The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-07-21

Criminal Ring In East Is
Brought to Justice by e.
forts OF Widows OF Slain


that punishment In Cleveland could
be sovcre--and sure
TAKE SUSPECTS
IN LONG CHASE
Tho certainty OF punishment Is
demonstrated by an s.ooe.miie chase
from which police have Just returned
with two murder suspects-an inter
national chase with all the thrills OF
q fiction detective story.
Tho severity OF punishment Is dem.
onstrnsed by tho death sentences that
have been handed down In recent
hcldup murders
Tho three women VINO have &C
eomplishcd these things arc:
MISS FLORENCE ALLEN. com
mon pleas judge
MRS. w. c. SLY. widow Of the
president OF . manufacturing con
Germ. killed by highwaymen-
MRS. @. X. TANNER. widow Of
the superintendent OF the same plant.
murdered at the Same time.
Tho widows inspired the RELENTLESS
hunt: tho judge neted out the first
death sentence
On December 81. 1880. sly and
Farmer. carrying tho $4,000 payroll
OF their plant, were stopped by five
auto bandits When they resisted
robbery. both were shot. tho holdup
men escaping
Widows Of the two men interested
the Cleveland Automobile club. and
officials took an active part with
police. financing tho hunt
NAN SENTENCED
10 DEATH CHAIR
witnesses said one Of the bandits
had q funny mouth" The dcscrip-
ton answered q man named Frank
Motto, who had been arrested for
auto stealing and later released
Motto was found. questioned.
charged with the murder and tried
before Judge Florence Allen, the
first woman to b elected 10 the
common pleas court
After hearing tho widows testify.
. Jury found him guilty Of murder
and Miss Allen sentenced him TO die
In the electric chair.
Il believe the jurys verdict vas
just says the woman judge X felt
the abhorrence-more strong In WON
en- than In men-to taking Of . hu-
man life. But knew could not
weaken
True. II appalled, me. and dread
ed the moment But when II cana
! ala not hexitata."
Motto implicated oShzA
Sam PurpcrA was found By oetec'
t1voo In San Francisco. returned.
tried and also sentenced TO death In
connection with the same casa.
Before these sentences. pay ron
robbcries averaged almost ono a
week There hasn't been one since
Detective PIN Mooney. famous for
his work In unraveling Black Hand
mysteries, learned from an Italian
friend that Dominick Benigno and
Charles Coietti. two Of the other men
wanted. had fed to Los Angeles
Ietters were intercepted. showing
they were beading for Cuadaiajara,
Mexico.
AUTO CLUE MEN
FINANCE TRIP
No city funds were available 70
pursue the pair. Mrs. Sly again
appealed to the Auto club. Officials
after . conference. agreed to finance
the trip.
Detectives Matowftz ana Cavola
went to Los Angeles and took ur
the trail TO Mexico. In Mexico City
about to take a train to Guadaiaj lara
they ran into tho fugitfves on the
street Seizing them before the sur
prised men could run. the detec-yes
took them to jail
President Obregon refused To allow
the men to be extradited
The fugitivcs appealed 70 the rial
ian consul TO aid them In reaching
either Italy or South America
The detectives wired home for In
structons. Police sought the auto
club. Follow them to the end oil
the world II necessary; wen pay tbs
way" officials told them
Then began n thrilling two-montf
vigil. Matowit4 and Cavoia stood
12-hour watches over the men e
prevent them from slipping away.
DETECTIVES. SICK.
STICK TO JOB
On a tip that Obrcgon planned u
spirit the men out OF the country
across ting Texas border. Detectivs
Koestle Wis rushed from Cleveland
TO FL Paso.
Later he Joined the other two n
Mexico City. and the weary 12-houI
watches were cut 20 eight.
These were maintained regularly
despite the fact that both Kocsti,
and Cavola were suffering from trop
ical fever SO badly that they coult
hardly stand.
Often the fugitivcs were rclcaset
by sympathetic Jaflers, and the de
tectives had 70 shadow them unit
they could get another TALLER to loci
them Up.
Finally came word that Obrcgor
nad ordered the men deported anS
had purchased tickets for them from
Vera Cruz to Spain on the line
Monserat. The Cleveland detectives
trajled them to Vera Cruz, prepared
to follow them to Spain.
BY chance. the liner Monterey
bound fror Havana and New York
was also lying in the harbor.
BY a coup the officers got the TIVE
fugitives aboard the Monterey In
stead OF the Monserat and whcr
they sailed from the harbor, all un
whiting. they were headed for Unitct
States and jail instead Of Spain ans
freedom.
The constant strain over the two
month period was so great that 1
turned Koestle's hair gray.
Spain and Japan