Page:Memoirs of the United States Secret Service.djvu/157

140 In the midst of the search, Felker came upon the scene, and through his artful and insinuating persistence, his bold management, and the encouraging hopes he held out to the parents, contrived to worm out of them a large sum of money—pretending this was necessary to carry on the search, and that the result of his labors was certain to disclose the perpetrators of this direful deed, while Felker knew nothing whatever about the affair, in any shape or manner, as it proved.

He tried the blackmailing process upon Mrs. L. Moine, the anxious and devoted wife of Jed. L. Moine, who was convicted of breaking the bank at Clearfield, Pa., and twisted three thousand dollars out of that woman, nominally, "for his services" in the case; pretending that his influence would set all right with the Governor, and the authorities. This fraud was fastened upon him, and he compromised the affair with Mrs. Moine; though Felker was then indicted by the Grand Jury for the offence of extorting money under false pretences, but escaped punishment.

In the case of the infamous "Charley Adams," convicted in Maine for the robbery of the Lime Rock Bank (in conjunction with his pals,) Felker's hand found its way, as he ascertained that several thousand dollars were put up for the purpose of freeing Adams—the grand object being to get Charley out of the jurisdiction of the Maine Court, and transfer this scoundrel to New York city, where Felker boasted of his ability to manage his affair to Adams' advantage.

Bill Brockway—whose career we have already noted in this volume—was then under arrest for complicity in the famous 7.30 U. S. Bond counterfeits; and Felker set up the plea that Adams' evidence was absolutely necessary upon Brockway's trial, in New Jersey, or New York city. Thus