The St. Louis police department had an exhibit in the Educational Building during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, which consisted of photographs and police records of criminals, burglars, tools and various weapons. This exhibit also had the noose with which Brookes, alias Maxwell, was hung, and his photograph and the picture of the two St. Louis officers who brought him back from Auckland, New Zealand. There were thousands of people who viewed this exhibit, and I deem it proper to tell the public that the police department had positively nothing to do with obtaining the evidence that convicted Maxwell. They had really nothing to do with his arrest, other than sending out his description. He was arrested through the efforts of Capt. Leas, Chief of Police of San Francisco, Cal. His conviction was due to my efforts and the work of my operative, McCulloch, and to Messrs. Clover and McDonald. Mr. Clover paid the expenses from his own pocket and Mr. McDonald deserved a great deal more credit that he was accorded for the masterful way in which he handled the prosecution, but not one of these names were mentioned in the exhibit at the World's Fair. Mr. Clover paid about six hundred dollars out of his own personal funds for the expenses incurred in obtaining the evidence, and I got a black eye and a swollen jaw as my compensation.
Dingfelter, while in the jail, also made the acquaintance of two brothers by the name of Johnston, who had been arrested in New Orleans and brought to St. Louis for safe keeping by the United States authorities, on the charge of having had a large number of Brazilian bonds printed. These bonds were counterfeit, utterly worthless to any one who purchased them. The government secret service had captured a lot of these spurious bonds and had brought the prisoners to St. Louis until they could be tried in the Federal Court.
The Johnstons took a liking to Dingfelter and told him all about their scheme, where they had gotten the printing done, by whom, and all the other facts of their crime. Dingfelter did not solicit any confidences, but they, supposing him to be a shrewd crook, thought their secret was safe, until Maxwell was on trial and Dingfelter, as he was known to them, took the stand and testified, giving his right name, John F. McCulloch, and his business, that of a detective. As soon as the Johnston brothers learned who and what Dingfelter was, they sent word to the United States authorities that they had admitted to Detective Dingfelter everything pertaining to their guilt, and they were willing to plead guilty to the charges pending against them in the Federal Court. This they did when they were arraigned for trial.
THE BIG COTTON SWINDLE.
TRAGIC ENDING OF A BIG CASE ON WHICH A GREAT DEAL OF
REAL DETECTIVE WORK HAD BEEN DONE.
The cotton swindle occurred at Sherman, Texas, on the Texas & Pacific Railroad, early in the fall of 1883. It was in the cotton shipping season, and Sherman was a point from which a very large amount of cotton was shipped annually, it being the principal shipping point, or outlet, for one of the largest cotton producing districts in the state. For this reason the eastern cotton buyers and cotton mill owners were represented by agents at these shipping points. These agents were really brokers. It was the practice of these brokers, as soon as they had purchased cotton, to have it delivered at once to the railroad company for shipment, when they would receive from the railroad company's agent a bill of lading, setting forth the number and weight of each bale. This bill of lading, when signed by the railroad agent, was negotiable at any bank in the cotton producing district. The bank would take the bill of lading, allowing the depositor ninety per cent cash on the face value and would hold ten per cent back until the exact value of the cotton was ascertained by the proper officials. The practice of cashing these bills of lading was then general in the cotton-growing country, and, I presume, it is at the present time.
It was early in the month of January, 1884, when I was suddenly called to the office of Capt. C. G. Warner, who was then General Auditor for the Gould Railway System. The Texas & Pacific was one of the many Gould lines. I occupied the position of Chief Special Agent for that system.
On my arrival at Capt. Warner's office, he informed me that he had just received from Sherman, Texas, a long telegraph message from one of his traveling auditors, which stated that a large amount of cotton, which had been shipped from that station, had undoubtedly been diverted in transit, as the cotton had not reached its proper destination. Capt. Warner instructed me to go to Sherman at once, where I would find the traveling auditor, Mr. Finby, and make a thorough investigation.