Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-10-09
A DETECTIVES STORY.

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o'clock new arrival made his appear
ance. He was known to the six men,
aud his name was Joseph Lewis, a
former Pinkerton detective, says the
New York World.
Tell usa story, said Harry Williams.
one of the party.
~He doesn't know any, interrupted
Louis jackson, grain broker.
I'm take you all to Monmouth Park,
remarked t. f. Sykes. advertising man
for Life, IF Mr.. Lewis viii tell us some
thing.
Mr.. Lewis hesitated for momeat and
said:
Il know no stories of my own, but
here is one told me Sunday last by man
who was talking facts. will use his
own words And the ex-detective told
this story:
A pale faced man sat on the steps Of a
west side boarding house the other even
ing, talked of the hot weather, and in
general comported himself like any other
mortal He was the new boarder, and
therefore an object of interest to theresi-
dents of the house, whose occupations
when not attending strictly to business
down town consisted in trying to fad
out what they could up town of their
fellow boarders' private lives
"You are a lawyer, then?" ventured
an old lady whose interest in the new
arrival fairly overfiowed her bump of
discretion and whose perceptive quail
tiles were so rampant as to manifest
themselves every few moments.
mo, madam" said the pale faced
young man. Il am travelling man.
"In the dry goods liner" queried a
sickly young man seated higher up on
the steps.
Something of that sort, indefinitely
murmured the object of all this solicit
tude as he leaned back against the stoop
railing and apparently went off in a
doze.
In short time the occupants of the
steps had taken themselves off in differ
ent directions and nobody remained but
the non-committal new boarder and a
beardless youth, who was smoking
cigarette on the top step.
Don't you find the travelling business
monotonous and tiresome?" inquired
the beardless youtl-"a sort of routine
between here and Chicago?" The pale
boarder glanced quickly and curiously at
his questioner.
"Why should II" he asked.
Don't you remember meP" went on
the beardess youth. "You were work
ing up the-case for so and so in 18-
let me see-85, wasn't it? Your name
is"
"Hush, said the pale young man.
"Well, continu i the youth, "Mr.
Hush. wish you would talk to me and
tell me something, and I'll swear never
to let a soul know who you are, or why
you are stopping here.
"Iam writing, he continued, "treat-
ise on detectives-their use and abuse
and if you will enlighten me little
shall be obliged, and will in return
keep mum
"Its go, said the pale faced man,
but not here. Come up to my room.
"Ihe beardlesS smiled and followed the
new boarder up stairs. A leather trunk
stood in one corner of the room, and
small satchel reposed on the bed, but
otherwise there was nothing to attract
attention.
"What want is comparative facts,
began the beardless.
"That's exactly what propose to give
you, said the pale young man, smiling,
"and you must work rapidly, for | have
an engagement to meet man later on.
"Wouldn't the man be glad if you
didn't meet him?" inquired the beard
less
Possibly, went on the new boarder,
relaxing his features slightly and begin
ming to talk.
"The French, English, and American
work are all radically different In
France the agents, as they are called,
are divided into two classes, the state
and municipal force. A great deal Of
secrecy is used there among the agents
themselves, and ! suppose that not more
than 40 of the state class are known to
each other. These men are paid large
salaries, and work only for the govern
ment in bond forgeries or fraud cases in
which officials or others are robbing
France. They are very clever and
many of them are rich.
@The city detective, the Vidocq and
Lecocq style of thief taker-is the
cleverer of the two classes for the reason
that the variety Of his work gives him
more liberal education in the business.
A great many people believe that the
stories of wonderful disguises told of the
French police are untrue, but positively
assure you that detective there who is
not clever enough to disguise himself
utterly and thoroughly, could not hold
his position for moment These
changes have to be made to stand the
light Of day, toby the way. imagine
our McGinnis, Of the Central Office here,
trying to fool anybody on his appear
ance. G
eff any large robbery occurs-say In
some big institutions-the police are
summoned and the matter is kept quiet.
A new clerk may appear, that's while
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