St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-25
The Diversion Of Travelling
With the Great Irish
Leader in Ireland.
Tracked by a Stupid Official
to the Great Amusement
Of the Orator.
"This ere Larking With Rail-
road Officials May Do You
Gents Some arm

al
ton, the effect borders on the sensa-
tional. | came down from Dublin with
Michael Davitt last night. Mr.. Davitt
was accompanied by an amused smile
and black leather ValiSe. The smile
was indigenous, the ValiSe the result of
observation.
Years ago" the leader remarked as
we met at the station, ''Some American
dynamite was found in a black ValiSe;
hence, according to the detective depart
ment of Great Britain. dynamite can
never be carried in anything else but
black valiSe."
You seem to know everybody" l
said a moment later, as the hats of
the people on every side were dotted in
honor OF the most popular freshman III
the world.
Who is that moon-faced person watch
ing me from behind the twO-inch pill
lar?''
That" said Mr.. Davitt, with an ex-
tension of the amused smile into radi-
ant grin. lis a full blown specimen of
the British detective. For twelve years
he was stationed on the corner of Graf
ton and Dame streets as policeman,
and the public became as well ac-
quainted with his appearance as the
New Workers are with the officer who
stands on the corner of Twenty-third
street and Broadway. Then they made
him detective. and he at once took on
4 look of lurking mystery. How long
has he been with yOu?"
He followed me to the hotel after L
left YOU to-day. and registered as John
L. Campbell. commercial traveller, Lly-
erpool. to the unfeigned delight of the
pOrterS and hall boys. He sat by the
,l,o,. f,r ra,-arol borrS nntil I left Now
he has followed me here"
The man in question left his post of
keen and sagaciouS observation and,
Saluting a new conner, held a long and
whispered conversation with him, and
then hurried away. The new man
walked around me twice and then dis
appeared into the waiting room. We
walked slowly along and, entering an
opposite door. discovered my detective
in close and obviously deep consultation
with two other heavy-brOWed men.
They saw us and scattered wildly. We
walked towards the ticket office. and
they closed in on US cumberSOmely to
learn our destination. No burleSque
actor could have presented more alb
Surd caricature of a stage detective
than the most polished of orr three
shadows was at this point. Mr.. Da-
witt walked up to the window and said
loudly:
'Where to. General?"
/ looked around at the detectives and
found their eyes blazing with excite
ment. An American general is in Ire
land term surcharged with dynamite,
conspiracy. murder, treason and SuS-
picion. One of the men instantly
scrubbed note, and. rushing to the
door. gave it to a policeman and sent
him off at full speed. 1t did not seem
To occur to him that he was exposing
his profession by this astounding bit of
nonsense. Imagine a member of the
secret service of the New York, Paris
or st. Petersburg police making such a
blunder. l was so wrapped up in OBJ
serving the blunderS of the detectives
that | forgot to answer Mr.. Davitt'S
question. He pOndered for a moment
and then said shortly:
Book US for WoOdlawn. please
We paved and moved away.
''lf you will come out on the plat
FORM" said the leader softly, lyon will
observe the further operations of these
superb disSemblers. They Will tele-
graph that an American general and
Mr.. Davitt are to alight at Woodlawn at
midnight, when this train arrives. The
police barrack is twelve miles from the
station. The poor wretch OH guard will
have to plod all the way to the barracks
through the rain and fetch the COM
manding officer and his police to the
station to cover our movements. Mean
while we will get off at Galway and not
bother with WOOdlawn at all. See. there
he is sending the telegram
docs this sort Of thing always occur
when you travel?'
Invariably. Every movement is
logged by these precious spies. and all
my mail is opened i'll the pOstofiice. |
amuse myself at times mystifying them;
it lightens the tedium of journey. and
l owe them grudge. as you know
He does indeed. Davitt has been i'm
prisoned five times by the British gov
eminent, once for seven years at penal
servitude.
1.-The horrors of that term said Mr..
Davitt. after the train had started and
we were alone in our compartment.
defy all description. Think what it is.
for instance, not even to see fire for
seven years in climate brutally cold.
The misery of the life was dreadful. but
the mOnOtony worse. Details grew gil
gantic. schemed and worked for weeks
once to manufacture writing materials.
There was some brown paper in nv
cell, and j managed by dint of hard
work to clear one side of sheet bv
holding it near the flame of the candle.
Then | laid another sheet over the
charred page, and wrote on it with bit
of wire from the bed. 1t was like the
copying presses now in use in CONNER
cial houses. Night after night dreamed
of this achievement. Finally | wrote
note to my mother. | was discovered
and punished. They gave me bread and
water for two months"
The train stopped at small station
and the door was yanked open. A man
thrust his head in and glared at us.
Davltt greeted him with roar of laugh
ter. 1t was the moon-faced detective
who had come back to his fellows. They
were all in an adjoining compartment.
The moon-faced man had ticket-punch
in his hand, and on his pumpkin-shaped
head was ridiculOusly small cap that
he had borrowed of the guard He had
also assumed the conductors coat-the
same being some five inches short in the
sleeves-and in this superb disguise he
had come to collect our tickets. His
big red face, dropping mouth and star
ing eyes were agitated by the peril of
his deep-laid adventure as he said
huskily:
Tickets 'ere, gents, please"
Mho?' asked Mr.. Davitt, blandly.
Tickets, sir; VERY sorry t. disturb
I'VE are going,'' l said shortly. "to
Bullingar. When we get there YOU NAV
take the tickets. Meanwhile your shield
is in sight" He dropped the ticket
punch and clapped his hand over his left
breast. Finding the shield there and not
in sight, he said with dignity:
This 'ere larkin' with thu railroad
hotficials may do you gents some harm"
AT this moment the bell rang and our
disguised" visitor scrambled out, and
whipping off tie coat and hat handed
them to the hsif-clad station master who
stood shivering there. 1t all took place
in full view of our window. Then the