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

resolution, and patience, and the extra
| ordinary astuteness which ma enabled
her 70 bring two great criminals to JUS
ficd.s i. r ii .
X The Journal which had suggested and
started the subscription deputed' mem
| Der of its staff, we'll known as a master
of the picturesque style, tofnterview
Margaret Saunders and write up SEN
satipnal article upon her. He=applied to
the police for her address, and an in
spector from Scotland Yard Volunteered
to go with him-Sir Richard Mayne, the
then Chief Commissioner of Police, hay
ing expressed a desire that something
should be done for Margaret Saunders to
| show the official appreciation OF her con-
duct. The journalist and the inspector
accordingly proceeded together on their
visit to the heroine. They found Marga-
ret Saunders among very unsavory' soci-
ety-in one of the lowest of the filthy
dens that swarm about the London docks.
Not very inviting subject for interview
ing, and but sorry heroine for sensa-
tional article. However, they did inter-
view her, and she soon, in language
more vigorous than polite, gave them
her mind upon the proposed recognition
of her services. She wouldn't have any
thing to do with any subscription or rel
ward-wouldn't touch a farthing.
"Look 'ere," she said, doggedly;
"what done done for my own sake,
and nobody else's.s Imeant rightin' O.
myself, and have righted myself.
That my businessmen yours. don't
want nobody's money nor praise. Let
'em keep that to themselves. But I'll
tell you WHAT she added, turning
sharply to the Inspector, IF you mean
true by all them fine compliments-'
'Most certainly we do" interposed
the inspector.
"Well, then, I'll tell you what you
can do to show it,
sc What is that?' asked the inspector,
.Why, make me one O. yourselves.
If I'm as good as you say, l might be
worth something in your line. Make
me one o. yourselves-a detective.
That sail I ask; and if you won't do
that, don't want to have nothing more
to say to ye."
1t was novel and startling PROPOSE
ton, and the inspector was somewhat
taken aback by it; however, he faithfully
promised to lay the matter before the
authorities at Scotland Yard, and let her
know the result; with that, he and his
companion left her. The end of it was
that her wish was granted. Margaret
Saunders was duly enrolled as a female
detective, and most active and intelli-
gent officer she proved herself to be.
That is in substance the strange history
of Clubnose's'' connection with the
police, as she herself, told it to me.
questioned her also upon her profession
al career; but here she was more reti-
cent; still, gathered that it had been
marked by many exciting adventures
and hair-breadth escapes from death. I
learned, for example, that she owed the
horrible Disagreement of her face to the
polite attentions of two water side ruff
fans whose lady companions she had
been instrumental in consigning to the
tender care of the jailer of Pentonville.
''They took it out of me VERY hot"
she said, in her rough but undemonstra-
tive manner. " reckon they. thought
they had done for me, but bless We, I'm
tough, and they got their seven years
apiece for me-though mind We, the
Scotland Yard folks would never let on
as was one o. them. They was tried
and convicted for assaultin' of me as
ordinary person. The lawyers tried to
make out as was policy spy; but they
couldn't prove it. But I had to keep
clear O. that district for long while
afterwards"
was curious to know how with such
a remarkable physiognomy she was not
recognized in a moment wherever. she
went, and put the question to her as
delicately as I could. 1 at once found
that had touched her hobby. If there
was one thing that she prided herself
upon more than another it was her pow:
er of Disgusting herself; and indeed l
afterward learned from one of the in
spectors that she had good reason for
being proud of this accomplishment, for
there was no one in the force who could
compete with her in the cleverness and
variety of her DISCUSSES. Twice, how
ever, she admitted that her disguise had
been penetrated, and on each occasion
she nearly paid the penalty with her life.
On the first occasion, she was pitched
out of the window and had her leg broken.
On the second-which happened not
more than year before my first intro
duction to her in her professional capac-
ity-she had what she herself called "a
precious narrow shave o. bein' sent to
kluSuOul-CofAc JUL ISAC' ~ N1IAOAe1u O00A
for weeks on the trail of very clever
gang of thieves, and had actually been
admitted member of the fraternity,
and wormed herself into their secrets, so
perfect and artistic was her disguise.
On a certain evening it was agreed
that the police were to swoop down up
on the gang, acting on information re-
ceivedH from Clubnose" On this
evening it unfortunately happened that
there was present for the first time an
old member of the gang who had just
got his ticket-of-leave. Whether :" Club
nose,'' through over-confidence in the
perfection Of her disguise, committed
some indiscretion or not, she could not
tell; but at any rate in some way the
suspicious of the returned convict were
reused. He communicated them pri-
vately to some of his pals rush
was made at Clubnose;" she was over
stripped. of her Disguise. and
then welted,' to use her expression,
about the head and body with pokers,
bars, legs of chairs, and any other avail
able weapon, until she was left ga mass