The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-05-02
IN DEADLY PERIL.

IN DEADLY PERIL.
An English Detectives Adventure.
One of my journeys called me away
to town in Suffolk, where was ordered
to take charge of q prisoner to be dis
charged next day from one of the loca
jails, in which he was undergoing 9
years imprisonment for criminal as.
sault. The man had been let out on
ticket of-leave from the Defense hulk q,
Woolwlch, and had speedily, as it ap.
peared, got into trouble down in the
country. As he was merely "wanted'
to complete his original sentence-hav'
ing broken his ticket-of- leave, there
could be no bother about apprehendipe
him inside the prison, and using such
precautions for his safe keeping az
seemed best to my judgment.
Just as I was about to leave the office
in Bow Street, one of my comrades,
with whom / was rather intimate, came
in, having finished a journey such as ]
was myself about to set off on.
"Going out, Tom?" he asked; and
on my telling him where was bound
for, he continued: "B.tter have this
barker, Tom. You may find it useful. y
At tie same time he. produced small
pocket pistol, which he held out for my
acceptance.
81 have not got any POWDER" he
added, "but here are some caps and
bul!ets"
1t seems needless to remark that this
was before the days of revOlvers and
patent cartridges. We had then to load
in the old fashion, and had merely got
as far as the introduction of the percus-
sion cap. l had never before carried
any thing more deadly, by way of pro,
lection, than life preserver, but, Us my
friend seemed to mean a kindness, l
made no ado about accepting his offer.
and, having "capped" the pistol there
and then, I consi gned it to the side
pocket of my pilot-coat, which I wore
buttoned over my uniform.
My journey down to Suffolk calls for
no particular notice. In due time the
railroad deposited me at my destination,
and left me with ample leisure to call
upon the Governor of the prison over
night with a view to arranging for my
carrying off my charge the next morn
ing. l asked what sort of customer l
would have to deal with, and must con-
fess l did not feel encouraged by the
reply.
"He is what would call q nasty Gus
TONER" was the answer. "He has
given us q deal of trouble while we
have had charge of him; continually
breaking prison rules, and more than
once he has tried to commit suicide in
the most determined manner by tearing
open the veins in his arms with his fin
ger nails"
This account of matters was not, as
may well be supposed, at all enliven-
ing; and when the Governor added that
the man was a perfect giant, and had
been "nsvvy" before he fell into evil
courses, l began to fear that my work
was cut out for me-. However, there
was no help for it. We Bow Street
runners had as tickle customers to deal
with as any of your modern detectives.
Al could do was TO ask that the pris-
oner should be detained until got over
in the morning. l told the Governor
where had put up, but he did not
seem disposed to offer me his company
for an hour or two in the evening, and
to me he hardly seemed the sort of man
l could ask in an Of-hand way to take
q friendly glass; so, my arrangements
being thus far completed, I there and
then left him.
The inn where I had taken up my
quarters stood right opposite the jail
entrance, and as the street was some
what of the narrowest, the most COM
plete view of all corners and gOers
could be commanded from the front of
my temporary residence.
As my landiady knew the errand I
had come on, and had most becomi g
respect FIR the representative of the
aw, she kindly accommodated me with
her own private parlor as a sitting
'oom, and q very pleasant evening l
,pent in the company of the intelligent
laughter of the house, business leaving
Ter mother but little time to bestow
lpon me. Next morning found me
'eated at q very comfortable breakfast,
md the weather being fine, the window
" the private parlOr was open, afford
ng a perfect view Of all that might
axe place at the prison door opposite.
While was absorbed in the good cheer
'efore me, l was startled by an excla-
nation from both the landlady and her
laughter, which caused me to look up
nd ins,inctively to glance across the |
treet.
Did you ever see such big, coarse,
nd clumsy-looking womanp" exclaim-
d the younger of my entertainers.
"Or is it a woman at alp" added her
mother.
My attention was at once riveted
pom the newcomer, whom somehow
Guild not avoid connecting with the
riminal it would so soon become my
uty to apprehendS Without saying q
'Ord to the two ladies, carefully and
losely watched every movement of the
arty opposite during the remainder of
~ morning meal. More than once l
aught myself mentally repeating my
Indlady's query:
is it q woman, after alp"
The ii must be excused, as the point
as SO entirely doubtful. For q woman,
he individual was very considerably
bove the average height, and her whole
hysique indicated far more than the
verage strength of wOmankind.
There was a swagger in her walk too,
lost unlike the carriage of a female (
nd once during her pacing in front of (
ie jail door she stopped to adjust a
oot-lace or some such matter in fash. !
N that showed an entire absence of l
slicacy, and at the same time showed =
portion of limb which might have -,
one credit to an athlete in the highest
ate of training. Twas fairly puzzled, {
I'd none the less so that l had twice '
.ticed her ringing the prison bell, and S
at knew there was but one individu- j
10 be discharged that morning, and c