The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-15
De3cct'vs

Travelling in Ireland is where a man gets
fair idea of the Sagacity of the British
detective service. | have never seen any
thing in burlesque half as funny as the re J.
checked Saxons who infest Ireland, and
who pretend to shadow the local leaders
and suspicious strangers. Undoubtedly,
the man who gives the police the most trou-
bic is Michael Davitt. The Irish leader has
the most thorough going contempt for the
entire force of British policemen, and
thought, when kew him first, that this
Contempt was more or less theatrical, that
lie exaggerated the stupidity of the men. |
have come TO the conclusion since that he
understated it by a mighty big percentage
1t was Davi,t's SPECIAL delight to befool
the officers Of the law when he was travel
ing. This was the easiest thing in the
world, for they have the gullibility of back
county yokels. A familiar trick of his was
to walk I'D to a railroad office, call loudly
for ticket FIR a certain place, buy them,
glance nervously around aud retire into a
corner. A moment later the detectives
would steil up, purchase tickets for the
same destination and board the train. Then
Mr.. Davitt would SEM his tickets back by
the guard, have them changed for an on
trely different station, about half the dis
lance from the one which he originally Sc
lected, and alight there. The detectives, of
course. would go on to the farther station,
and the entire Geographic network of Ire
land would be put in motion for the n. xt
four or five hours until they discovered Mr..
Davitt again.
| recall an experience we had while trav-
cling to Galway, As had been seen about
good deal with the Irish leaders in Dublin,
was honored by the British government
by the companionship of large and shame
faced detective, who logged my steps with
unswervint fidelity. Mr.. Davitt made
tIOnS fnf triD RI Ealyrou
great apparent secresy, and we started out
at breakneck speed on cur car for the rail-
road station. There We're two detectives
with Davitt, and they joined forces with
the man who was logging me.
Unfortunately, when we arrived ut the
station, we found it wonld be necessary to
wait an hour for the train, as tie time table
had been changed. This gave the detectives
time to rush Off TO their houses and collect
a remarkable assortment Of traps, band
boxes, hatboSes, valises and SO eli, with
which to make journey of six or eight
hours, They had every thing conceivable
except bird cages with them. On this &C.
casjon Mr.. Davitt bought tickets for d small
village On the main line, where the train
stopped, Y ich wac twelve mics from the
nearest police station. 1t r4ined cats and
dogs. The detectives were booked for the
same destination, and they went TO the
telegraph office and were busy with the
wires for 10 while.
They are now" said Mr. Davitt to me,
"telegraphing to the police station ahead for
mounted men to meet us at the station, and
the poor devils there will have to ride twelve
miles through this rain to catch the train"
1t turned out that this was SO; for, when
we returned, there were the police, be-
draggled and covered with mud. They
rushed forward and consulted eagerly with
the detectives, who tumbled all of their lug
gage out OF the carriage, and made every
preparation to follow US along the lonely
roads to some supposedly mysterious dest-
nation. In point Of fact, we sat comforta-
bly, in our compartment and, when the
train began to move of, the police sudden
iy discovered that they had been foolsd.
The detectives were bundled back into the
train, their luggage thrown on after them,
and thus we proceeded on our way,