g suit against an agent of theirs
wherever found. I urged him to lay the matter before the Company's
counsel in Philadelphia. If we could get him in prison here all would be
well, and the expense and trouble of following him from place to place
would be entirely avoided. It was our duty to keep him in jail, where I
could introduce a detective, disguised as a fellow-prisoner, whose duty
would be to get into his confidence and finally draw from him his secret
and learn his plans for the future. I presented my ideas so clearly that
the Vice President was convinced that the plan was a good one, and he at
once saw St. George Tucker Campbell, the eminent lawyer, laid the whole
case before him and asked his opinion. They looked the whole case over,
and he admitted that my plan was a good one. He said we might be able to
hold Maroney for a short time, but he really did not think we could long
do so. He might be able to fight it out for three or four weeks, but by
that time Maroney would be sure to effect his release. He would be so
excited over his daily expectation of effecting his release that it
would be impossible for me to make a proper effort to mould his mind to
my purpose. He produced sufficient evidence to prove to me that it would
be bad policy to try my plan in Philadelphia. This was a crushing blow,
and I felt as if a load had been placed upon my breast. Mr. Campbell
left me one ray of hope by stating that he was not fully posted in the
laws of the State of New York, and that I might be enabled to carry out
my purpose there. Leaving Bangs in charge at Philadelphia, the
Vice-President and I started for New York. We had a meeting with the
President and other officers of the Company, and determined to lay the
matter before Clarence A. Seward, the Company's counsellor in New York.
He had just been engaged by the Company, as I had been, and so far had
attended only to some small matters for them. The Vice-President
notified him to meet us at the Astor House, where the case was laid
before him. After looking up the points of law involved, he decided that
we could hold Maroney in New York. We then instructed him to get the
papers in readiness, so that the moment Maroney stepped into New York he
should be arrested. How happy did I now feel! All care was gone, the
weight of sorrow had been lifted from my breast as if by the hand of
magic: hope had taken the place of despair, and I returned to
Philadelphia with renewed energy a