Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-16
A THANKLESS JOB.

At O'Clock one morning twenty years age
was on d railroad train going from Portage
Wis, to Milwaukee. had been out on some
private detective work for parties in the
latter city, and had succeeded SO well that
was both happy and sleepless. This was the
reason was not in sleeping car, fast held
in the arms of slumber instead of occupying
a seat In the common coach, with my eyes
very wide open and my wits oil about me.
l was wide awake, as have told you, whel
the train stopped at a country station on
signal. 1t barely came to a standstill, and
only one passenger got aboard. The car was
pretty well filed, 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 milliraers a mechanic and family
and house painter who was evidently going
to the city for work. No one seemed tc
notice the entrance Of the new passenger. II
was in October, and he had on q fall over.
coat. 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 hest.
tated for long minute, and looked at me
sharply three or four times before ho finally
sat down. The sachel he placed between his
feet. He had not uttered a word and after
sitting down he seemed to forget all about
INC.
"Helloi but have found two legged
hog" said to myself after a bit II offered
him half my seat of my own free will, and
he seems to be mad because did not sur
render it all. Old fellow, you are an II. o.
G., and no mistake Let me look you over a
Bit"
l leaned back against the window, pre-
tended to shut my eyes and resume my nap,
and then inventoried the fellow He had a
hard, cruel face on him, and l felt sure he
was a man with little mercy in his heart.
had not been looking at him over two minutes
when saw that he was taking sly glances at
me, and that he was quite anxious about the
sachel In the course of five minutes he
turned around and gave me thorough look
ing over, and l read in the gesture of his
hand and the toss of his head that he said to
himself:
"Bahl Why should be afraid Of himr
His dress was that Of barkeeper-rather
hashy. The 1ewelry he wore gave him away
as well. If he was not u barkeeper he was al
least the owner of saloon, ana, from his
build, judged him to be pugilist of more
or less local fame. After one general look at
bis dress, began at his collar to make a
closer inspection. His shirt collar kept work
ing up to annoy him, and 1 said to myself
that the button was gone and he had fastened
it with pin. In his twisting around ht
pulled his overcoat back, and saw that tb'
top button on his under coat had been pulled
out by violent jerk, leaving hole in TIT
cloth. The coat was new, and it would talk
hearty wrench to pull the button out tina
way 1 followed his arm down to his RICH
hand, and across the back of it was long
scratch. 1t was fresh scratch, for tn,
marks of blood still fingered. My eye
dropped to the strangers right leg, and saw
that his knee was damp and solled. He hat
certainly fallen on the ground. l nigh
have reasoned that he had met with very
common accident, but l didn't l said t.
myself:
s'Old fellow, you have locked horns Will
somebody to get mussed up this way. 1t Is
scrape you don't want known, for you keel
throwing anxious glances at me- If it wa
only an accident you'd get up and fix thai
collar, growl little over the spot on YOU
knee and cuss the railroad company for hav
ing depot platform unprotected by a rail
ing at the ends. Wonder what you've got IL
that sacheli A traveller with q few clothes
in a sachel does not have to keep his foot OF
1t while everybody around him is asleep
You are no cucumber, old fellow, and you've
- something in there worth watching III
little trick on YOU"
nad my right hand in my pocket. Icare
lily worked my knife out and as it fell t.
:. the floor gave a start, woke up and went
down to look for it, AS moved my hand
toward his feet he quickly bent down and
moved the sachel into the aisle. Then wa:
satisfied that my surmises were right. Was
ne q burglar, and did the sachel contain hi:
xit9 1t was more probable that he was just
returning from an expedition to the country
and that the sachel was full Of plumber
was perfectly satisfied as to my man and
made up my mind to have him arrested as
suspicious character as soon us we reached
the city That was what did take place
only, as there were no officers about the
depot as we arrived, l 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 sachel and made a bolt, but
fortunately he ran plump against a hack
man who was entering and both were upset
Before he could get up had him nipped.
On the way to the station house, and speak
ing for the first time, he asked:
"How did you know 1t was mef'
'Oh, easy enough" answered.
swell, d----n him, he didn't act square
with me, or it would never have come to
this"
I had no idea to what he referred, but see
ing that he was ready to talk, and being
anxious to take advantage Of the moment,
asked:
"Do you think he is deadF'
"Dead as O herring, and the old woman
with him.. However, they can't punish me
arg ..i<,re for two than for one. l was after
my own, and when they wouldn't give it to
me determined to take all"
''What weapon did you usel"
''C5ot the ak from the back yard"
"And when you had finished off the old
couple you robbed the house, ehf"
"well, took what 1 wanted, and If
hadn't been the biggest fool on earth you
wouldn't have nabbed me-"
s'HowF
"Why, boarding the train at that little
station. 1t was the act of lunatic, but afte1
left the farm house got frightened ran
across the fields, fell down, imagined that
was pursued, and bore Off to the station and
hoisted the signal myself for the train te
stop. Isuppose Rider gave you the tip and
put you onto mef"
"Yesn
swell, I'll kill him on sight. That is with
little laugh will n 1 get the chance"
l knew Rider to be milwaukee gambler
and hard case, but was completely in the
dark as to what crime my prisoner had COM
mitted 1t was probably a murder, and near
the station where he got on, and from his
statements l inferred that it was an old
couple. He had pumped himself, and it was
certain that had made a big catch. When
we reached the station, however, my troubles
began. There is always an i'll feeling be-
tween police and private detectives. This
feeling comes almost entirely from the po-
lice. They bQk upon the private detective
as a sort of guerrilla, ready to break up the
happiest homes or to sell out to the highest
hid'' ks fortunately, is true in many
all. AS entered with the
E&tain in charge roughly de-
M&ztight had mad an arrest