Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-23
THE COsTL1EsT CASE
A Homicide Trial That Cost $3.50, 900.
Finest Detective Work Ever
Done--A Pennsylvania Man
Who Put lt Over
by GEORGE NOX Mccain

that Of a trial whose principals j. inter.
viewed In Dawson City, IN the Nlondike,
twenty -One years ago.
Before the criminal was executed the
Canadian Government.
Witnesses were summoned from all parts
Of Alaska, the United states and England.
Some Of these witnesses were held IN
Dawson City for year at Government ex'
pensc.
The detective Travelled 5000 miles by 'og
sled. and Inspector Scarth. of the mounted
police, 1900 miles.
The prosecution revealed the greatest and
most pntient and persistent piece OF detec.
the United States.
a Pennsylvania detective. too, was the
hero Of this remarkable trial.
While in Dawson City in 1901 I inter
viewed both the murderer and the detective.
DIlTLIp RALPH MCGUIRE, the detec.
tive. was horn in AIcndvillc, Pa.
He drifted West, became United states
Secret Service man. then an inspector OF
police in Minneapolis, and later. as the spe..
cial representative Of q big surety ana
guarantee company OF New York. went TO
Alaska. He located several defaulters and
forgers. whom he finally landed IN prison.
Early in January. 1890. Mcjuire learned
that personal friend. Ralph Clnyson. had
disappeared. together with two other men.
on the winter trail between Dawson and
Bennett FAKE.
The Canadian Mounted Police took up the
search for the missing men. They arrested
several persons, but were compelled to let
them 80 for want Of evidence.
All but one. Il man named George D 'Brien.
He had been arrested while heading for Ben
nett Lake, the only outlet from that vast
country to tho Southwest.
O'Bricn had bad record. Ne had been
imprisoned in Birmingham. England. his
birthplace. for trying 10 kill a policeman.
lie had served two years in the log prison
AZ Dawson for robbery after he reached
Alaska.
Purely o.. suspicion, he was held for de-
vcopments by the Canadian Mounted Police.
OBJECTIVE MCGUIRE, on his way to
- Dawson with team Of seven dogs.
stopped at the mounted police station ut
TaRish and interviewed O'Brien.
He told contradictory stories. mixed up
with certain facts about where he had
stopped on the trail and what he had done.
Mciuire went on down the trail and
found OBrien's statements true as to his
halting places. He did not tell how he had
tried to sell gold dust to people whom he
met.
While going along the trail Mcclure
found some oakwood borings from an inch
auger.
That first excited his suspicion. He al.
ready regarded OBrien as the murderer.
and cx,mincJ O.Rrinn.s ,l.d d thon ~ hntI hx
,bo nnIira "N y
Tie heavy oak standards had been bored
through leaving orfccs large enough to
conceal $4,000 worth Of gold dust. after
They were cmnty when Nc(;nire im.ncctcd
them,
There was then nothing to work on OK.
ccpt the fact that l'layson. with two COM
man. ond Olc Olson n t;overnmcnt ,clecranh
Inemop boj JE.onnoorod
d;san n" men; pS ~ process o, "!l.,,nat.oh: hao
cen miles of tbc tr,;l .,o,woen E,rt Soll;r,.
and Iuicbiko.
nm 1.\DLpSTAHD ,ho ,o,l;.i,,,, ,d..
'"e 'Y"' '''" "''u''
Mhi'n slc,'"re WORKED II ,.nNst D'
sno%n 'hat .he ground over tn" whoie
I".i. VIZ" oN ~
d"hrh OF from Two 70 ihr'c rect.
In" Thermometer frcINeht,x registered
bo'n ~ " wv p.u'" "e'u' M "a!s arc
short IN winter ana IN" nights long:
S,loM N we iuNon '"uh.lE Is ilgn. ana
,"."''t ~ W "'. ":''''o i'Nci 'nt
snow SINKS slowly betra!'ns every slight
depression,
~ man Nlhs on th' Srm!h! ana running
ms cF" over ieVei Shrla," OF mnbrok"n
Sh"" ~ u''"St 'raii ,hu" ~ 'hr snow.
~. ~ i;i, Ii;. ~ "''''''' i""' u!
'hrsc S'ighi ucprrssiohS.
FOR weeks ana W"'Es M"''uIrc travelled
over ms 'rh!'' wing a"M' every Few feet
/" run ms eH" oyer "" !'h, Sh,n'hg surface,
'S E nohs as & "HE''snl ~, Ms."n, ~" made less
'"" Hr,a" n"'' ~ :. ,',o na,.a ' os '.bi. H. r,
Ah"r six weeks or th's n" located small
,rnl' iean'nS ~, from Ie tne foan' @ Wnrh ran along
IN" river bahR. PACK lhlo III" dense forest
l"r u inlc ana nan.
~" '"una deserlea trn'' inside were
looo pounds OF g9oas ao''!. rom scow;
q" i H.. "n' """ o''''N| ''''' f"''H c''su'"eo
nrr,,pr Ala, ,ou,
Mt". 'r y, Wv" ,.,,. m,n. ,n,n" "".n 10 '"c nam
A,A road. lie knew w there ,',, must be another
trail made by the tent dWeII"rS.
Two weeks more OF work on his hands
and knees i'll the snow followed,
IL" made small broomS out % wigs. with
f WIZ" u" p pnms, t, od ''"'H hwnS
to the river.
Here, on the frozen surface "t IN" stream.
In pn,n &C rnfl