Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-01-31
An Iuterestiug gtury.
ONE HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD.

ONE HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD.
Nature has not been pleased to be-
stow upon me any special gifts, and |
cannot call myself clever man. But
/ have been brought up in good
school; and whatever natural shrewd-
ness [ may have, has, so to speak, had
a keen edge put on it, in an experience
of many years as a detective officer.
If there is one thing more than anoth-
er upon which I pride myself, it is that
of discriminating character, and being
able to at once detect whether person
charged with an offence is innocent or
guilty. How far this pet theory of
mine is borne out by fact, the follow
ing story will show. a.,
Some years ago, in the month of De-
cember, was strolling in the neigh
borhood of Scotland Yard, when [ no
ticed that l was followed by short,
thick set man, of very peculiar appear
ance. He looked about three or four
and twenty, and was very shabbily
dressed in clothes which evidently had
never been made for him. Each of
the garments had the stamp of having
belonged to people Of different walks
in life. The old court trousers, much
too large were those of workingman ;
the vest, which had been of a brighter
scarlet, was that of groom or coach
man whilst the surtout, patched and
out at the elbows as it was, had the
unmistakable cut of a west-end tailor.
1t strack me that we were old acquain-
tances, for his was a face, once. seen,
not easily to be forgotten. He was very
ugly, but had not what one would call
"a bad face" The greatest peculiari-
ty about him was the eyes, which were
Of a dark hazel and very small, with an
extraordinary obliqueness Of vision,
which made it impossible to tell wheth-
er he was looking you in the face or
not. His head was covered by an old
seal-skin cap, under which was much
course hair of a golden red, while his
face was ornamented with luxuriant
crop of whiskers of the same fiery hue.
All this [ noticed as he twice pass
ed-each time looking as if about to
address me. AS he passed the second
time I turned on my heel and followed,
and quickly overtaking him, said:
"Well, my man, you appear to know
me?' s4
eyes, Mr.. Sharpe" he replied, 81
know you very well, though dare say,
you have forgotten me. My name is
Charlie Fox, and you've had me before
the beak more than once when was a
young 'un." a,e ~y...-
"Why," I said, esyou are the young
rascal that belonged to the Westminis-
ter gang, and used to give us so much
trouble"
ayes, guv'nor; but since my mother
died, which is a good many years now,
| have been trying to keep on the square.
I've been to sea, and been working "a
bout the docks, or wherever [ could
get a job. Lately I amt had anything
todo, and Pm almost starving. [ knew
you directly [ saw you, and Pve been
a-following you, thinking you might
give me something to get some grub.
Itshard work, guVsnor, to keep straight
after you've once gone wrong, Special
ly when you're hungry, and a lot of
pals attempting you.
AS / listened, | thought his story
might be true. remembered him as
a young thief, with bad mother, but
that years ago; and [ knew if he had
been knocking about London, and mp
to his old games, I must have heard Of
or seen him.
"Look here, Fox" I said, '.you may
be telling me a lie or you may not; but
if you are hungry will give you
meal"
"I took him into the nearest public
house and gave him some cold meat and
bread, and pint of beer; and his ap-
petite certainly confirmed one part of
bis tale. When he had finished his
dinner, he said:
"Now, Mr.. Sharpe, you've done me
q turn, which I shan t soon forget, and
I'll do you one in return, by putting
you up to a good thing. You know
all about the murder of the woman at
Glasgow, and I can tell you where to
lay hands on the cove that did it
There's hundred pounds reward; and
suppose if | plant you on him you'll
give me half?'
/ knew of the murder. It was one
of peculiar atrocity, committed about
one month before, in Glasgow, upon
poor girl, an unfortunate. Hitherto
The police had been at fault, and the
Home Secretary had offered a reward
of a hundred pounds.
At first it struck me as improbable
that Fox could know anything about
it; but he further told me he was lodg-
ing down at the east end, near to one
of the docks and the murderer, a sail
or, who had been shipmate, was lodg-
ing in the same house, and had con-
fessed the crime to him. Still | could
not see motive for Fox betraying his
friend, and [ said:
"You are no doubt very clever, Mr..
Fox; but you must not try to make me
believe that, because [ have given you