Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-22
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

| metnouS are devious ana vary Win eacl
candidate. The master of ceremonies is ,
master OF his mysterious art and seldom
fails to make the initiation a success. Th,
following incident will reveal how the de
gree was recently worked:
Two men were mysteriously arrested no
long ago and taken to the marble headquar
tiers of the police department. One Of thu
prisoners was about to board an outward
bound transatlantic steamer. His ticket ha(
been bought. His baggage had preceded
him, and he carried large leather valise il
his hand. As his boot stepped upon tht
gangplsnk, a man of middle age, and fash
ionably dressed, touched him on the shoul
der. The would-be tourist started, and, fo
a moment only, turned pale.
HIS TRIP DELAYED.
"Mr. Frisbie Jones?" observed the formel
deferentially.
eyes, replied the latter curtly,
81 want to see you a minute"
Cant wait, dear boy" he replied affa
bly,. "My boat is about to sail, don't you
see?"
Never mind that" returned the middle.
aged man reassuringly. "You are not go
ing to Europe on this steamer"
mol"
"No!"
"But my trunksl'
Never mind them, 1 have ordered them
put ashore, and 1 want you to 20 up tc
police headquarters with me-"
During his brief conversation, the mid.
dle-aged man tur1ed back the lapel of his
coat and displayed the badge of detective
sergeant.
Mr.. Jones' face became ghastly in its
pallor His square jaw dropped. His black
mustache dropped at the ends, and his low,
| broad forehead was creased with wrinkles
Without word of remonstrance, however
| he allowed himself to be led by the arm to a
carriage, while another detective saw that
his trunk was placed on top of the vehicle,
and the trio was whirled in silence over the
cobble stones, through the narrow streets to
headquarters. Five minutes later Mr.. Fris-
bic Jones was in cell.
About the same time two broad-shouldered
detectives walked into the side door of a
West Side river front saloon, through the
barroom, out of the back door and into a
dark hallway. They ran up pair of dingy
stairs and knocked at the door of small
room at the end of the hall. While they
: were waiting for reply, they heard win
| dow raised. Without further delay, they
burst the door in just in time to catch a
tall, loosely built man, in the costume of q
longshoreman and scrambling out of the
window on to the adjoining roof. In a
second he was back in the room with pair
of handouts on his wrists. 1t took the de-
tectives only few minutes TO convince the
crowd that had followed them upstairs that
| it would be reckless for them to interfere
with the arrest and they soon reached the
pavement in safety. On a signal from the
officer, carriage that had been standing on
the opposite side of the street was driven to
| the curb and quarter of an hour later the
second prisoner was IN cell at headquarters
as far distant from that occupied by Mr..
Jones as the building would allow.
IN THE TORTURE CHAMBER.
The next morning at 9 o'clock Inspector
Byrnes sat in his square room at police
headquarters. On his desk was piled mass
of letters and dispatches, and printed de-
scriptions of thieves sent by out-of-town
officials. He had listened to the reports OF
his detectives, and given his orders for the
day, and Just before he began his work at
the desk, he ordered the middle-aged officer
who had made the arrest at the steamer, to
bring Mr.. Frisbie Jones upstairs, give him
a chair few feet distant from the desk, and
then take seat at the further end of the
room and watch the prisoner until he was
relieved. Within ten minutes Mr.. Jones
was seated by the Inspectors side.
The nights confinement and his anxiety
to learn the exact cause of his arrest had
told upon him. His face was a shade paler
than 1t was the day before, and his COM
posure was clearly forced. AS he settled
al hoir ho L:
a rapid and comprehensive glance, taking
in his neatly combed hair, his curled mus
tache, his chin, collar, cravat, waistcoat,
trousers and boots-taking in everything
save the prisoners eyes. Then, with a sat
isfed nod, the Inspector turned to his mail
and was instantly absorbed in business,
Mr.. Jones busted himself with reflections,
Why had he been sent for? To be uues-
toned, of course. But about what? Which
crime was he arrested for? What evidence
had they against him? Those were the
thoughts that peopled his brain and wrin-
kled his brow in thought. 1t was at least
halt an hour, Though it seemed to the pris-
oner twice that long, before the Inspector
looked up from his desk, and tapped bell.
A detective appeared in answer.
"Show the gentleman in!' he said.
A moment later business man entered
and the Inspector retired to the further end
OF the room and occupied another half hour
in consultation with him. He was followed
by other visitors. Evidently the routine
business of the officer was being conducted
without anv reference to Mr.. Jones pres-
ence. So the time passed until IL O'Clock.
At this hour the Inspector returned to his
desk and tapped the bell. To the detective
who appeared an order was given in an
under-tone and few minutes afteryard
Mr.. Brown crossed the threshold of the
room.
A LITTLE BY-PLAY.
sickly gray and he leaned against the wall
for support The presence of Mr. Brown
affected Mr. Jones differently but no less
visibly. He grew white, bit nervously at
his mustache, and great drops OF perspira-
ton stood out on his forehead. This incl
dent had settled his doubts. He now knew
why he had been arrested. There were only
two things more to be considered What
evidence did they have against him? Would
his confederate confess?
Mr.. Brown was hurried from the room as
though his appearance at that moment had
been a serious accident, and was followed
into the ante-room by the Inspector. They
remained few minutes and the low muir
mur of their voices was plainly heard by
the nervous Mr. Jones. When the Inspector
returned and had seated himself at his desk,
he opened drawer and drew out letter,
which Mr.. Jones plainly recognized as one
be had written to his accomplice. This he
carefully read and placed on his desk under
a paper weight Then he turned to the
prisoner and gave him another searching
glance, taking care to avoid meeting his
eyes, and with little nod that indicated