The Detective at Bismarck--Further Traces of the Fugitive--A Protracted
Orgie--A Jewish Friend of the Burglar in Trouble.
On arriving in Minneapolis, Manning was able to discover without serious
difficulty that Duncan, after remaining in that city two days, had
purchased a ticket over the Northern Pacific railroad for Bismarck, a
thriving town in Dakota. This information he had been able to gain by a
resort to his old method of visiting the houses of ill-fame, and then
carelessly exposing Duncan's photograph to the various inmates, in such
a manner as to excite no suspicion of his real errand. His experience
thus far had been that Duncan, either to evade pursuit, to gratify
bestial passion, or to endeavor by such excitements to drive away the
haunting fear that oppressed him, had invariably sought the
companionship of the harlot and the profligate. Being possessed of
plenty of money, it may be imagined that he experienced no difficulty in
finding associates willing to minister to his appetites, and to assist
him in forgetting the dangers that threatened him, by dissipation and
debauchery. All along his path were strewn these evidences of reckless
abandonment, which, while they temporarily enabled him to drown the
remembrances of his crime, yet, at the same time, they served most
powerfully to point out to his pursuer the road he was traveling.
It appeared, therefore, that my first theories were correct, and that
Thomas Duncan was making his way to the far western country, where,
beyond the easy and expeditious mode of communication by railroad and
telegraph, he would be safe from pursuit. He was evidently seeking to
reach the mining district, where, among men as reckless as himself, he
hoped to evade the officers of law.
Manning lost no time in following up the clew he had obtained in
Minneapolis, and so, purchasing a ticket for Bismarck, he was soon
thundering on his way to the Missouri river. At Brainerd, at Fargo in
Minnesota, and at Jamestown in Dakota, during the time when the train
had stopped for some necessary purpose, he had made inquiries, and at
each place was rewarded by gleaning some information, however
fragmentary, of the fugitive. He was therefore assured that he was upon
the trail, and that unless something unforeseen occurred, he would
sooner or later overtake the object of his pursuit.
On the following day Manning arrived at Bismarck, a thrifty and growing
little town on the banks of the muddy Missouri. As the train left the
more thickly populated country and emerged into the region of this as
yet comparatively undeveloped west, the detective was surprised to
witness the rapid advancements that had been made within a few years.
The spirit of American energy and enterprise was reaching out into this
vast region, and already the influences of modern civilization and
thrift were manifesting themselves. No longer a trackless waste,
abandoned to the roaming bands of Indians and the wild beasts of the
forest, and plain, the western continent was fast yielding to the
plowshare of the husbandman, and to the powerful agencies of education
and improvement.
Bismarck itself was a wonderfully active town, and during the season of
navigation a large commercial business was transacted with the various
towns upon the river, both above and below it. Before the advent of the
Northern Pacific railroad, Bismarck had an existence, but simply as a
sleepy river station, with its periodical bursts of life and animation
during the months when the river was navigable and when trade along its
waters was possible. When winter came, however, with its chilling
blasts, and the river was frozen, trade almost ceased entirely, and
Bismarck remained in sluggish inactivity until spring with its
refreshing showers and balmy breezes awakened it to new life and being.
Now, however, all was changed. The railroad with its facilities, had
opened the way to emigration; the pioneers had penetrated the solitudes,
and Bismarck had grown with that wonderful rapidity so characteristic of
the western town. The advent of the iron horse had opened up new and
hitherto undreamed of possibilities. Real estate, which had previously
no fixed value whatever, was now in demand at almost fabulous prices.
Stores and dwellings sprang into being, hotels and churches were built,
school houses and even banking institutions flourished with a vigor that
seemed almost miraculous.
Sauntering about the town on the morning after his arrival, Manning was
surprised at the activity and bustle, the thrift and energy which
greeted him on every hand. His past experiences had taught him many
things which he found of use to him in making his inquiries in Bismarck,
and it was not long before he succeeded in learning definite particulars
of Duncan's stay in this place. From reliable sources he ascertained
that the young man had arrived in the town about two weeks prior to
this, and had remained several days, enjoying himself in much the same
manner that had marked his residence in the other cities along his
route, except that in Bismarck he had exposed himself to a greater
extent than at any other place. It seemed that as he got further west,
his fears of pursuit and detection grew less, and he became more bold
and open in his actions. Here he had not attempted concealment at all,
except as to his name, which he gave as Tom Moore, of Chicago; his
carousals were publicly known, and the lavish expenditure of his stolen
money was commented upon by many.
In a conversation with the proprietor of the hotel at which Duncan had
stopped, the detective learned that his stay in the city had been marked
by the most reckless dissipation and extravagance. So careless did he
appear in the display of his money, of which he appeared to have a large
amount, that the proprietor had taken it upon himself to warn him
against the danger to which such a course would expose him. The town was
infested with a gang of roughs and thieves, and he feared that if once
they became aware of Duncan's wealth, his life would be of comparatively
little value. Several of these characters had been seen about the hotel,
and the landlord had remonstrated seriously with Duncan about his folly.
To this Duncan had impudently replied that he could take care of
himself, and needed no advice. Finding it of no use, therefore, to
advise him, the landlord desisted in his efforts, and left him to follow
his own inclinations.
Manning also learned from his host that Duncan had associated quite
intimately while in the city, with a Jew clothing merchant, who was a
resident here, and who seemed to be an old acquaintance. The name of
this man was Jacob Gross, and ascertaining where his place of business
was located, Manning determined to give him a call.
When he entered the store of Mr. Gross, that gentleman was
engaged in waiting upon a customer. He was a perfect type of the
Israelite--sharp-featured, with prominent nose, keen, glittering eyes
and curly black hair. If any doubt of his race remained, the manner in
which he conducted his bargain with his unsuspecting customer would have
convinced any one of the presence of the veritable Jew.
Manning watched, with amused interest, the tact with which the Hebrew
clothier endeavored to convince his customer that a coat, much too large
for him, was "yust a fit and no mistake," and that the price which he
asked was not half as much as the garment was worth.
After the customer had departed, the clothier advanced, bowing and
smiling, toward the detective, as if anticipating another sale as
profitable as the last one. Manning informed him in a few words that he
was looking for Duncan, and was a friend of his, who was desirous of
gaining some information of his present whereabouts, as unless he saw
him, Duncan might be getting into more trouble.
It appeared that Duncan had told the same gambling story to Mr. Gross,
who seemed to be dreadfully shocked at the affair.
"Py gracious," said he excitedly, "I hafe knowed dot boy ven I sold
cloding in Des Moines, more as fife years ago, and so help me Moses I
did nefer belief he vud do such a ting loike dot."
After further conversation, he learned that Duncan had spent a great
deal of his time at this store, and when he left, had stated that he
intended to go on to Miles City, and perhaps to Butte City, Montana. It
appeared that Duncan had an uncle who was engaged in the clothing
business at Butte City, and that it was possible he might eventually get
there.
"If you find him," said Mr. Gross, after he had given the above
information, "you musn't told him where you heard this, because he told
me, I should say nothing about him to anybody."
"All right," replied Manning, "if I find him, it won't make much
difference to him who told me about him."
As he uttered these words a peculiar look came into the shrewd face of
the Jew, a look which was partly of quick suspicion and of fear, and he
eyed the imperturbable detective for a few moments as though seriously
in doubt about the whole affair. Manning, however, had nothing further
to say, and bidding the clothier a pleasant farewell he left the store.
On returning to the hotel, he found that he had several hours to wait,
as no train would leave Bismarck until evening, and he therefore
employed his time in writing up his reports and mailing them to me.
After partaking of an early tea, he returned to the railroad station,
where he discovered that he had yet some time to wait before the arrival
of the train, which was belated. As he was standing on the rude
platform, musing over the events which had taken place in his journey
thus far, and speculating as to the probable result of his chase after
an individual who had seemed, phantom-like, to have eluded his grasp at
every point.
He knew full well the desperation of the man he was following, and the
threat that "no two men should take him alive," was, he realized, no
idle one. He had no doubt that unless he could circumvent him in some
way, his capture might be no easy task, and that in this undeveloped
country he was taking his life in his hands in the journey he was now
making. He never faltered for an instant, however; he was determined to
capture this criminal, if possible, and he quietly murmured to himself:
"Well, let the worst come, a quick eye and a steady hand are good things
to have in a meeting like this may be, and I'll take care that Thomas
Duncan does not catch me napping."
His meditations were suddenly interrupted by the unexpected appearance
of the little Jewish tailor, who, breathless and panting, now came
scrambling up on the platform and exclaimed:
"Py gracious, Mr. Manning! I vas afraid you vas gone, and I hafe
somedings on my mindt dot bodders me like de dickens!"
[Illustration: "Py cracious, Mr. Manning, I hafe somedings on my mindt
dot bodders me loike de dickens!"]
"What is it that troubles you, Mr. Gross?" inquired the detective,
laughing in spite of himself at the little fellow's distress.
"Vell, I'll told you," he answered, mopping the perspiration which was
streaming from his face. "I was tinkin' dot may be if you git dot
fellow, you vould be vantin' me for a vitness, and s'help me Moses I
vould not do dot--not for dwo hundred tollar."
"Oh, you need not give yourself any uneasiness on that score, Mr.
Gross," said Manning; "you will not be wanted in any case whatever."
"My gootness, I vas glad of dot. If I vas to leaf my bisness I vould be
ruined. Dot's all right, dough. Let's go und take a glass of peer."
At this juncture, the shrill whistle of the approaching train was heard,
and this fact enabled the detective to decline the proffered
beverage. After a hearty hand-shake from the nervous little clothier,
Manning sprang upon the train and in a few moments later he was on his
way to Miles City.