Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-06
ssCLUBNOSE."

, ~ -
1t was in hospital at the east end of
London that first made the acquaint-
ance of ''Clubnose." An old college
friend of mine, who was one of the resi-
dent surgeons, was showing me over the
wards, and there passed us two or three
times hospital nurse, whose remark
able appearance arrested my attention:
She had / think, the most hideous and
repulsive face I ever saw on. man or
2 woman. 1t was not that the features
were naturally ugly, for it was simply
impossible to tell in what semblance
nature had originally nodded them; but
they had been so completely battered
out of shape, that one would have fancied
she must have been subjected to much
which Daniel Quilp used to vent his i'm
successful prize-fghts could not have
shown worse facial Disagreement than
this tidily dressed, clearly looking
woman.
When we had finished our tour of the
wards, turned to my friend, and point
ing to the receding figure of the nurse,
who had just passed us again, said:
"What dreadful Unlocking nurse you
have there! Why, it must be enough to
send a patient into fits to have that face
bending over him.
cop said he, laughing, "that's Club
nose. " Then lowering his voice, he
added: ashes not a nurse really-she's
a detective
"a detectiver' exclaimed. "Why,
you don't mean to say that the police
dog the steps Of a poor wretch even in
the hospital ?'' Il - = e
No. he replied; 81 don't think she
has her eye upon any of the patients it
Is the friends who come to visit the pa
tents that,she watches. 1T is her way
of doing business. Whenever there has
been crime committed in neighbor-
hood, she goes out as nurse to the
hospital of the district. don't exactly
know what her nao1us opera,sdi is. She
has proper certificate as a nurse, and
performs her duties like any of the rest;
but it is understood that every facility
for getting the information she requires
is to put in her way, without of course
exciting suspicion. How she picks up
her information don't know, but I sus-
pect it is by listening to the talk of the
patients and their friends, on visiting
days. At any rate, believe she has OBJ
tanned clues under this disguise when
others have failed her; and if the game
wasn't worth the candle, don't sup
pose she'd try it.
I" Do the other nurses know her real
character?'
"No. They may have their suspic-
ions; but it is kept a secret from all but
the authorities"
els Clubnose' your nickname for
her, Or is she generally known by that
so6ri4uet o. asked
"No; I did not christen her so; it is
the name she is known by in the force
Her real name is Margaret Saunders.
She has very queer history, believe;
but she is exceedingly reserved, and /
have neverhad chance Of drawing her
And this. was all / learned about
Clubnose''son that occasion. s
Three or four days later two ladies,
with whom / was Intimately connected
were robbed of considerable quantity
of valuable iewelry, and was intrusted
with the investigation of the case I had
paid numberless visits to Scotland Yard,
and had had no end Of Interviews with
detectives, but still there was no salts
factory clue to the identity of the thieves,
One evening / was sitting alone after
dinner, when the servant entered and
said that $ person. wished to see me.
"lMan or womanP" asked.
ga woman, sir says she wishes to
i sSe yod pafticklAr,ssir." @y *
s.Well, show her in," said, inwardly
wondering who the strange female might
be who wanted to see me at SO unreason-
able an hour. ~ 40
The door opened, and a respectable
looking swornan wearing a thick veil
was shown in. requested her to take
d seat,. She did So; and as soon as the
servant had retired and the door was
closed. she threw back hef veil and. res
vealed the distorted features of =. Club
nose"
remembered her in an instant; indeed
who that had once seen that face could
ever forget it?e =
"You have come FROM Scotland Yard'''
I said, interrog atively. d IA
Yes, Sir, Size answered, quietly. g
am Margeret Saunders. from the detective
department.
! Her voice was harsh and unpleasant
but there was ~ firmness and decsioni
about her manner, and q look of intelli-
gence and resolution in her keen gray
eyes, which at once inspired confidence.
The bonnet she wore concealed to GER