The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-05-09
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.
A DETECTIVES STORY.

with gang OF burglars. The local pOlic'
was entirely inadequate to the task of fer
reting them out. House after house wa.
entered, the valuable's abstracted, and still
suspicion could be fastened on no one.
Pending this state of affairs the author
tiles sent to New York for a couple of de
tectives to come up and aid in the work O
catching the thieves.
Ned Halsey and l were despatched. WI
thought the job would occupy two or three
days-a week at farthest: for you know
that we have rather poor opinion of the
constabulary force of the interior, and vote
any man fool who can't cage q robbel
between two Sundays. es .a
We didn't care to publish our arrival, sc
we came in the character of spectators
bent on purchasing produce for the New
York market. .ao
We saw the Chief of Police soon afte,
we reached S., and from him learned
as we thought) all the necessary particu
lars. "
1t was not difficult to arrive at certain
conclusions. First, that the gang was q
large one. Second, that they were ole
hands. Third, that they were regularly
organized and under skillful leadership
and fourth, that they were in direct com
munication with the N. Y. Fraternity"
This last fact was made evident in rathe,
queer manner. Within forty EIGHT hours
of the time of our arrival we received the
following note. l transcribe it rerbdtim G,
iterotim:
"To the 2 gents wot buys produss-you
can't ketch old birds so snug as yer think
We cut our i-teeth in York and gradderat
ed at Sing Sing Go in my covies, but
bare in mind that we aint no produss te
SELL Oct 4, 1860"
This note, written in scrawling and al
most illeoible hand, was directed to us in
our assumed names at the hotel which We
made our headquarters. No signature was
attached.
Ned read it over great many times, bu,
with all his acumen the homel y epistle
gave him no clue whatever to the objects
of our search.
One morning was standing on the no.
tel steps, putting rather poor cigar alb.
stractedly, when man approached, gazed
at me rather intently for moment, and
passed on.
was tolerably certain that had seen
the face before, but for the life of me
could not tell where. He evidently recog.
n:zed me in something the same indefinite
manner. En
1t is natural, of course, for detective
10 be suspicious; as Il sharper looks upon
everybody that he meets as possible vic
tim, so a detective, with an eye to business,
sees in all men possible scoundrels.
Saunterins back to the reading-room,
where l had left Ned, found him and
told him my small adventure.
"And what kind of looking man was
he 20 Ned asked me with some little in
terest. s..
"a short, stout fellow, with grey eyes,
rather deeply set and heavily shaded with
dark brows, hair cropped close, and short
chin whiskers.''
" Whiskers genuine?
4" Yes, without Doubt
" We must take another glance at that
fellow and Ned rose and buttoned his
overcoat (for it was a chilly morning) and
together we passed out on the street.
Following the direction that the stranger
had taken, We proceeded leisurely along
for the distance of perhaps "a half mile
carelessly scanning the faces of those WI
met or passed.
Suddenly turning corner we came fac.
to face with the object of our search. II,
civilly returned our stare and entered ;
store near at hand.
"That man is Short Steve or I'm Ii
ar" Ned said, as soon as the stranger wal
out of hearing.
Z" Short Steve" was notorious scam,
who had made us plenty of trouble, an(
had thus far contriyed to escape 6 the lynx
eyed officers of justice "-as the newspa
pers call us.
Neither Ned nor I had seen him bu
once that, however, was on an occasion
we should not be apt to forget. 1t wa
just after the big bank robbery in Con
necticut, in which Short Steve and hi
gang were undoubtedly engaged. We
that is, Ned and and Sam Lewis-hunt
ed the villains down and got them int,
close quarters. But they escaped after all
with the aid of their Internal revolvers
and they put bullet through poor Lewis
heart. never knew better man thai
Sam, and Ned and solemnly swore tina
we would avenge his death some day.
Had the day come? zs
To be candid, l was by no means certain
that Ned was correct in his surmises. ]
was five years since we had seen "Shor
Steve and at last accounts he WIS on tn
Pacific coast. Still Ned was positive, an
as he seldom mistook face, graduall
fell into his way of thinking.
We reasoned that if the stranger was in
deed "Short Stevep he would be careful no
to show himself again in our presence, 70
he could scent detective further than
blood hound scents his prey.
Certainly there were charges enoug
against him to justify his arrest on tn
spot. Should we nab him? this was tn
question we briefly discussed, keeping
meantime, a sharp lookout on the fellol
to see that he did not escape us.
The question was finally decided in th
afirmative--we would arrest him on SUI
picion.
So we entered the store. The suspicion
looking customer had just completed h
purchases and was about to go out. al
iproached him and he turned and locke
me in the face for moment, Us he ha
done once before, then seizing my hand
shook it heartily, exelaiming: @
$ Jack Bosworth, old boy, how arc you
I've bothered my head these two hou
thinking who you We're. And no wonde
|either. We hav'nt met since that nigl
we grew SO eloquent in our essays at Il
closing exhibition of the the old 49, Aca
envy.
! l never experienced more sudd'