The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-01-18
Pm a reg'lar man of letters" he added
mi Nh a o rim

al was nearly choked with capita
letter when l was baby. l had letter.
ON my collar when l was in the police
was made guard all along of bit O
letter. And now am guard, l look
after the letters"
Having made these remarks in jocu
lar tone, my companion gave me know
ing nod, and pulled away at his pipe
with greater vigor than before. I wa.
much amused at his rejoinder, and asked
him what he meant by having been made
guard call along of a bit of letter.
81 wasn't always guard, sir" he
said. was once in Tue police, and il
was through being detective as l got
to be employed on this line"
81 suppose you didn't like the police,
then?' said l.
"Well, sir, not much, though at times
it was pretty good, and we had some
jolly business. Ay," he continued,
"with a good scent it's almost as excitin'
as fox-huntin', is thiefcatchin'; for some
of those fellows is as cunnin' as foxes,
every bit.
cit was through a robbery and bit
of paper that was made a guard, as l
said just now."
"How was thatp said ], catching at
the idea of a story to beguile the time.
"I should like to hear a bit of your ex-
perience as detective"
"It amt much of story, sir, but I'll
tell it to YOU with pleasure" and taking
a few ,arid puffs at his pipe, the guard
commenced.
cit was about two years ago, and there
had been great plate robbery in the
city, and the thieves had got clear away,
so we was all obliged to keep our eyes
open and our wits about US, for, though
we had some suspicious, there was no
real clues to 60 upon; it was mostly
guess work Two or three men were ar
rested, but nothing was ever proved
against them, SO they was let go, in
course. Nothing ever transpired respect
ing the robbery, and it was almost for
gotten, except by some of us detectives,
for reward of $500 had been offered,
and we was, in course, anxious to catch
the men, as well for the credit of the
force as for the money, which, sir, was
not by no means to be despised. Well,
sir, wasn't half satisfied about one of
the men who had been arrested, and
whose name was Dover. He and another
was always together, and we in the force
nicknamed them Chatham and Dover
in consequence. We had Chatham
(whose real name was Byles) up too, but
nothing turned up. However, one night
after the business had blown over a bit,
l thought I'd have look after Dover;
80 goes to were was sure to find him
or his pal, in an out.of-,he-way place
near Field Lane. When the door was
opened, saw rs the woman was new
hand, and didn't know me. So asked
if Dover was in. No. says she, he's
gone out of town. I'm which direction p
says /. She pointed upwards, which
meant north. Indeed says 1. We'll,
tell him as Mr.. Moss wants to see him as
soon as he returns'-makin' a shot, sir.
was at man as suspected was fence,
and who / had my eye on. All right
says she, and shuts the deOr.
"Thinks /, I've not done bad stroke
of business this evening. Mr.. Moss and
l will settle our little account now; so
/ went quietly home. Next afternoon,
Just after dinner, message comes from
the - Bank for Mr.. T, our in
spector. Telling me to be ready in case
OF bein' wanted, off he goes, and in about
an hour he came back and said, We've
got a job tonight he says, for party
has wrote another gentleman's name by
mistake, and bolted with large sum of
money and his young woman, as Is sup
posed, to America We had to start
that evening by the nine o'clock train
for Liverpool, which we did, and arrived
there about four the next morning. We
Immediately put ourselves in cOmmuni-
cation with the local authorities. and
searched several outgoing ships, but with
out any success. Just as we were leaving
one of the vessels, the captain said to me:
It's a pity you didn't know little
sooner, for an American barque sailed
yesterdays tide for New York
"The deuce it did, says Mr.. T.
eyes says the captain; 'and you
may depend upon it your man was OF in
that vessel
"We're done, then, says Mr.. /,
'and will have to 60 back with our labor
for cur pains
"Well,' says !, Il don't see that, by
no means. When does the mail goT l
asked the captain.
"It's gone says he; went last night
"'That's no good, then,' says Mr..
T.. And he was very angry at bein'
done.
"I think, MIR. T / says, as we
walked away, 1 think we can catch him
yet
"How p says Mr.. T.
"Why,' said l, let us take the mail
steamer to Dublin this afternoon, and 60
by the mail train to Queenstown; we can
catch the steamer there, and pin your
man in New York.
"I declare, we will says Mr.. T;
that's a good idea; only Pm afraid l
shall have to go alone, for you will be
wanted in London, you know, next
week.
81 had forgotten that, and was very
much disappointed at not being able to
accompany Mr.. T to New York.
However, says he, 'Pll not forget
you when come back
"And in order to arrange our plans and
have some breakfast, we returned to the
railway station. Well, / saw Mr.. T
off for Hollyhead, and felt very much
annoyed at not being able to go with
him, though, had l known it was the
best thing that ever happened to me,
shouldn't have felt 80 sulky, you may
depend. AS the boat left the landing.
stage, / turned into - street and
walked about a bit until / saw grea,
crowd opposite jewelers. shop. Whats
upT thinks 1 anything in my way
So asks bystander, and he told me
that an immense amount Of jewelry hat
, been stolen the previous night, and ther,
was no trace of the robbcr. Ho, no!
I thought. And l asked to sec th'
owner of the shop, and telling him wh'
was, 1 requested TO see some traces o
the thief's work--for, sir, some mel
work exactly the same way at all thei
cracks aud you can tell their hand
writing after bit of practice. there
fore examined the place, aud, MS sus
pected, found that this robbery had beel