The Meeker herald., 1922-09-30
True
Detective Stories
MASTER CRIMINAL

CHORTLY after Allan Pinkerton
~ founded the detective agency
which was destined to be feared
BY 80 many criminals. number Of
banks and financial institutions
throughout the country were made the
victims Of particularly clever gang
of crooks headed by Walter Eastman
Sheridan, the man whom Pinkerton
In his memoirs declares was the clev-
crest criminal he ever tracked.
Tho operations of the Sheridan o..
ganization were marked by q simple.
ity which was almost startling. Their
favorite trick was to plant orfe of their
members In line leading to the win.
/ dow Of the receiving teller Of a prom
inent bank shortly before the closing
hour. The man 80 planted would take
!up position behind someone who held
In his hands a large roll Of bills, and
would wait until the depositof had al.
most reached the window. Then he
would tap him on the shoulder, call
his attention to q bill which "he had
dropped on the floor" and the man
would naturally stoop to pick 1t up.
n nine cases out Of ten placing his
lioney on the teller's shelf as he bent
pver. The criminal would then snatch
the money and make of.
While the hauls secured In this man
her were. Of course. of varying sizes.
Sheridan and his men picked up $780,
200 as the result Of less than five
minutes work at Baltimore bank.
After several other coups Of SIM
iar nature, Sheridan tried the same
game at the First National bank of
springfield, ILL.,, but was arrested. He
promptly skipped his bnil. however.
Ind the next that PInkerton heard Of
him was when he assisted at the rob-
ed the gang some $4,000. This was
Followed by raid upon the Mechan-
cs' bank Of Scranton, Pa. where
Sheridan and one Of his men got away
With $50 100 worth of negotiable bonds.
His next exploit-one which took
bore than four months OF careful
,lanning-was the footing Of the Falls
Eity Tobacco bank In Louisville, KY,
khen upwards Of $3OO.OOO was Sc
.klIed.
I As 4 result Of these operations, to-
6ether with the shrewd manner in
khlch he had invested his money,
eheridan was worth fully $4,000.
Feeling certain that his past ex-
,kloits had left no clue to his connec-
on with the robberles, and having
obtained his acquittal of the only
8harKe on which he had been arrest
4, Sheridan Joined In series Of the
ost gigantic frauds ever known In
Anerica-the Issuance Of bonds pur-
brting to be worth more than $1,000.
20. These forgeries were 80 clever
n executed as to deceive even the
hcers Of the companies Involved. and
discovery Of the swlndle ruined
.Erores Of Wall street brokers and pri.
tie Investors.
On the eve Of the day on which tho
bble burst. Sheridan quietly cashed
his assets, closed his once at No.
Broadway, and sailed for Belgium.
dich at that time provided a safe
fuge from extraditlon. Had he re-
aimed there. he would have died q
se man. But he could not resist the
re Of gambling with the law. and he
tipped back into America under the
ne Of William A. Stewart, estab-
shing himself In business In Denver,
I'D finally opening bank of his own
Roslta, Colo.
Even up to this time Pinkerton had
idea that the master criminal had
kturned to the states. Pinkerton,
bwever. CHANGED to have busi-
ess which carried him into the min
districts of Colorado, and it was
the streets Of Denver that he came
Ice to face with the man whom he
IS certain was Sheridan.
Investigation developed the fact
lat Stewart" had been leading an
bparently upright and honest life.
Id beyond his arrival In Denver short
after Sheridan had left Brussels.
ere was nothing to connect him with
bank robber and bond forger.
Realizing that Identification ander
circumstances would be extremely
mcult. Plnkerton determined to re-
|rt to a ruse which would serve 4
able purpOse-that Of proving
neither Stewart and Sheridan were
De and the same man, and at the
me time duplicating him. II guilty,
the planning of a new crime. Ac-
Srding,y, Pinkerton sent two Of his
fst men to Colorado with lnstruc-
pns to make the acquaintance Of the
nix president at Rosita, and finally
lay before him the details Of a
ge swindle which they were sup
FED to be planning.
III Stewart Is really honest" ar
ed the detective, "he will not listen
such q proposal. But II he is the
in I think he is. he will not be able
resist the bait. and will come to
by York to participate in the fraud"
The plan worked out precisely as
hkerton had figured. Stewart" not