Back in the days when the daily newspaper cost 2 cents, criminals were brought to speedy justice it seems, or so we can gather from a part of a story that ran in the HARTFORD POST on March 31 1914. It is unfortunate that more of this newspaper was not saved, but what there is tells of an exciting chase & the apprehension of a would—be extortionist whose intended victim was Sylvester C. Dunham, son of Ralph & Melinda Hyde Dunham, It reads:
"FLYING ARROW DEMAND $5000 OF S. C. DUNHAM; SLEUTH SHOOTS--Chauncey Hovey of Springfield, Out of Work & Despondent, Makes Desperate Effort to Blackmail Travelers Head--SAYS HE WANTS MONEY TO EMIGRATE WEST--'PLANT' FIXED AT RESTAURANT NAMED AS RENDEZVOUZ WHILE DETECTIVES WAIT--Man Breaks Away as Sgt. Melberger Grabs Him--HUNDREDS SEE CHASE; NONE WILLING TO HELP--Fugitive, At Bay, Flashes Empty Revolver As Policeman Fires--Beaten Down With Clubbed Pistol--Fierce Scuffle--Arraigned in Court; Case Is Put Over--
Displaying no outward manifestations of emotion, his whole appearance denoting an unnatural calm, Chauncey H. Hovey, of Springfield, Mass, who was arrested yesterday afternoon after a sensational chase for threatening Sylvester C. Dunham, president of the Thavelers Ins. Co. with death unless he sent Hovey $5000. in cash, faced Judge Frederick C. Eberle in police court this morning and quietly pleaded "guilty" to the charges of carrying a concealed weapon & attempted blackmail. Hovey’s arrest resulted yesterday after a thrilling chase through Market St. when Det. Sgt. Lewis G. Melberger fired 2 revolver shots at him in an endeavor to bring him to a halt. Hovey’s capture was not accomplished until after..."
It seems a shame to have to stop right when the most exciting part was about to begin, but that--aggravatingly enough--is all there is! You’ve seen enough police chases on TV to picture the scene, but there is no way of knowing what became of Chauncey Hovey, or why he chose S. C. Dunham as his victim. Apparently nobody worried about "police brutality," but there is one similarity here to modern society: the part that says “Hundreds See Chase; None Willing to [Help".] Perhaps the moral of the whole story is: “If you’re going to save an old newspaper article, save ALL of it.”