Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-03-06
In Jail at Camden.

depot is on the wharf, where the nic-
est view can be obtained of the gold
en-hued waters of the harbor, and
where the odors stirred up by paddle
wheels come to the nose before any of
their original freshness has been lost
on the summer breezes. The waiting
room was erected for the convenience
of those who have to wait. Every
body has to wait at Camden. If they
didn't have to wait, why have wait
ing roomH
/ was waiting there one day last
summer, and after putting IN two
hours at it had just commenced to
study the wonderful architecture of
six New Jersey apples spread out in a
reckless fashion on news stand, when
| observed a man sizing me up. 1t
was his bounden duty, as a good citi-
zen of New Jersey, to ascertain wheth-
er was pirate. looking to capture
one of the big ferry boats, or only a
humble citizen making a quiet sneak
down to Atlantic City. I saw him
styling comparing my height, weight,
dress, color of eyes, ETC.. with a mem.
oranda in a book, and felt that |
was goner. The wicked may dodge
the lasso handled by Nemesis now and
then, but the loop is certain to fall
sooner or later. l had eluded all the
officers between Detroit and Camden,
and was wearing my hat on my ear
and feeling puffed up, but 10, Nemesis
was here.
My first thought was to walk over
to the stranger and surrender myself
and go to the gallows without COM
plant, but my second was to get away
and hunt for fresh fields of crime and
shed more blood. / had two hours to
spare, and while the man seemed to
be asking about the price of dime
novel slipped aboard ferry boat.
The craft had only started when / dis
covered the man beside me. We
crossed over to Philadelphia and re-
turned on the same boat. Once I
thought of ending it all and finding
rest beneath the tan-bark waves of
the historic river, but hated to get
wet, and therefore abandoned the idea.
When the boat suddenly brought
up in Camden l made rush for a
street car. l didn't know whether
the car ran to a coal mine in the CEN
ter of the town, or out into the coun-
try where stumps, haystack and brush
heaps would give me show for my
life, but / took it. So did the strange
man. Why he did not put the hand
cuffs and shackles on to me at once,
and observe that l had run my race,
l couldn't understand. Perhaps he
was not sure of my identity. Perhaps
he wanted to prolong my torture. He
looked out of the window on his right
and seemed to be thinking of the past
and gone. looked out Of the win
dow on my left and was certainly
thinking of the days and nights to
come. When we had gone about a
mile he suddenly rang the bell. You
stop Camden street car that way,
same as in Detroit and Buffalo. When
the pair of mules had come to dead
standstill the stranger brushed his
coat tail aside in a graceful way, and
showed me the big end of a revolver
and gently remarked:
"Now come along without any non
sense. You know me and know you"
Here was point for dispute, but l
didn't accept it just then. You can
always get along better with strang-
er by seeming to let him have his own
way. l didn't even protest against
leaving the car at his dictation. Af-
ter man has been in the army five
years he is ready to take orders from
any one. When we descended from
the car he took me by the right arm.
This was very kind in him, as l might
have fallen down. In front of us was
a structure labeled "Police Station" I"
1t evidently had something to do with
the Camden police. / didn't care
about going in, as / had seen the in
terror of so many others, but the man
frightened his grip and | did not dis
appoint him. He walked me up to
the sergeant's desk, heaved a sigh Of
relief, and famed himself with his hat
as he softly observed:
"Well, I've got him."
"Hanged if you haven't" replied
the sergeant. "Say, Bill, this is a
stroke of luck"
II guess So" guessed Bill.
"Call the captain"
The captain was playing euchre in
the next room. He came out at the
call, frightened up at the sight of me
and waved his hand and said:
"Good Search him and lock him
up in No. A."
whats the charge ." asked the
sergeant as he lifted his pen.
obtaining money under false pre-.
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