FAMOUS DETECTIVE’S DEATH.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14344, 24 October 1910, Page 4

FAMOUS DETECTIVE’S DEATH.

INJURED IN A FIGHT ON THE FOOTBOARD. Inspector Sexton—the man who arrested more murderers and \notorious foreign criminals than any other detective qt Scotland Yard—died suddenly recently at his home in London. “Con” Sexton, as he was known in tho service, was formerly the head of the extradition staff of the Criminal Investigation Department, and in that capacity had to deal with nearly every foreign desperado who has sought shelter in England .in the last twenty years. Tho death of the famous detective at the early age of forty-nine was primarily duo to an internal injury caused in one of his innumerable struggles with desperate characters. One of his last exploits before ho retired from Scotland Y’ard a year ago on a full pension shows the pluck and resource Mr. Sexton could show in an emergency. Ho wpis engaged in a thrilling struggle on tho footboard of an express train with a French criminal whom he had arrested and was bringing back to London for extradition. Inspector Sexton went to Jersey to fetch this man, who, when the warrant was read, exclaimed, “I shall never be taken to France to be sent to Devil’s Island.” “We shall see,” said Inspector Sexton quietly, and he kept a close eye on his prisoner. It was needed, for on tho way to London, when tho train was travelling at sixty miles an hour, the man, who was powerfully built, opened the carriage door and sprang out. _ _ ■* Inspector Sexton immediately seined him, and there was a fierce struggle, which lasted some minutes, in the open doorway and on tho footboard of tho express. When ho was drawn back into the carriage ho first threatened to murder the detective and then tried to commit suicide, but he was overcome, handcuffed, and delivered safely at Bow Street. ' . This was only one of Mr. Sexton’s struggles and adventures. ; Guerin, tho fugitive from Devil’s Island, was first arrested in London by Inspector Soxton, and years after when he escaped it was his old detective friend who found him again and rearrestod him. Once when ho was ■ arresting ~a foreigner in a Bloomsbury house a fierce bull-dog was set on him, but tho detective, although the dog held on, kept his man until police help came. When, Mr. Sexton was raised to the rank of inspetor ho was one of the youngest men over selected for such promotion, for ho was then little over thirty. Ho had held a clerkship in a consul’s office, and was one of the best linguists Scotland Yard has ever had.