CHAPTER XXXVIII.
SAEGER APPEARS IN DENVER UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME—HE MEETS AN OLD FRIEND IN THE PERSON OF GUS POTTER, TO WHOM HE MAKES A FULL CONFESSION—HE FALLS INTO A LITTLE TRAP SET BY GEN. COOK AND IS CAPTURED BEFORE HE KNOWS IT—SAEGER TELLS THE STORY OF HIS WANDERINGS—BENNEHOFF GOES BACK ON THE REWARD AND SAEGER ESCAPES.
Gen. Cook had learned that Mr. Gus Potter and his wife, who then, as they do now, kept a restaurant on Blake street, had known Saeger personally before coming to Colorado. He naturally concluded that if Saeger should come to Denver he would be found at Potters place. Hence he decided to keep an eye on this establishment. One day, in passing the Potter place, he saw a man walk out—tall, dark-haired, dark-complexioned and fine-looking, answering, in fact, the description of Saeger to the letter. He allowed the stranger to pass on unmolested, but when he had disappeared sought Mr. Potter, and to his great delight learned that his eyes had not deceived him and that his inference had been correct. Cook virtually had his man, and was in a fair way to secure a prize for which his entire profession had been contending.
Gen. Cook first caught sight of his man June 15, 1874, and he soon learned that this was the second visit which Saeger had paid to Potter’s place, having come in first on the day preceding. Mr. Potter told the detective all he knew about Saeger, who had adopted the alias of Thomas L. Magee, and related the fellow’s story as he had received it. Saeger had stated that he had come to Denver with a large herd of cattle and a force of thirty herders. The cattle were halted about eight miles distant from Denver, up Cherry creek, and Magee came to town to transact some business. While here he stepped into Potters restaurant to get some oysters. He had no idea that he was anywhere near people who knew him, not being acquainted with the locality. While partaking of his meal. Mrs. Potter, happening to pass through the dining room, heard Magee speak, and she at once noticed a familiar tone in his voice. Taking a keen look at the man, she at once discovered that it was James Saeger, whom she had not seen for years, or since she was a little girl, but whose features had made such an impression upon her memory as to remain there indelible. Mrs. Potter accosted him with “How do you do, Mr. Saeger?” whereupon he turned instantly, as though a voice had called him from another land, and answered her. So completely overcome was he—not knowing at first his interrogator—that he confessed his identity and engaged in conversation. Mr. Potter and his wife and Saeger then spent several hours together in conversation. He was also recognized at once by Mr. Potter, when called in, for he had, many years ago, adopted Potter as his son, in Saegerstown. He told Potter that he was now in the Texas cattle trade, and was the owner of between 30,000 and 40,000 head in that state; also, that he had several herds on the road between Texas and Colorado. He returned to his herd near the city that night, and came to town again the next day, in the meantime informing Potter that he desired to make him his attorney for the transfer of a large quantity of property. It was on the occasion of this second visit that Detective Cook had discovered his man. Potter knew all the particulars of the Bennehoff robbery, and Saeger’s complicity in the affair, but had been ignorant of his whereabouts until the strange incident occurred which brought the fugitive into his restaurant for a dish of oysters. Knowing that Detective Cook had been advised, several years before, of the occurrence, and had a full description of the man, and as Saeger had played a dirty trick on his (Potter’s) uncle in Saegerstown, by which that relative had to suffer the penalty of the law, Potter made no effort to screen the man, and entered into a plan to assist in the capture of him. He induced his brother, Charles Potter, to go out to Saeger’s camp, up Cherry creek, and get Saeger to come into town on the Sunday following. This was done because there was danger of Saeger’s getting wind of the operations of the detectives, and of his giving or attempting to give them the slip. Potter went to the camp, when Saeger was found in a genial mood. He partook freely of some good spirits Potter had along, and finally, when night was well advanced, and there was supposed to be little danger of detection, he himself suggested coming to Denver, and together the couple came in. They were met promptly upon their arrival by Mr. Cook, who approached the fugitive on the street, and without any ado made him a prisoner. The fellow was given no opportunity to make any defense, and, seeing that he had at last been caught in a trap from which he could not, at any rate not then, extricate himself, he surrendered with good grace and went quietly to jail.
In conversation with Cook, Potter and others, after his arrest, Saeger freely admitted that he was the identical Bennehoff robber, but averred that had he been armed the officer would never have taken him. It was the first time, he said, that he had ever been taken unawares, although he had been followed and watched for six years. He also related somewhat of his life since the time of the robbery. After leaving Saegerstown with the money—which he had in an old clothes bag—he engaged as a coal heaver on a steamer on the Ohio river. The first stopping place was Pittsburg, after which he went to New Orleans, becoming a gambler further down the Mississippi. From New Orleans he passed over to Cuba. He did not stay there long, but went to Mexico, from which country he went to Texas. In short, he had been a wanderer over the face of the earth, fleeing constantly from the detectives who he knew were hounding him down, and resorting to every possible means of disguising himself. In Texas he found himself comparatively safe, and if he had been content to remain there, buried away off on the Llano Estacado, as he was, he might have remained there in safety. He had lost all his money when he went to Texas, for he had gambled constantly and had led a fast life, and had engaged there as a cowboy, but he was too shrewd to disclose this fact in this interview. He preferred to have it believed that he was still very wealthy, and the sequel shows that he adopted the wise course in this respect. Saeger stated further in the conversation that he had been cornered several times before, but managed to get away through the free use of money. The money, or the bulk of it, which was stolen, he said, was placed where it never could be touched. Saeger told Potter that he had always intended to repay Bennehoff in full, trusting to speculations to realize money enough to double his pile, but that he had had reverses and lost a good deal.
Saeger was also called upon at the jail by a Texas detective, who chanced at the time to be in Denver, and who knew all the particulars in this case, having been retained to capture Saeger immediately after the robbery. He was at the Bennehoff house and took notes of all the circumstances, and searched for Saeger eight months without so much as getting a “pointer” as to his whereabouts, and finally gave up the chase. The gentleman had a talk with the prisoner, who confessed to him that he was the man they had been looking for. The Texas detective, although perhaps a slight bit jealous, was loud in his praise of his Rocky Mountain brother. For that matter, everybody congratulated and praised Gen. Cook for the good work which he had done. The Rocky Mountain News said:
“Our detective force has achieved a signal victory in this capture. We congratulate Mr. Cook on his good luck in capturing the robber. It is a great deal better for people to remain honest, or, if they will commit crimes, to keep away from the country where Dave Cook officiates. His eagle eye and insinuating manner will spot and fool the keenest of thieves.”
But what of the $100,000? the reader will be anxious to know. The result shows how ungrateful some people can be, and how great the risk that detectives take in hunting down and arresting wrong-doers. Bennehoff was notified of the arrest soon after it was made, and he sent his son, in company with an officer, forthwith, to secure the prisoner and whatever of valuables he might have retained. When the son came he offered Gen. Cook the paltry sum of $200 for his services. The offer was spurned, and negotiations as to the reward were then broken off with the young man, though suit was begun to recover the entire sum offered. But before papers could be served, Bennehoff had stolen out of town. So that part of the transaction ended. Having been treated so shabbily, Cook left Bennehoff to conduct his business with Saeger as best he could. The young man hurried his work through, fearing the suit and detention, and started back to Pennsylvania with notes from Saeger for part of the money which had been stolen, and which were secured by mortgage upon Saeger’s herds of cattle—which, by the way, it was discovered he did not own—not a single Texas steer. Indeed, it was ascertained by Gen. Cook soon afterwards, that Saeger had merely attached himself to a Texas drove and had come to Colorado as a herder. He had been driven out of Texas for his misdoings there. While in that state, and sailing under an alias, he had been chosen as an inspector of cattle at the Red river crossing, and as such used his official position to aid a few accomplices, with whom he had stolen 1,400 head of cattle. This fact became known before the stock was driven off, and Saeger only escaped lynching by hasty flight. This circumstance brought him to Colorado.
Gen. C. W. Wright was Saeger’s lawyer, and he was also busy at this time, and before the town knew it, Saeger had been released on a writ of habeas corpus, and was far away on a horse provided for his escape.
So far as is known, the Pennsylvania safe blower is still at liberty, if he is not dead, simply because a miserly old man was unwilling to pay a detective for his work. But the capture will go down to the future as one of the neatest ever made by an officer in the West.
A UTAH MURDERER’S CAPTURE.