Evening star., 1898-10-15
ONE ON THE DETECTIVE

|
tive Weldon to cover the knights Tenn
plar conclave at Pittsburg to watch out
| there for suspicious characters from this
neck OF the woods, as detectives from most
OF the other big cities of the country We're
sent to keep an eye out in Pittsburg for
crooks from their respective communities.
reminds me of funny story or two in con-
nection with these occasional gatherings
OF the crack detectives on big occasions in
the past" said one of the local sleuths,
himself of considerable reputation as a
crooll-lassoer.
The New York detective sent to the
Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans in
1892 was the renowned Heidleberg-a nah
| VINO mas visited almost every country in
the civilized world in looking for. and gen
orally getting, New York fugitives, mostly
| embezZlerS on a large scale. Heidelberg :
knowledge OF the crooks OF New York city
was almost as intimate and exact as that
| of Inspector Byrnes. There was literally
not d professional thief forger or crook
| OF any kind on Manhattan Island who
| dldn't stand in fear of Heidelberg. and al
| enc time or another during his long career
| ne mad gathered most of them in more than
| cnce. Heidelberg always got the assign
ment to cover big occasions IN cities other
| than New York, for besides his remark
| able knowledge of the professionals of his
| own town, he had a No. / line on a vast
| number of crooks of national reputation
| who did not make New York their perma-
| rent stamping ground.
| Heidelberg did splendid work in New
! Orleans on the first day of the MarGi Gras
festival of 1882. He roped in an even dozen
| of New York pickpockets. thieves, bunco
| artists and such, who had gone down to
| New Orleans to work the Mardi Gras
| crowds. He nailed several of them q block
| away. and there wasn't man of them that
| didn't throw up his hands and exclaim, It's
all off, when he saw Heidelberg bearing
| down upon him.
| 'On the second day of the carnival, Hei-
| dleberg was standing at the main entrance
| of the st. Charles Hotel, yawning and look
| iEs more than usually sleepy. when his
! quick eye caught sight of a face in the
| crowd about half way down the block. He
| turned to the New Orleans detective who
| stood at his side
| dleberg. See that pale, smooth-faced duck.
with the black clothes, on the outside of
| the crowd coming this way-the with
| the band of crepe around his derby? Who
| dye suppose that boy is, hey? Well. that's
! Kid Miller, the wisest hunco worker of my
| town-the boy that took $1,000 oft Oscar
| Wilde half an hour after Oscar got over
| the ganeway of the ship that brought him
| over here few years ago. ] haven't any
thing in my pocket AGAINST him right now
! he's been living in New York and laying
| low lately-but. all the same, I want him
so bad that I just ache. He wouldn't do
! thing to the easy marks of this town if he
| was permitted to run loose
! "Heidleberg didn't notice the grin on the
! face of the New Orleans detective he spoke
| to when he got off this little speech. When
| the pale, smooth-facad man. with the band
| of creme around his derby, passed in front
| Of the hotel Heidelberg was behind him in
| an instant, and touched him on the sboul-
| der
"'How are they coming. Kid?' asked Hell
! dleherg of the man. Anything doing down
| here?
| "The man turned and looked at Heidle-
| berg blankly.
| "sWhat are You giving us?' he asked the
| detective.
heidelberg smiled jauntily.
| Say. that's kind of caddish on your
! part. Miller he said. TO give your old New
| York friends the frozen stare like that.
| Don't remember me, Heidelberg, at all,
| do you?'
There was gleam of intelligence on
| the mans face.
| Say he said, who do you think I am,
| anyhow?
"'Well. if you amt Kid Miller, the hot
| test con. boy that ever traversed New
| York, then you're his brother said Hell
! dleberg. And I guess you amt his brother.
Stop your kidding. Kid. and take little
| stroll with me down to headquarters
"'Oh, WELL said the pale-faced man, L
| suppose it's all up. III go along with you.
! "Heidleberg took his captive into the Of
| flee of the New Orleans inspector of de-
| tectives. The inspector greeted Heidelberg
! cordially, and was just about to say some
thing to the captive, when he caught the
! captive's eye
"'Here's our Kid Miller said Heidie-
berg. You know about him, Of course.
| He's in all the picture books. Nothing
| against him, but he'll be good to hang on
| to until the jamborees all over
| Good thing, said the inspector and he
| called a doorman to take Kid back.
| heidelberg was taking a stroll through
| the French quarter on the same afternoon,
! four or five hours after he made this cap
! ture. when he gave a start-and giving
| starts wasn't usual with Heidelberg.
Say, said Heidelberg to his companion.
| the same New Orleans detective with
| whom he had been talking in the morning,
| give me a pinch on the arm, will you,
and tell me if l look like man that's got
! EN-? Dye see Kid Miller coming along
there again? Didn't I stow him away
| few hours ago, or is the beginning of the
| end with me?
THE man whom Heidelberg had arrested
| in the morning sauntered up smiling, and
| his Ile changed to a grin as he approach
| ed Heidelberg. He greeted the New Or
| leans detective Familiarity. saying, Hello,
| there, John,
| Hello, Tom said the New Orleans de-
| tective. How're you making out? Have
| nice time in the cell this morning? How
| does it feel to be one of 'em yourself, hey,
| Tom?
| "Then the New Orleans detective and
| the man Heidelberg had arrested as Kid
Miller broke out and both of EN- all but
| rolled on the ground with laughter. Hell
| dleberg stood looking at them with a fun
! n.y. puzzled look on his face. When the
| TWO Ifeil SOl through uOlulilS tItlT SUES
and yelling the New Orleans detective said
| to the New Y ork detective:
| Heidelberg, shake hands with Tom
| Conrad, alias Kid Miller. the top ace in
| the whole deck of St. Louis detectives. He's
| down here covering the carnival. What L
| can't understand is how you never hap
| pened to meet him before
| 'There was a look of stupefaction on Hei-
| dlebergs face.
| TON Conrad? Are you Tom Conrad?
he asked the man he had pinched for
| bunco artist. Why, I've known all about
| Tom Conrad for the past dozen years but
| | never happened to run into him. You're
| Tom Conrad, and not Kid Miller? Look
| here. l don't want to have to acknowledge
| that I'm getting old, dopey and has-been.
| You've seen pictures Of the kid in your
| st. Louis gallery, haven't you?
| Plenty of en- replied Conrad still
| grinning. What's more, I've pinched the
| Kid once. He's my exact double. You
| couldn't tell US apart if you Bertiloned us.
| He's worse than twin to me. He's just
me with another name. The inspector was
| ON when you brought me in this morn