Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-05-13
COPYRIGHT 1896 BY b0OO MEAD AND COMPANY.

/ Die story 10 account Tor It's bong in the
! possession of one Of his colleagues. 9th
! erwise the fact of man for whose ar
rest large reward had been offered
having, for no apparent reason, present
ed his photograph 10 follow conspira-
tor might arouse suspicion of the por-
traits genuineness.
That the portrait represented not the
real but the disguised Captain Shannon
was equally confident l thought it
more than possible that the man I had to
find would be the exact opposite of the
man who was there portrayed and of
the informer's description. For instance,
as the pictured Captain Shannon was
evidc.ltly dark and was said to be dark
by the informer, the real Captain Shan
non would probably be fair, as the more
dissimilar was the real Captain Shannon
from tho Captain Shannon for whom
the police were searching the less like
ly would they be to find him.
Then, again, it had been particularly
stated by the informer that James Mul-
len was slightly lame, and to this tho
police attached the greatest Importance.
The fact that the man they wanted had
an infirmity SO easily recognized and SO
difficult to conceal was considered to
narrow down the field of their investi-
cations to the smallest compass and to
render the fugitive's ultimate capture
nothing less than certainty.
For myself l was not at all sure that
this supposed lameness was not part
and parcel Of Captain Shannon's dis
guise. A sound man could easily simu-
late lameness, but o lame man could
not so simulate soundness of limb, and
l could not help thinking that if Cap
tain Shannon were, as had been assert
ed, lame, he would have taken care TO
conceal the fact from his confederates.
II the police could be induced to be-
lieve that the man they wanted was
lame, they would not, in all probabili-
ty, be inconveniently suspicious about
the movements of stranger, evidently
of sound and equal limb, who might
otherwise be called on to give an ac-
count of himself.
Being curious to know what course
they were pursuing / made it my bust
ness within the next few days to scrape
an acquaintance with one of the ticket
collectors at Euston. After propitiating
him in the usual way by judicious ap-
plication of "palm oil" ventured to
put the question whether he had at any
time noticed q short, dark, lame man
on the platform where the Irish mail
started.
A broad grin came over the fellows
face in reply.
"What! Are they on that lay still?"
he said derisively. II knew you was
after something, but I shouldn't have
took you for detective"
I assured him that I was not detect
i've, and asked him to explain, where
upon he told me that Immediately after
the publication of the portrait of Cap
tain Shannon instructions had been sent
to all railway stations that a keen look
out was to be kept for short, dark,
lame man, whether clean shaven or
bearded, and that if a person in any way
resembling James Mullen, whose por-
trait was placed in the hands Of every
ticket collector, was noticed the police
should instantly be communicated with.
"Why, if you was to know, sir, said
the collector, "'ow many Short dark,
respectable gents what 'appens to be
lame have been took up lately on suspi-
oion you'd larf, you would. It's bad
enough to be lame at hany time, but
when you're going to be harvested for a
as well it makes your life a
perfect misery, it do"