The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-09-28

man WHO WaS tHSSeeu III WdLCulnB
Lumas at the indianapolis end report
ed that as soon as Lumas arrived
there he would go to his rooming
house, retire to bed, and remain there
until 1t was time to leave for Detroit
again. 1t was evident that Lumas di-
vided his spare time into two parts
sleep and pleasure, the former part
being that of Indianapolis and the lat
ter of Detroit. He needed sleep and
rest after his c~arousing in Detroit, and
he seemed to live his purposeless life
in q highly practical and purposiye
manner.
The operative in Indianapolis, obey
ing his instructions. succeeded In OBJ
tanning a room in the lodging house
adjacent to that which Lumas occu-
pied. The man who was shadowing
him in Detroit was just as fortunate,
and in a short time had managed not
only to make the acquaintance of
Lumas but to established himself on
terms of intimacy with him. He was
with him almost constantly while
Lumas was in Detroit, and in this
manner became acquainted with most
OF Lumas' friends in that city.
There were in Detroit at this time
two men of the same name-Pat
O'Neal and Jim O'Neal. Their bust
ness affairs were closely related, Pat
being a private detective and Jim a
thief, the result being that the two
men were well acquainted with each
other. There was, however, no rela-
tionship between the two. Pat O'Neal,
the detective, was a widower, and
lived with a widowed sister who kept
a rooming house, and it was in this
house hat Lumas and the Detroit OPP
erative both lived. O'Neal, the detec-
tive, did not know either of them per-
sonally, but he naturally knew some
thing about them. He learned from
his sister hat Lumas vas employed
by some express company, and that
the operative was connected with
some advertising concern in the east,
for this was the impression which the
man wished to give.
One night. while my Detroit agent
and Bert Lumas were seated at a table
in a Detroit beer garden, they were
approached by a plainly dressed man
of medium size, about forty years Of
age, light-complexioned, sandy-haired
and clean-shaven. He was evidently
intimately acquainted with Lumas, for
he sat down at the table without pre-
liminaries, and they had several drinks
together, after which they drew their
chairs together and began to converse
in an undertone which was evidently
not meant to reach the ears OF the OPP
erative. Nevertheless the latter man
aged to hear an important part Of the
conversation.
Il tell you everything will be all
right" the newcomer kept insisting to
Lumas.
II haven't been treated right"
Lumas answered, land that is why
have been drinking SO much of late"
You're drinking a great deal too
much" answered the s~andy-haired
man. Now you keep quiet and later
on everything will be all right"
That was as much of the converse
tion as the operative could fully catch.
After separating from Lumas he took
measures to locate the s~andy-haired
man. He found that his name was
Denny Downer, and that he vas a
sa~loonkeeper on Criswold street, De-
troit.
whila tb;c nopyarcotion uac toEipo
| place Jim O'Neal, the thief, was seat
ed at a nearby table with som >
own friends. He knew Lum' q
an express messenger, and h. 1t
he lived at the house of Pat O'Neafs
sister, and, hearing the same part Of
the conversation that the operative
had overheard, he concluded shrewdly
that possibly Lumas had been con-
cerned in the express car robbery.
When next he met his namesake, Pat
O'Neal, the private detective, he voiced
these suspicious to him, telling him
of the conversation that he had over
heard between Lumas and Denny
Downer, the latter of whom the de-
tective did not know.
/ was keeping In close touch with
my assistants, in spite of a good deal
of other work. and received a prompt
report Of the conversation, and, on the
following day a second report from
the operative, informing me who the
s~andy-haired man was. On receipt Of
this news, having known Denny Down
er as q thief for many years. l at once
came to the conclusion that he was
one Of the men who had been impli-
Gated in the Rohan robbery. My ac-
Q%uaintance with Downer had begun in
Pennsylvania, and had been in the
criminal court In Pittsburgh on a GER
tain occasion when Downer was SEN
fenced to a ~five-year term for bur-
glary. / knew the mans criminal rec
ord, and the description fitted him as
perfectly as the name. / thereupon
decided to go to Indianapolis, taking
with me all the daily reports which l
had received during the four months
freIs the two eperatiyes-in all. some
two hundred and forty. l notified Mr..
Brace OF my intention and requested
him to accompany me to that point.
telling him that l expected. important
developments to occur there. A return
telegram was received from Mr..
Brace, stating that the latter would
I>a- n.Na.. III and ~~ 80 In