The Portland daily press., 1896-06-27
WORKED WITH DICKENS.
Joseph LOwmau the character Detec-
tiyeD for the Novelist.


| He Is Now in Milwaukee and Has Many
Interesting "reminiscences of the Eng
lish Master of Fiction.
Joseph Lowman, watchman, b. 260
Nineteenth street." is the entry on the
Milwaukee city directory which gives the
name, occupation, ana residence of a
man who sometimes talks Interestingly
| of all acquaintance forty years ago with
Charles Dickens, and who might if he
would tell the world much that it does
not know about the famous novelist,
says q Milwaukee correspondent of the
| Chicago Tribune Through most Of the
| SOS Mr.. Lowman sustained to Dickens
the relation of private watohman and
| bodyguard He paced the street in front
of Dickens residence at night, except
when his services were required to attend
his employer in his numerous tours
among the lowly and the vicious of Lon
don. Incidentally MIR. Lowman was an
| assistant in thelliterary efforts of his pa
trcn in searching out odd and peculiar
characters, many of whom have attained
immoral fame through the genius of
| the novelist. CIV
When Conan Doyle first introduced
Sherlock Holmes to the public there wore
those who had this to assert concerning
the clever little detectives methods !:
That it is much easier to play at ded uo-
ton when the outcome is known about
than it is TO go TO work and deduct in
the dark. AS a character detective "Joe'
Lowman has earned the gratitude of all
the world by much the same methods
that Holmes employed. The motto Of
the old man was always, "Put yourself
in his place. and by this he has in his
| time made list OF valuable discoveries,
but having had no friond and idolizer,
such ms Watson, he has been heretofore
prevented from posing before an applaud
ing public.
Far from seeking notoriety, Mr.. Low
man courts the obscurity incident to the
position of night watohman iu one of
William Plankinton's big office build
ings. He is white haired and white
bearded old man with keen, twinkling
gray eyes, with allcthe pride and indie
pendence of spirit of the average English
wnrkingman. He9is a genial old man
when one can make occasion to talk with
him, though it isaonly by riding UP and
down in the elevator at hours when pas
sengers are few and far between that tn
privilege may be gained.
Fifty years ago there was street brawl
in London one lay. Joe" Lowman
watched it for time. and at last gave
his aidEto the one who seemed the weak
81, thus winning thu gratitude and ulti-
mately the friendship of man who was
engaged in this private detective service,
and through whom he entered it also.
Mr.. Lowman was engaged first in follow
ing out clews given him of burglaries
which for any reason were to be kept
in the dark, and he finally rose so that
he was trusted with private murders
too.
HUNTED DOWN TYPES FOR DICK
EMS,
Then one day the thought came TO Joe
Lowman that he could turn his deteo-
tivet penchant to more practical account,
and he cast about for the best way 20 do
it. The olu means were unpleasant
remuneration. For Scotland Yard he had
the hostility that most English private
detectives entertain. and so. when he
found that others in the secret service
were lending their talents.S albeit indi-
| rectly, to the world of letters and even
politics. he decided to do so too. So
when Mr.. Lowman, with his knowledge
of every thiefs den in London, presented
himself before Dickens one day with his
miscellaneous services ready the novelist
engaged him on the spot and sent him
out to look for types. ~
Eor awhile the little detective drew
| upon his own visiting list and used
| characters with wh ON, he was some
what acquainted; but he was never once
! false to the men whom he was using, and
his exercise of diplomacy was great. He
would go to Dickens, for instance, and
the evening, and after dark the novelist
would let himself out from bis rooms
earthly disguised and join him, and to-
gether they would make their way to the
| tap-room of the Green Dragon or some
other now immortal hOstalry and there
come upon their man lolling at the bar.
gossiping with the rest, and waiting for
tho supper which he had been asked with
an easy air of goodfellowship to share.
They would have the parlor then-Dick-
ems and his guide and the man, who
| might be one of London's most notorious
thieves or only an abnormal exponent to
humanity, and here, over round of
beef or chop and bottle of ale and af-
| forwards a pipo, they would lead their
guest on to talk ana disclose himself with
no thought that the quiet man across the
| table whose hands were uspiciously we'll
kept was making such tremendous
mental note of it all.
DISCOVERY OF TONY WELLER,