The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-12
THE COUNTRY DETECTIVE
His Work Is Harder Than His City
Brothers.
His Only Reliable Assistant Usually Il Ills
Trusty RevoIver-A Case In which
One Used Ills weapon with
Remarkable Efect.

Tho detective business, any way
you take it, said member Of the pro-
fession, recently, lis interesting and
exciting, but out here in the 'wilds Of
West Virginia the dangers go way by
those met with in regular city work.
The city detective has all the help and
needful accessories he wants; out here
he has to be tho entire force himself.
for when he is wandering around
among these mountains looking for an
escaped murderer or train wrcclSer he
can't have an army Of police officers at
his beck and call. He and his revolver
have to be the whole thing, and tho
only help he gets is what he has at
the end Of his weapon. 1t makes him
self-reliant and pretty hard to get
caught in bad place, but he has a
harder time than one thinks, keeping
himself free. He plays q game Of
risky solitaire, in fact, and the worst
Of it is he doesn't even get into the pa
pers like his more fortunate, but no
drawer. brother in the city
sAll right, said one Of his listeners
as the country detective stopped to re-
light his cigar, go ahead with your
story. It reminds you Of
Wrong again, young man." returned
the officer. smiling, '.for II doesn't re-
mind me Of any hair-breadth escapes
Fact is, have been lucky in not get
ting into any very close places, and !
never did a thing that would warrant
my having my picture published in the
newspapers"
81 should hope notr' exclaimed the
young man, fervently.
"But, went on the other, without
noticing the interruption, 1--WE had one
man down in Kanawha county whose
life was one Of the saddest and at the
Same time the busiest of any mans In
the state. Never mind his name; he
was at the head Of an agency, and died
only few months ago.S He had had
more exciting incidents In the course
of his life than any man ever knew,
and, fit Is ever written out in full, it
will prove as interesting as any half
dime novel you could find He was a
tall, thin man, with the qnietest ways
imaginable, and, strange to say, as
modest us girl when talking Of any
of the many fine catches he made.
He had been q newspaper man long be-
fore he became detective, and that
gave him capacity for listening In
stead of talking himself He rose rap
idly in the last profession he took up,
and there Is hardly a well-known case
in the state which he wasn't connected
with in some way. He always acquit-
ted himself well, too, and showed he
understood the business clear from A
toZ Perfectly fearless and as agile
as a tiger, it wasn't often that he was
caught unnwares But once he came
near being lost, and by the grossest
piece Of careles sness he was ever guilty
OF. He had two men, as desperate
IN his Office. They were handcuffed,
but that was all, the guard having
gone to get the town officials to carry
them to Jail. My friend was entertain
ing them in the meantime, and he got
up to speak to the porter In the hall
for not half q minute, about getting
them some water which they had asked
for, when he heard movement in the
room. He stepped quickly back in
time to see one of the men reaching
with both hands for pistol belonging
to the detective, which lay on his desk.
He had his hands on 1t before my friend
could speak, but the detective prompt
" threw chair at him, knocked him
down, and, jumping clear across the
room in one spring. he had the weapon
and was covering the other prisoner
before either of them could move He
saved himself by his prese nee Of mind
thatA time, but he told me he wanted
me to kick him II he ever left another
prisoner In reach Of his dangerous
toys.
Five years ago he was on famous
casa train wrecking. II was a hor-
rible thing; two men turned train
into a switch running down the river,
as they afterwards confessed, because
they had grudge against the en-
gineer Of the train. Several people
were killed, among them the conductor,
who lostShis life trying TO get brake
man out from under o burning car
but that is another story ASH said,
my friend had this case. and the way
he worked 1t was worthy Of the man
/ never saw him 90 tircless as he was
this time, he followed his men from
farm to farm and town to town, work.
ing as a common laborer here, as a
brakeman theres machinist In an
other place. but keeping them In sight