Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-10-23
AN AMPiiIBlOUS CRIMINAL.
His Mysterious Method of Escape Revealed
by Accident.

His Mysterious Method of Escape Revealed
by Accident.
The retired detective said: Zone Of
the hardest chaps to run down / ever
came across was one I had something to
do with when I was on the london po-
lice 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 a hot stove, and
he never let ybody get their hands on
him if he could help it, and he always
did; while was on the force. For the
five years was working along the dock
district the fellow kept at his work, and
we couldn't catch him. One night he
cracked safe and got away with ST.
600 OF more, and reward was offered
for him. This put us all on our mettle,
and was keen to make a reputation
and had everything and everybody spot
ted
''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 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 particular place he
couldn't sneak under the flooring, but
had to take to the open water. I wasn't
ten yards behind him as he went out
the dock on q run, and saw him 60
over and heard the splash. It couldn't
have been a second till was in sight
Of all the water where he went in, but
when got there there wasn't any sign
Of my man, and the whole place was
we'll lighted with lamps.
II made thorough search, going all
around under the docks beyond the only
place where he could get under, but
there wasn't any man there. was sure
then that he had been drowned, and we
dragged the place, but could find moth
ing in the shape of a man, though we
did fish out dead woman, who had
evidently been in the water for month.
His body had floated 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 OH boat on the Thames, and
just as he was going to take him in he
went overheard and disappeared in the
dark waters of the river. Every effort
was made to find him again. but with
out 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
Yarders 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, sew
eral times, and each time he got away.
At last, about five years after | had been
in America, / received a letter from
friend Of mine at Scotland Yard to the
effect that the water dog, as we called
him, had been captured by an accident.
He had been seen near the decks by
roundsman and chased, and as he went
toward the water across the dock he
tripped on rope and fell, striking his
head on stanchion, and falling into
the water in all unconscious condition.
He was fished cut and resuscitated, but
before they brought him around they
discovered his amphibiousness, SO to
speak. Fastened about his neck was a
rubber tube, 10 feet Or SO long, with
mouthpiece ready handy at one end, and
the other end fastened into small cork
float, SO that when he went into the va
ter he staid there, either swimming
away Or holding to dc,k pile, but new
er coming to the surface for air, as he
got all he wanted through the tube,
with its open end i'll the float, which
wouldn't t be noticed ore time in thou
sand i'll the dark in such nasty water as
is about the docks. OF course they would
have got on to him after awhile, but the
accidental falling saved time and ex-
planned 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.