The Art of the Vanishing Embezzler

Seattle detectives are anxiously endeavoring to arrest one Crarens and Marion Crarens, when not engaged in clothing themselves. They had Crarens in virtual custody, and in a moment of weakness gave him his liberty, and he took advantage of the situation to get out of sight, though not out of mind. On January 16, Crarens ran away from Los Angeles; up to that date, and for several months previous, he had been with the Los Angeles Planing Mill Company. When he shook the dust of Los Angeles from his feet, he was an embezzler of the funds of the Planing Mill Company to the extent of $2,000. The officers of the law have been after Crarens ever since, and early last week, he was located in this city under the name of Mr. Colborn. On Friday, he was taken to the office of Lucas’s detective agency, where he protested to himself that he was not the man wanted, that he was half-believed. A full description was telegraphed to the authorities at Los Angeles, and Crarens agreed to report at Lucas’s office at 7 o'clock that same evening. Instead of doing this, he left without even taking his baggage with him. It was found in Room 41, Arlington House by the detectives, but the bird had flown. Shortly after Crarens’s departure, a dispatch was received from Los Angeles telling Lucas to hold him at all hazards, and that the description tallied exactly, and that an officer would be sent with the necessary requisition papers to escort him back to Los Angeles. Had this dispatch arrived a little sooner, the embezzler would now be in custody as it was. It is not known where he is. It is thought, however, that he will get into British Columbia as fast as he can, as he will be safe from arrest there. The slippery embezzler is 5 feet 10 inches in height and 160 pounds. He is smooth-shaved, coarse-featured, thick-lipped and has gold fillings in the teeth of the left side of the mouth.