The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-10-18
A MARINE
CHASE
II Was For a Crook
and $4,000
By WARREN MILLER

h all my experience as detective OIL
Ger was for Simpson, who had robbed
the -. National bank of $4,000 in
currency. Simpson was located In New
York by the police, or was supposed to
be. and his problem was to get out OF
the city with the plumber. The prob
lem of the police was to arrest him
with the funds OH him.
MY being called into the case arose
from certain information that came
from Philadelphia. The chief Of police
Of that city gave out information that
a small steamer no bigger than canal
boat that had been laid up for some
time had been purchased and was be-
ing put into commission. The owner
could give no satisfactory account OF
the sale or who was the real purchaser.
Indeed, they had become suspicious OF
the use to which she was to be put and
had advised the police to be on the
lookout.
The way we got OH to Simpsons con-
nectiOn with the steamer was this: An
anonymous letter was received at po-
lice headquarters which stated that he
had chartered single sticker at New
London and was intending to make for
Canada in her. Had we not heard of
the Philadelphia matter we would
have been on the lookout in the direc-
ton of New London. AS 1t was we IN
ferred that Simpson had written the
anonymous letter to put us off the
track. But if this were so he had not
counted on our being in n position to
put these two bits of information to-
gether.
AS soon as / arrived at Philadelphia
I went to the dock where the suspect
was lying. Without appearing to be
interested in her made mental note
of everything in her outward makeup.
She was evidently such boat as is
used for carrying passengers short dis
tances between city and its outlying
towns. She had single stack, was
moved by propeller and was painted
white. The name Oil her stern was Pc
ter Muller.
There We're no signs Of her leaving
port. and got the idea that ! was off
the track. / employed man to watch
the boat and made a visit to the police
department, hoping to get some more
Information concerning her. They told
me they thought they had traced the
new ownership of the Muller and it
was all right.
Had it not been for this information
| l would have watched the boat myself
| or at least taken better measures to
keep advised of her movements. AS it
was l went to my hotel and to bed
early, being tired. was awakened at
) o'clock IL the morning by bellboy,
| who ushered into my room the man l
had placed on watch. He told ME that
| he had gone to, sleep about midnight
! and was awakened by a putting. Open
ing his eyes, he saw the Muller going
out.
| chartered a tug, and, having re-
/ ceivel information that my quarry aft
| er making the ocean had gone north
ward, followed in hot haste. The
! Muller must have had COED motive
power for despite the fact that we put
on all steam she kept ahead of us. We
saw nothing of her, but upon inquiry
learned that she was several hours
ahead of us, making northward.
Before leaving Philadelphia l had
telephoned the New York police dc.
partmcnt of what had taken place, but
whether Or not they took steps to head
/ off the fugitive nothing came of my
notification. l kept on, guided by In
qniry alone all day, but all day gaining
on the Muller. When night came on
felt that temporarily at least had lost
her, for at night she could go where
she pleased without her movements
being noted.
However, I reasoned that the Muller
would not know that she was being
chased and would therefore not be like
ly to attempt to throw me off her track
At any rate, 1 determined to put into
the first available port and try to pick
up information of the fugitive the nexi
day. This I did and III the morning
started again northward, making In
,quiries along the way. About noon
got the first information. The Muller
had been seen about five hours ahead Of
me, still pointing northward
In this way followed the fugitive
for several days. The last I heard ol
her was off Cape Cod. She was thel
pointing for Portland. now saw hel
object She would make for Casco bay
in which there are several hundred is
lands, among which she would have nj
excellent opportunity to lose herself
There would be both advantage and dis
advantage in this to me. 1 would have
her cooped within a limited area, TO,
she could not go on with safety north
ward, there being no harbor between
Maine and the st. Lawrence river. Bu
to find her among the islands of Casct
bay would be like looking for a needi,
i'll a haystack. At the same time
might hunt her down by the sarae proc
ess Of inquiry I had already pursued.
l made Portsmouth, where / learned
that the Muller had been there. j
man had come ashore to buy Prov
sions. answering to a description o.