The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-03-21

sisted fiercely, and could not be subdued
nor talked into reason until pair of
glittering bracelets" were snapped upon
his wrists. This was serious; the clash
of the cold steel took all the righteous
fight out of him in a second. He be-
came suddenly weak, and deigned 10 de-
scend from muscle to tongue eloquence.
What are you arresting me for?" he
demanded excitedly, wagging his pinion-
ed hands in a way calculated to impress
one although the flesh was weak the
spirit was willing to tap any ones crani-
um at the moment. Il say, who are you,
and what are you arresting me for?" he
repeated, pulling back as the officers
pulled him forward in the direction OF
the nearest lookup.
I'VE arc United States detectives, ("
blandly replied one of the officers. still
urging his unwilling prisoner in the dI
rection of the station house.
The reluctant prisoner planted himself
firmly, "Oh, you are, are you? Well,
am United States custom house inspec-
tor and with jerk of his manacled
hands the indignant inspector threw open
his coat and exhibited his badge.
The officers whistled in subdued
tone. "All right, my injured friend" re-
piled one of them, I'VE have made mis-
take-got the wrong man. But what are
you doing here at this time of night :?
Seems 10 me this is rather a queer place
for custom house Inspector On duty,
ell -
The officer said this while serenely re-
moving the handouts. The gentleman
ofcustoms, in low voice, kindly explain
Ell the singularity of his presence there
at that inauspiciOus moment.
'Well, you see it is a COMPOUNDED dirty
night to patrol the wharf
And the weather, being so bad, drove
you of duty, did it, You belong to the
night watch, 1 suppose" interrupted one
of the officers, ironically.
well, now, boys, don't be rough on a
fellow. 1t is an almighty bad night, and
the crazy old wharves are internal in a
slippery drizzle like this. I'm in charge
of slip just IN, and she's got mighty
valuable cargo on board, and no mistake.
I'm watching her sharp. just dropped
up town half a second for game at faro,
Il shy at the bank, you know. Didn't
think I'd been gone so long. Bucked
the tiger confoundedly at first; got loser
tried to get even, but didn't, and rather
ovcrstayed myself; and when am hur-
rying back to duty you two fellows
pounce upon me and slip on your cussed
old handouts, as if / were thief But
you will get your man if you wait, only
am not him, dead sure. They keep a
high old faro bank back in there, and
come up for hand once in n while"
but who have you left in charge of the
ship? If her cargo is 50 valuable, I
'Oh, that's all right. The captain and
crew are all safe on board. don't think
they will let any goods go on shore, for
they don't know what minute | may
come back, so you see it would he deu-
ced dangerous piece of business"
Very" dryly admitted the officers.
"And, besides, we understand each 9TH
er pretty well, which keeps things lovely
when chance to drop out for drink or
little private faro"
mo doubt" murmured the detective,
reflectively pOcketing the handouts.
"YOu have several shady spots in these
custom house affairs of yours hear. It's
not in my line of business, however.
knew there used to be faro hank run in
there" nodding towards the dark, gloomy
house, "but l was under the impression
that it had been shut up some time ago"
Not at all, just as brisk as ever" at:
frmed the faithful custom house officer
"Good evening, gentlemen, l must be of
to my post" And he walked away to
look after the valuable cargo that had on.
" been left seven hours to look after it
self.
The detectives, tired, but not disheart
ened, made no more pulls" that night
But next day they made bold examin
alton of the mysterious room, and found
its nightly occupant to he a poor devil Of
an envelope printer, as far from being 6
counterfeiter as he was of being president
working half the night and delivering OF
soliciting orders during the day, by
which means he was enabled to earn &
scant but honest living. With Il faro
bank in such close proximity, he had
need to double lock his door and look
cautiously about on coming out. He
knew nothing about the arrest of the
luckless custom house inspector, whom
he heard pass down stairs some twenty
minutes in advance of himself The sus
pected carpet-bag simply contained the
printed or to-be-printed matter, and was
as innocent of "queer" as ever carpet
bag could be. The industrious printer
was quite ignorant of the devoted atten
ton of the detectives, or the cold they
had endured for his single sake.
This little incident forcibly illustrate.
the important fact that it is quite posi-
BILE for the sharpest detective to some
times be mistaken, and that the nigh
custom house inspectors were always t.
be found at the post of duty, and wer
honest, trustworthy, vlgilant, and capa
BILE, every one of them. And although
not supposed TO be exactly Omnipresen
in their nature, they have proved abund
antly able to fight the tiger and watch
valuable cargoes at one and the sam
time without danger of valuable good
being struggled on shore IN their absence
and from things having been so remark
ably lovely in certain directions the,
were not even censured for a neglect O
duty, or the faro escapade considered
dereliction of trust of the basest kind.
|,
The Lost Cause'' has been foun
again. Apply at Z. S. senate.
:
r We understand Sid Clarke, and Messr
E Stumbaugh and Eggers, of the late hous'
( have gone to Washington with a memo
e rial signed by twenty or thirty member
$ of the Legislature asking the Z. S senai
I to investigate the ingalls, election.