The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-06
RUMOR THAT PARKER
HAS BEEN CAPTURED

| 2 =
From Fridays Daily.
A telephone message received by
The Minneapolis Tribune early this
morning from Winnebago estab-
fishes. the fact that the missing ii.
Nv. Parker was an expert as
telegrapher, which appears to be
strong connecting link in the iden-
/ tification.
Atlanta, Ca, November 29.-Be-
lieved to be H. w. Parker, the en-
bezzling vice president of the Bank
of Commerce Of Winnebago, Mimi,
IL. NJ Long, prominent business man
and leading social figure in West
point, Georgia, a small city near
:! Atlanta, was arrested yesterday and
is being held for Pinkerton identifi-
cation experts. Long has been in
| Westpoint since spring.
J He is proprietor and manager of
the Grand theatre, leading play
house of Westpoint, is promoter OF
several enterprises and he and his
wife are prominent figures in social
lcircles. He married in Atlanta
shortly after reaching Georgia, go
ing Immediately from this city to
{ the place in which he was arrested.
His wife is former Cincinnati
actress, who since the revelation of
her hectic career, has refused to
tell her name. She and Long re-
sided in a palatial home in West
point which became one of the most
popular homes in the city for the
many elaborate. social events held
therein.
i Long Pursued.
! According to Pinkerton detectives.
which organization has pursued the
absconding bank official over the
entire continent and even foreign
shores, the embezzlement was COM
mitted during early 1912.
The man arrested in Westpoint
had just invested in much real es-
tate and had expressed his inten-
ton of making Georgia his perma-
!nent home.
He had won distinction in COM
mercial affairs and his social lead
ership was unquestioned.
A few weeks ago the Pinkertons
sent the Parker IMAM hunt" circu-
lar to officials in Westpoint. Wide
spread attention to it was attracted
by the Turing reward of $3.50. The
striking resemblance in the picture
of the fugitive bank president to
the meteoric Westpoint citizen
aroused the mayor, John T.. John
son, and two railway detectives to
Investigation.
Recently he revealed evidence suf-
ficient to direct suspicion toward
| Long and after a conference with
Pinkerton detectives, the mayor or
dered the business magnate's arrest
Friends Offer Support.
| The arrest threw the entire COM
munity INTO ferment OF excite
ment
!; The Jail was besieged with friends
iof the prisoner Offering support in
every conceivable manner. Calm and
complasCent, Long smilingly greet
ed his supporters and assured them
that his arrest was a ridiculous
farce.
He grew reticent, however, when
questioned by officials who had
caused his arrest, and would say
/ nothing except that he had never
resided in Minnesota and knew moth
ing whatever of the embezzlement
Of which he had been accused.
A dramatic feature to the arrest
twas created when the prisoners
young wife came to the Jail and
pleaded with the jailor to permit
her to remain in the cell with her
husband. She was forced out of
the building crying Historically, and
almost collapsed when placed in a
tCab tO he sent home
Long is about forty-fve years old
and is versatile in accomplishment.
He handles telegraph instrument
with the same efficiency with which
he managed his successful business
affairs in West Point.
4 The report of Identification ex-
perts sent from Atlanta to West
Point will be made today, and not
until then will it be definitely
known that the prisoner is the alb
sconding bank official
| Pinkerton detectives who have
seen Long say. however, that they
firmly believe he is the right man,
and are confidence he will confess
his identity.
Left Family in Winnebago.
/ Winnebago, Mimi, November 90.
Harry w. Parker, the abscondiDg
2 vice president of the State Bank of
Commerce of this city and who is
reported to have been captured in
a small Georgia town yesterday,
left here on the 10Th of April last
. He told friends that he was going
to Minneapolis to look after his
candidacy for grand master of the
state Odd Fellows lodge
1t did not dawn on anyone for
two or three days after he had
gone that he did not intend to re-
turn until it was found that the
bank was short of funds amounting
to approximately $4,000.
Even after weeks had elapsed and
Parker did not put in an appear
ance it was not believed that the
missing man was a deliberate en-
bezzler but that he would come
back in due season, especially in
view of the fact that he had wife
and three children here.
The Bank of Commerce closed it's
doors soon after Parker disappear
ed and is now in process of liquida-
ltion.
The Free Press called up M. C.