The times., 1898-06-05

found near the sea by a reporter for a
famous journal in Nice. Hush money
was paid, and in Nice l found my
young fellow running a cafe and tell
ing 10 victims sure combination to
win at The 80 and 40 On at the roulette;
also ready TO write the most sensation
al articles for newspa pers.
This is how / found him: / was
watching with suspicion a young wo-
man She took the train for Mentone; !;
so did l. On the car | played the hay
seed, made inquiries about the games,
and interested her so that she prom
ised to go back the next day with me
and show me some combinations. l
have talent for playing the provincial
and fooled her She told me she
played irreguIarly for fancy; her hus-
band at Mentone was dying OF con
sumption. l went home with her in a
casual manner, and was presented to
the husband
In him I found my man. ! needed
my handouts and revolver before l
got through with them both, for she
was an expert. He has a good chance
now Of living a long term out in pris-
on; for it was he who had passed both
forge draft-iirst as the dude, then
as the widow.
a man and woman playing villains
! together, under the sacred name of
/ man and Wife. are the worst to track
down. Just as women are the noblest
creatures in the world. they can be
the slyest and tricklest, and when guild
ed by a man of low principles it takes
some sharp work from a detective.
l remember another instance, where
a man and a woman posed as rich no
bles. They sent an gent TO rent villa
from a dear old lady who wished to
leave Monte Carlo for the season. She
was pleased to put her home in such
notable hands and the bargain was
concluded with the agent. The couple
came and the agent told the old lady
she must not insult them by asking
rent money in advance.
He suggested that a little something
was due TO him. They compromised
OF: 100 francs She was a dear, simple
old soul, and handed him a 50O-franc
piece, saying she had no change. He
said he would go out to change it for
her. when-as hazard would have it
| l was passing by the veranda. She
knew me. for | had carried jewels to
and fro for her, and she asked me to
I change the money. / said / couldn't
but suggested to the agent that he call
the next day. l wanted to examine
him in the next twelve hours, for
Qldn Ike MS face.
| found his career quickly, as well as
the bogus mobiles who were occupying
the villa They We're speedily got out
Of town. That plan of renting a fine
villa and ensnaring victims for pri-
vate tables by two villains is one of the
Monte Carlo traps for the unwary.
No one but the detective can imag-
| inc how almost next to impossible it is
| for one to realize to whom one is &C
| tually talking Names are naught; dis
| guises are so marvellous that one could
make a dozen friends out of the same
man or woman. These disguises are
| easy TO cover the amateur crook al
| Monaco, while the expert changes his
| sex as easily as his name. Before
! ever went as a private detective, | had
visited there severat times and thought
| l knew Nice thoroughly. People
seemed so polite, Welldressed, leis-
urely. | thought them all pleasure
| seekers.
| The low crook with vulgarities never
| goes there; the adventuress who is
| fiagrantly immoral remains away
| Monte Carlo is the rendezvous of the
| well-mannered scoundrels of the worlC
those who have a. positive genius
| for artistic ill-doing.ra 1t is none the
less depraved because 1t is behind q
| charming exterior and it is thousand
| times more deceiving.
! There detective takes no ones WORD
| for anything unless he knows the per-
son. l have dined with a real count
and a bogus baron on either side OF
| me and found the latter far more DO.
! lite, suave and attractive than the
| former One is constantly on the trig-
/ ger, as it were. All the detectives de-
velop such keen excitement in the peo.
| pie about them that the game of the
table is as child's play to the more in.
teresting game in human life. Every
| face that appears at the door may be {
! link in a chain of depravity that the
| detective is hunting. Each detective
is following several clews at one time
for here congregate the world of gen.
| tlemen thieves.
With all the vice it brings about it
the game as game is square. I say
| that on the word of a detective wht
! knows. Every sharper in Monaco
knows that it is he, and not the Group
| ier, who is the real vice of the place
If the company is making millions. i
is not due to loaded roulettes or doubl,
zeros or prepared cards. Every playel
has as - chance to win as th'