The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-03-03
DAVITT AND THE GENERAL.
How They Had Lots of Fun at the Ex
pense Of Moon-Faced MIR. <.
OF Scotland Yard.
BLAKELY HALLS FUNNY LET TER
How the Footsteps If Michael Davitt are
'Dogged' by Her Majesty's
Detectives.

Detectives.
Mr.. Blakely HALL was in Galway re.
Gently, and from th ere he wrote the fol-
lowing spicy letter to the N. 7. sun !:
Travelling with an irish leader i'll this
country is diverting. If the leader
happens to have humorous streak in
his composition, the effect borders on
the sensational. / came down from
Dublin with Michael Davitt last night.
Mr. Davitt was accompanied 10y an
amused smile and a black leather val
ise, The smile was indigenous, the va
iise the result OF observation.
Years ago. tho leader remarked,
as we met al the station, ''some Anlerl-
can dynamite was found in black
valise; hence according to the detect
i've department of Great Britain, dyna-
mite can never be carried in anything
else but black valise."
"You seem to know everybody" [
said. moment later, as the hats Of the
people on every side were dotted in
honor OF the most popular Irishman in
the world '>Who is that moon~faced
person watching me from behind the
tvo.inch pillar ?'' ...s:: ...".::
"That," said Mr.. Davitt, with an ex-'
tension of ar amused smile into ra-
diant grin, lis Il full,solown specimen
of the British detective, For twelve
years he was stationed on the corner ct
Grafton and Dame streets as police
man, and the public became as we'll &C.
Quainted with his appearance as New
Workers are with the officer who stands
On the corner Of Twenty-third street
and Broadway. Then they made him a
detective, and he at once took on a
look of lurking mystery. How long
has he been with you p
"IIe followed me to the hotel after I
left you today, and registered as John
P. Campbell, commercial traveller,
Liverpool,' to the unfeigued delight of
the porters and hall boys. He sat by
the door for several hours, until left.
Now he has followed me here"
The man in question left his post of
keen and sagacious observation and,
salutiug a newcomer, held q long and
whispered conversation with him and
then hurried away. The new man
walked around me twice and then dis
appeared into the waitin-room. We
walked slowly along an j, entering an
opposite door, discovered my detective
in close and obviously deep cousulta-
tion with two other heavy browcd men.
They saw us and scattered wildly. We
walked toward the ticket Office and
they closed i'll on us cumbersonoely to
learn our destination. No burlesque
actor could have presented a more ab-
.,surd caricature of a stage detective
than the most polished OF our three
ssshadows' was at this point. Mr..
Dayitt walked up to the window and
said loudly:
"Where to, general p
I looked around at the detectives aud
found their eyes blazing with excite
ment. An American general is in Ire
land a term surcharged with dynamite,
conspiracy, murder, treason and suspi-
cion. One of the men instantly scrib-
bled note, and rushing to the door,
gayeit to a policeman aud sent him off
at full speed. 1t did not seem to him
that he was exposing his profession by
this astounding piece of nonsense.
Imagine member of the secret service
of the New York, Paris or St. Peters
burg police making such blupder. I
was so wrapt up in the blunders OF the
detectives that I forgot to answer Mr..
Davitt's question. He pcndered for a
moment, and then said shortly:
Book US for Woodlawn, please" !"
We paid and,moved away.
"If you will come out on the plat
FORM" said the Irish leader, softly,
'.you will observe the further opera
tions of these superb dlssemblers.
They will telegraph that an American
general and MIR. Davltt are to alight at
Weodlawn, at midnight, when this train
arrives. The police barrack is twelve
miles from the station. The poor
wretch on guard will have to plod all
the way to the barracks through the
rain and fetcn the commanding officer
and his pulice to the station to cover
our movements. Meanwhile we will
get off at Galway aud not bother with
Woodlawn at all. See, there he is send
ingthe telegram"
..Does this sort of thing always occur
when yontravel =
.'.Invariably. Every movement is
dogged by these precious spies, and all
L my mail is opened in the postoftice. I