The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-19
THE STORY OF THE
 CAPTURE OF HARRY THAW

everything depends when an import ant story breaks unexpectedly in a remote quarter - showed his value and his dependab1Iity in the record ing of the capture of Harry K. Thaw in Canada, August 18th, two days af- ter his sensational escape from the Matteawan Insane Asylum.
 The whole of New England was seeking Thaw, but he had left few clues in his flight, and 1t was i'm possible to tell definitely where to look for news of him. The situa- ton was one of uncertainty and ex- pectancy. Then Walter Drew, at CoIebrook, N. H., was heard from, for the first time in two years. He had found Thew, and he took the very first opportunity to get the Bos- ton office of The Associated Press on the long distance telephone and give the news
 Few remembered where Colebrook was; Coaticook, Quebec, was a name almost unknown to the general pub lie, and the presence of Walter Drew as The Associated Press correspon- dent in the remote New Hampshire town had been almost completely for gotten. He had not sent in a story in two years. Nevertheless, when his time came he faithfully remembered his connection with The Associated Press and the obligation which lay at his door from the fact that his name was on the records in the Boston office as "local representa- tive.'' He rose to the occasion, and sent in one of the best news stories of many months.
 Leased wires, trained reporters, ef- ficient operators and well equipped offices are an integral part of the a99ociation, yet all together they had not been able to satisfy the pressing demand of the day, Where is liar ry Thaw?" The police of four New England States, spurred by rewards offered by New York authorities, could not answer. It was left to Drew to tell the world that the fugi- tive had been found. The story from Colebrook and Coaticook was a case where all the elaborate and efficient machinery for handling the news waited for the almost forgotten man on outpost duty to send in his report.
 How MT. Drew got his story is worth telling. The prize did not drop into his lap. On the contrary, he was after the story hours before it transpired. Like most newspaper men he numbered among his friends the various city and county officials. As in cities where news competition is keen, the country correspondent had cultivated the best news sources, and it was natural that a deputy sheriff who recognized Thaw from a
 
 friend. And that is what happened.
 Deputy Sheriff Burleigh H. Kel- sea, of Colebrook, was a fe11ow-paS- senger with ThaW on Maine Central train, and it was to this officer the fugitive betrayed his identity by an nothing of the reward offered for the capture of Thaw. He left the train at Colebrook and Thaw went on.
 Kelsea was fortunate to meet Drew soon after he reached home. The officer said he had seen Thaw. Drew had faith in the 1dentihcaH4n.s He scented a story, and inspired Kelsea to action by pointing out that the reward would be his if he effected a capture.
 Undeterred by the practical cer- tainty that Thaw would be across be oVertaken, Drew and KeIsea hired an autom obile and the pursuit be- gan. It was dark and the roads were bad, but they knew Thaw would have to leave the Maine Central Train at Beecher Falls and go across coun- try to reach the Grand Trunk, so they pushed on. At Beecher Falls, Drew learned that Thaw and his com panion, Roger Thompson, had arriv- ed there and had hired a liveryman to drive them to Barford, Quebec. The trail led over a wooded route in a
  had started from Co1ebrook after P. M. on August 1 8 and it was past when they took up the trail for Barford. The start the train had given Thaw was gradually overcome as the motor car gained on the liv- cry team.
 Five miles out of Beecher Falls the pursuers met the livery driver re- turning. He said that he had be- come suspicious of his fares and had refused to carry them farther. He didn't like the idea of riding late at gers who seemed peculiarly anxious to get out of the country. He told his passengers he guessed he'd be getting home,'' and they seemed glad to be rid of him. Drew and Ke1sea picked up the trail again at a nearby farmhouse, where they learned the fugitives bargained with a farmer to take them to the nearest town for nine dollars.
 The searchlights of the automobile showed fresh wheel tracks in the road ahead, and ThaW and Thompson were traced to the little inn at Ste. Hermenegilde. A sleepy landlord de- scribed two late arriving guests. Making certain that the fugitives were asleep, Kelsea went in search of a constable. Drew remained on guard, waiting to pluck the story when ripe
 Thaw was arrested at 6 o'clock on the morning of August 18th. MT. Drew began to search for a long dis tance telephone. It was nearly three hours before any connection could be gotten there, but brief bulletin was given to the Boston office of The As sociated Press at 8:55'A. M. Realiz- ing the necessity of getting absolute confirmation, the Boston office, while taking the story from MT. Drew, had set up another wire to Coaticook, Canada, where Thaw was taken to jail, and Drew's report was not only confirmed, but interviews were ob- tained from Coaticook authorities, in clUding the chief of police.
 The positive report that Thaw had been captured was sent out by the Boston office at 9:O9 A. M. It was