The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-22
THE BRITISH DETECTIVE.
uow He TRACKED MR.. DAVlTT
AND AN AMERICAN REPORTER.

t
and as Unmistakeable as the Nose on
Your Face.
From the NeU York sun.
GALWAY. Jan. 31.-Traveling with an
1rjeb leader in this country is diverting. If
tbeleader happens to have humorous streak
in his composition, the effect borders on the
sensational. / came down from Dublin
18th Michael Davitt last night Mr.. Davitt
ras accompanied by an amused smile and a
Hack leather valise. The smile was in
d;genous, the valise the esult of observa-
ton.
Years ago." theietl,.. marked, as we
met at the station, ''some American dyna-
mite was found in black valise; hence
according to the detective department of
Great Britain, dynamite can never be
carried in anything else but black valise."
"You seem to know everybody" l said
moment later, as the hats of the people on
avery side were dotted in honor of the most
nonlilar Irishman in the world. "Who is
that moon-faced person watching me from
behind the two-inchpillarp
THAT" said Mr.. Davitt, with an extern
sion of the amused smile into radiant grin,
sis full blown specimen of the British
detective. For twelve years he was stationed
on
as policeman, and the public became as
well acquainted 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 detec-
live. and he at once took on look of Turk
ing mystery. How long has he been with
youN
sHe followed me to the hotel after l left
Won to-day, and registered as John P.
Campbell, commercial traveller, LIVERPOOL
to the unfeigned delight of the porters and
hall bows 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, saluting a
new conner held long and whispered con-
versation with him and then hurried away.
The new man walked around me twice ard
then disappeared 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. walked toward
the ticket Office and they closed in on us
cumbersomely to learn our destination. No
burlesque actor could have presented a
more absurd caricature of a stage detective
than the most polished of our three
Shadows was at this point. Mr.. Davitt
walked up to the window and said loudly:
"Where to, General"
| looked around at the detectives and
found their eyes blazing with excitement.
An American General is in Ireland a term
surcharged with dynamite, conspiracy,
murder, treason, and suspicion. One of the
men instantly scrubbed a note, and, rushing
to the door, gave it to policeman and sent
him off at full speed. 1t did not seem to
occur to him that he was exposing his pro-
fession by this astounding bit of nonsense
Imagine a member of the secret service of
the New York, Paris, or st. Petersburg
police making such blunder. l was so
wrapped up in observing the blunder of the
detectives that l forgot to answer Mr..
Davitt's question. He pondered for mo-
ment, and then said shortly:
Book us for Woodlawn, please"
We paid and moved away.
IF you will come out on the platform"
said the Irish leader softly, you will OBJ
serve the further operations of these SUI
perb dissemblers. They will telegraph that
an American General and Mr.. Davitt are to
alight at Woodlawn at midnight, when
this train arrives. The police barracks is
2 miles from the station. The poor wretch
on guard will have to plod all the way to
the barracks through the rain and fetch the
commanding officer and his police to the
station to cover our movements. Mean
while we will get of at Galway and not
he is sending the telegram"
"Does this sort of thing always occur
when you travelY
Invariably. Every @svement is logged
by these precious spies, ~ all my mail is
opened in the Post Office lamuse myself at
times mystifying them; it lightens the
tedium of journey, and l owe them a
gIudge, as you know"
He does indeea Davitt has been i'm
prisoned five times by the British govern
ment, once for seven years at penal servitude.
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 a fire for seven years in a
climate brutally cold. The misery of the
life was dreadful, but the monotony worse.
Details grew gigantic. | Schemed and
worked for weeks once to manufacture
writing materials There was some brown
paper in my cell, and I managed by dint of
hard work to clear one side of the sheet by
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 commercial houses. Night after night
dreamed of this achievement. Finally l
wrote note to my mother. | was discov-
cred and punished. They gave me bread
and water for two months
Inc train stopped at a small station and
the door was yanked open. A man thrust
his head in and Sared at us. Davitt greeted
him with a roar of laughter. 1t was the
moon-faced detective who had come back
to his fellows They were all in an adjoining
compartment. The moon-faced one had a
ticket punch in his hand and on his pump
Nn-shaped head was a 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 staring eyes were
agltated by the peril of his deep-laid adven-
lure as he said huskily:
Tickets ere gents, please"
Who" asked Mr.. Davitt blandly.
Tickets, sir; VERY sorry t disturb y'u
I'VE are going" said shortly, " to Null
hngar. When we get there you may take
the tickets. Meanwhile your shield is in
SIGHT" He dropped the ticket punch and
capped his hand over his left breast Find
ing the shield there and not in sight, he
said with dignity:
This ere larkin' with tn railroad heffic
ais may do you gents some HARM
. At this moment the bell rang and our
disguised" visitor scrambled out, and whip
ping off the coat and hat handed them TO
1he half-clad station master who stood shiv-
erlng there. 1t all took place in full view