Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-02-03
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| amused at the offer; but presently as
though to humOr the Irlshman rather than
with any serious meaning, replied: "No
doubt, Mr.. Murphy, II you would Ike me to
do so. Sometimes, for instance, when / am
| in q foreign port, some Of my crew are laid
up in the hospital, and might provide many
things for them, and leave handsome dona-
ton toward the funds Of the hospital when
we went away" -.
"Jist the very thing, Captain; that'll suit
me to 3. Now thin, III just leave you TWO
gintlemen to talk 1t over; and II you Will
! kindly show me that you can each OF you
command considerable sum Of mOney-say
fifty or a hundred pOunds--just TO carry out
the requirement of the Ould gintle Will,
you know, we'll thin, Patrick Murphy's your
man, and we'll settle the business, and thin
shall be happy and free"
From very early point In our conveTsa-
tiOn / had become firmly convinced thai Mr.
Murphy was a swinder, and by no means
such fool as he looked; that his story was
cOncOcted for the purpose OF getting money
somehow or other out Of Captain Williams
and myself; and that he must have taken us
for very great fools indeed. Left alone with
the American, l said: Snow, Captain, what
do you think Of this IrishmRn's stOryY Is 1t
! not one OF the queerest tales you ever
| heaTdW
"Well," he slowly replled-"T don't know.
1t does seem q queer story; but you see
these Irishmen do queer things. / have
known them make all sorts Of curious wills,
and this young fellow seems as though he
wanted to be conscientious. l think l shall
take him at his word, and see what he will
do, don't care to show him what money
/ have Just now; OF course he's a stranger;
but tomorrow il he likes TO come to my
ship, or to your hotel, I'll give him every
| hat will dnU5
,FEI scarcely know" said, new suspi-
cion flashing across my mind, and at the
same time desire springing up which did
not at once see my way to carry out. u
scarcely know. / have very little money
with me, and Mr.. Murphy wishes us to
prove that we are possessed OF considerable
amount"
"But 1 suppose you could easily get fifty
pounds or SO by going to your banker or by
telegraphing hOmep
"By sending home, no doubt, could;
but 1t would never do to telegraph. Think
what state my wife would be in II were
suddenly to telegraph to her to sendm fifty
| pOundsW
"Well, suppose you were to write to her:
you might then explain, and she could send
| the money by getting the bank to telegraph
tomorrow. Would that dOP
at might" replied; and my resolution
was now taken. These two were no doubt
in cOnfederacy, and they must be made TO
run into their own trap.
When Murphy rejoined us, the matter was
explained 10 him, and it was arranged that
after l had taken my boy to his ship we
should 90 back to the hotel, and my letter
home should there be written. Captain
Williams was for accompanying us to the
docks, but to my great satisfaction MIR. Muir
phy did not wish to 90; and being strang-
er, and so very much in peril from rogues
and yagabOnds, he did not like to be left
alone. Accordingly, the American agreed
to remain with him at the station until my
return; so that / was free to act. The game
was becoming exciting, and although felt
that it was not without spice OF danger, 1
could not resist the desire TO carry it on to
the end. While absent from the two
men, 1 wrote and posted a hur-
ried note home explaining that
another would follow, and giving my wife
direction as to what to do. Then l went
back.
On seeing me return they naturally infer
red that had no suspicion OF them, and at
once concluded that their fish was fairly
hooked. We went back to the hotel, and l
wrote the letter agreed upon, which they
both read and which allowed Mr.. Murphy
TO DOst with his own hands. In answer TO
this letter they expected that telegram
would be received at my hotel on the follow
ling morning, giving me power to draw the
sum of fifty pounds from a Liverpool bank,
which sum was to be shown to Mr.. Murphy
as u guarantee Of my respectablllty.
It turned out that the Berkshire Castle was
not to sailuntil the following morning. In
the evening, therefore, my son came DacK 10
the hotel. Captain Williams went on with
his tales of the sea, put the boy through MS
mDffnF1
planned in the most interesting way the
course which would be taken upon his an
ticlpated voyage; told him all agont the
winds and currents, the mode Of taking OBJ
seryatiOns, the people whom he would see,
the neculiar character and trade OF the diff
ferent pOrts-and in short made 1t evident
that he was a seaman of long experience and
Of considerable culture.
Mr.. Murphy left us about half an hour be-
fore the Captain, arranging to be, at the
hotel in the morning at 10 O'Clock. The
American bade him good might, and subse-
0uenlly took his leave Of us, professedly to
90 and sleep on board his ship, and saying
chat he would come in the morning at half
past nine.
"WelL Hal,' said / to my son as soon as
tbev had gone, "what do you think of all
nj !" How. papa? What do you mean"
WDOn't YOU see that these two fellows are
swindlers, and that al they have been
doing to-day is the carrying out OF a little
scheme for getting fifty pounds or SO out OF
The lad opened his eyes and for while
was incredulous. At last he said: "But
you don't think Captain Williams swim
~ am afraid he's the worst of the two.
Now IN tell you what am going to do.
Tomorrow morning before breakfast shall
90 down the street to the Detective Office
and tell them all that has passed to-day, and
we shall see what follows"
Harold was not to be convinced, however,
about the American Captain. He would ad-
init that might be right SO far as the Irish
man was concerned; but the nautical expert
ence and knowledge Of Captain Williams
were, to his mind, utterly inconsistent with
fine idea that the man was a swndler.
About half past eight the following morn
ing, walked down Dale Streetto the Detec-
tive Office and related my experience to one
Of its chiefs. He smiled when had done,
as though my story were just what he had
"Ah, sir, rs an old trick; but we have
had nothing of this kind here for some years
-Br0wn!U A subordinate came Forward at
his call. Hear what this gentleman has
got to say and then follow the case up"
Brown ushered me into a small side room,
and 1 repeated to him what l had told his
g Yes, sir" he said; ''I see what tits; but
you have made one great. mistake You
should not have come here.Y N aT
% How sOPO 'a'"