The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-11-29

DtsCuoicf tlleu, ndylHS fOOIl Oi obtltc
street and taking my meals at res
taurant. My room was reached by
private stairs, and / alone had the key
to the street door. From side window
in my room to side window in q real
estate Office was only distance of five
feet. As there were bars on the other |
window had left mine unguarded. l
now had them put on, and there was |
no way to reach me in my room except |
to open the street door and come up |
stairs. had the inside of the door
covered with sheet iron, and arranged
spring gun for the stairs.
Was / afraidp No, I had plenty of
confidence in myself, and / wanted to
get the drop on the stranger first. He
had pitted his wit, nerve and courage
against mine. and my professional pride
was aroused. He had big advantage
in knowing me and my habits, and it
was only fair to offset this by taking
some extra precautions.
l gave the writer of the anonymous
letter thirty days to come out of prison,
and ten more to get himself in shape
to begin the campaign. was not far
wrong. On the thirty-eighth day after
receiving the warning, as boarded a
State street car to come down town,
my man was a passenger. He was a
man who exactly corresponded to the
picture / had drawn, and it never oc-
CURED to me that / could be wrong.
While l was sizing him up from the
corner of my eye, saw that he was
taking my measure. | purposely
turned my head to let him see a scar
on my neck, and when | glanced at
him again was sure that he was salts
fed of my identity. Now, the chase
had begun. He had sworn to have my
life, and knew by the set of his jaw
and the compression of his lips that he
had still further resolved. Where had
he been in prison, and what forp His
face was strange to me. Had desired
to take an unfair advantage, | could
have run him in as suspect, or trumped
up some charge to hold him and in
vestigate his record, but / wouldn't do
that. 1t was to be fair fight. He
would ask for no outside help and
pride would forbid me to.
| When l left the car he followed me
to the Office. stopped at the door to
speak to messenger. and he asked the
messenger who was. Then he had
me ''dead," as the saying is, and there
was room for no further doubt 1t sc
happened that at that time was de
tailed on case in the city. But foi
this / should have been going and
coming, and he would have had har6
, work to keep me in view. / was very
regular in my routine. had my meals
, at the same hour each day, and at th'
, same place. At a certain hour in th'
: evening | went to certain hotel
: played three games of pool, drank on
4 glass of beer. sat and smoked a cigar
i and then took the car to my door ant
! went to bed. The dullest kind of ;
{ plow-boy could have picked up m.
trail.
. On the evening of the second day m,
0 would-be murderer appeared at th
D billiard room of the hotel as wa
/ playing my first game of pool. | wa
/ expecting him, and SO arranged it a
: to ask him to play the next two games
He was puzzled and nervous. If b
' was nervous over the idea of handlin
u a cue alongside of a man whose life b
!. was plotting to take, | was excusabl
Q for feeling a bit queer to find m
I would-be assassin offering me a ciga
Q and praising my skill. | entertaine
It him better than he did me, because
knew his game and he supposed m
!. ignorant of it. When / was ready
r leave for home I invited him to met
d me at the hotel next evening. p
1 smilingly assented, but next instal
compressed his lips. This mean
This detective is not the fellow SUI
posed he was. He is pleasant an
chatty, and wants to be friendly. ard
i. rather like him. But he sent my frien
If to prison. and have sworn to take h
life. He shall not escape me. !"
d That night some one broke skeletc
KEY in the lock of my street doc
% How foolish to suppose would tru
to locks! It was no doubt my frien
j? making his first attempt on my lif
N It is curious trait in criminal natu
{. that two out of five men will abandt
le an undertaking if meeting with disa
,r pointment on a first attempt. Tho
r. who persevere become more dangero
a than before. 1t was a question now
le how my enemy would act, but W
n satisfied as soon as set eyes on hi
le the next evening. At sight of me
Id compressed his lips. The failure hi
n fired his zeal, and realized that fro
sn this on must certainly be on n
n guard every hour in the twenty
SO We played the three games t
ye gether, sat side by side and smolx,
ey our cigars, and an outsider would ha
supposed US the best of friends. I
It man perhaps feared that / would VIC
der and speculate about him, and
ne handed me his card and explained tf