Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-08
Misfellatteous.
THE DETECTIVES STORY.

"'"t PoiiScs anu HOpc my Sdully Will pe
pardoned when say that consider my
occupation Il grade or two above it; since
it must be evident to every one that dull
person may be, and often is serviceable
policemen, while "a detective has no
chance Of success without ready percep-
iion and a close study of human nature.
am ntuitively possessed of faculty IF
imitation, which have cultivated to be of
great service in my business, as it enables
me TO assume, in a deceptive manner, the
disguise of any character please; indeed
so many different parts have played and
in such various company have mixed.
that it appears to me !; serious problem NJ
times where my proper position in socie-
ty lays.
have a partner in business whose real
name have no right to make. public.
He is a coarse-ieatured person and is ca.
pable of converting himself by dress into
one of the most rough looking and repul
s,ve of men. While in the meanest OF his
disguises, some one gave him the name
of "Slouch," and this rather repusiye so
briquet. attached TO him at first in spirit
of pleasantly, is now about the only name
by which | address him. He is a good
hearted fellow, muscular and courageous,
and he has, in more than one instance,
saved me from great peril il not actually
saved my life. SLOUGH has a remarkable
faculty OF reading crime on the face. His
conclusions are generally correct; yet how
he arrives at them has always been a mis-,
terry 10 me. Ny own suspicious are most
ly the result of some theory, and / will
freely confess that my imagination has
led me asiray. 1t is different with SLOUGH.
\ single lock at the suspected person
seems enough for him. He has often mp
set a nicely woven tissue of apparently
eorroboraiive incidents for me at a glance
at the party suspected, a shake of the
head aud a gruii and provoking dissent
Only one instance occurred where | was
right and he was absolutely wrong: but
as its recital would be depression.
shall reserve it till another time.
We are sometimes together, and at
other times widely separated. There is
not a railroad, canal or steamboat rout in the
United States that one or the other has not
travelled over in pursuit of our calling
Recently we have been so-iourning in
San Francisco.
Some time since the officers of the P
bank in New York gave information
to the police that their notes had been
extensively counterteited in a man
ner SO alarmingly perfect, that many
of the spurious bills had passed through
their own hands without detection in facl
the first intimation of the crime was the
perceptible imitation of their paper in cir
cuation. Every line and shade of the
original bill was reproduced in the coun-
terieit in such a perfect manner, that with
out the aid of Il microscope, detection was
utterly impossible. Once discovered. it
was plain that no other counterieiting pro-
cess could so completely initiate the gen
uine but the art of photography, and in
that science the manipulators must have
been skilled.
Souch and went TO work ut once, led
by the incentive OF very large condition
al reward. We labored many weeks with
out success. There was not a single pho
tographic establishment in that large ciiv
that escaped our visits in disguise, and in
my zeal to succeed in the undertaking.
studied the process of the art from begin
ming to end Nearly three months had
been irnitlessly spent III this way, when
one evening messenger was sent TO rs
from the cashier OF the bank, requesting
US to hurry to his room He informed u
that two passenger tickets had been pur-
chased that day at the California sleanl-
ship office, every dollar Of which had been
paid in the suspicious bills. He had made
some inquiries himself in the matter, and
informed us that The ticket agent had no
recolecIions of the persons from whom
he had received the money, and that the
steamer would sail at nine O'Clock on the
following morning.
Slouch and | took the matter into
consideration, and urged by the advice
and counsel OF the bank officers, we deter
mined to take passage in the same boat.
A trunk apiece was hastily packed with
our molly wardrobe, and after agreeing
upon our DISCUSSES, we sailed out the next
morning. taking different routes. and pro
cecding without any show of haste TO the
vessel. hesitate TO say that | was mueh
disguised on this trip, because my appear
ance, rs near as | could make it up, was
that of we'll dressed gentleman of for
tune travelling iOr pleasure, and of course,
The first cabin was chosen for my quarters.
Slouch had selected a very repul>ive dis
guise. and might have been seen as the
vessel left the pier. awkardly striding
among the strange passengers, the most
perfect semblance OF II sneak thief ever
saw. AS II precaution, we bore letter
of introduction to the master of the yes
sci, indorsed by the chief OF the New York
Police. Slouch and were of course ap-
parent strangers, and were as widely as
possible separated on shipboard.
Only Il few days of our voyage had
passed, before had succeeded in winning
the good opinion OF my companions in the
cabin, while my partner, in the same time.
by his manners and appearance had made
himself an object of suspicion and distrust
to the whole steerage. There was an un-
usually small number of rs in the cabin
and among them not single person
whose demeanor could create suspicion
of crime. The women, without excep-
ton, were extremely ladylike and enter
tanning, and was inclined in their soce-
ty to Nrget the grand purpose of my
VOYAGE; but Slouch got me occasionally
aside. and talked business so intensely
that became little more yigilant and
attentive.
Among the male passengers was one
who especially engaged my observation.
He was person of conspicuous appear
ance, not unhandsome in face. faultless in
figure, and rather foppishlv attired He