The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-03-12
A MODEL DETECTIVE.

We had been two days at work on the
case, and had not even found starting point.
In fact, when we met TO compare notes on
! the second evening, it was discovered that
the sum total Of our knowledge was precise
ly what it was before.
The difficulty was, it was such a common
place crime. 1t is when criminals do some
thing unusual that their detection becomes
! comparatively easy. There is something
then to work upon. The experienced detec-
tive is at once able to limit the field Of his
inquiry. "WhO," he asks himself, "was
able 20 contriye q plan like this p" And Of
ten the very ingenuity exercised to conceal
the authorship of crime most clearly points
the way to its discovery. But when it is a
thing any one Of thousands might have done,
it is easy to see how greatly the difficulty OF
laying your hand upon the real perpetrator
is increased.
That is Just what made the case in hand
so hard to unravel. Mr.. Dame was a rich,
retired merchant, in the habit Of carrying a
liberal supply of money about him, and Civ
en- to wearing expensive jewelry. He occu-
/ pied an elegant suite of bachelor apartments,
/ where he was found murdered in his bed
room one morning
/ The manner of the crime was as little mys-
terOus as its motive. The victim skull had
been beaten in with some blunt instrument,
and his money, jewels and watch had been
taken.
/ Any brutal ruffian might have done such
a deed. There was no particular clew to
follow and even Orville Thoms, confessed
~ the shrewdest man on the force, whose
scent on the trail of a criminal seldom proved
at fault, was obliged to acknowledge he
didn't see his way.
Mr.. ThOms had won his spurs a year be-
! fore, as an amateur, in ferreting out for
mida bic gang Of forgers, around whom he
/ succeeded in weaving a web of circumstances
that left not a loophole for escape and when
the whole band, after their conviction, wag-
ged their tongues against him, denouncinG
him as their ringeader, who had betrayed
them for price, there was a general smile
Of derision; and, as a mark Of the public
. confidence in Mr.. Thoms, he was given a
place on the detective force, Of which he
was a member at the time Of Mr. Danes
murder.
Tie mayor offered large reward for the
apprehension and conviction of the murderer
Mr.. Thoms noticcabIy pricked up his ears al
this. He was not the man to let such al
amount Of money slip through his fingers.
Hell get it - more than one of us whis-
pered.
And sure enough, on the tn ird morning
when we met again for consultation, Mr.
Thoms sauntered in, with a smirk OF satisfac
tion on his face, and took a seat at the table
The rest Of us had nothing new to tell,
whereat Mr.. Thoms smiled contemptuously
4 have a report to make he remarked
quietly.
Proceed, sir" said the chief, eyeing hin
rather sharply.
AT an early hour this morning" Mr.
Thoms continued, & noticed a shabbily
dressed man enter a pawnbroker's Office
His manner was lurking and suspicious.
followed him in making q pretext Of wish
ing to pawn a ring I had taken from my fin
ger. Whilst higgling with ope Of the clerks
1 kept keen eye on the man I had followed
who was offering handsome gold watch {
another clerk.
"'Let me see it, ] said, turning up m
lapel and displaying my official badge an
placing myself between the customer an
the door, l took the watch from the counte
and examined it. Inside the case was Ia
makers name and the number. No doub
was possible. Il was the murdered man
watch, Of which had full description.
"The man gave no satisfactory account G
himself, or his possession OF the stolen prOI
erty, and, of course, l arrested him at once
The case is a very simple one. The murder
it is conceded, was committed in the perpt
tration of robbery. Part Of the propert
= taken is found in the possession Of the pri!
oner, circumstance which he fails to e.
plain. What proof could be stronger"
bravo p we exclaimed. "The reward
yours, Mr.. Thoms. It's fortune you migl
: afford to retire on, and give the rest Of Us
chance"
Mr.. Thoms besmed benignantly, and Il
meeting broke up.
was Oh. the point Of leaving with the otl
ers, when the chief touched my arm and d
I sired me to remain for few minutes.
Our brief conference was strictly cOnider
; tial, and it would not be proper to reveal
here. At the end of it, I hurried out. n
way and Mr.. Thoms lay along the san
street but he had so much the start that
was barely in time to see him enter his ov
d door
$ Bright and early next morning ! was m
: by our chief at the principal railroad depc
o whittier had cautiously followed gent
man in an iron-gray wig and blue google
whom lost no time in pointing cut to Il
chief
The latter approached and touched t
gentlemans shoulder.
3 a word with you, II you please, sir, sa
y the chief
10 'I'min a great hurry, - returned the othe
ie ''the train is about starting, and 1 really ca
'e not afford to miss it,
J. do not force me, Thoms, q" the chief VIII
y pered, ''to strip you Of your disguise hel
d Your plan was cunningly laid, but unlucI
" for You, it has not succee ded- 1t was
shrewd device OF yours TO feign intoXicati
night before last, and take an exposed st
in the park. From concealed spot 81