Edwards Taken to Geneva--The Arrest of Eugene Pearson--His
Confession--More Money Recovered--Dr. Johnson Arrested.
As may be imagined, our detective labors were now but fairly commenced.
We had, it is true, succeeded in capturing one of the active
participants in the robbery, and in securing nearly four thousand
dollars of the money that had been taken. We had also obtained
information which would enable us to arrest two more of the parties who
were connected with the affair, and perhaps secure an additional sum of
money. The information which Edwards had given, however, was of vast
importance to us, and enabled us to pursue our further search with a
more intelligent knowledge of the parties interested, and with a more
reasonable hope of eventual success.
Our suspicions regarding Eugene Pearson had been fully sustained, and
while it was a source of regret to us that we would thus prove beyond
question the deep guilt of a trusted and respected employé of the bank,
and would be compelled to shatter the false foundations of an honorable
name, our duty in the premises was clear. Indeed, I have no hesitation
in asserting that of all the parties connected with this burglary I had
far less regard or sympathy with this deceitful and base-minded young
scamp than for any of the others. If Edwards' story was reliable, Eugene
Pearson was the arch conspirator of the entire affair, and no possible
excuse could be offered for his dastardly conduct. His position in the
bank was a lucrative one, and his standing in society of the highest.
His family connections were of the most honorable character, while the
affection of his employers for him, would certainly have appealed to his
sense of honor, if he possessed any, so strongly that guilt ought to
have been impossible. For Eugene Pearson there was no consideration of
regard in my mind. He had deliberately, and without the slightest cause,
violated the most sacred pledges of affection and duty, and had proven
recreant to trusts, the very nature of which should have prevented a
thought of wrong-doing. He was not dissipated. He did not drink to
excess, and his part in the gambling operations of his friends had
always resulted profitably to himself. He was a regular attendant at
church, conducted himself in the face of all men as one incapable of
wrong, and against whom no taint of suspicion could possibly attach. A
veritable "wolf in sheep's clothing" was this dishonest man, and as such
I felt that he richly deserved the fate that was so soon to overtake
him. The day of his hypocrisy and dishonesty was soon to set, to be
followed by a long night of ignominy and disgrace which is the
inevitable result of such a course of crime as he had been guilty of. I
cannot find words to express the detestation in which I regarded this
smooth-faced liar and thief, who had outraged all the finer attributes
of manhood, and, like the ungrateful dog, had bitten the hand that fed
him.
Before taking Edwards to Geneva, it was necessary to make some
investigations with regard to Thomas Duncan, who as yet had completely
eluded our search, and whose correct identity had until this time, been
entirely unknown to us. William resolved, therefore, to improve the time
remaining until evening, in making an investigation of the premises
previously occupied by Duncan while he was in the city.
Having obtained the exact location of this house, William and Robert
repaired thither at once. They found it, as represented, a quiet,
respectable house, and located in a neighborhood of unexceptionable
reputation. Upon being admitted, they requested to see the lady of the
house, who was a quiet, modest-looking widow lady of about fifty years
of age. William introduced his brother as a Mr. Staunton, lately of
Boston, who was desirous of obtaining a pleasant room in that locality,
and who could furnish undoubted references as to respectability and
promptness. They were shown several unoccupied rooms, and finally
entered the one which had probably been occupied by Edwards' companion
in the robbery, for here were two trunks packed and strapped, and
apparently ready to be taken away.
"This room," said the lady, as the two gentlemen noticed the trunks,
"has been occupied by a gentleman who has left the city. These are his
trunks, and he has ordered them to be sent to him."
William had already approached near enough to notice that the lettering
upon the trunks was "T. J. Duncan, Des Moines, Iowa," and he was
convinced that thus far Edwards' revelations had been correct.
"I once knew a man by that name," remarked William, carelessly. "He
traveled in the west for a clothing firm in Philadelphia."
"Oh!" said the lady, "this gentleman, I think, was in the same
business, and perhaps he may be the one you knew?"
"I would not be at all surprised," replied William. "Where is Mr. Duncan
now, do you know?"
"No," answered the lady, "nothing further than that he has ordered his
baggage sent to Des Moines, Iowa."
Finding that thus far Edwards had spoken truthfully, and that no further
information could be elicited from this source, Robert promised to call
again, and the two men withdrew.
At the next corner they found two operatives, who had been directed to
await their appearance, and William, after describing Duncan's trunks to
them, ordered them to keep a sharp lookout for their removal, and to
endeavor to follow them to their destination.
This done, they returned to the agency and completed their arrangements
for taking Edwards to Geneva that evening. Operative Everman, who had
returned from Woodford, was directed to proceed at once to St. Louis,
and effect the arrest of Dr. Johnson, the dentist, on a charge of
forgery, and to convey him to Geneva as soon as possible.
It may be stated in passing, that until the confession of Edwards was
made, I had no knowledge whatever of the forged checks which he
mentioned, and the bank had made no efforts to discover the perpetrators
of that fraud, which had now so unexpectedly been brought to light.
We had been very careful to keep the fact of Edwards' arrest a profound
secret, and as yet, the officers of the bank and the peaceful community
at Geneva were in entire ignorance of what had taken place. William had
telegraphed to Mr. Silby, stating that he would be in Geneva that night,
and requesting him to meet him at the train. About midnight, therefore,
when they arrived with their charge, there was no excitement or bustle
about the place, and even the wakeful and observant railroad men were
unsuspicious of the arrival of one of the robbers. A carriage was
procured and the party were rapidly driven to the city hall, where, to
the surprise of the officials, Edwards was placed in confinement,
charged with being a participant in the robbery of the Geneva bank.
Fearing that the information would leak out before morning, and that
Eugene Pearson would take fright and endeavor to dispose of his share of
the proceeds, it was deemed advisable to go at once to his residence and
arrest him.
This was done as speedily and quietly as possible, and before the young
man was aware of the danger he was in, he was our prisoner. I will not
attempt to depict the grief and anger of the family of this unfortunate
young man when the object of our visit was made known; but their
resentment of our action was just what might have been expected from
people who believed implicitly in the innocence of their child, and
regarded any attempt to deprive him of his liberty as an unpardonable
outrage.
As respectfully, but as firmly as possible William stated his
determination to arrest the young man, and informed them that every
opportunity would be afforded him to defend himself, and to remove the
stain upon his character when the proper time arrived.
Eugene Pearson, the culprit, was the least disturbed of the party. His
coolness was imperturbable. He flatly denied all knowledge of the
robbery, and in the strongest terms, assured his weeping and
grief-stricken relatives of his innocence.
The arrest, however, was quietly accomplished, and Pearson was soon
confined beneath the same roof which sheltered his associate in crime,
Newton Edwards.
Early the next morning the town was alive with people and the greatest
excitement prevailed. The news of Eugene Pearson's arrest had spread far
and wide, and a universal sentiment of indignation pervaded the whole
community. Angry men gathered at the corners of the street, and threats
of vengeance against the officers of my agency were loudly uttered. A
lawless outrage had been committed by us, and the righteous indignation
of an injured community refused to be appeased. The hotel where my men
were stopping was besieged by the angry citizens, and our actions were
denounced in the most belligerent manner. Eugene Pearson, in their
opinion, was above suspicion; he was their ideal of a moral young man,
his father was respected everywhere, and the base and unwarranted
invasion of their home by my officers was an indignity which they were
resolved they would not allow to pass unpunished. As the morning
advanced the excitement increased, and several of the boldest of the
angry citizens approached William, and in no complimentary terms
expressed their contempt, not only for him individually, but for the
methods which had been used to ferret out and apprehend men who were
innocent of any wrong.
Under ordinary circumstances William would have resented these insults,
and that too in a manner that would have convinced them that he was
fully able to defend himself; but realizing the importance of coolness
and discretion at this critical juncture, he preserved his good humor,
and securing their attention for a few moments, he requested them not to
be too hasty in their actions. If Eugene Pearson was innocent, he
stated, no serious harm had been done the young man; and if he was
guilty, as he could prove in a short time, they would deeply regret the
course they were now threatening to pursue.
[Illustration: William requested them not to be too hasty in their
actions.]
In the meantime he had not been idle in his attempts upon the stoical
firmness of Eugene Pearson himself, and at length the young burglar was
broken completely down; he confessed his guilt, and promised to conduct
the officers to the spot where he had hidden his share of the booty. In
company therefore with two of the officers, he repaired to the barn in
the rear of his father's house, and buried in the ground in the yard,
they found a sack of coin amounting to the sum of six thousand dollars.
[Illustration: Here they found a sack of coin amounting to the sum of
six thousand dollars.]
So far, so good. We had now captured two of the robbers, and had secured
nearly one-half of the stolen money of the bank.
It is needless to say that immediately following the confession of
Eugene Pearson and the finding of the money he had stolen, the opinions
of the previously enraged citizens underwent a decided change. If
William had desired any evidence of the overwhelming triumph which he
had achieved, the deportment of these disappointed men toward him would
have fully satisfied him. No longer regarded as a ruthless invader of
the privacy of honest homes, and guilty of outraging the finer feelings
of humanity, he was everywhere received with the utmost respect and
deference, and many apologies were offered for their inconsiderate
conduct of a few hours before. And yet it must be recorded, that with
this indisputable evidence of Eugene Pearson's guilty participation in
the robbery, there yet remained many, who, unable to refute the damning
proofs against him, were filled with a sympathetic sentiment of
regard for their fallen idol, and their prevailing feelings were those
of sorrow and regret.
The majority of them, however, came up by scores, frankly acknowledged
their mistake, and freely apologized for their actions, which under the
circumstances, were shown to be so hasty and ill-timed.
In a day or two after this, Dr. Johnson made his appearance, under the
escort of William Everman; and the delectable trio were placed in
separate cells to prevent any collusion between them prior to their
examination.
Johnson's arrest had been very easy of accomplishment. He was entirely
unaware of what had transpired with the other two, and having had no
active participation in the robbery, had imagined himself perfectly
secure and had taken no means of escape.
Everman, on his arrival at St. Louis, had, in accordance with my
instructions, obtained the assistance of the chief of police of that
city, who very cheerfully and cordially volunteered all the aid in his
power. Two men were therefore detailed to accompany Everman in
searching for Dr. Johnson, and it was nearly midnight before they
succeeded in ascertaining definitely where he lived. Shortly after that
hour, however, the detectives ascended the stoop of the doctor's
residence and requested to see him. He appeared in a few minutes, and as
he stood in the doorway, Everman quickly placed his hand upon his
shoulder, and informed him that he was wanted at police headquarters.
The doctor turned pale at this announcement, and requested an
explanation of such an unusual proceeding; but Everman informed him that
all explanations would be made in due time, and at the proper place.
Trembling in every joint, the discomfited doctor obeyed, and in a few
minutes was conveyed to the office of the chief, where he was closely
examined, but refused to divulge anything in connection with the robbery
of the Geneva bank, and asserted boldly his entire innocence of the
charge. Despite his pleadings for delay he was brought to Geneva upon
the next train, and in a short time three of the guilty parties were
safely in custody.
[Illustration: Everman quietly placed his hand upon the young man's
shoulder, and informed him that he was wanted at police
headquarters.]
Our work had thus far been prompt and successful. We had captured the
leaders of this gang, and had recovered nearly half of the stolen money.
Much more, however, remained to be accomplished, and we determined that
our efforts should not be relinquished until Duncan, the remaining
member of this burglarious band, had been secured, and some clew to the
remainder of the money had been obtained.