The Meeker herald., 1922-04-15
True
Detective Stories
THE FINAL DETAIL

cases IN which the criminal, nav
Ing spent months or even years In
building up the superstructure Of his
scheme, makes a fatal blunder In CON
nectlon with some apparently unim-
portant detail-a blunder which
wrecks his entire plan and brings his
authorities.
For example. the chances were more
than n thousand to one that william
Brockway. counterfeiter, being DESTROYS
Of securing proof of II plate on
which he was working, would select
printer who was not II personal
friend Of prominent detective. But
chance. which so often plays a Leading
role even In true detective stories,
directed him to man who knew A.
l.. Drummond. Of the United States
Secret Service, well enough to call
him by his first name.
"This man came Into my place yes
tcrhny afternoon" reported the pr!n-
ter. "nnd wanted some proofs pulled
Of plate which he had with lin. |
took one look at the plnte and told
him to come back today-sald my mn.
chinery was out Of order. lie didn't
lcnve the plate. but he didn't have TO
! suw what 1t was-the figure $1,000
surrounded by n lot OF scroll work
"If he returns today" directed
Drlimmond. pull his proofs for him
and hold one Of them for me. a couple
Of my men will be outside your shop.
so signal them and they will follow
your customer"
The plan worked according to
schedule and. shortly after receiving
proof Of the mysterious plate. Drum
TINT they had trnilcd the suspect Ia
house on Greenwich street. In nd.
dltion. one Of the government agents
hnd recognized him MS william +.
Brockwny known to be the most eX-
pert counterfelter In the country and
the man who had achieved fame by
manufacturing 100000 worth of bonds
which the Treasury department had
accepted ms genuinc-only to reverse
It's opinion some weeks later
Druinmond accordingly made n re-
port OF the entire matter to WASH
ington. md forwarded n proof NJ the
plate which Rrockwny had In his
possession. To his Arrangement. the
treasury officials stated that the
figures and the scroll did not form
part of any government currency or
bond issue and that. as federal funds
could not be used except In the search
for counterfeiters OF money or govern
ncnt bonds. Drumnond could not he
permitted TO hnndl" the case.
Accordingly. nll the dnia WIS tur Z III
ever to the New York police. md
Er"ckwny dropped ont Of sight for
nearly II year. until r,mnr WAS
passed along from Washington that
the innstcr couIrtcrfeitcr wns working
on some coup which would he the big
gest of his career.
Drummond knew where to find
Rrockwny. hut the secret servic" men
hnd to work under a handicap be
cause the ex-convict appeared 10 hnv"
an uncanny way OF knowing Just when
he was being followed. Then he would
slip nnd twist and turn and lose him
self. no matter how many men were
trailing him.
As Il last resort Drummond enlisted
the services Of his son. hoy OF ten.
whom he sent to the elevated station
Mt Twenty-cIghth md Sixth avenue.
with instruction to plny around there
until he received n signal from two of
the operatives. BrocEway, not dream
Ing that the secret service had be-
gun TO use children ms detectives. WAS
unsuspicluus md the hoy followed him
until he entered the 81. james. hotel.
at the corner OF Twenty-siNth and
broadway. With that much Of the
trail nlrcndy hlaZeh. II was easy tO
pick mp the rest. and within few
dnys DrummOn1 was notified thai the
connterfciter divided his time between
the St. James and n house nn.Iexin-.
ton avenue. His associates We're two
men of nbOut his own age men whom
Drummond recognized MS Lewis Nnr
tin md Nnthnn Foster. both Of them
proficient In NIL branches Of the worl;
connected with the manufacture and
passing of counterfeit money.
But even then Chief Brookcs of tn"
secret service. declined to allow Drum
mond to handle the cnsc officially. he.
cause all the Indications pointed to n
plot to counterfeit railroad bonds.
rnther thnn United States currency.
II was only when Inspector Bvrnes
Of the New York police force. asked
permission to use Drunmond MS n
private agent that Washington per
mItted him to continue with the case.
Using the proof Of the "Sl 900
scroll" ms n foundation, Drmmmond
searched through all the prominent
bond issues listed on Wall street. until
he found Its counterpnrt--thc central
portion Of the bonds of the Central
Pacific rnilrond. Armed with this In
formation. Which wns essential to the
securing or definite and specific
WARRANT, Drunmond rni,lcd the house
mn Lexington nypnlIp DnU Martins