True crime non-fiction first published in 1817 about a famous confidence man who eluded law enforcement in both Canada and the United States. Walter Bates was the one who captured this notorious criminal when he was sheriff of King's County, New Brunswick. Bates conducted interviews with the man who escaped from custody on more than one occasion and with eye witnesses. His memoir, at the time a best selling account, occupies a special place in Canadian writing. This is a unique scholarly edition that includes, besides the original text, a treasure trove of contextual material that will help readers enjoy more fully this little-known classic of Canadian non-fiction, including letters, newspaper articles, notes and other, later, texts by Bates. The research is new and comprehensive for a Canadian work two hundred years old.