder that can be used without
arousing suspicion. Money, OF course.
goes everywhere. Thieves. know
enough not to try and put bonds that
will be questioned into immediate cir
culation. I hunted high and low to
find a place where the thieves might
have tried to dispose OF their booty:
to get II possible. a description OF
some Of them. couldn't even find
the affair at Middletown came of.
felt like jumping into grave and tell
ing the sexton to get busy with the
shovel.
'I was within ten miles of the place.
and heard of the robbery early in the
morning after 1t had occurred. got
to Middletown as quickly as possible.
There found startling state of af.
fairs. The thieves actually had been
seen at work in the Middletown bank
by the local police. which consisted Of
three men. Still they permitted them
to get away.
THE escape was made through the
cunning of one Of the gang, who had
been posted as an outlook in front of
the bank. It seemed that the police
had seen four strangers in the town
who acted suspiciously. One of them
woman, in spite Of her being dressed
in mems clothes. who had sold his
wife sewing machine.
ut was about II o'clock in the
evening. He notified the other con-
stables, and together they kept watch
on the gang. The constables had fol-
lowed them for a time when they OBJ
served man that seemed to be
watching them. When the thieves got
into the bank, he entered with them.
Shortly after he emerged and in
shadow Of tree kept up his vigil.
The chief of the constables after
while approached the stranger. who
seemed startled when spoken to. When
the constable said he was policeman
the stranger appeared delighted and
said he was Just the person he had
been looking for.
1.-THE stranger in a very few words
explained that he was secret service
track of the thieves who were in the
bank for week. He outlined plan
which would certainly lead to their
capture and also the capture Of two
other thieves. who had Just robbed
the postofice, 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 II any one
wo lid follow them. BY hurrying they
would reach the wagon before the
thieves and could lie In ambush for