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
During the following days and weeks untiring efforts were made to
recapture him. The swamps were searched for miles, and soldiers were
sent out in all directions. Mr. Gaylor believed that Crawford
succeeded in making his escape into Guatemala, which was only thirty
miles distant. He was undoubtedly assisted in his escape by the fact
that people in the surrounding region sympathized strongly with him
and would have done anything in their power to conceal him from his
pursuers. At any rate, the man was never recovered.
Seven years have passed since Crawford's escape, and all this time he
has been left undisturbed in Central America, where he has been
frequently seen by people who know him, and where he seems to be
thriving. At last accounts he and his brother were engaged in business
on one of the islands in the Mosquito Reservation of Nicaragua, where
they were regarded as dangerous men by the government, likely to
incite revolution. So strong was this feeling on the part of the
Nicaraguan officials that some years ago advances were made to the
United States government to have Crawford surrendered, the Nicaraguan
officials declaring that they would gladly give him up if a demand for
his extradition was made by the proper authorities in Washington. For
some reason the demand has never been made, and probably never will
be.
Immediately after Crawford had made confession, the American Exchange
Bank, realizing that there was no longer any doubt that the robbery
was committed by one of its employees, voluntarily refunded to the
Adams Express Company the forty-one thousand dollars that had
previously been paid to it by the company, together with interest
thereon for two years, and a large part of the expenses. Therefore the
only complainant in the case now available would be the bank
officials, who, for some reason, have seen fit to let the matter drop.
Mr. Pinkerton's theory of the way in which this robbery was committed
is that Crawford had an accomplice who had previously prepared the
bogus package, and who, by previous appointment, was standing on the
stairs in the express office when the two messengers arrived. It has
always been a question in Mr. Pinkerton's mind whether the old man
Dominie Earle told the exact truth in his testimony before the bank
officials. Not that he suspected Earle of having been implicated in
the crime, but he has wondered whether Earle might not have been
simply negligent to the extent of leaving Crawford in sole possession
of the valise at some time after they entered the office. There is no
doubt that Earle was very anxious to catch a four-o'clock train at one
of the New Jersey ferries, in order to get home early. He may, in his
haste, have allowed Crawford to go up-stairs with the valise
unaccompanied.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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