Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-17
LudiCrous Result of a Search for Coun.
terfeiters.


About 2 o'clock yesterday morning
a gentleman stepped into the Central
Station and informed a police sergeant,
who was tOasting his toes on the marble
top of the pleasant heater, that burg
lars were at work in a vacant house on
Walnut street, just below Seventh.
The man with the shoulder straps
pricked up his ears, his eyes glistened,
and his hand grasped a wooden tooth
pick with stern resolution. There
was a felony in the case, and he him
self must make the two dollars result.
ant therefrom. SO the sergeant,
with valorous thoughts firing his
brain, girded up his loins, and
then with a nervous shudder
ventured out into the cold air, to
which his proboscis was entirely I'M
accustomed, and soon arrived at the
scene of felony. He looked up at
the Iear window, and 10, a blaze of
light streamed FORTH An UNUSUAL, a
very unusual circumstance, unused the
valiant blue coat. He bent his well
trained year and listened. What did
he hear2 Thump, thump, clatter,
clatter-bangs, knocks and suppressed
voices. "Counterfeiters, by lingo"
whispered the sergeant to a neighbor-
ing tree-box, and his heart beat time
to the tune of the jailer'S pencil,
registering many and varied felonious
charges; and he saw in his minds
eye the city court clerk issuing claims
for his felonious warrants. 1T won't
do to tackle them alone continued
the sergeant, still addressing the
tree box. There's too many Of EN-.
| must haste me to secure aid
This was rather a difficult task to un-
dertake, but after a hard hunt the
Sergeant found two policemen in the
nearest engine house and pressed
them into service. The house was
again approached, and a close exami.
nation proved that the thieves were
still at work. About this time a
member of the Louisville Legion,
who had oversight himself after the
drill exercises, came along with his
gun and his bayonet and was besought
by the Philistines to assist in making
the felony. The soldier was willing
and anxious to surround them himself
and capture all the counterleiters
alone. He cared nothing for the
%felonious wages; the. police might
have all that themselves; he wanted
but the honor and the glory. But
the police must share in the work
and the soldier was only given a
position at the front door. After re-
hearsing the order of proceedings for
ten minutes or more, the three police
men and valiant soldier made a flank
movement and surrounded the house.
The Sergeant stepped boldly up to a
side door, and gave three loud and
confident raps with his club. An up-
stairs window was Immediately raised.
and the shining face of a colored fe-
male, who, black, fat and forty, peered
out, and gazing upon the policemen
three aud the soldier, she said: Name
oh de Lawd, what de debbel is you
fools trying to bust dat door in 70 2"
And | would ask you, madame"
grandly answered the Sergeant of the
police, what the devil you
are doing in this vacant house at
8 o'clock in the morning." The
woman at the window laughed and
yelled and screamed, and at length
called two or three more women, who
came to her side with scrubbing
brushes and wash rags in their hands.
Look at dem po' idiits," she said.
Now jest look at EN- dey amt got
as much n as a last yeah's birds
nest dey links we is gwine to rob de
house. Go on home, you onary fools
insists has rented dis place, an we is
cleanin' up SO she can move heah in
de mornin'." The soldier scrambled
hurriedly down street the two police.
men ambled back to the engine. house.
and the poor sergeant wandered of to
the station, s'ernlv resolving in his
mind never az N to.search for felonies
in a vacant house.
mH