Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-07-07
UNDER SURVEILLANCE.S

front Of the Euston Square station In Lon
don. had crossed tho ocean lil;c any
other tourist. simply TO sec the great city
Of tho world.
The next morning started out on q
voyage Of exploration. Chance led mo TO
cross London bridge. A gang Of laborcrs
was repairing tho roadway. and when I
asked bystandcr what the trouble was.
he modify answered with ono word.
dynamite"
That same afternoon I went to tho
South Kcnsington museum. Signs were
posted up at every entrance 10 tho effect
that nobody carrying bag or parcel
would be- admitted. Corridors and cxhi.
bition chambers wcrc patrollcd by stall.
wart policemen. who closely watched tho
visitors. Wishing to SEQ some models OF
railroad machinery. happened 70 ask an
officer their whereabouts. In doing so
unconsciously made usc OF an American
idiom Of speech. From that moment
was marked man.
In whatever hall wandered I could SEQ
q policcman's eye fixed upon me. Once I
strolled In among n collection Of antique
engines and boilers. When | had finished
my inspection and had left the chamber L
saw. through tho glass partition. W
officer carefully go over the path lad
taken. cautiously open the boilcr i6ors.
stick his head into the furnaces I'D poke
among the machinery with hia afr.
oh. ! knew what he was Boking for.
What II an explosion sli2fA rally occur
;n ,;. any Us, more against Gun .,
Tower myst y then confined In
thought and II made mo q
sorry spccinf * tourist. Every time
heard " <Is6isc shudder ran up my
nine. | u Hfraid to leave the museum
=. Srecipif j. lest Knight be arrested rs
q st.epicy iaractcr. And the more l
broodcdy my danger the more nervous
| bccW all my knees fairly tottcrcd
with y 66ish Of spirit. Every policeman.
I fY<td. was looking stcrnly ut mo. M
Gy Pas to say. "Ah, In! me Convey, you
IN play any of your little games ON us. p"
~ 1T length managed to totter out of tho
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 a similar
ordeal
Dynamite was tho 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 patrollcd the platforms
and were stationed In the baggage rooms.
For II traveller to carry valisc or parcel
Oh the underground line made him the
victim of all sorts Of police surveillance.
4 detective employed by this company as
surcd me that over 1000 spies. both gov
crnmcnt and special officers. had been EN-.
ploycd q; that time to guard thcinncr and
outer circles of the roai.
II was stirring time when London
trcmblrd with fear and the police detec-
tive saw glory and promotion above tho
gibbct Of the suspect.
! had been commissioned TO carry q
message from America II u p,lralss-s---s..l
nature TO Mr.. Thomas p. SC0nnor. ono
Of the Irish members Of parliament. Ono
evening about n week before | left Lon
don called upon that gentleman at his
chambers In the parliament mansions. off
OF Victoria street. Westminster. After o
pleasant chat Of perhaps an hour | de-
parted.
When emerged upon Victoria street
noticed u middle aged man who saw ut
once was watching my actions. hurried
along up past the houses Of parliament
and turned oil near the Charing Cross
station. on to the Thames cmbankmcnt.
When looked back after short time
saw that the man was following. Iquick
cncd my pace until reached Blackfriars'
bridge. when walked over To the Lud.
gate Hill station of tho Chatham and
Dover railway. as Ind promised myself
u trip to the Crystal Palace that night. |
purchased ticket TO Sydenham. and. Just
rs the train drew In 10 the plat form. my
pursucr came up stairs and entered u com.
partment of the same carriage In which |
was seated.
When alightcd with the crowd and en-.
tered the grounds of the Crystal Palace. !
fancicd that had got tho best Of the gen
tlcman. Eut judge Of my surprise when
about midnight. as returned TO the rail
way station. saw him languidly strolling
To and fro upon the platform. l felt
angry. Eut what could dor II | had
accused him Of trackms me he would no
doubt Indignantly have informed nc that
he had as much right to visit the Crystal
Palace as ! Ind. But would now give
him dose to remember mo by. | was
then stopping at Forest Gate. u suburb
away OF at the other side Of London. and
determined to walk home. Years of
journalistic work In New York had made
me good pedestrian. So oil started
with the strange man behind me.
gained the Dulwich road. which was
completely deserted and dark with the
shadow Of ovcfhanging boughs. and
struck out for glory. Mile after mile
covered. till lIernc Hill. Tulsc Hill and
Denmark Hill were left behind and the
more thickly settled region OF Cambcrwcll
became visible In the moonlight. Still
the man followed.
Around Cambcrwcll Green. down tho
road Of the same name. into the Walworili
road. thea past the Elephant and Castle
into the Borough High street, and then
on to London bridge. where ! halted for
refreshments ut n sidewalk coffee stand
There was n similar institution on tho
other parapct. and 10 my great surprise
my pursuer calmly approached IL aud also
indulgcd In n cup Of coffee. hopping his
brow the while.
Then on once more like the wind.
Across the bridge into King William
street. up Grace Church street past the
bank and Crosby hall. into Bishops Gate
street. and ~ on into Shorcditch.
| A turn to tho right into Commercial
street brous /. me into the Whitcchapcl
road. and thea at renewed speed scndded
up the Mile End ROAD Ia Eow. Past low
church | hurried. end just rs the clcch
was striking > threw myself on bcncl
In the r,ar,ct place In front 81 Stamford
church. ! lively walk il hal been.
could sec nothing ROW Of my parsucr. al
Though knew 10 had not given up III,
cl..sr. ! sat there for perhaps twenty
minutes under tho dark sky. smoking i
cigar . =, watching an occasional is.rc