Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-07-20
Running From a
F ortune
BY EDWARD T. STEWART

is Il very singular case. / have letter
from a party in London asking me to
discover q man who is hiding not be-
cause he is a criminal, but because he
is wanted to enter upon the possession
of a fine estate"
1t was indeed a singular case. Ralph
Thornton, a son of John Thornton, n
wealthy manufacturer of Birmingham,
England, had come to America In
fight from justice, or, rather, injustice.
A crime had been committed which
had been fixed on him. The circum-
stantial evidence against him was so
strong that his attorney advised him to
vanish. He accepted the advice and,
though absolutely innocent, sailed in
disguise for New York and never made
known to any one in England into
what part Of the country he had drift
ed. The real criminal had been tried
and convicted for another offense and
had confessed that he was the guilty
one in the crime Of which Ralph Thorn
ton had been accused. Ralph's father
had meanwhile died and left him all
his property.
The trouble in finding Thornton was
that he would naturally suppose that
any one looking for him would arrest
him. Therefore it was necessary to
approach him not by ordinary detective
methods. ! was furnished with de
scription of his person and informed
that he was university graduate and
scholarly man. I was also given the
letter from London stating that he had
been exonerated.
I spent long while in finding out
that he had gone to Colorado and en-
gagged in mining there. On leaving
England his father had given him
$4,000, SO | judged he was in fairly
easy circumstances and expected to find
him, if indeed l did find him, operating
nine
Proceeding to Denver / went from
there up into the gold mining country
on Clear creek, stopping at Empire,
where there We're number of stamp
mills. There l procured list of all
the men who had invested capital in
mining interests and made inquiries
concerning every one Of them, satisfy
ing myself that my man was not
among them. However, secured in
formation of an Englishman who had
been at Georgetown, farther up in the
mountains, about the time Thornton
came to America and who had sunk
all his money in mines. He called
himself Thomas Gregory.
Proceeding to Georgetown, l made
inquiry for Gregory and learned that
the last known of him he had turned
wandering prospector. There seemed
nothing to do but hunt him up, but it
would be like looking for a needle in
q haystack, and even If found him
quarry.
While considering what to do was
sitting one morning on the porch of
the hotel reading local paper. At
that time the Venezuela matter with
England that was handled SO resolute-
ly by President Cleveland was attract
ing attention, and read In the paper
an article written with view to CIV
ing the British side. There were sew
eral Latin quotations in it, and 1T
seemed to me rather the work Of a
scholar than a statesman. Without
any definite object in view, went to
the Office of the journal and asked who
wrote the article. was told that it
had been sent in from a mining camp
in the vicinity but that was all the
editor knew about it. / went to the
camp and found there man working
with pick and shovel whose appear
ance belied his calling. His accent was
that of a well bred Englishman. he
called himself Bill Anderson
l talked about the article had read
in the Georgetown paper condemning
itbitterly as British argument against
the Monroe doctrine, watching Ander-
son to observe the effect my TRADE had
upon him. could see that was riling
him, but he maintained silence.
give been told" / said, chat some
one in this camp wrote that article"
Anderson shot suspicious glance at
| me.
whoever wrote it is university
man, continued. Miners don't quote
| Latin"
Anderson turned and was stalking
away through u thick growth Of trees
was not sure that he was my man
! but l. was sure he wished to escape
me. l, feared that if 1 let him go
might not get him again. 1t would be
impossible to get in the fact that
wanted him for his advantage. / must
take him by proceeding as If he were a
| criminal.
"You! Anderson!" 1 shouted. 81
want you"
He turned, drew revolver from his
hip and fired at me, the bullet singing
near my ear, then turned and ran like
deer. followed him and saw him &c
into cabin. called to the others who
were following me to help me capture
him without bloodshed. They consent
i ed to surround the cabin on condition
that would make good my claim tt
him ,lndar tho law nrnmiaod Who,