Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07
AN AMPHIBIOUS CRIMINAL
1t Was the Simplest Thing When They
Only Knew How He Did 1t.
He Made Many Escapes and Was
Finally Captured by an
Accident.

The retired detective was talking for the
benefit OF The Star writer. and the S. W.
was letting him do as much Of 1t as he
wanted to do.
"One of the hardest chaps to run down
l ever came across" said he, was one
had something to do with when I was on
the London police force, many years ago.
He was an all-round thief, ready and will
ing to crib anything he could get his hands
on. from house and lot to q hot stove,
and he never let anybody get their hands
on him If he could help it, and he always
did, while 1 was on the force. For the five
years I was working along the dock dis
trict that fellow kept at his work, and we
couldn't catch him. One night he cracked a
safe and got away with a thousand dollars
or more. and reward was offered for
him. This put US all on our mettle, and
was Keen to make reputation, and had
everything and everybody spotted. Not a
hair of him, though, showed for as much
as three months, and then one night
flushed him and gave chase. He went for
the dock. and l was sure I had him, for
there was only one way to get out of that,
and that was by the water, and in this par
ticNar place he couldn't sneak under the
flooring, but had to take to the open water
1 wasn't ten yards behind him as he went
out the dock on run, and 1 saw him go
over and heard the splash. 1t couldn't
have been second till l was in sight of
all the water where he went in but when
l got there there wasn't any sign Of my
man, and the whole place was well lighted
with lamps I made a thorough search
going all around under the docks beyond,
the only place where he could get under
but there wasn't any man there. I was
sure then that he had been drowned, and
We dragged the piece but could find moth
ipg in the shape of a man, though we did
fish out a dead woman, who had evidently
been in the water for month. His body
hod tod Of tIrf oJr -
1t. and We congratulated ourselves On get
ting rid of him. even If we had lost the re-
ward. However, six weeks later. de-
tective detected him one night on a boat
on the Thames. and just as he was going
to take him in he went overheard and dis
appeared in the dark waters of the river.
Every effort was made to find him again,
but without success, and this time we were
sure he had been drowned. For year af-
terward nothing was seen of him, and then
We heard of him in Liverpool and one Of
the Scotland Iarders went there to take
him If possible He spotted him, usual,
down about the docks, where he seemed to
be careless. and again he took to the water
and escaped. By this time we felt that he
wasn't born to be drowned. and that he
would turn up again. He did, several
times, and each time he got away. At last
about five years after had been in Amer
lea, / received letter from Il friend of
mine at Scotland Yard to the effect that
the water dog as we called him, had been
near the docks by rodndsman, and
chased, and as he went toward the water
across the dock he tripped on rope and
fell. striking his head on n stanchion, and
falling into The water in an unconscious
condition. He was fished out and resusci-
tated, but before they brought him around
they discovered his amphibiousness, so to
speak. Fastened about his neck was rub
ber tube. ten feet or SO long, with a mouth
piece ready handy at one end and the
other end fastened into a small cork float
SO that when he went into the water he
staid there, either swimming away or hold
ing to a .dock-piie, but never coming to the
surface for air, as he got all he wanted
through the tube, with it's open end in the
float, which wouldn't be noticed one time
In thousand in the dark in such nasty
water as is about the docks. Of course,
they would have got onto him after WHILE
but the accidental falling saved time and
explained mystery, which he 10 doubt
guarded sacredly, even from men of his
class, for know none of the thieves We
ever caught could give him away"