SMART CAPTURES BY A DETECTIVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 231, 23 September 1908, Page 4

SMART CAPTURES BY A DETECTIVE.

A COJXEK WHO WAS "PIOUS." ROMAXTIC STORY OF A LIAX.D- - SOME KCOUXDKEL. ' Chief detective Inspector Ntrcttcll. »'i.o has ju.-t died after 41 years of >i)vicc in the Liverpool iKag.) Police I'one. had a large *] uuv ,„ a number of remarkable cases. One day, many year.- ago Detective NlrotU'll was scanning the faces «f the passengers o.i a I'licr about lo ilcpart lor America, lie •noticed a well-set-up. clever looking yoioig mail, of obviously good standing who looked anxious. Alter a time Ilu' ollieer went mp Lo him, aud asked what was the matter. The voiing g.'iilleui.i.i wa, highly indignant at lirsl, but firm tliough tactful trcatnie.it soon caused mm t.o unburden himself, and he told a story of the suwing of wild oats, and (■he sudden pressure of avaricious creditor-. The young fellow was a barrister, and, as llie threatened disgrace was apparently to be verv serious, he had turned tail, and meant lo start :ifresh in the .\W World. He would have lefl his people to bear the I rouble alone, lint'was persuaded by Slivttcl] lo act a more manly part, (o ret urn home and face the music. In the course of .time that voting fellowrose to be one of Scotland's leading "I'-" of law ami a judge. He also made himself a big man. in the world of A gang- of transgressors who curried out devilishly m „,| . |ll(1 <.(,.„,,. r,.. 1U(1s m Liverpool Ihr.v ,„- four/decadesago became known .is "The Forties." The method, they adopted was Lo lure warehousemen into- committing an indiscretion concerning cotton supplies. This I hey used as a lever against him afterwards compelling him by threats of exposure (n ijo further into the mire, allowing (hem to take, instead of the damaged cotton they might have purchased, as much as Iwentv or thirty hales widen did not belong to them. In ibis way some of the. scoundrels ainas-

-I'd fortunes, awl many were, till' viefinis of their dnstardlv blackmailing methods. Tlic.v did not slop ut robbery, carried out in the open daylight, bill it was practically certain that epidemics of cotton liros were caused hv them in poveriiur up their trnck-«. 'fir.' <'ll'i>Hs of My Strcttell were eventuallv stiiicssful in gaining llrcir dessprls f o'r sonic of tlip villians, mid in rendering I in' game not worth the candle. 'Hi,- case of Hip unknown baritone whs a singular one. A vast amount uf spurious odiu was afloat in Uvev|>""l -nml it was prctly pertain t/iiiit sonic very clever coiner must lie at work in ilie city itself. One dav a. woman came to tlip deteelives and said lliilt slip know Unit a coiner ' was at work, bill sin. did JI(U know w.liere lie lived and sin. , Vi is mortally afraid of liis vengeance should lie Had out Hint slip had licfraycd Him. Slip insisted '■ ni, f' *■''=• I'"li< list not attempt to fellow liim. as He was exlraorilinarv 'cute in lindiii" out a move of this soil. A plan was arranged, and on tup woman agreeing t 0 point out Hie nun as he passed a certain place' the detectives took into service another woman and a newsboy unknown to each Pliier. 'l'lii'se two followed the I'Ki.i tor an hour (hroiigii a perfect maze »f si reels, and finally landed in a -tret only a few minuU's' walk from I In' starling p!(ic,.. VYnen the arrest red-liaiiileii. mid ]„, i den s .,jd ln ",,i only a woman knew his secivl. anil sir,' .-lionld sull'er 1',,,- ji. As 1,. ~„( |.-, year- - imprisonment, however, siic Had : '"l " !!''eiil deal to fear. The singular pan of tin- whole all'air however.

I'i''t- Ih-' limn u-us a iv-ruliir ciiinvli -(i,t. niul at (ii,. i>l;u- t . »f iviir--lnii It- nlVivl>.,| i„. iwd .Iniwii Men- •><>:■ I" liinisi'ir a- tin. possessor of ii "!>l<:»l'il I'unl ,vilirv. Hv liml. too. <•ulliviiti.il thciv Hi,. fi-i,.iiilsliip „f i.iu•'l' lln'. n.1.1i.-t uilli,. l.iviTpnol ,h.i,. ( .|. 111 •■ •< iiiHiilicr nf tl„. t .iiur<-h.

<>»■• of Ilir mo.-.!, romantic sto'rics told by 111,' liiti- Chief Detective \yn., unit »t m handsome young woman wlio v.as onc'c given In charge at Livfi-pucil I'.v a yoimg man who alleged she had stolon Ins piir-c as tlii-y were trnvclling up from Lnuloii 1,,- iruin, lie said l'|' liinl novr set eyes 'on her until she got >-« tin' train and he told a cin-iiiu--l-iiiliaj story of lio»- she had robbed .liim. Tii:' oxitvaurdinary fat-ts of the i-M- Im-iied mil to he' lliat the- girl lind married Hie ,„ lln j n London, and !!»■>• wore on tiii'ir wedding tour. Slie '".id I«'hi 11 nurse i u a hospital, and pulled him through u verv serious ill-"e-s. la Hill- head (MP,- lieels in love uilh Hie l,aii,ls:oi,ie scoundrel in (.].:■ ■process, she dill not know when he "-Isi'd her |„ marry him Chut he had a wile already, and on (mi journey "■'"» '.''"'l"" I- 51ip,,,,! his purse ii, Imt pocket, where it W iis round by ||,e I 1"!'"'' i'l. his instigation. The''mean -l-iuik was in a ilillieiiltv regarding his I'"',, uiu's. and look this means of "etl,!/" "'1 of on.' of them, purpose, v, lnle she wa- in custody to "el awa" lo America.

Mr Sliettell lijriircil, among others, in the c'lsv of Martha 'J'odd, the handsome limnetic, who was sentenced in 'leal h for baby fanning and wlin hail been a governess in the house of a l.'us-ian *n„bleinnii and afterwards in ll'at »f "a English ooblcman, whence si.' was expelled because of a laison she carried on with a young goTitlenia-i "I it high-class school in trie nei-li-Ihnurliood. At the place she lodged in H.l Liverpool there was found the innnii''<l li'idy of a babv, three veers after her slay there. The hunt for tlhe former lodger went on for a Ion." lime ami alter patient piecing I er of many links in the chain Mr Streltell cll'cctc, r arrest at lineup. Mie was convicted, and svntcncc.l to death, b„( the sentence was connnuled :«v.n s to the difference of expert opi„.