Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-01
FIFTY DOLLARS OUT.
JOHN PETERsoN's EXPERIENCE WITH
PRIVATE DETECTIVES.
He Buys a $50 Badge and Starts Out
to Make Fortune-Stin Has
the Badge.

He Buys $50 Badge and Starts Out
to Make IA Fortune-Stin Has
the Badge.
Yesterday forenoon a Swede, who gave
his name as John P. Peterson, sought Chief
of Police Lee in the latter's Office, and pro-
ceeded to relate his experience with certain
persons in this city who call themselves
private detectives" His statement was
made in the presence of District Attorney
Bruner, and was taken down in shorthand
by W. ]. Davis, Official Reporter of the Su-
perior Court 1t is sufficient to reproduce
his story, which will be interesting reading
just now. He tells how he was induced to
pay $50 for the privilege of becoming 8
member of the UNITED States Detective
Association; how he was assured an in
come of from six to ten dollars per night,
and promise that his money would be re-
funded. None of these promises, he says,
have been kept.
| PETERsoNs THRILLING TALE.
l have little ranch near Auburn; am
carpenter; work in the car department of
| the railroad shops here, but my family live
on the ranch. | had got acquainted with
Frank Eddy when he worked at the rail-
road shops. Two weeks ago to. day / met
him on J street, ana he asked me if l still
was at work at the shops. l invited him
to take drink, and when we got our beer
he wanted to pay for it, but / insisted on
paying, as l had called him in. He told
| me that he was making more money than
| was, that he did not want me to spend
my money, as | needed it for my little
ones. He got talking with me and said l
could Just as well do something evenings
and Saturdays that would not interfere
with my work at the shops. He finally
took me into one of the back rooms of the
saloon and talked further about it, and he
said he would see the Chief about getting
me in. l said, There is nothing wrong
about it? If it is honorable and honest
| work l will think of it." He made an ap-
| pointment to meet me after dinner. We
met at the same saloon, and he said he had
seen the Chief and it was all right. l
asked him what kind of work it was. He
said
A DEAD SECRET.
"If you can keep it secret will tell you,
but you must keep it secret, because if you
do not, we cannot do anything"
Said 1 You can depend on that, if 1
pl omise you to keep it secret" He said
| 1--WE will go down to your room" We
went there, and the lady of the house saw
| him. He told me to shut the door. l did
| so, and he pulled out some papers, similar
| to those | afterward got, and which l have
given to Chief Lee, and showed them to
me. Then he explained the matter 10 me,
and every once in awhile he said Don't
go back on me, and tell anything or l can't
| do anything then"
SIX DOLLARS NIGHT
l said l would not. / asked him: How
| are you paid; are you paid salary, or
how?" He said: 81 will tell vou how |
am paid. 1t is Sc night. Some nights it
will not be so late, and some nights it will
be later; but it will be estimated You can
| work almost every night. You can work
| every night you may say, and commence
right now. If you had your money here
to get your papers you could commence to-
| night" He told me that for day and
night work l would get $40, and Sc for
| night work. said: That is a mighty
big thing If you are backed up"
cones ALLEGED HACKERS.
He said: I'VE are backed up by the
Law and Order League" and then he told
me that Mrs. Crocker had donated 5000
to it. And he said most all of the biggest
of business men, and all the church people
here are backing US up with money, and
that there are thousands of money behind
it.
He said they were working for those
people and they paid them. But there is
one thing" said he. Said l, What is il ?"
He said. Have you got $50? 1t will cost
you $50 to get commission" As far as l
can think of it, he said there was $40 to 90
to the Chief and $40 to go to Washington
to the headquarters for the papers. He
asked, when can you get the money ?"
SAYS, 81 can go to Auburn to night and get
it." He said, do. When will you get
back" l said / would be back on the
o'clock train the next day, and he said he
would meet me.
DIDN'T LIKE HIS LOOKS,
He left, and when he came back to nv
| room the lady of the house, who had seen
him come in, asked me who he was, and
said it was an acquaintance of mine, who
used to work in the shops. She thought
he was kind of a suspicious fellow. | did
not say anything, as | had promised him
| not to say anything. | did not go to Au-
| burn, but Eddy claimed that be went to
the train for me, but he did not see me,
and he did not know what to think of it.
| That was when he met me next
On Sunday | was around town, and Eddy
| came to the house and INQUIRED of the lady
where l was. She said she did lot know,
but probably he could see me at dinner.
| He said he went to the dining-room and
looked in and did not see me, and he did
not know what to think of it. He did not
see me until evening, when he came out
| side of my window and called for me and
asked me to come out.
AFTER THE FIFTY DOLLARS.
When 1 came out he asked me if had
been to Auburn. l told him no. He said
he had been around and could not see me,
that he did not know what to think of it,
and he said, 81 hope you are not going to
| go back on me?" / said, mo, | have
nothing to go back on. You need not be
alarmed, | will not say word" Said he,
"Ar mt you going to go into il and try it ?'
| said, mo, am little afraid of it." He
said, II am sorry have told you what 1
have"
So he commenced to explain to me again
that it was all right, and how much money
there was in it. And / told him to tell
me the truth that l did not want him to
get me into anything where will lose my
money. He told me he would not, and
| that / could take his word of honor for it.
Said l +: III that is so l will go up tonight
and get the money"
| WANTED A STRING on HIS MONEY.
l went up on the 10:40 train on August
18th. When got home my wife did not
expect me, but explained to her and told
her what | wanted the money for. She,
said, Look out" l said l always took
Eddy for my friend, and he has guaran-
teed my money back in couple weeks
time, or at least three weeks, and that l
| will get probably more than paid out. l
told my wife l would not pay out the
money until the Detective Chief-that is.
Cone, gave me the same assurance, because
l needed my money.
came down Monday on the 4 o'clock
train, and Eddy met me at the depot, and
he said, Lets go right over to the office ?"
When We got to the office nobody was
there but Mrs. Cone. Eddy asked her
where the Chief was, and she said he was
over in Court. They telephoned or some
thing. They had a messenger boy there
and sent for him.
Cone came in a few minutes and asked
Cone the same thing l had Eddy. l said,
Don't take my money if I cannot get il
back; that is the only money have got,
and l have to fix my house don't take it
without there is show to nav me hack by