Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-07-25
'l'ho Lost identify
A DETECTIVES STORY.

land, and in boyhood worked in one
a,of the numerous cotton mills of that
industrious city. But from my
! youth, after I was able to read, I be-
came detective. / read all works
that treated on the subject, and read
+ them with absorbing interest besides.
i was a perfect monomaniac on the
sa5jsct, ;a;! piottiled 10 nysoif the
delights Of such a career.
At the age of eighteen l had the
good forlupe to be introduced to q
member Of the profession, and in
course of time took courage to mon
tion to him my aspirations. "You
are just the build for a detective,
said he, "if you possess oil the other
qualities necessary for such career"
He then said he would use his in
iluence with tho chief(this was in
LiverpooD, and if I proved accept
able, doubtless | could become one
of the staff. IS
We'll, to come TO the point, be-
came one Of the profession before
was twenty one, and, as I have said,
my first case was most successful
one, and was the making of me, since
1T brought me prominently before
the public, and the journals were
pleased to refer to me as ssthc rising
young detective"
It happened in this wise: Convcrs-
ing with the chief one day in his
office, during which ho furnished me
with many useful hints, he observcd:
"Mr. Oldfcld, since you arc so
eager to embrace this arduous pro-
fession, wish case of more than
ordinary interest would present it.
self, so that you might have a chance
to display your abilities" l replied
that my desire was to undertake
some ordinary case at first, but he
cut me short and said:
"You do not comprehend, Mr.. Old
field. The profession is not like a
mechanical trade where apprentices
are taught by the progressive rule.
Apprentices at our profession are
matured men-not boys-and one
who aspires, to become detective
must naturally have the stuff in him
to do credit to it as well as to him
self, and the best plan is to give him
q difficult case to start with If he
succeeds, it will the more rebound to
his credit; if he does very well, yet
fails to make it perfect success, he
will still have the consolation left
that he is now to the business, and
people could not expect a novice to
be equal to n full-tledgcd profes-
sional; and if he makes no points at
all, but makes miserable bungle of
the whole thing, the sooner he leaves
it, and casts all his aspirations to the
winds, the better"
BY the way he spoke | believed he
was favorably impressed with me,
and my ambition took higher flight.
His words aroused in my soul de-
sire to do and dare, and I was eager
to embark in the life I had chosen.
My silent prayers were answered
that very day. Even as the chief
ceased speaking, an attendant ush-
cred in a portly gentleman, and an
nounced him as the Honorable
Hector Marshfcld.
The name made me glance at the
gentleman, and just rs | recognized
him he smiled in recognition, and
crossing the apartment he shook me
warmly by the hand.
He and my father were dear
friends, and Mr.. Marshficld's only
son and | were the same. 1t was
now two years since I had been to
Manchester, my native place, al
though ! had kept up a correspon-
dcncc with Oscar Marshfcld; but of
late was so absorbed in my desire
to become a member of the detective
force that I had somewhat neglected
my correspondence.
"Well, James," was his first greet
ing, care you still bent on becoming