True Detective Stories from the Archives of the PinkertonsMoffett, Cleveland
History
True Detective Stories from the Archives of the Pinkertons
Moffett, Cleveland
Crime -- United States; Criminals -- United States; Detective and mystery stories, American
It happened as Mr. Pinkerton foresaw. Brought into confinement, Dunlap
and Scott were compelled, in the conduct of their affairs, to reveal
the hiding-place of the booty to some other member of the gang. They
chose for their confidant "Red" Leary. The securities, as subsequently
transpired, were at this time buried in a cellar on Sixth Avenue, near
Thirty-third Street, New York. The precise spot was indicated to Leary
by Mrs. Scott, who, in doing so, reminded Leary of an agreement
entered into by the members of the gang before the robbery, that any
one of their number who might get into trouble could, if he saw a
necessity, call upon his confederates to dispose of all the securities
on whatever terms were possible and use the proceeds in getting him
and others--if others were in trouble also--free. At the time Leary
scoffed at this agreement, but was perfectly willing, even eager, to
have it enforced a little later, when, by the orders of Inspector
Byrnes, he was himself arrested on the charge of complicity in the
memorable Manhattan Bank robbery, which had occurred some time before.
Having failed in a purpose of "shadowing" Leary to the place where
the securities were hidden, Robert Pinkerton decided that the best
move to make next would be to arrest Leary for complicity in the
Northampton robbery. Steps were taken to have requisition papers
prepared, and it was pending the arrival of these that Leary was held
on the other charge, for it was not thought that he had really taken
part in the Manhattan Bank robbery.
The criminal annals of the United States contain no more thrilling
chapter than that of the adventures of "Red" Leary. He was a typical
desperado in appearance, with his shock of red hair, and his bristling
red mustache, and his ugly, heavy-jawed face, while his huge neck and
shoulders, his big head, and powerful hairy hands impressed one with
his enormous physical strength. He weighed nearly three hundred
pounds, and his "pals" used to point with pride to the fact that he
wore a bigger hat than any statesman in America--eight and a quarter.
While much of Leary's life had been spent in deeds of violence, he had
shown on occasions such splendid bravery, and even heroism, as almost
atoned for his crimes. There are few soldiers who would not be proud
of Leary's record on the battle-field. He was among the first to
respond to his country's call in our own Civil War, being a volunteer
in the First Kentucky Regiment under Colonel Guthrie, and he was a
good soldier from the time of his enlistment up to the moment of his
honorable discharge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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