The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-03-23
HAGAN SOME
PROFESSIONAL CROOKS
Known in Police Parlance as
Wire Tappers' Saves
One Victim.


jump is an instinct possessed by few
men, but there are certain people who
have this instinct developed in re-
markable degree.
Your Uncle Pete Hagan is one Of
the few. We wouldn't say he was
born that way; we don't know, but il
is doubtful as he is a native of Brad.
ford county. But that he has acquired
it seems the more reasonable hypothe'
sis, for every since he came to man
hood he has been on the hunt fol
criminals. Police work has been his
life work.
Three men were seen on the streets
last Saturday; they sat in the court
house park; they walked up and down
the streets and were engaged in earn
est conversation. One was an elderly
man; the other two were comparative
ly young. The younger men were
deeply interested in the old man. Pete
Hagan grew suspicious; he watched
them long time. Then movement
was made which made hin next to GER
tain that the young men were seek
I ing to extricate some of the old mans
wealth-not as vulgar pickpockets, but
in some confidence game.
He went out and arrested al three;
/ they were Indignant but he took them
into his Office; then he separated them
and examined them carefully. More
he talked the deeper grew his corvic-
ton that he had captured crooks. IT,
had come over from St. Augustine;
Pete wired Sheriff Perry; more evi-
dence. He held the two younger men
for Perry. The old man it took the
Sheriff two solid hours to convince
that he was being made the victim #
betting bunco. Old man finally was
convinced and acknowledged that he
had placed $4,000 bet with these
men to work for him. and that he had
given them a draft through the Com
mercial Bank of St. Augustine or his
New York banker for that amount
When convinced that he was being
made a victim the old man wired the
! Commercial Bank to hold up the draft:
he also wired his New York banker.
ditto.
Perry-took the younger men to St.
Augustine. They had established
rooms at New Augustine with all the
fake paraphernalia of q sporting tel
! egraph news office with race track
and other quotations by private wire.
There were no real wire connections.
The names these crooks were known
/ by were Frank Mccall and Harry Har-
vey. The old mans name is Fisher.
Peter Hagan saved him $4,000. All
he has received in return is the graft
itude the old man, and the salts
facticA Of having done good turn to
zone of these my little ones"
Same day Mr. Hagan received tip
from a railroad man that q suspicious
character was headed for Palatka on
the G.. S.&F. train. Peter met the train.
saw the man get of. with two unmark-
ed valices. or leather bags. He went
to hotel and registered, but took
| no room; man then went out on street
and began looking about as if he ex-
pected to meet someone. Walked to
the court house park; sat down and
began to read paper; but he didn't
read with interest; kept watching as
| if expecting someone. Hag2n was
! keeping watch Of the man through
his office window; saw that the man
was nervous; then Hagan went out
and arrested him on warrant charg-
ing that he was suspicious charac-
ter. Took him to Jail; nothing espe-
ciallv discriminating in his baggage.
Man hired Judge Walton who got him
released before Judge Calhoun on
Wednesday. Then Pete re-arrested
him on warrant he had gotten in
mean time from Waycross, Ga, charg-
ing the man with dealing in futures" !"
which under the Georgia law is a
crime.
From Saturday to Wednesday Ha-
gan had done considerable telegraph
ing: found this man was wanted in
Waycross as one of gang Of crooks
who had by the fake wire tapping"
process buncoed another innocent out
of $4,000. The sheriff of Ware
county, Waycross, Ga, wired that he
was getting requisition from COVER
nor of Georgia and would come for
mis- man, NIlOSC iIoIl4S NSA7 S--' - g.
Ed. Davis, alias Ed. Cane, alias Ed
die Kane.
Judge Walton went over to Gaines
vile yesterday to get Davis alias
Kane out on a writ of habeas corpus.
He probably succeeded, though at the
time Of writing it was not known.
If Judge Walton succeeded and Sher-
if Hagan was notified to release the
prisoner, he would do so, Of course,
but-he was ready with another war
rant to re-arrest Davis on charge Of
being fugitive from Justice" This
morning the Sheriff of Ware county,
Ga. will arrive in Palatka and Davis
alias Kane, will be turned over to
him, and another crook, with which
the south and particularly Florida, is
flooded ct this season Of the year, will
be up against it.
/ The Library Benefit.
The hospitable parlors Of Mrs.