The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-09-11
CAUGHT BY A HABIT.
Some QUEER Gases in the Work
of a Detective.

During the years that l was ''in the
profession" had some queer cases. l
had the reputation of being t1ucky,"
and am ready to admit that luck has a
great deal to do with successful detec-
tive work. l have known officers who
were honest conscientious, and pains
taking, but who always just missed it.
II they had been on case for six
months, and had finally run a man
down until he was within arms length,
Some one else was sure to step in and
bag the game at the last moment. 1t is
an old saying that '1uck brings luck. :"
1t was certainly true in my case. My
nrst capture was that of the famous
Dick Morton, the Tennessee outlaw of
thirty years ago. / was in Nashville
when he shot and robbed two men on a
highway forty miles distant. l was
then on the Cincinnati force, and was
interested in getting close description
OF the man. Any description you may
give of a particular man will apply to
dozens in general way. Dick was
about six feet high, brown hair, blue
eyes, sandy whiskers, etc. The only
real point was in his manner of speech.
1t was said that he always rolled his
eyes upward when beginning sem
tence. He did this on the advice of an
old woman to break himself of the
habit of suffering, and it was a success.
just week after left Nashville 1
was in Evansville, Ind. AS sat in the
Office of hotel man came in and reg
lstered, and when he answered the in
Quiry of the landlord up went his eyes.
When had seen him do this three or
four times I began to compare him
point for point with my description of
Dick Morton, and in five minutes was
satisfied that had my man. He had
been shaved, had his hair cut, and wore
suit of black, but there were some
things he could not hide. The little
finger on his left hand was off to the
first joint; he held his head cooked to
one side when listening to you, and his
right foot toed in as he walked. l
made no move until after dinner. Then.
as he came out of the dining-room
held him up with the muzzle of a revol-
YER right against his breast and
the landlord put the handouts on him.
Then ! called The local officers and
turned him over. He had two pistols
and knife on him, and his wallet
panned out over 1900. At this time
more than one hundred men were
looking for him in Tennessee
and kentucky, there being re-
ward of 5000 offered for him dead
or alive. 1t was luck, so far as our
meeting in Evansville, but had I not
caught him as did. and in the way l
asd, the affair would have had differ
ent ending. He was going to settle his
Dill and take boat down the river. and
once outside the hotel he would have
killed any man who dared approach
him.
In the second year of the war young
mar named Cassius Phillips, cashier in
State bank in Chicago, skipped out
one night with about $25, 900. 1t so
happened that 1 was off service then,
aoing bit of work for Uncle Sam, and
was asked to take up the embezzler's
eraiL had seen him in court about
month before, where he was witness
= M case. His popularity was his voice.
"hlle he was a big, bewhiskered fell
.oW' his voice was as light and thin as
awoman's. He had thirty hours the
ssart OF me and had left no trace of his
sral Having learned that he was al
avs talking about a life in Paris,
set out tor New York in hopes to hear
thing of him at the steamer Office.
ne mad not been seen, nor had he been
senlOng the passengers sailing for any |
.OSelgn country the day before. I |
a'Sae0 that he bad fingered On ths |