The Washburn leader., 1914-08-28
TOO MUCH
DELAY
pv DONALD CHAMBERLlN

was sent from New York after a
man who had given the slip to every
; officer of the law who had been sent
to take him One detective had got
him cornered in a house, surrounded
the house and went upstairs to nab
him. A maid received him and admit
ted that the man be was looking for
was in back room. The detective
went there and the man jumped
down on to the roof of porch and
started to slide down by one of the
posts. The watchers collected under
the porch to take him when he came
down, and while they were doing this
the maid walked out the front door.
The maid was the man they were aft
er. and the man they took was his
wife.
There were other escapes equally
ingenious. and l resolved to profit by
them. was told where would find
Ethan Hardwick. which was one of
the names he used. and took train
for the place where he was or, at
ieast WAS reported to be. 1t was a
three hours ride 1t occurred to me
that if arrested him. ! would have
to bring him back over the same route
and ! would have to watch him con-
,inually lest he give me the same kind
Ut 81 slip he had given others.
On arriving in the city where Hard
wick had taken up his abode didn't
go at once to his lodging to arrest him;
| hired room opposite and observed
linn. My object was to learn all about
the approaches and exits that he
would have to rely on when l should
lpunce upon him. also desired to be-
come familiar with his personal ap-
pearance so that would know him
under any disguise.
saw him go into and come out of
the house in which he was staying
several times had a photograph of
lin borrowed from the rogues' gal
iery and by it knew him at once the
first time saw him. In coming and
going he made no attempt to appear
to he anything else than what he was
lie never looked ut the house | was in
q, in any way gave evidence that he
suspected an enemy lodged there.
was puzzled to know how to catch
him. for he had chosen retreat from
which there were many avenues of es-
cape. 1t was in row of twenty
houses, all the same height. and if he
could get on the roof of any of them,
not counting his own. there were nine
teen roof scuttles down any one of
which he could pass to freedom. To
watch so many outlets would require
Il considerable force. which l did not
have at my command and did not like
to hire. therefore concluded to watch
my chance to take him outside of his
quarters.
On several occasions l followed him
on the street. but just as ] was get
ting ready to run up to him and clap
my hand on his shoulder he would
suddenly disappear in some alley or
basement. where l did not dare follow
him lest the only result would be his
getting on to the fact that | was after
him. So sure was he to thus evade
me that it seemed as If he must know
who l was and what my errand was.
and vet could not see how he could
have found out anything about me.
One day ! saw him so out and fol-
lowed him as usual. He went to the
railroad station. To my surprise he
went to the ticket Office. where fol-
lowed him and saw him buy ticket
for New York. considered myself in
luck. All had to do was to telegraph
for force to be at the station to take
him when the train arrived. bought
Il ticket for the same place and follow
ed my man on to the train. getting in
the same car with him. The telegram
gave to the conductor of the train
to send for me.
Hardwick showed no suspicion of
every moment from the time he en-
tered the station till he got on to the
train. but he never once looked at me.
AS soon as he took his seat he open
ed newspaper and began to read.
would have taken Il seat behind him.
but he sat in the last seat in the car
and | was obliged to sit in front of
him. But till the train moved out
kept him in sight.
There was but one stop for that
train. Trenton. l didn't think it neces-
sary to keep turning to watch my man
while the train was running at the
rate of fifty or sixty miles an hour.
and after leaving Trenton. knowing
that we would not stop again till we
reached Jersey City. refrained from
close observation. AS we approached
the terminal looked for my quarry.
He was missing.
went through the train looking for
him. but did not find him. He must
have jumped off while the train was
moving at least forty miles an hour
If so. supposed he had been killed.
At any rate. returned without my
prisoner. but made resolution never
again to delay an arrest.
Several years later Hardwick was
arrested. and while he was being tried
/ asked him what had become of him