Wichita eagle., 1888-06-15
ALWAYS GROWING.
UNDER SURVEILLANCE.


don | had crossed the ocean like any
other tourist, simply to see the great city
of the world
The next morning l started out on
voyage of exploration. Chance led ne to
cross London bridge. A gang OF laborers
was repairing the roadway. and when
asked bystander what the trouble was,
he moodily answered with one word.
dynamite"
That same afternoon I went TO the
South Kensington museum Signs were
posted up at every entrance to the effect
that nobody carrying a bag or parcel
would be admitted Corridors and exhi-
hilton chambers were patrolled by stall
wart policemen, who closely watched the
visitors. Wishing to see some models Of
railroad machinery, happened to. ask an
officer their whereabouts. In doing so |
unconsciously made use of an American
idiom of speech. From that moment l
was marked man.
In whatever hall wandered I could see
policeman's eye fixed upon me. Once [
strolled In among a collection Of antique
engines and boilers. When had finished
my inspection and had left the chamber
saw, through the glass partition, big
officer carefully go over the path | had
taken, cautiously open the boiler doors,
stick his head into the furnaces and poke
among the machinery with his staff
Oh, knew what he was looking for
and tho blood rushed rapidly to my cheek.
What if an explosion should really occur
while l was in the building? There was
hardly any more evidence against Gun
ningham and Burton, since hanged for the
Tower mystery and then confined in
Newgate.
/ thought OF this, and it made me q
sorry specimen Of tourist. Every time
/ heard little noise q shUdder ran up my
spine. was afraid to leave the museum
In precipitation lest might be arrested as
a suspicious character. And the more |
bruoded over my danger the more nervous
l became, till my knees fairly tottered
with anguish of spirit, Every policeman.
/ fancied, was looking sternly at me, as
much as to say, "Ah, hal me convey, you
can't play any of your little games on US"
At length managed to totter out of the
establishment more dead than alive, when
some strange attraction drew me beside
gentleman from Chicago, whose face told
me that he had gone through a similar
ordeal
Dynamite was the theme of converse
ton in hotel, coffee house, railway car
riage-in fact, everywhere.
The Tower, the monument and British
museum had all been closed to the public
and vigilant watch kept upon them day
and night. At all the big railroad sta
tons policemen patrclled the platforms
and were stationed in the baggage rooms.
For q traveller to carry valise or parcel
on the underground line made him the
victim of all sorts of police surveillance.
A detective employed by this company as
sured me that over 1000 spies, both gov
eminent and special officers, had been en-
ployed at that time to guard the inner and
outer circles of the road
1t was q stirring time when London
trembled with fear and the police detec-
tive saw glory and promotion above the
gibbet Of the suspect.
| had been commissioned to carry
message from America of g purely social
nature to Mr. Thomas p. O'Connor, ono
of the Irish members Of parliament. One
evening about a week before / left Lon
con | called upon that gentleman at his
chambers in the parliament mansions, off
of Victoria street, Westminster. After
pleasant chat of perhaps an hour l de-
parted
When / emerged upon Victoria street
noticed a middle aged man who | saw at
Dnce was watching my actions. hurried
along up past the houses of parliament
and turned off near the Charing Cross
station, on to the Thames embankment.
When | looked back after short time
saw that the man was following. Iquick-
hned my pace until l reached Blackfriars'
- u = Il
gate Fill station of the Chatham and
Dover railway, as had promised myself
b trip to the Crystal Palace that night.
purchased ticket to Sydenham, and. just
as the train drew in TO the platform, my
pursuer came up stairs and entered COM
partment of the same carriage in which 7
was seated.
When / ahghted with the crowd and en-
tered the grounds Of the Crystal Palace,
fancied that had got the best of the gen
tleman. But judge of my surprise when
about midnight. rs | returned TO the rail
way station, l saw him languidly strolling
to and fro upon the platform. | felt
angry. But what could dof If | had
accused him of tracking me he would no
doubt indignantly have informed me that
he had as much right to visit the Crystal
Palace els l had. But / would now give
him a dose TO remember me by. | was
then stopping at Forest Gate, suburb
away of at the other side of London. and
determined to walk home. Years of
journalistic work In New York had mado
me q good pedestrian. So OF [ started
with the strange man behind me.
| gained the Dulwich road, which was
completely deserted and dark with the
shadow Of overhangiDg boughs, and
struck out for glory. Nile after mile l
covered, TIL Herne Fiji, Tuise Hill and
Denmark HiN were left behind and the
more thickly settled region of Camberweu
became visible in the moonlight. Still
the man followed
Around Canbarweli Green. down the
road of the same name, into the Walworth
road, then past the Elephant and Castle
into the Borough High street, and then
on TO London bridge. where halted for
refrcssments at q sidewalk coffee stand.
There WIS q similar Institution on the
other pGraPet, and TO my great surprise
my pursper calmly approached 1t and also
INDUCED in a cup Of coffee, hopping his
brow the while
Then on once more Ike the wind.
Across ths bridge Into King William
street, UP Grace Church street past the
bank and Crosby hall. into Bishops Gate
street, aDd SO on into Shoreditch.
a turn TO tho right into Commercial
street brought me into the Nhitechapel
road. and then ct renewed speed scudded
up the Mile End road to Bow. Past Bow
church | hurried sad Just as the clock
was striking 3 threw myself on bench
In the market place in front of Stamford
church. = lively walk it had been. [
crIuld sec nothing now of my pursuer. al
though I knew lie had not given Up the
ch.se. | sat there for perhaps twenty
,n,nI,hes nnder the ia-k sky. smoking 8