East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-08-01
The Diary Of "a London Detective.
one Night in Gaming-House. saa
pY AN Ex-poLIcE OFFICER,

] HE. IN AN I<A-fOLlNE OiiiNEN'a I.... q
A little more than a year after th,
period when adverse circumstances =
chiefly the results of my own reckless
follies--compelled me to enter the ranks
of the Metropolitan Police as the SOLE
means left me Of procuring food and raj
ment, the attention of one of tho princi
pal chiefs Of the force was attracted to
wards me by the ingenuity and boldness
which | was supposed to have manifested
in hitting upon and unrayeling clue
which ultimately led to the detection and
punishment Of the perpetrators OF an ar
tistically contrived fraud uponan eminent
tradesman of the west end of London
The chief sent for me, and after some
what heightened conversation, not only
expressed admiration Of my conduct IN
the particular matter under discussion,
but limited that he might shortly need
my services in other affairs requiring in
telligence and resolution.
Il think | have met you before he re-
marked with meaning smile, on dis.
missing me, when you occupied dilier-
ent position from your present ono. DO
not alarm yourself; l have no wish to
pry unnecessarily into other men'ssecrets.
! Waters is name common enough IN all
ranks of society, and may, you know,
here the cold smile deepened in ironical
cxpression-be mistaken At all events,
the testimony Of the gentleman whose
recommendation obtained your admission
to the force-I have looked into the
matter since l heard Of your behavior in
the late busihess-is a sufficient guar
antee that nothing more serious than inn
prudence and folly can be laid to your
charge. have neither right nor inch
nation to inquire further. 10 morrow,
in all PROBABILITY, shall send for YOU
g.. came to the conclusion, as | walked
homewards, that the chiefs sintimatioh of
having previously met me in another
sphere of life was random and uniound-
ed one, as had seldom visited London
in my prosperous days, and still more
rarely mingled in its society. My vile,
however, to whom I, Of course, related
the substance Of the ~couycrsation, re-
minded me that he had once been at
Doncastcr during the races; and suggest
ed that he might possibly have seen and
noticed me there. This was a sufficient
~ probable explanations of the hint; but
whether the correct one or not, | can
not decide, as he mover afterwards alluded
to the subject, anl | had not the slight
est wish 10 renew it.
Three days elapsed before | received
the expected summons. On waiting on
him, | was agreeably startled to find that
l was at once to be employed on mis-
sion which the most sagacious and eX.
perienccd detective officers would have
felt honored to undertake.
'Here is a written description Of the
persons of this gang of blacklegs, swihd-
lers, and forgers,' concluded the COM
missioner, summing up his instructions
1T will be- your object to discover their
private haunts, and secure legal evidence
of their nefarious practices. We have
been hitherto ballled, principally, | think,
through the too hasty zeal Of the officers
employees you must especially avoid that
error. They are practeed scoundrels;
and it viii require considerable patience,
as well as acumen, to unkennel and bring
them to Justice. One Of their more re-
cent victims is young Mr.. Merton, son,
by former marriage, of the Dowager
Lady Everton. 9 Her ladyship has applied
to us for assistance in eXtricating him
from the tolls in which he is meshed. =
You will call on her at five o'clock this
afternoon--in plain clothes-and obtain
whatever information on the subject she
may be able to afford. Remember to
communicate directly with me; and any
assistance you may require shall be
promptly rendered. With these, and a
few other minor directions, needless to
recapitulate, was dismissed to a task,
which, difficult and possibly perilous as it
might prove, hailed as a delightful re-
lief from the wearying monotony and
dull routine of ordinary duty.
/ hastened home, and after dressing
with great care--the best part of my
wardrobe had been fortunately saved by
Emily from the wreck Of my fortunc-I
proceeded to Lady Everton's mansion.--
was Immediately marshaled to the
drawing room, where / found her lady
ship and her daughter--a beautiful fairy
looking girl-awaiting my arrival -
Lady Everton appeared greatly surprised
at my appearance, differing, as ] dare
say it altogether did, from her abstract
idea of policemen, however attired or
disguised; and it was not till she had
perused the note of which l was the
bearer, that her naughty and incredulous
stare became mitigatcd to glance OF
lofty condescendent civility.r - ~
BE seated, Mr.. Waters, said her LADY,
ship, waving me to chair. This note
informs me that you have been selected
for the duty of endeavoring to extricate
my son from the perilous entanglements
in which he has unhappily involved him
SELF no
| was about to reply--for | was silly
enough to feel somewhat nettled at the
noble lady's baughtiness Of manner-that
] was engaged in the public service OF
cxtirpating a gang of swindlers,. with
whom her son had involved himself, and
was there to procure from her ladyship
any information she might be possessed