The Delta independent., 1889-06-11
THE CLEVER DETECTIVE.

Although Of Wood He Was Worth q
Dozen OF tho Ordinary Kind
"Who is tho new man on the
force?"
There was no answer. None Of the
officers assembled at headquarters
knew any thing concerning him ex-
copt that the inspector had brought
him in quietly q few evenings before
and introduced him as Sergeant
Fetchem. The strange inappropri-
ateness Of such a name for detective
had strdck them at once, but the new
man had gone to work without word
as If thoroughly familiar with his du-
ties, and his f!'st job had been the ar
rest OF a burglnr whom he had caugh,
in the act and overpowered. bringing
him to the station alone. despite the
fact that the prisoner was burly.
powerful fellow nearly twice the size
of his captor.
Every day since his accession to tn {
force he had signalized himself by
some unheard-of exploit Hc had dis
covered q nest Of counterfeiters, ar
rested and put in Jail u hitherto unsus-
pected Anarchist whose attic was full
Of dynamite bombs. and located bank
embezzler who had eluded tho police
for two whole years. All this he had
aono Us u i.-at+ar Of .nn,~sa and hna
listened impassively to the encomium.
passed upon his singular skill and
adroitness. The other members Of the
detective corps began TO grow jealous.
and watch was put upon his sections.
He had no difficulty in evading them
IN the performance Of his duties. but
they made the discovery that he wa.
closeted with the inspector for abou,
five minutes every Monday morning.
Tho most diligent effort failed to dis
cove' the object Of these conferences,
II such they were. for no conversation
between the chief and the now detect
i've ever reached the ears OF tho listen
ers on the outside. 80.
One Monday morning. Immediately
after one OF these secret interviews
Sergeant Fetchem was seen to leave
the Office and board an outward bound
train. He was not seen again during
the week. Monday morning came
again and he had not yet turned up.
The inspector was visibly uneasy.
''lf he is not here In les, than an
hour all is lost!'' he muttered, as he
glanced at his watch and went to the
door to look up and down the street.
1t was showing furiously.
Seized with sudden impulse, he
hailed passing cab md was driven
rapidly to q railway station In the sub
urbs. reaching 1t just in time to ge,
aboard train coming into the city.
As he entered the forward door OF /.
car he saw a man rapidly go out
through the rear door. jump OF the
tr,.in. and disappear In the binding
snow-storm.
With cry Of dismay the inspector
rushed down the aisle When half
way through the car he stopped sud
denly. In one OF the seats was tn
notionless figure OF Sergean,
Eetchem. It MA In a half erect posi-.
'ion. with one arm extended. The
yes were gazing into vacancy with u
ack luster expression.
"Too iate!' exclaimed the inspector,
bitterly. Fifty thousand dollars
zone! That man who left the car
moment ago was Tascott!'
The passengers crowded around
They explained that the sergeant
few minutes before had made a sudden
but apparently weak effort to faster
himself with a chain to tho prisoner.
but that the latter had quickly riser
and grappied with him. Tho sergean.
had nearly succeeded In his desigi
when suddenly he seemed to stiffen
His grasp relaxed, his arm remained
stretched out. CLASSY look came int
If, eyes. and his whole frame becam,
notionless. The prisoner broke ava,
rom him and was out Of the car be
fore the spectators had recovered fron
heir surprise.
Such was the story they told the In.
.pector.
What IL the matter with the OIL
cerp Is he deadP" they inquired.
He has run DOWN. groaned the in
.pector. "Fooli Idiot that l was NO,
TO have met him ono station beyond
here! This detective" he explained,
was q cunning piece OF machinery.
It took Edison year TO manufacture