Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-10
A DETECTIVES STORY.
Tracing a Gang of Counterfeiters Clos
Call.
From the Omaha Bee.


About the narrowest squeeze [ ever had
in the course of my profession happened
to me while tracing down gang of coun-
terfeiters In Chicago two or three years
ago,commenced a noted Eastern detective
who was in the city last week on visit
in answer to a reporters request for
earn"
''This is what saved my life and repu-
tation as well as aiding in capturing the
men," he continued handing the scribe
a peculiar looking continuance resembling
a cigar case in many respects. ''This is
pocket telegraph sounder and is used
qnite extensively by members of the Sc
cret Service in warning each other in case
of danger or when necessary to impart
information. See," pressing the sides
and producing a clicking sound, cit sounds
like a telegraph instrument in distant
room. | took through course in tele-
graphy when L was young and have found
it of great benefit to me in my profession.
With this thing two Of US who under
stand the system can carry on a CONVEX
sation and never appear to know one an
other. Getting impatient are you? Well,
as my yarn hangs on my secret ticker
| thought best to describe its use before
telling the story.
at was during Just such weather as
this continued the detective, when [
was summoned from an important case in
some southern town to undertake the
highly lucrative (if successfully case of fer
reting out this band of criminals. They
had given the local authorities no little
trouble, and the case was getting cold
when [ took hand. It is useless to wOr-
ry you with tale of vexatiOuS dlsap-
pOintments in getting their trail sufficient
to cay that at last | struck one that led
into interesting quarters and among
set of criminals who were hard to handle.
To get conclusive evidence it was neces-
sary for me to visit a certain dive in an
unsayOry quarter, and to resort to some
detective tactics not necessary to mention
now [ was disguised as a sport, and I
tell you it made me feel chilly when l
thought of the possibility of being dis
covered in my character, as / descended
into the room where the leaders of the
cOunterfelters' band were wont to cOngre-
gate, for some of them knew me Dynamo.
/ had carelesslo made no provision for
fpoice within call, not thinking [ would
corner my men that night. L was soon
mixed up in some game, playing with a
crowd of men, none of whom would scru-
pie at takin life, and among whom be-
trayal of my identity meant almost GER
tain death. In entering the room [ had
noticed something familiar in the ap-
pearance of one of the walters, but did
. not give it much thought so deeply was
engrossed with other things. Plenty of
whiskey had been flowing and the men
we're getting hilarious. Seeing their con-
dition | thought it best to depart, and had
10 VIII
was laid on my shoulder and voice per-
fectly steady, said: Hold on Gully, don't
be SO fast, know you; please sit down."
Turning, I perceived a member of the
company until now slightly noticed by
me, but who, on closer inspection, proved
to be a noted and desperate criminal. I
sat down more from weakness than in
compliance with the sarcastic request.
He arose and told the others who [ was
what l wanted, and ended by requesting a
suggestion as to how I should be disposed
Of Threats of all kinds made, most of
the men being in favor of killing me on
the spot.
Il sat thinking deeply, when suddenly
clicking sound startled me. [ almost
jumped from my chair with Joy. One of
my men was in the room in some disguise,
and had recognized me, and was now let
ting me know Of his presence. We kept
conversing, until I learned that he was the
waiter whom I first failed to recognize. A
plan was formed on the spot that he
should slip out and raid the concern with
the police Well, in an hour the entire
gang was under lock and key, and we had
earned the heavy reward offered by the au-
thorities. You can depend upon it that
ever since that episode I have congratu-
lated myself that [ understood teIegra-
ply