The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
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would be guilty of utterng and publish
ing forged paper
| at once filed the necessary complaint,
and procured warrant for the arrest of
No. ,, VINO was taken to Chatham and
lodged n jail. | then telegraphed to
eN-GoNeenor Brown. explaining what l
had done. The latter wired back:
Why did you disobey my instructions
when you knew that I had instructed
you as to what the Texas judge had de-
cided and therefore the fugitive could not
be eXtradlted from Canada under the ex-
isting treaty nor in accordance with the
act Of Congress, which provides for
said treaty? Answer. John G Brown
| replied:
u disregarded your instructions. fnd-
ing them erroneous and that you did not
understand the law pertaining to the case.
lave also learned that a Texas judges
ulns Is moi considered in Canada and
I find that | can legally extradite the
fugitive from Canada under the present
law
With a copy of the revised statutes
of Canada in my suitcase. l at once re-
turned TO st Louis where | reported to
Vice President Hoxie. Tom, Governor
Brown showed me a message which he
had received from YOU Yesterday. He
appeared to be quite angry"
4 am here to explain my actions
would kindly request Governor Brown to
come to your office at his convenience,
as | think my explanation should be
made to him in your presence. so that
one explanation may serve for both. My
time is limited, as must go to Texas
and procure certain witnesses and return
with them to Chatham, Ont, within two
weeks. the time set for the hearing"
In a short time Ex-Governor Brown ap-
peared, and | repeated the instructions
which | had received from him | then
stated that | had found it would be i'm
possible to carry them out without sub
jecting myself to prosecution and a pos
sible jail sentence. and that | had there
fore done the mex; best thing, which was
to consult competent attorney. I then
produced mis- copy of the statutes. and di-
tected the eX-governor's attention to the
marked sections. which the latter care
fully read. After he had finished his pc
iusal | read the telegram Which he had
received and my own answer,
We'll, governor what do you think of
this matter" asked Mr.. HoXie when
he had read the dispatches.
For answer, the ex-governor walked
round the table to where | was seated
and extended his hand, which | took.
"Furlons was right all the way
through" he said to me.
No. put up strong fight for freedom
The appeal upon the eStradition was ar
gued and the extradition papers were
sustained. A higher court upheld the ac-
tion Of the lower one and the case was
at once taken up by the privy court at
Toronto which likewise affirmed the ac-
tion of the lower courts AS this was
the highest trbuna' in Canada it's de-
eision was final, and No. , was d. COM
mitted for extradtion.
| Immediately left Toronto for WASH
ington and presented the necessary pa
pers from the state of Texas al the
department of justice there. They wer3
promptly approved and sent TO President
Cleveland for signature. President Cleve-
land had then been in office Just four
days, and these We're the first papers of
the kind that he signed. With the sig
nature of the President affixed to them.
I left for Chatham, with the purpose
of bringing No. back to Dallas for
trial.
When the train stoppsd at Canandaigua,
n. Y, messenger called my name at the
dininsroom door. He handed me a tele-
gram from the high sheriff of Chatham,
which read as follows:
When my iailor went to the cell oc-
oupied BY No at L clock today he
found him dead. Had apparently been
dead an hour Cause of death vet UNI
known. Probably heart failure"
The autopsy showed that the man had
Killed himself by swallowing laudanum,
but how he had obtained the drug was
never discovered.
Thus only two of the swindlers re-
manned for trial. and these, rather res
markaDiy, We're No. / and No. A. both of
whoml had arrested at Ocean Springs
The case now came on for trial and
turned she duplicate bills of lading over
10 Captain Tom Brown of sherman, Tex,
who was the railroad company's attor-
ney in that district. These. with other
documentary evidence, the captain
placed in his overcoat pocket, and he left
that garment together with his coat and
{ hat, on a rack in the corridor of hotel
While lie was eating breakfast When
he returned for his overcoat the papers
had been stolen. In consequence of the
loss of these documents. when the case
was called the prosecuting attorney asked
that a nole prosequi be entered in the
case. thus letting the two men go free
This was an unfortunate ending to SO
much enterprise. hut no stigma ever
attached Itself to Captain Brown who
was aiterEafd elected judge of the SUI
pfene bench of Texas.
(Copyris ht 1914 by international Press
Bureau.o
(NeXt Week: The Preller Murder, Case'O