The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-24
HAS A DUCKS INSTINCT.


Mysterious Escapes of a Noted Crimins!
from Prison Walls.
The retired detective said: Zone OF
the hardest chaps to run down | ever
came across was one had something
to do with when | was on the London
police force, many years ago He was
an all-round thief, ready and willing
to crib anything he could get his hands
on, from house and lot to hot stove.
and he never let anybody get their
h ands on him if he could help it, and
he always did while | was on the
force. For the five years l was work
ing along the dock district the fellow
kept at his work, and we couldn't
catch him. One night he cracked a
safe and got away with one thousand
dollars or more, and reward was Of
fered for him. This put us all on our
mettle, and l was keen to make a repu-
tation, and had everything and every
body spotted.
Not 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 |
" DIS SllIC hdC lllIl, lOT GucTC was OILY
one way to get out of that, and that
was by the water, and in this particu-
lar place he couldn't sneak under the
flooring, but had to take to the open
water. l wasn't ten yards behind him
as he went out the dock on run, and
| saw him go over and heard the
splash. 1t couldn't have been sec
ond till was in sight of all the water
where he went in, but when got there
there WASH t any sign of my man, and
the whole place was well lighted with
lamps. | made thorough search, go
ing all around under the docks beyond,
the only place where he could get un.
der, but there wasn't any man there.
/ was sure then that he had been
drowned, and we dragged the place,
but could find nothing in the shape of
man, though we did fish out a dead
woman, who had evidently been in the
water for a month. His body had
foated Off that was all there was to
it, and we congratulated ourselves on
getting rid of him, even if we had lost
the reward. However, six weeks later,
detective detected him one night
on boat on the Thames, and just as
he was going to take him in he went
overheard and disappeared in the dark
made to find him again, but without
success, and this time we were sure he
had been drowned.
For year afterward nothing was
seen of him, and then we heard of him
in Liverpool, and one of the Scotland
9arders went there to take him, if pos
sible. He spotted him, as 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 America / received
letter from friend of mine at Scot,
land Yard to the effect that the water
dog, as we called him, had been cap
tured by an accident. He had been
seen near the docks by a roundsman
and chased, and as he went toward
the water across the dock he tripped
and fell striking his head on a stan
chion and falling into the water in an
unconscious condition. He was fshed
out and resuscitated, but before they
brought him around they discovered
his amphibiousness, SO to speak. Fast
ened around his neck was rubber
tube, ten feet or so long, with mouth.
piece ready handy at one end, and the
other end fastened into small cork
float, SO that when he went into the
water he stayed there, either swim
ming away or holding to a dock pile,
but never coming to the surface for
air, as he got all he wanted through
the tube, with its 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
awhile, but the accidental falling saved
time and explained mystery, which
he no doubt guarded sacredly, even
from men of his class, for know none
of the thieves we ever caught could
give him away."-Washington Star