Show A ahoi for the lawyers I 1 stories of the greatest cases in the career of thomas furlong the famous railroad detective I 1 t told by himself copyright by W 0 k va 6 IV X WE SHALL BE WILLING TO PAY YOU A FEE OF TEN THOUSAND dollard one of the cases to which I 1 look back with the greatest satisfaction was waa that of the i i miles will there Is a common impression that the private detective la Is not an person in this case I 1 had the pleasure of operating cooperating co with one of my operatives been offered what was to him a small fortune to commit a dishonest act and who instead rejected the bribe and was the means of confounding the conspirators in the latter part of the nineties stephen B miles a wealthy resident of nebraska died leaving an estate consisting of lands in nebraska and kansas bank stock and bonds and other property the whole valued at several veral millions of dollars he was survived by a wife from whom he be had been divorced two sons joseph H wiles miles and samuel and a daughter as well as a number of nephews and nieces and several grandchildren one of the sons joseph was waa a prominent banker and business man of falls city Ne neb band and also had bad large interests in other towns in that state he had been a telegraph operator in his younger days and had amassed his money by honesty and industry and was highly esteemed by all who knew him as a clean wideawake wide awake bust busi ness man and ana a good citizen the other son samuel was about forty years ot of age and resided with his family on a ranch belonging to III his 9 father in kansas just over the ne braka line ito he had been wild in his fits younger days ard ad ar d had caused his bla father a good deal of troi trouble ible on account of his dissolute habits shortly after the death of at stephen B miles a will was found in an old suit case the provisions of which made the son eon joseph executor and trustee of the estate and chief beneficiary samuel being left in addition to a sum eum of money a life interest in the ranch on an which he and his illy U were living after his hie deat deaf nat of his wife the property is to their children the will also provided that samuel could neither entail nor dispose of the land these provisions were of course highly unsatisfactory to the son samuel and he put the ibe matter in the hands of a lawyer at whose suggestion he ha began court proceedings to prevent the probating of the mil not succeeding in this he be afterward brought suit to have the will set aside about this time I 1 bad in my service i a man named D 17 harbaugh of whom I 1 have n nade made ade mention in previous cases this man who was a trusted employed of mine had bad become well ivell known and had gained considerable notoriety in and about kansas city on account of cases on which be had worked under ray by instructions ono one day Il II arbaugh was approached in kan sas city by the lawyers who had been engaged by samuel miles ito break the will the proposition which they made to him was that he should find a man whose former reputation had been good and who would bo be willing to ta go on the witness stand and acetify to having drawn up and a will made by the elder miles while lehO he was on one of the frequent visits to st 81 louis that he be had been accustomed to make during the course of the conversation the lawyer told harbaugh au all about the conspiracy that had been stormed formed to break the will by finding a later one and gave the names cfall ot all who were connected with the scheme one ot of these cenvas men was vas a prominent lawyer in faus falls cutyne city neb b another a man of considerable prominence in omaha baring a big political pull throughout the state still another was at that time in good standing at the st louis bar what will it be worth inquired harbaugh we shall be willing to pay you a feeol ten thousand dollars as soon as the will vill Is broken the lawyer answered furthermore we will send you to the paris exposition paying your fare alad all expenses up to the value of well answered harbaugh thoughtfully have to give me a few days to think the proposition over its too big a thing for me to decide offhand the lawyer agreed to that and harbaugh left that evening for st louis where the next morning he came to me and told me of the proposal which had been made to him asking me what I 1 thought he had better do about it there seems to me to be only two things that can be done in this matter I 1 answered one Is ie for you to ignore tho proposition completely as there thera can be no doubt ot of the rascality of all the parties who are in any way connected with the scheme theother the other and in my opinion nion the right thing to do Is to try and locate this man joseph sepha H miles and apprise him of the conspiracy that Is being worked up by these lawyers and his own brother if we keep quiet and ignore the matter they will in all probability secure aman man who will accept the proposition and we would bo be parties to this conspiracy because we failed to expose it well answered harbaugh you are ara the boss bosa and it is up to you I 1 have told you all I 1 know about the matter I 1 told this lawyer that his proposition was il a very IMP important OTtani one and that I 1 should require a few days to think it over oter lie approves approve of this and expects an answer from me in ha about a weeks i time I 1 at once set to work to locate jo f is it it miles iles ind and succeeded after the lapso of about twelve hours I 1 found that he tired lived at valla city as ag I 1 have hare said aid and that he was president of the first national bank inabata in that place lie ho had bad a bank in another nebraska city and a largo large interest in a banks bank at york pa he was very well known and much esteemed after locating him I 1 wrote him a letter which ran as nearly as 1 I 1 can recall as follows mr air joseph H miles falls ails city nw neb dear sir it if you are the son ot of the 1 late stephen B miles and have hare a brother by the name of samuel miles L and a number ot of nephews and nieces who reside in kansas and nebraska nobi I 1 have important information for you and will impart it personally it you will come to st louis 1 I would woula suggest that you bring your lawyer as I 1 believe my information important e enough to justify you in so doing on receipt of this I 1 wish that ahat you would telegraph me stating when you will leave falls city and at what time you will arrive in st stlouis louis Louls on irria ing at st louis go to the planters hotel look at the register where you wm will find ana my name and you can then come direct to my room where I 1 will be waiting for you and a nd your attorney 1 I ara am businga using a fictitious name for reasons that I 1 will explain to you when I 1 see you yours very truly ou on receipt of this letter from me mr miles abonce at once telegraphed that he would leave falls city the same evening arriving at st louis the following morning via the burlington route and that h he would carry out the instructions which I 1 had given him I 1 went to the planters hotel that evening registered und under erthe the assumed name which ahad I 1 had given in my letter and was assigned toa to a ta room on the fourth floor the next morning about eight mr joseph H miles accompanied by b his lawyers ex judge gillespie of falls city and ex judge martin of the same place and the batters lat son eon who was a stenographer arrived at the hotel after we had all been mutually introduced by saying gentlemen my name is thomas furlong and andl I 1 used a fictitious name in writing to mr miles because my coy name and business are known to a great many people in nebraska A certain person who is connected with what I 1 know to be a conspiracy against mr miles resides in falls city of which cods hods bo as an old inhabitant and he would probably know my name it if he b beard bard it As I 1 did not know but that he might be connected with or know people ln in the telegraph office and would thus learn that I 1 had communicated munica ted with mr air miles I 1 deemed it advisable not to use my own name now I 1 wish that you would call on any of the general managers of any of the rall railroads roads that enter st louis or the president ot of any bank in the city whom you may ihnow and ask him asto my character and standing does mr air william know you asked mcjoseph mr joseph H miles I 1 he knows me ve vernwell very well I 1 answered mr Wic kolson Is my correspondent here said mr miles and has charge of more than a million of our estate we walked over to mr Nick olsons bank and mr miles entered the PH vate office alea vine me standing in the passage outside As he be entered the office he be left the door open mr arose and greeted him at the same sam samtine time speaking to me after ithe greeting mr miles said to mr VIc kolson 1 I see that you know MT mr furlong yes replied mr 1 I have known comfor tom for years and he is welcome to anything I 1 have mr burlong told me that you knew him said mr air miles vand and he insisted Insist edon on my any coming down here asking you about hie standing 1 in st fit louis after a little further conversation mr miles shook hands with mr nick olson and we returned to ray my room at the planters hotel hote where judges martin and Gilles pla and the stenographer were awaiting us I 1 then related la in detail the story that bad had been told me by harbaugh Harb nugh after I 1 had bad completed the narrative all of which was taken down th in shorthand by the stenographer tho the younger mr martin harbaugh was sent tor for and he verified fl edthe the statements which I 1 hd had made the conference was waa then adjourned for luncheon attao at two when the party reassembled in my room judge martin said wo we have been considering this statement of yours mr furlong we have known for some time that these lawyers whom you have named were trying to make trouble for us but we did not know until you told us today just what they intended to do and now I 1 want to say that mr air miles and myself appreciate what you have done in this matter so far and we are anxious for your opinion as to what you think is the best way to proceed of course had bad been considering that point for some time and I 1 I 1 replied 1 I believe that the best way to proceed would be for harbaugh to go to the lawyer la in kansas city and tell him that he will accept hla his proposition and that he ha will secure a roan man who can be relied on and who will state that he be had written the will tor for the elder mr miles I 1 would then select elect lect a man whom I 1 can trust and turn him over to harbaugh harbaugh will take him to kane kansas city and put him under the guidance of the lawyer when the conspirators have thoroughly tho rough posted and instructed this man whom they will expect to commit deliberate perjury they will probably have his hia deposition taken in st louis he will take the stand and will be able to answer all the questions question 13 put to him until asked it if ho be wrote the will when he is asked this question being under oath of course lie be will tell the truth in this way we ve will vill be able to prove the enormity of the attempted crime and the cool audacity of the parties who are connected with it I 1 then turned to mr air miles allies and said that la Is the opinion which I 1 have to offer but if you do not approve of it and prefer to employ some one else to handle this case for you you are ot of course at liberty to do so 80 I 1 felt that it was my duty to advise you of this conspiracy and the manner in which I 1 had bad received my information concerning it we want you to handle this case for us mr furlong said eald judge martin and mr miles nodded and said eald yes I 1 want you to handle this case for me and to handle it in your own way and I 1 will wal pay your regular charge allow you the expenses incurred and pay you extra for your service 1 I do not expect anything of that sort I 1 answered 1 I do not believe in rewards and never ne have worked for them I 1 mr miles insisted however on paying me extra for my services and I 1 subsequently divided the amount he gave me equally with harbaugh I 1 instructed HaT harbaugh baugh to go to kansas city and get in touch with the crooked lawyer informing him that h be e had decided to accept his proposition which he did I 1 then selected a man whom I 1 knew and whom I 1 believed to be honest I 1 instructed him as to what I 1 wanted him to doand do and in due time he was introduced to the kansas city lawyer by mr air harbaugh tho the lawyer began instructing him as to the part he was to play he gave him a minute description of the deceased stephen B miles whom of 0 course the man bad never seen he posted him as to a room in the old st james hotel that had been occupied by stephen B Miles during one trips to st loula louis this was the place the conspirators had determined in which the fake will should be supposed to havo have been written the lawyer was highly pleased with the man f f THE LAWYERS FEASTED AND di ard ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AS I 1 0 N S 4 J gi J N A 1 I 1 DO 00 NOT BELIEVE IN REWARDS AND NEVER HAVE WORKED FOR THEM whom I 1 had sent and feasted and dined him on several occasions when he was in kansas city rehearsing the part that he was to play lu in the conspiracy sp iracy in the meantime the lawyer had also taken a great fancy to harbaugh and treated him so well that harbaugh began to conceive an involuntary admiral admiration I 1 0 n for the mans generosity ero sity after the conspiracy was fully concocted the day arrived for the taking of the deposition of the man who was supposed to have written the will signed by the late mr air I 1 miles due notice was served on the respective parties interested and at the appointed time our man appeared at the office ot of the st louis attorney and the taking of his deposition began after being duly sworn the witness was examined by the st louls louis representative of 0 the conspirators in the t he usual way until at last the question was reached did you know stephen B miles allies deceased and did you not write this will for him 1 I have known a number of men by the name of miles answered the witness allow me to describe one of them and it his description suits I 1 will be able to answer your question I 1 had bad previously requested mr air miles attorneys to let the st louis lawyer do all the questioning aud and examining and not to object to any question that he might put to the witness unless it was entirely out of reason therefore they merely sat still carefully noting everything and objecting to nothing of course the conspirators were anxious to get a strong deposition from the witness and therefore he was permitted to describe the man miles for or whom he was supposed to have written the will his description or of man was perfect and the st louis lawyer kept nodding his bis head jubilantly when the witness had finished his description of the late mr stephen B miles allies to the thorough satis satisfaction fiction of the conspirators he took the purported will and examined it carefully the handwriting on that document looks like my handwriting he said and then added in a loud clear voice but I 1 did not write this or any other will for mr stephen B miles or any other person I 1 have never met the man stephen B miles lilies nor the men that I 1 have just described I 1 was instructed ted to give the description that hat I 1 have given here by these lawyers pointing to tho the st louis and kansas as city lawyers both ot of whom were present and I 1 was expected by the them 1 to testify that I 1 had written this will wil and I 1 was promised five thousand dollars if I 1 would do so tho the consternation that reigned among the conspirators at the explosion of thia bomb in their midst can be imagined better than it can be described bed our |