Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-02-08
TOLD BY A DETECTIVE.

kee. | had been out on some private
detective work Tor parties in the latter
CITY. and had succeeded SO we'll that
was both happy and sleepless. This
was the reason [ was not In a sleeping
car, fast held in the arms of siumber, in
stead of occupying a seat in the common
coach, with my eyes very wide open and
my wits all about me. | may say, with
out egotism. that [ am an observing
man. There are others in plenty, but
the greater half of humanity go through
life with their eyes half shut. My faith
er was sheriff for many years, and, as
8 boy he taught me to observe and re-
member If / went down town or out
for walk, [ had to tell him, when
got home, who and what | had seen.
On one occasion, for failing to report a
loose horse | had seen in the road, [
got a sound thrashing, and again. for
failing to report street-fght, my liberty
was taken away for four days. [ can
thus truthfully say to you that L had
the habit of observation licked into me,
while nature had kindly furnished me
with very retentive memory. By and
by / began to study human characters
as a profession, and liked it. | learned
to read mems characteristics by their
faces, and their thoughts by their &C
tons; and on two occasions this faculty
of perception prevented Jail deliveries.
/ was wide awake, as | have told you,
when the tran stopped at a country
station on signal. 1t barely came to a
standstill, and only one passenger got
aboard The car was pretty we'll filled,
and such of the passengers as had seats
alone were stretched out IN sleep. L
had sized up every one near me and
had counted up two honest old farmers,
q drover, two milliners, mechanic and
family and a house painter, who was
evidently going to the city for work.
No one seemed to notice the entrance OF
the new passenger. 1t was in October,
and he had on fall overcoat. He
carried heavy valise in one hand, and
he came down the aisle, looking from
right to left, until he finally reached my
seat moved to the window as hint
that [ was ready to share it with him,
but he hesitated for long minute, and
looked at me sharply three or four times
before he finally sat down. The satchel
he placed between his feet. He had
not uttered a word, and after sitting
down he seemed to forget all about me.
Hello but have found two-legged
hog" | said to myself after bit. Il
offered him half my seat of my own free
will, and he seems to be mad because |
did not surrender it all. Old fellow,
you are III. 0. G., and no mistake, Let
me look you over a bit.
I leaned back against the window,
pretended to shut my eyes and resume
my nap, and then inventoried the fellow.
He had hard cruel face on him, and |
felt sure he was man with little mercy
in his heart. I had not been looking at
him over two minutes when l saw that
he was taking sly chances ct me, and
that he was quite anxious about the
satchel In the course of five minutes
he turned around and gave me
thorough LOOKING over, and | read in
the gesture of his hand and the toss of
his head that he said to himself:
:. Bah Why should [ be afraid Of
him -
His dress was that of a barkeeper-
rather fashy. The jewelry he wore
gave him away as we'll. Ii he was not a
barkeeper he was at least the owner. of
q saloon, ana, from his build [ judged
him to be a pugilist OF more or less local
fame. After one general look at his
dress, ! began at bis collar to make a
closer inspection. His shirt collar kept
working up to annoy him, and | said to
myself that the button was gone
and he had fastened it with a pin. In
bis twisting around he pulled his over
coat back, and saw that the TOP bu ton
on his under-codt had been pulled out
by violent jerk, leaving hole i'll the
cloth. The coat was new, and 1t would
take hearty wrench to pull the button
out that way | followed his arm down
to his right hand, and across the back
of it was a long scratch. 1t was fresh
scratch, for the marks OF blood still lin
geTed. Ny eyes dropped to the stran-
gers right leg, and [ saw that his knee
was damp and solled. He had certainly
n l. T o1cr11f hovr
Soned that he had met with very COM
myself:
'Old fellow, you have locked horns
with somebody to get mussed up in this
way 1t is scrape you don't want
known, for you keep throwing anxious
chances at me. fit was only an acct
dent you'd get up and fix that collar,
growl little over the spot on your knee,
and cuss the railroad company for hav-
ing depot platform unprotected by
railing at the ends. Wonder what you
have got in that satchel? traveller
with few clothes IN satchel does not
have to keep his loot on it while every
body around him is asleep. You are no
cucumber, old fellow, and you've got
something in there worth watching. I'll
try a little trick on you.
had my right hand in my pocket.
carefully worked my knife out, and as
it fell to the floor gave start, woke
up, and bent down 10 look for ii. AS [
moved my hand toward his foot he
quickly bent down and moved the satch-
ell into the aisle Then | was satisfied
that my surmiSes were right was he
a burglar, and did the satchel contain
his kit 1t was more probable that he
was just returning from an expedition
to the country, and that the satchel was
full OF plumber. | was perfectly satisfied
as to the man, and | made up my mind
to have HIM arrested as suspicious
character as soon as we reached the city.
That was what did take place, only, as
there were no officers about the depot
as We arrived, had to take the fellow
myself / let him reach the door of the
depot and then put my hand on his
shoulder. He dropped the satchel and
made bolt, but fortunately, he ran
plump against hackman who was en-
tering, and both We're upset. Before he
could t up | bad him nipped. On the
WAY to the station-house and speaking