The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-10-20

A True W0mam-A Detectives Story.
What life is more thrilling than that of
police detective what more full of startling ad
venture! An incident in the experience of two
men well known in the city of New Orleans, as
the most skillful and accomplished detectives in
the Southern country has been related to the
reporter. The event about to be related is OF
recent occurrence. 1t is one Of the unpublished
| histories OF crime one of the heart-beats under
meath the social current Of the great city. But
the words of the detective are more potent
than the reporter can accord it., Let him tell
his story:
A robbery had been committed in one of our
large commercial houses under very singular cir
cumstances. The day preceding the crime
large amount OF money had been received and
| left In the safe over night Part of this money
consisted of $50 and $50 bills. Unknouu 70
| any one but the proprietor, they were marked
| with small cross in red ink in the left hand
| corner. The safe was locked at night, in the
morning it was open, the night clerk asleep un-
der the influence of chloroform and the money
gone The cashier was young man of high
social position, and about to be married to the
daughter of the proprietor. He alone
| carried the keys of the safe. 1t was evi-
| dent the lock had been picked, or opened with
| the key. Our observations convinced us
it was the latter. Still We kept our own counsel.
At the request of the merchant the whole mat
ter was kept profound secret. It furthered
| our chances OF detecting the robber that it
should be So Before we had left the store, we
had settled in our minds the identity of the
thief but it was necessary to obtain the proof be-
fore our suspicious were diyuiged or his arrest
attempted. Description of the money stolen
was left with certain parties, under whose obser-
walton it was most likely to come if put in cir
culation with Instructions to detain the person
| offering it until we were sent for. This was all
that could be done for the present. We went
home to await Developments. Still we kept our
eyes On the cashier He was young, and al
thoug he never drank to access, was fast. He
spent great deal of money, and to use COM
mon expression, was the deuce among the girls
Once or twice we saw him walking in the
squares of evenings with a very pretty young
English girl, milliner, working on Canal street.
There was something very noticeable about the
girls face-a sort Of melancholy and sadness that
went straight to our hearts. Any one would
have felt kindly towards her by just looking at
her. Somehow or other, | felt presentiment
that this girl was mixed up in the robbery. l
couldn't get rid of the idea. 1t haunted me.
In this way several weeks passed. One day we
received message in great hurry to come to
the steamboat landing. It was late in the after
noon, and the boats for St. Louis were about
leaving. Arriving there, we went at once on
board the Republic, and up to the clerks desk
Standing at the counter was the pretty English
girl, and in hands of the clerk were two of the
marked $40 bills. She had just offered them in
payment for her passage to st. Louis. | felt
now that the cashier was in my clutches But
it was necessary to proceed carefully and not
frighten the girl. AS gently as could, l told
her that the money she had just offered at the
counter had been stolen; that it was necessary
for lne to know where she obtained it. At my
words her face took the livid hue of death, but
she shook her head as much as to say she would
never tell me. Iplied her with opportunities,
entreated and begged; but it was Of no avail. 1
had no recourse but to take her into custody.
Still hoped to be able to discover from her the
proof Of the cashiers guilt. He was evidently
her lover, but doubted much if she knew his
real name or actual position. | piled her with
questions on this head, and although she was on
her guard, and her answers evasve, | was soon
satisfied that the real name of her lover un-
known to her. AS l left the cell 1 heard her
mutter in the most poignant grief:
"Oh, Charley, Charley, can this be true"
This was, indeed, his first name | returned on
the instant and said to her that knew the per-
son who gave her the money, that his name was
Charley -. At the mention of this name
she clapped her hands and laughed. 1t was not
the name she knew him BY l was almost at my
wits end. The girl must confess or the real
criminal would escape punishment. / thought,
however of resource, and put it in execution at
once Iwent to the store and told the mer-
chant that 1 wanted picture of every member
of his establishment, himself included. He
looked puzzled, but complied with my request.
Armed with these | returned to the cell. l
told the girl | had something to show henry
heart ached as did so. knew she worshipped
the heartless scoundrel who had betrayed her. l
held the picture SO that she could see it in full;
as the light flashed on it, said to her, MARY,
this is the Charley. am after !"
She gave one quick, hurried glance at the
pictures, and then, with low moan of anguish,
fell faintng to the floor. The tears would come
to my eyes as l looked at the poor, beautiful
creature i'll her agony. Only heaven knows how
pitied her; but Justice as well as her own good,
required that the mask should be lifted and the
criminal exposed. As soon as she had time TO
recover, 1 went to her again, / found her calm,
but with look of sorrow that pierced re to my
heart. | told her who her lover was, his crime,
and begged her to reveal all she knew of him
might as well have talked to stone. She sat
deaf silent in her fearless anguish. Only once
, l told her she was mistaken-he cared nothing
about her-would never marry her. She laugh
ed at me in bitter scorn. As last resource,
went to the place at which she had been work
ing found out all about her friends and with
whom she associated. From these L learned
that she was engaged to be married to aCharley."
who represented himself as young mechanic,
that he had persuaded her to 20 to St. Louis for
| that purnase where It was said that he had re-