West-Jersey pioneer., 1876-11-09
EXPLOITS OLA LONDON DETECTIVE.

One of the most remarkable of the London
police is Druskowitz. No one looking at
the short, blond -moustache, and rather
dandifed young man would suspect him Of
being the cleverest of detectives. He is
about thirty -four years old, but looks less.
His father was Dalmatian. He himself
speaks any number of languages. and is
thus nearly always sent abroad where any
case occurs in non English speaking coun-
try needing the services of an English de-
tective. In Londen his special work is
among the foreigners who go there as fu-
gitives from justice. It is generally found
that such persons betake themselves to
special localities. Usually they lie hiding
for few days, but they find it impossible
to remain indoors any longer, and so, hav-
ing shaved off their boards, if they had one,
or having put on false beard if they had
formerly shaved, and wearing wig and
spectacles, they sally forth at night, and,
being in want of amusement, they be-
take them to the Alhambra. That is IA
vorite resort of foreigners in London, and
Druskowitz is therefore frequent visitor
there. He appears much interested by the
performance, but his thoughts are else
where. He is watching some one individ-
ual in the audience, follows him when he
leaves, tracks him to his hiding place, and
then sets to work to find out who he is.
Woe be to the man who really is a criminal
if Druskowitz be on his trail. There is lit
tie chance for him. Druskowitz has an ex-
traordinary moral influence over Grim inals;
it is something like that of the rattlesnake
upon the bird. He carries no arms; yet he
does not fear to go up to an armed and des.
perate man and arrest him; and, though
armed and desperate, he succumbs. Drus-
kowitz was engaged nine years ago in re-
markable case. In 1860 Vital Douat, a
Bordeaux wine merchant, went to Paris
and insured his life for sum equal to So,
600. Shortly afterwards he went to London
in order to escape the consequence of a
fraudulent bankruptcy. Some time later
his wife, clad in widows weeds, presented
herself at the insurance Office with the nec-
essary legal document attesting her hus-
bands death. There was nothing SUSPECT
GUS in the papers. Nevertheless the COM
pany determined to make some inquiries
before handing over the amount of insur-
ance. Druskowitz was called in and he
ascertained that on December 1, 1866, some
one named Bernandi had called at the rigis-
trar's Office in Plaistow and registered the
death of Doucat, and it was entered as due
to heart disease. Druskowitz found out
the undertaken who had conducted the fu-
neral, and learned that everything had been
properly ordered and paid for, and that the
funeral had been performed at Leytonstone
by the Catholic priest. One thing seemed
strange. The coffin had not been sent to
any private house, but direct to the ceme-
terry. Further inquiry failed to discover
any doctor of the name attached to the
the certificate OF death. An order was OBJ
tanned for exhumation, and on the coffin
being opened there was found, not the body
of Vital Douat, but block of lead. Fur.
ther inquiry elected the fact that Douat
had been present at his own funeral and
afterwards had gone to America, whence
he supplied his wife with the documents in
tended for the insurance company. Some
time afterwards he returned to Europe,
went to Antwerp, bought a ship, sent her
to sea with lot of rubbish, and having
previously insured her for large sum, had
her burnt. Arrested and brought to trial,
he was visited by Druskowitz, who felt
sure that this was the man he wanted
Douat was found guilty, and condemned to
Imprisonment with hard labor; but the
French government claimed him under an
extradition treaty, and he was tried on the
charge of fraudulent bankruptcy, found
guilty, and sentenced to penal servitude for
comparatively short period.