The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1879-12-27
THRILLING ADVENTURE.
Dragged and Laid Out Beneath a Water
Street DEN.
Petticoated Fiend-The Warm Hand
That Meant Assassination-A Hair
breadth Escape.
1Npv York MeIcury.l

ed his belief that large proportion of the
cases of mysterious deaths that go on the re-
cords of the city as suicides were really skill
fully-planned murders by gangs of men and
women who make murder and robbery
business. Along the streets bordering upon
the river or in adjacent streets, such as Water
and Cherry, are located many vile hells.
Investigations made in very large number
of cases where bodies have been found float
ing in the water showed that the victims
were last seen alive in the company OF female
freQuenters of these hells OF the metropolis,
or in the dance houses. In most cases OF this
kind no valuables ofany account were found
upon the remains and rarely any external
injuries were developed in a post-mortem.
These facts led DIR. Harris to the conclusion
that many Gf not ally had been inveigled
into the low resorts by women, where they
WERE DRUGGED TO death
bv some subtle poison administered in liquors,
and then in the silent hours of the night, the
inanimate body after being stripped OF money
and valuables, would be carried by the male
murderers to an adjacent dock and quietly
dumped into the river. In due time the re-
mains would be carried to the surface and
found by boatman or the river police. The
deadly drug had left no tell-tale mark. The
police would investigate and that was the end
of the matter.
ADVENTURE IN MURDERER's DEN.
So impressed was with the conclusions ar
rived at by DIR. Harris that communicated
with a personal friend on the detective force
my suspicious that a certain house In Water
street, which had as reporter occasion TO
pass as late as 2 o'clock a. m. daily, was den
ofthieves ofthis class. He readily consented to
ioin me in an effort to discover something
positive regarding the place, which was re-
sort of abandoned women, sailors and coun-
trvmen, with bar attached. One Friday
night at half-past IL, dressed and disguised as
jersey countrymen, Detective L. and en-
tered the main room on the hoor even with
the street. In it were
-FOUR OR FIVE HALF-DRUNKEN WOMEN
and half-a-d sailors. In one corner was
small bar, presided over by villalnous
looking, pock-marked ex-convict, and in an
other corner was a fiddler playing for the
dancers. We spent money freely in treating
all hands, talked about the price of country
struck" and the best market in which to sell.
and promised to go around next day after
we had sold our produce and have good
the fiddler, so we could have dance. The
convict boss of this den chucKled at the
proposition and readily assented to the further
proposition that no ''sailor fellers" should be
admitted while we were guests, as we weren't
used to .thar rough ways" and wanted to
have ga clear swarth all to ourselves. A
little before noon on the following day.
WELL DISGUISED,
~. DIT nd
the proprietor were there, and an air of quiet
tude~in striking contrast to the bosterous
SCIENCES of the previous night-pervaded
the place. Each of us had provi-
ded ourselves with a sponge, hid
den away inside of our coat
sleeves, and as we had previously arranged
to drink nothing but pony glasses OF wine,
it was an easy matter by dexterous move
ment to deposit the contents, after taking it
from the glass, into the sponges. He drank
freely, or at least appeared to drink, display
ed considerable money, and after the fiddler
had been sent for and the doors were locked,
| INDUCED in several waltzes "between drinks"
An hour was thus passed, when, to all
appearances, the Jersey farmers" were
.pretty well fuddled," so well had we smu-
lated intoxicated men. As our object was
to see more of the premises we offered no re-
sistance when the women urged US to retire
to a rear ROOM There more drinks were
called for, and in half an hour we were
both apparently unconscious in
DRUGGED AND DRUNKEN sTUPoR.
The women retired from the room, which
was dimly lighted by the kerosene lamp. and
we were left side by side on mattress in one
corner for some time There was a peculiar
taste to the wine that satisfied us it contained
a drug. In a little while big Charley" the
boss. returned with one of the women, who
passed as his wife, and, STOPPING over us, he
remarked: "I'm blowed, Hanna, if them
fellers isn't good game Now, you open the
door an hold the light, an the fiddler an
nell soon lay 'em away for the night. They're
well salted, and we'll fix them at midnight
when alPs STILL" The fiddler was called
and we. limp and apparently insensible
were carried down rickety stairway to 9
srb-celar and quietly deposited on the floor
which was of stone. Our entertainers re-
tired leaving the lamp burning dimly. De
tective T. got up and cautiously explored
the place. confess was not pleased with
his report On one side he found bline
door leading into q dark passage-way, which
from the sound of running water, he sup
posed to be
ONE OF THE CITY SEWERS,
through which they carried their victims.
was so alarmed that suggested we had seeI
enough, but he was memorable. "Let us Sc,
the end We are we'll armed we're enough
for them. Why, if only showed my shield
they'd beat retreat. Keep quiet and watcl
me- We did not wait long in suspense
"Charley'' and his woman entered. Tn
former examined us critically, and, turnln!
to the woman, said: 'You go up and tent
bar if any one drops in; send Lie down T.
watch the clodhoppers and have her pour
little more of the stuff down 'em in half al
hour l must now go over the river and &c
Bob to come over and help me plant Zen
after we close in the mornin'." Again w
were alone. Detective 7. whispered his plan
to me- and few minutes later the woma
Lie came down with a bottle in her han
and, sitting down on the only chair, IN tn
cellar, engaged in the occupation of knitting
Half an hour must have passed-to me
seemed two hours-when the woman pickle
5 the bottle up from shelf and walked delil
y erately over to our corner. With closed eye
4 felt her
: WARM HAND on MY FoRHEAD;
! then she turned my head over, face upwar'
@ and was forcing open my mouth when IL
q detective, with a quick movement, tire
n himself over, and, drawing pistol, hisset
a "Ah, Lie! I've got you'll Now open YOU
q head, and I'll blow it off your lousy bod,
r See this shield Hal hal trapped at las
n eh?"
= So sudden was the thing done that Il
- Al L.