Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-31
A NIGHT INA GAINING HOUSE.
By a LONDON DETECTIVE.

/ adverse circumstances--chietiy the result OF my
reckless iollies-cOmpelled me to enter the ISiiAs
Of the metropolitan police, as the sole means VI
procuring food and Taiment, the attention OF one
Of the principal chiefs OF the force was atrsGteH
toward me by the ingenuity and beldness WIlch
1 was supposed to have manifested IN htting
upon and unravelling a clue, which ulIllhately
led to the detection and punishment OF an q rs
tically contrived fraud upon an eminent trades
man of the west end OF London. Inc cniei
sent for me, and after somewhat Iengtheheu
conversation not only expressed adnllratioh Ioi
my conduc. in the particular matter un9er uis,
cussion, but limited that he might shortly need
nv services IN other matters requiring lntell-
gencs and resolution
= II think / have met you before " he remarked
with s. meaning smile on dismisslng me, when
Won occupied 4 different position from the pres
eut one do not alarm yOurselt-I have no
| wish 10 Dry unnecessarily into other mems Sc
c-ets. Waters is a name common enough IN all
ranks of society, Gad may, you know, here
tho cold smile deepened into an ironica impress
sjon-"be mistaken. at all events, the tesu-
monv of the gentleman whose recommendation
obtained your admission to the tOrce-I have
looked into the matter since l heard Of your be-
havior in the late business-is a sufficient guar
auty that nothing more serious than imprudence
AMI folly csn be laid TO your charge. have
neither the right nor the inclination to inquire
further. Tomorrow, in al probability, l shall
send for you.
I came TO the conclusion, as I walked home
ward. that the chief 5 intlmston Of having pre-
Z yiousiy met me IN another sphere of life, was a
| random and uufOunded one as | seldom visited
London in nv prosperous days, and still more
rarely mingled in its society. My wife, however,
/ to whom l. of course, related the substance Of
the conversation, reminded me that we had once
been to D0ncaster during the races, gnd sug-
Z II n-ET L. L.
! there. This was q sufficiently probable eXpls-
nation OF tho hint, but whether the correct one
or not 1 cannot decide, as he never after alluded
! TO the subject, and l had not the slightest wish
to renew 1t. Three days elapsed before l re-
/ ceiTed the expected summons. On waiting on
! him, / was sgreeably startled to find that was
te be ouce more employed on a mission which
the most SaugUine and experienced detective
/ officer would have felt hCnored 10 undertake.
Here is 8 written description OF the persons
Of this gang of blscklegs, swindlers and tOrgers,
! concluded the commissioner, cumming up his
! Instructions 1t viii be your object to discover
! their private haunts, and secure legal evidence
| of their notorious practices. We have been
hitherto baified, principally, l think, through
/ the too LsSly zeal of the officers employed; you
must especially avoid that error. They are
practicel sCOuDdTel5, aud it will require consId-
! erable patience, as well as acUmen, TO UnkenGel
]
/ recent victims is young Mr.. Merton, son by
former marriage, of the dowager lady EveTton.
Her ladyshp has failed 10 extricate him from the
! tolls In which he is meshed. You will call upon
her at i've o'clock this etternOon-plain clothes,
of cOurse-and obtain whatever information on
! the subject she may be able to afford. Remem-
Der to communicate directly with me-and any
assistance you may require suall be promptly
! rendered" D."
With these, and few other minor directions,
needless to Iecapitulate, / was dismissed 10 2
task which, difficult and possibly perilous as it
might prove, hailed as a delightful relief from
the m0nOtony and dull routine of ordinary duty.
/ / hurried home, and after dressing with great
| care-.be best part Of my wardrobe had been
! fortunately saved by Emily from the wreck Of
my lortune--I proceeded to Lady EveTton's
mansion. I was marshaledto the dTsWing-TOOm,
where / found her ladyship and her daughter
q beautiful, tsiT-lOoldng girl-awaiting my aTri-
val. Lady EveTt0n appeared greatly surprised
as my appearance, differing, as l dare say it
altogether did, from her abstract idea of p0-
! uceman, however attiTed or disguised; and it
/ was not until she had perused the note of which
I was the bearer, that her naughty and incrodu-
IoUs stare became mILigated to a glance of con
! descendant civiity.
4" Be seated, M Waters said her ladyshjp,
! waving me to a char. " The note informs me
that you have been selected to exticats my son
from ,ae pe.ilous entanglements in which he
has uHhappily involved himself"
/ was about TO Teply-ioT l was silly enough
TO feel somewhat nettled at the noble lady's
haughtuess Of mQuner-that ] was engaged in
the public service Of extirpsting a gang of
| sWindlers with whom her sen had involved him
self, aud was there to procure from her lady
ship any information she might be possessed Of
likely to forward so desirable a Tes6t, but for
tUnRtely, the remembrance of my actual posi-
.tion spite Of my gentleman's attire, flashed WV
idly across my mind; and, instead Of letting
my glib tongue wag irreyerently, I bowed with
d5ieTentIal acqUieScence. Her ladyship pro-
cecded, and l in substance received tho follow
ing Information
Mr.. Charles Merton, during the few months
which had elapsed, had literally fallen amongst
thieves" A passion for gambling seemed to
have taken entire possession OF his being; and
almost every day, as well as night, Of his hag-
gard, teveTish hte, was spent at play. A run Of
IL luck, according to his own beliel-but in
very truth, a run Of downright robbery-h2d set
in against him, and he had not only dissipsted
all the ready money which he had inherited, aud
tlie large sums which the foolish indulgence Of
his lady mother had supplied him with, but had
involved himself in bonds, bills, and other obi
cations, TO q fearful amount. The principal
agent in eifscting this ruin was one Santord-a
man of fashionable and dashing exterior, and the
presiding spirit of the desperadOes whom l was
commissioned 10 hunt out. Strange to say, Mr..
/ Merton had the blindest reliance on this man g
honor: and even now-tricked, despOiled as be
had been by him and his gang-relied on his
counsel and assistance for his escape from the
desperate position in which he was involved.
The Everton estates had passed, IN default Of
male issue, to distant relative of the late lord
so that ruin, absolute, iTTedeemable, stared both
the wrecked dupe and his relative in the face.
Lady Everton's jointure was very large one 5
and her son had been permitted to squander
sums which should have been devoted to the
discharge of claims which were now pressing
hsrshly against her.
I listened with tho deepest interest to Lady
Evertors narrative. Repeatedly during the
course Of it, as she accidentally alluded to the
manner and appearance Of Sanford, who had
been introduced by Mr.. Merton to his mother and
sister, suspicion, which the police papers had
awakened that the gentleman IN question was
an old acquaintance Of mine, and one, more
over whose fsvors / was extremely desirOus to
return in kind, flashed with increased conviction
across my mind. This surmise /, OF course,
kept to myself; and, after emphatically caution
ing the ladies to keep our proceedings g pro-
found secret from Mr. Merton, ] took my de-
Darture, amply provided with the resources
requisite for The carrying into effect the scheme
l had resolved upon. / also arranged that
instead Of waiting personally upon her ladyship
+ which might excite observation and suspicion,
should report my progress by letter, through the
post.
1t should be he! thought 1, as 1 emerged
1 into the street. The mere supposition had SEM
the blood through my veins with furious violence
elf this Sanford Is as l suspect, that villain
, Carbon, it will indeed be a tTiumph-victory
I, Lady EveTton need not, in that case, seek tt
! animate my zeal by promises of money recon
e pense. A blighted existence, a young anI
It gentle wife by his means cast down from opu
,, lence to soIdid beggsry, would stimulate tn
!. dullest craven that ever crawleS the earth L
energy and action. Pray Heaven ny suspicion