Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-10-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
HOW I BECAME A DETECTIVE.

TWELVE years ago, was in Boston,
had just graduated, and was endeavoring
in my effort to establish a practice, to SCI
how near a man could come to starvation
and still keep alive. | had got as far away
" from home as possible, becausciI / did mo-
want any of my own people to see OF
know of my struggles, being content tC
fight patiently on until had made o sue
cess, and then let them know how had
made it, 4.rt.y
l had but one relative, l may say only
one friend, in all Boston; and that was
Charley Drake. Charley was my cousin
and clerk in a drug store--a retail store
where he had plenty of close work, and
= very small pay. For him there was nc
such thing as rest. He slept in The store
and was liable TO be called at any hour of
2 the night, to make up prescription, oil
0retaila dose of castor-oil. This may seem
a tritie to some; but, to man who has
been going through the petty drudgery
I 4 of arotail store from six in the morning
until eleven at night, it is no small matter
to be walked from his first sleep to mix and
pound, and spread, and tic up prescrip-
tion-a task that requires quietness of head
& and repose of body. .Et
One morning, quite early, / stopped in
his store, as it was my almost daily habit
to do, to get some small matter wanted
anxiety on his face, and greeted me
'-' did you know that Charley is in
trouble?"
TROUBLES No." l said, ":what
20 gtrQubleH"
A wrong prescription he put up has
J1g,ktled a woman. wish he'd killed him.
self beiorerit happened in my shop. 1t
will ruin me-"
90 lool,od doonfo,,,t,,o,,,,,, -, a. = c,lio,,,
who only thought of his shop and his
pocket, and made further inquiries.
EFOh, it happened last night about shut
-ting-up time. The woman died within an
hour; and Charley is under arrest await
- ing the verdict of the coroner's jury
= / felt an utter disgust for this fellow; but
thought would give him parting shot
before left him. So / said
"But why don't they arrest you? They
@ must look to you as principal"
1t was almost amusing to sec his express
sion of fright.
, "Arrest me? What had got to do with
itr Why, wasn't eveniin the store when
it occurred" .iflii.'| =
- - No-the sneak-he was asleep in his
bed, while he put all the work and respon-
sibility off on poor Charley. However, l
contented myself with asking few ques-
tions as to who the person was that had
~ died, and when Charley had been arrested ;
and then l started to see him. found
him, in very little time, in the custody
of one of the corOner's officers, awaiting
the holding, of the inquest, which would
come off in hour. AS matter of course,
Charley was in intense mental agony, and
it was only with difficulty could get him
to speak to the point. His mind wan
dercd, and he was in high fever got
hold Of his hand, and tried to calm him
Now NV how said q this ia no
time for despairing You must pluck up
courage, and look the thing squarely in
the face. All is not lost, as long as life is
left. Tell me the whole story"
Il swell, it was about one o'clock, this
morning, and ] was walked out of sound
sleep to put up a prescription, and put
it up wrong 1 was so sleepy, and had
been go tired, when l went to bed Oh,
poor Nelliel What will she say to this ~
"No matter about Nellie now," l an
swered; "if she's the little woman think
she is, she'll bear it nobly, and, no matter
what the result, she won't think less of
you. Now, then, what was the nature of
your mistaken
"Oh, dear Cousin Rob, very bad one
l put in three grains of atropia for three
grains of assafGtida, and you know that
One-siXth of grain of atropia is large
dose. | knew it was strange prescrip-
ton but as it came from DR.. Barton
Brewster, who knows what he's about
and is regular customer of our shop,
put it up, and gave it to the messenger.
was so glad to get to bed again, that
didn't think about anything until about
half an hour afterward, when the doctor
himself walked me up, and asked to see
the prescription. hadn't put it in tn
book yet, SO handed it to him. He took
it to the night-lamp, read it, and handed
IL hack saving very hAFshlV.
Young man, just read that prescrip-
ton again.
"I did as he bade me, thoroughly awake
by this time, and, to my horror, read three
grains Of assafPtida, instead of three grains
of atropia.
"Dr Brewster looked fiercely at me for
moment and went Off leaving me with
the prescription in my hand and saying
o.. You've killed woman by your careless
ness you'll have to settle it with the cor
oner in the morning"
Well; and they arrested you this morn.
ingS" .I-..
"Yes; about seven o'clock. The officer
says it was good in DR.. Brewster not to
give Information against me until after
daylight, since might have got away in
the meantime, if l had been Of mind to
do so which, no doubt, was the doctors
idea But, bless you, Cousin Bob / didn't
think of running away. / couldn't run
~ away, if it was only fer Nellies sake"
7" Nellie was dear little girl, TO whom
Charley had been engaged for year or
two, aud was likely to be for a few years
more, as he was waiting, until he could
get into business for himself to marry
her lr.Ts-l,s
cast over the whole thing in my mind,
and the first idea that struck me Was. that
Z, Charley ought to have a lawyer present to
watch the proceedings, and sec that he had
at least legal rights, where all would be
prejudiced against him. No sooner thought
than remembered that I had been'able %
doconsiderable professional service in the
family of a young lawyer by the name OF
Sanford; in fact, had been fortunate
enough to snatch a favorite child of his
almost out of the gripe of DEATH Sanford
i' was, like myself, unable TO make both ends
meet, and, in telling me his inability u
= ialy me then, hoped that i, Dr sOfnd'0f my
friends, would endeavOr TO make profes
81 sional use of him. This was just tho time
and before the inquest opened, had San
ford on the spot, anxious 10 be of use. =
le The evidence was very simple ThI
deceased boarded in the house where sh'
died. Was young girl, about nineteen
Had no relatives, and only one or TIVE
friends, in Boston. Nobody visited he
but her physician, DIR. Brewster. She. Ia,
not been very well for a day orr two, ant
DIR. Brewster had prescribed late the nigh
before, aud sent boy 10 Marcelin's drul