Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-09-09
DETECTIVES AS. THEY ARE.

w
fctions purporting to be "reminiscences OF
detectives, may take it for granted that q
halo of romance o'erhangs the life of a
professional taker of thieves and murder
ers. But in actual experience it is not 80.
Contrariwise, the life Of such a man is
! ratherprosaic than Otherwise; nor, in ma.
ture, does the detective go about in those
wonderful DISCUSSES the books we have
referred to SO enlarge upon-disguises
only to be met with on the stage and in
novels. He is truly ga plain clothes
man." and is so spoken of by the mem
bers of the force, just as railroad people
always speak, of coaches and not Scar
riages," as the outer world does. The
veteran Straightforward assures me that
he has never adopted what could be legit-
imately called ga disguise" on any occa-
sion. l"Why,", said he, s"I should not have
got half way down the street or past a
= soul I knew, before one of the coves
would have twigged me-" "Holloi" he
would have thought, "what's the Ser
geant got them togs on for?" And then
it would have been all up with my little
game, for the "ofice" would at once have
been giyens and my bird flown. ,NotI I
never used any disguise. went out just
as was-plain clothes, of course. No !;
disguise is all bosh. When wanted my
man always knew where to put my
hand on him. In fact only had to 60 to
his house of call at a certain time, beckon
him out, and he would come with me as
quiet as lamb. Did I ever have any
cases of resistance or assault? Not many.
If they were saucy I used to put the handA
ed blow gave them one for themselves
fire. II r,u sr,ct
used to manage my obstropolous gents.
/ took one, not more than fifty miles from
here, in place he was well known, but
not for the thief he was. I ordered him to
:; carry his box before me to the station He
refused, till told him if he did not do as
2 I told him I would hire cab, chain him
= behind, hand -bolted, put the box inside,
land walk lleisurely on the pavement be-
hind him, giving all the etewnspeople who
asked questions their full of answers. He
knew would keep myword, and hetrot
ted before me to the terminus with his
box on his head, as quiet as-Well, as a
lamb. Ca %,
q 81 interrogate the Sergeantupont the
matter of burglary, and he instances a
- representative case. A message, ar
c.rives at the police office from Mr. Greene
j ones, saying his premises haYe been
broken into, and certain moneys or proper
ties stolen. The chief sends myself and
another detective to the place. After a
, few minutes survey, we glance at each
s.Other in peculiar way, whereupon the
proprietor of the stolen property looks
uneasy and perturbed. 'Well, officers,
what do you make of it? The marks are
plain enough, are they not?' My mate
you know Driver, sir--whistles and
swings from one hand to the other the
polished holly stick he alwas carries with
him. l kneel down, Driver having made
his inspection first, and examine some
markson the windowsill. That says
Mr.. Jones, was evidently done with the
chisel found in the garden mm
= "I thought it was rather too strong that
he should talklto us who knew what was
what like that, but determined to be even
with him by and by. SO I went on asking
lot of tom fool questions After a BIT
he said: We'll, what'll you take to
drink?' My mate said that he thought 9
toothful OF rum--D Driversis partial to rum
> wouldn't poison him, while gave 8
name to brandy hot. / remember it quite
well. He asked us into a little room be
hind the shop. His wife was there, nurs
ing young child--an infant, in fsct--an(
she looked, poor thing, awful down in tht
mouth. The husband hadn't been Ions
in business, and we knew that business
had been queer with him for sometime
He had to send out for the stuff, which b,
did by little slatternly servant girl
While he was away talking to the girl
my mate was led to pump the missis; bu
stopped him, for / saw how the land LAY
as clear as mud. She began, however
uneasily, | could see-to talk of it herself
:, saying 1t was strange they had heard NJ
noise, that the servant had always slep
at her mothers, and so on. When he,
husband returned, followed soon. after b.
the girl, he had in hot water, and mixes
the grogs-stiff ones they were, too, though
it was only about noon. By the time W,
had all three finished our second tumbler
our man got maudlin, first sniveled owe
his losses. and then talked big all in
breath, asthe saying is. This was NOR
than l could stomach, though l had hs
his grog; SO, when my mate and l Wer
out, Driver being in front-I ,suppos'
said he, you have an idea who did this
81 can give shrewdish guess" said
"Ay! have heard you detectives al
clever chaps and know mans work. 8
you call 1t, by the way he goes about th
job. Now, who do you suppose did this:
" You" said |, looking him full in I'll
face j. E&rr %F,Tsss - - g&.
You should have seen his countenant
change, sir--frst as white as that pip
then as red as that bar curtain; and 9
of minute. never saw such q thin