The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-27
UNDER SURVEILLANCE.

:
One evening in April three years ago
found me standing on the pavement In
front of the Euston Square station in Lon
don / had crossed the ocean like any
other tourist, simply to see the great city
q the world.
The next morning / started out on a
voyage Of exploration. Chance led me to
cross London bridge A gang Of laborers
was repairing the roadway, and when. !
asked bystander what the trouble was,
he modify answered with one word,
dynamite.
That same afternoon / went to the
South KensingtOn museum. Signs wero
posted up at every entrance to the effect
that nobody carrying bag or parcel
would he admitted. Corridors and exhi-
bition 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
was marked man.
IL
policeman's eye fixed upon me. Once
strolled in among 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 l 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 the blood rushed rapidly to my check.
What il an explosion should really occur
while / was in the building? There was
hardly any more evidence against Gun
ningham and Burton, since hanged for tho
Tower mystery and then confined in
Newgate.
] thought Of this, and it made me
sorry specimen Of tourist Every time
heard little noise shudder ran up my
spine was afraid to leave the museum
in precipitation lest might be arrested as
Q suspicious character. And the more |
broOded over my danger the more nervous
! became, till my knees fairly tottered
with anguish of spirit. Every policeman,
! fancied, was looking sternly at me, as
much as to say "Ah. ha! me covcy. you
cant 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 q
gentleman from Chicago, whose face told
me that he had gone through 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
tions policemen patrolled the platforms
and were stationed in the baggage rooms
For O 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 a 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 q
message from America Of purely social
nature to Mr. Thomas F. O'Connor, one
of the Irish members of parliament. One
evening about week before | left Lon
don called upon that gentleman at his
chambers in the parliament mansions, off
of Victoria street. Westminster. After a
pleasant chat of perhaps an hour ! de-
parted.
When emerged Upon Victoria street
noticed middle aged man who saw at
once 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 a short time
saw that the man was following. Iquick-
ened my pace until reached Blackirars'
bridge, when walked over to the Lud.
gate Hill station Of the Chatham and
Dover railway, as had promised myself
q trip to the Crystal Palace that night.
purchased ticket to Sydenham, and Just
IS the train drew in to the platform, my
pursuer came up stairs and entered q com
partment Of the same carriage in which /
was seated.
When alighted with the crowd and ell.
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, as | returned to the rail
way station, / saw him languidly strolling
to and fro upon the platform. felt
angry. But what could do? If | had
accused him Of tracking me he would no
doubt indignantly have informed me that
he had as much righs to visit the Crystal
Palace as had. But would now give
him dose to remember me by | was
Then StonniuU at Forest Gate q euhurh
away off at the other side of London, and
] determined to walk home. Years of
journalistic work in New York had made
me q good pedestrian. So off l started
with the strange man behind me.