Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-07-21

''Furlong." said Mr.. Clover, ut
looks as though Brookes will 60 free"
How is that?" / asked.
Because" replied the other, while
there is scarcely any doubt that Max
well caused the death of Preller by
chloroform, yet he may have done it
innocently, and II such is the case
he could not be convicted of the MUIR
der. Now, Tom, / want you to get
the facts in this case for me-"
l asked for a day to think the mat
ter over, to which suggestion they
agreed. When my visitors returned
l said:
Gentlemen, / have been thinking
about the case in question, and have
become satisfied that there were but
two persons who knew the whole facts
connected with the case. One OF these
persons is now in Jail, and the other
is dead. In my opinion Maxwell Is
the only living person who knows the
facts, and therefore he is the only
person from whom these facts can be
obtained. / believe l can get these
facts from him. l shall be glad to do
anything that can to assist you in
unraveling this case. with the under
standing that l am not to receive any
compensation for what / do myself,
but l expect you gentlemen to pay
the operative that l may use in this
work the same amount Of salary that
we are paying him, and his actual ex-
penses."
This being agreed, I telegraphed to
Philadelphia for a man In my employ
there named John McCulloch, a truth
full, honest man. but little thick.
headed: Just the man who would in
terpret his instructions to the letter,
and carry them out in this way
which was what / wanted.
/ began by obtaining possession OF
| a few blank checks from the office OF
d. s. H. Smith. who was local treas
urer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad
company in st. Louis. My chief clerk
was a good penman, and ! set him tc
practice until he could not only initiate
Doctor Smiths signature, but could
| initiate IT just badly enough to arouse
suspicion in the mind of q bank cash
Ter. / next had my clerk fill out q
blank check for the amount Of
$1,188.1O. This check / gave to Nc
Culloch, instructing him to present II
to the paying teller of the Mechanics
bank. which was then on Fourth
street. had received a genuine
check from DR.. Smith a few days be
fore. and had purposely held this out
and was waiting across the stree
from the bank when McCulloch. whit
is now to be known as Frank Ding
felter, entered to cash the forget
check. AS soon as Dingfelter entered
the bank / followed him.
The paying teller examined thu
check curiously, and then, seeing me
excitedly motioned to me to COM
to the window. AS / approached, tn
teller, in an excited voice. commando
me to arrest Dingfelter. He has pre-
scented large fake check bearing tn
name of DIR. Smith, for nearly twelv
hundred dollars" he said. why. yo
know DR.. Smiths signature"
Yes. Here is one Of DR.. Smith
checks" / answered. Il know this
genuine, for saw the doctor sign it.
The two checks were compared b
me, and continued:
while am not an expert on HAND
writing, / do not believe that d.
Smith wrote that signature"
Where did you get that check
demanded the teller of Dingfelter.
81 got it from DR.. Smith," was tn
reply.
"will you go with me and see D.
Smith," asked.
We'll, i don't know whether l wi
or not" Dingfelter answered. "Ar
you an officer?"
Il am the chief special agent for tn
. Missouri Pacific Railroad company
I replied.
"Oh, well, that is different ! wi
. 20 with you and see DR.. Smith," sal
! Dingfelter.
We started for DR.. Smiths Office a
: cordingly. At the corner of Sixth an
D Pine streets l gave Dingfelter the pr
arranged signal, which was for him
hit me a good, stiff punch in the fac
A large, clumsy policeman. wearir
3 a raincoat, was standing under q
2 awning near the corner saloon. Din
: felter hit hard, as he had been 4
c structed, and struck me above the ey
5 knocking me down and infiicting
severe confusion. Dingfelter stur