The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-01-15

not far from Broadway, in a cross
street We climbed two flights of
stairs and found the Detective Bureau
indicated by sign on the glass door
please ring the bell'' was inscribed
over a knob to the right. Obeving
this injunction, we heard the muf1ed
sound of a gong and presently the
door opened and q young man APP
peared and invited us to step inside.
He was of medium height, wore a gray
sack suit and felt-soled slippers. His
face, which was a mean one, was
smoothly shaven, and his light, almost
colorless hair was cropped close to his
head. He walked in his felt soles with
an attempt at a stealthy, or catlike
tread that was intended to be impress
i've, but which was such a palpable af-
tectation that it was merely amusing.
he inquired our business in a mysteri-
Gus half-whisper and we produced our
postal card.
''Ah. yes, I remember. Small mat
ter. Our Mr.. Jenkins will see you
presently. The Chief is away, gone to
Canada on important matter for one of
our largest banks
There were four doors, two right and
two left, opening into as many small
rooms made out of one large one by
running heavy wooden partitions across
at right angles. As I took this in a
bell in one of them rang twice. The
cropped-haired young man asked us to
step into one of the small rooms. We
did so and he closed the door noiseIessly
after us. Then another small bell rang
twice, and we heard the front door
open. @Good morning." said loud
EsX
valuable; III send that check up as
soon as l get down town. and then
the door closed after him, ''Stool-
pigeon" l whispered to my oompan-
ion. Hes gone around the corner to
get beer"
Then the ''croppy' reappeared and
requested US to step across into the
room of "Our Mr.. Jenkins" who was
at liberty. We did so. and after we
entered the small room ''croppy'' made
his exit on imaginary eggshelIs, clos
ing the door softly behind him. Mr..
jenkins revealed his six-foOt proper
tions as he drew a cheap port:ere
across the doorway to deaden the
sound, and then, after placing two
chairs for myself and friend, he took
his place with his back to the window
on the other side of a small fiat topped
desk, so that the light would be behind
him and shine in our faces.
(which of you gentlemen, he asked,
was it lost the dOgP" I indicated my
friend by a nod. ''Red Irish setter,
with white spot on his breast" he
went on. However, as this description
of the dog was embodied in the adver-
tisement, there was nothing very re-
markable about his knowledge.
Eyes, that's the dog" replied my
friend; ''have you found himP'
''Well, hardly. You see we know all
these dog thieves and he was undoubt-
edly stolen. Now, through our agent,
we can negotiate for his return without
any trouble, but, if we do, we shall
have to pay a reward for him. Now,
what was he worth to youP''
''But," replied my friend, ignoring
the question of value, eff you pay the
thieves to get him back that is COM
pounding a felony, is it not?'
''Oh no; you can't prove he was
stolen. You lost him; they found him
and want a reward. What will you
give to get him backP"
My friend indicated twenty-five dol
lars as being the highest figure.
''Well, what was the dog worth?"
persisted the tall gentleman, elevating
his moustache, which was of the sus-
picious black that always suggests nj
trate of silver, under his long, sharp
nose.
Zone hundred dollars, easily" put
in, scowling at my friend for hesitat-
ing.
s'Well, then, they won't take less
than twenty-five dollars to give him
up, and we must charge you a trifie,
say fifteen dollars, for our services.
Twenty-Five and fifteen is forty-you'n
be lucky to get him for that. s"
My friend acquiesced in this view of
his position so cheerfully that Mr..
jenkins eyes snapped and he went on
briskly:
1--WE shall have to ask you for part
of the money, say half, in advance, the
balance to be paid on the return of the
animal. Not that we doubt your good
faith in the matter at all, but we deal
with all classes of people in our bust
ness, and we have to make one rule
for everybody and stick to it," and he
smiled in the most friendly and reas-
surfing fashion.
This seemed to us quite the satisfac-
tory and proper thing, but ventured
to ask what security we had that the
dog would be found. The nitrate of
silver moustache assembled above the
white teeth, and, with his best know
it-all expression, he assured me there
was no doubt but that he could place
his hands on the dOgwithin twenty -four
hours. So we agreed that we would
send him a check for the amount from
my friends hotel, and were told to call
again in two days, when the dog would
be there. Going back to the hotel for
lunch we found on arrival a small
urchin with the missing setter fastened
to a rope down in the baggage-room,
and enriched by a ten-dollar bill the
youth departed in haste and glee. Mr..
jenkins did not get the check.
caught sight of man in the lobby
whose knowledge of private detectives
L knew to be large, for he had been in
the secret service of both the United
States and England, and his travels
had extended over the world. At pres
ent he holds a Federal office in New
York. After had related our adven-
lures, he began:
''Well, if you had given him twenty
dollars when you went for the dog
there would have been two or three
wretched ours there. When you said
none of them belonged to you, you
would have been told that they were
sorry, but they could not find him
then, some nOn-professional must have
stolen him, and bowed you out minus
twenty dollars. Nobody ever makes a
complaint against them. They are, as
a rule, ashamed to confess their folly"
LAS with dogs so it is with iewelry-
they never recover anything that is
lost; they only prey on the unfortunate
losers. / heard of a case not long ago
where a servant girl fell in love with a
thief. He took her gold
watch, worth about fifty dollars, TO