The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-03-01
THE SILENT SERGEANT.
jerks, the Recently Murdered st.
Louis Policeman, a Brit
ish Detective.
Mysterious Movements of Foreign Agents
Who Visited the Scene of
His Taking Off.
His Holding a British Commission Said
to Have Had no Connection
With the Murder.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Feb. 29.-Sergeant
jerks, who was shot by colored woman
last fall, was one of the most discreet, as
well as one of the bravest men on the
police force; else it would have been dis
covered long ere this that during the last
two years of his life he held commits
sion from British officers to act in behalf
of the British Government against Fe-
MAN plots and conspiracies in st. Louis.
At the time of his death half a
dozen cablegrams from London
came to his address, which
at first seemed very mysterious, but
which in the light of later discoveries are
easily understood. Perhaps two weeks
after the shooting occurred two handsome
men of military bearing and of strong
English accent, registered at the Southern
Hotel and asked to be directed to the jail.
They obtained permission to visit the
woman accused of shooting the officer,
and she talked with them for long time.
Afterward they were noticed by reporter
at the scene Of the murder, and still later
at the house Of Sergeant jerks. They
were
SCOTLAND YARD DETECTIVES,
and their commission was to discover il
the hand of Irish Instruction was in the
murder of the British detective, Ser
geant jerks. They satisfied themselves
that no one, not even the officers
widow, knew of his relations to the
British Government. And on this ground
they concluded that his commission
could have had nothing to do with his
death.
Another officer, still a member of the
ST. Louis police force, was appointed
to fill his place, and the officers returned.
To superior officers they made this re-
port:
eve find that Officer jerks kept his
commission profound secret. We find
the causes Of his shooting apparent. His
relations with this command had no part
in it,"
At the time of the visit of some promi-
nent Irishmen in this city, the interest
and attention showed by Sergeant jerks
We're noticeable. After his death some
papers were found at his house which
were postmarked London, but the con-
tents of which
WERE IN CIPHER.
DR.. Thos. O'Reilly said this morning
''The discovery that jerks was British
detective is not surprise to some who
noted his actions on several occasions
/ was told on reliable authority that a,
the time of his death he was in the ser
vice Of the British Government, though
| think that if Il had not been for his sud
| den death il would never have been known
The secrecy that covers the agencies Of
the British Government is something
wonderful"
DR.. O'Reilly added that it would be ri
diculous to connect in any way the shoot,
ing with the sergeant's commission as a
British detective If it had not been for
the careless revelations of the officers who
came over to investigate the shooting
and to appoint another agent it is proba-
bic that
SERGEANT jerks SECRET
would have been buried with him. A
leading official says: "The British off,
GERS would doubtless deny that jerks
was commissioned. They will also deny
that their present officer has commits
sion. But next time they send over
Scotland Yard detectives they want to
send men who can keep their secrets and
leave St. Louis whisky alone"
Mrs. jerks left the city some weeks
ago and is now with friends in New Or
Jeans She expects to return to St. Louis
during the spring, for avisit, at least, 1t
is remarked that Sergeant jerks kept
few secrets from his wife, but that she
could not have known of this at the time
of his death. One of the English officers
who questioned her found her entirely
ignorant on the subject.