Maryland free press., 1866-12-20
ON THE TRAIL.
4 DETECTIVES NARRATIVE.

lam police superintendent in large IRON
making town, and for upward Of twenty years
have had the care of populous colliery district
The peculiar avocations of the people supply am
pie disguise for criminals in hiding. Who
would look for runaway clerk in the black face
and coal stained garments of collier, or in the
guse ofa lsborer in the iron shed2 1t may be
assumed, therefore, that many strange incident
has come under my notice in the course OF so
long service, and some of these | may OCCASION
ally present TO the public. One in particular
remember we'll, as practically illustrating re-
mark mad ia the Times on the conviction sf
Muller, that crimes ola conspicuous character
are generally committed by the class thst 10 least
suspected. l was called on one evening to qusll
a disturbance between several colliers and par
ty of Irishmen. The csllers, it appears, mad
dened with drink, had assailed the latter, drivea
them into a dwelling, and wo uld speedily have
Killed one or more, but for the opportune arrival
uf the police. The night afterwards, received a
note from the railway authorities that a coal
Train had been thrown of the line by some mis-
crcant or other, who had placed scepers along
<hc rails. Knowing that coliers working ut a
distance invariably returned by these trains, and
remembering the struggle of the night before, |
at once concluded this to be an attempt at Irish
revenge, and pursued my investigations accord
ingly.
few nights after, another coal train was
thrown of the rails, rs, in the former case, how
ever, without harm 10 the men, but this second
attempt spurred me on, so that certain suspected
persons speedily in custody. But | soon
found that these were not tiny men," Il is use
less for Inc TO expatiate the unerriag signs by
which innocence invariably asserts itself. The
Irishmem were violent men in their cups, but
most certainly incapable of the atrocious acts of
which they were accused
Scarcely had a week passed when the whole
neighborhooi was thrilled with horror. At a
a I.I.
our tradesmen resored in numbers every We'd
nesday TO market. In the evening, the lust
train as usual, bore lis numerous passengers to
their homes 1t was summer time, and merrily
they dashed along the rugged bank of a meun-
tain river, winding in among the hills. But soon
the picture WAS changed; turning a curve in full
career, the engine left the rail- and cutting deep
ly into the cmbankment, rolled on its side, for
tunaiely having continued just sufficient time in
progress to break the shock of the cirrages,-
There was anawiul cry Uf lamentation, wild
medley, u hurried scene; men and women seek
ing to Chamber through the opening above the
locked doors, too intent on personal safety to
think of any thing else. Most were bruised and
all were frightened. While messengers were
dispatched to the nearest station Others searched
along the route for the cause of the mishap. IL
wa. soon found. The scene of the accident was
n curve, AL the rail nearest to the the river had
been forcibIy rem wed. The m sc.eLnt-tor it
was soon seen that Williams hand had been
therc-had fortunately been ignorant Of meehaa-
les.
lIe had taken up the rail by the ravine-for
have emitted to mention that there was q steep
precipice at this po;nt--and naturally thought
that the train with its load of human life, would
have tumbed over. The rail next to the river
was the safe one, and so the engine simply plow-
ed along toward the scarp of the mountain.
When the details of this lucky escape reached
me, felt that my reputation was at stalks. This
was evidently No. Three of the diabolical at
temps of the same hand The first inquiriry WAS
made was: Who drove the train? and one or
two questions of similar character put me in
possession of this important fact, that the driver
OF the train and the driver of the coal engin G
trains n the time the trucks were thrown off,
was one aud the same person "Now, then for
the drive said [, and marched to his lodings.
found him quiet inoffensive sort ofa young
fellow, not likely man TO have malignant en-
emy. He was unmarried, and somewhat fresh to
his duties the line, not having been in the po-
sition very long. We at once touched on the
subject of the accident, but fonnd he was quite
at sea as to the cause.
Have you an enemy" said I, Tor any one
VINO entertains any malice toward your
No; he thought not.
"You are unmarried believer ....
Vas; he was.
tCourting pcrhaps?" Isuygested.
lie confessed to the soft impeachment.
"fIave you any object ion TO tell me who the
lady ISL! inquired |, for we police. officers are
sometimes obliged to override delicate scruples.-
He mentioned the name of a young woman re-
siding at q farm house six miles down the valley
and within half a mile of the scene of the
accident, I drew long breath, but kept my own
counsel.
"Oh, so the damsel lives there does she? Now,
has she any other sweethearts besides yours.
He thought there had been one, carpenter;
but quoth the driver, complacently smoothing
an incipent beard: "She has NO lover now but
me-"
"Where does this carpenter live2"
"About half = mile from the farm" he an
swered; and with that I left, fully satisfied now
that | was on the trail
The morning after, and at the scene Of the &C.
cident, had found large thick stake, cut evil