“Kennedy,” said he, “I’m on the track of securities and bonds stolen from the New Windsor Bank in Maryland.”
“Indeed!” ejaculated the superintendent, and he called in his chief of detectives, John Young.
“General Spinola has something to say to you, captain,” said Kennedy, “and there must be a quick action in the case!”
“Very well, sir,” Captain Young answered, and at once entered into a long conference with Spinola, who told him all he had gained from us in confidence. The result was the baiting of a trap to catch the Maryland looters. They at once opened a fake brokerage office at 71 Broadway, and Spinola made sure that this information reached us in furtherance of their purpose. It proved to be alluring enough, for one day Shinburn and our sales agent walked into the office like flies into a spider’s web. I well recall the day. It was eleven o’clock in the morning, and spot cash had been promised. General Spinola was there and greeted Shinburn warmly, not forgetting to keep a greedy eye on the money bag the latter carried.
“Ah, you have them--the securities?” he questioned, with a laugh. Mark slowly removed his hat and placed it on the counter, but drew the satchel quickly from the reach of Spinola’s eager grasp.
“One moment, general! Not quite yet! You’ll pardon me, but how are we to know you have the money to satisfy us?”
“As though a living man or the spirits of the dead could doubt me!” exclaimed Spinola, drawing his stature up to its height and throwing his chest out and his head back, in emphasis of his “square” dealing.
“You’ll pardon me, my dear general,” spoke Shinburn, in a voice that would be envied by a parson; “but here are the securities, and I’ll feel obliged if you’ll do me the honor,” and he laid the package of securities on the counter, but not an inch away from his fingers.
“There’s no question as to my part of the deal being fulfilled,” said Spinola, as he threw open the door of a safe and disclosed to view what he said was a million dollars in bills.
“Good,” declared Shinburn; “the sooner we close up the sale, the better!”
“And that’s what I think, too,” cried Spinola, as he hurled the door shut with a bang loud enough to be heard in the hallway. And it was heard, for in the main door appeared Detective James Irving. Shinburn gave one glance at Spinola, who stood motionless, and then crammed the securities in the satchel. He knew that a trap had been set; the question was--how to get out of it. He would care for himself and the sales agent must do likewise. Darting toward a window that opened into the hall, he threw up the sash. Another man appeared in the window--Detective George Edsel. He was trapped to a certainty, and, knowing it, surrendered, as the sales agent had already done. The detectives closed in on him, the securities were taken, and in a moment the prisoners were handcuffed and face to face with Chief Young. The latter had come in from the hallway after the arrests were made. With one hundred sixty-five thousand dollars’ worth of securities thus captured, Captain Young drove his prisoners to Police Headquarters, smuggled them in by the basement door on the Mott Street side, and gave strict orders that no information was to be given the reporters.