The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-05-23
Ny Vocation.


5 +
Ss;;ss;a;SssSSs;ssssssssa Observation-Disclosures
My name is Arthur Clarence Fitz-
gerald Mackenzie. I am 30, tall, good
looking and a clerk. 1 am not absolute
ly miserable. but am nevertheless far
from happy.
The cause of my wv unhappiness is
that I cannot alight upon the particu-
lar walk in life in which my abilities
are destined to make me famous.
It was my fathers great principle
that every man is a genius in a partic-
ular department, but the chances are a
million to one that he never finds that
department.
For so years he worked at the trade
of bootmaking without becoming a pen
ny piece the richer, and it was only on
his deathbed that he found he ought to
have been a cabinet minister.
My own delusion was that I came
into this world for the sole purpose Of
showing its inhabitants something
startling in the detective line.
Ny opportunity came at last. / was
walking down the Strand in that calm,
thoughtful manner peculiar to people
of great brain power when a passerby
looked searchingly into my face. It
was only a glance, and he passed on al
most Immediately, apparently satisfied
with his inspection.
l literally jumped with eagerness and
delight. The man. although outwardly
refined and gentlemanly, had a very
striking face.
''That man." said l to myself, 'shas
every indication of being a villain.
Then a thrill of excitement ran through
me. AS he waited ahead l noticed that
his ear tapered to a point at the top;
it was, in fact, a splendid example of
what is known in physiogonomy as
the criminal ear.
"That man is a villain, " said I.
Having come to this rather impor-
tant conclusion, l Immediately formed
the idea of following him. First of all,
l turned up my coat collar. A detective
must not on any account be conspicu-
GUS. Now my linen is always white as
snow, and therefore necessarily conspic-
uous.
l then followed my man in a SLOUGH
ing, shutting way, in order to show
people that I had no object in follow
ing him. l rounded my shoulders,
bowed my head, looked up under my
eyebrows with the most approved ferret
expressions and followed my quarry
with the pertinacity of a bloodhound.
Ellis general appearance and de-
meanor, l soliloquized, ARE indica-
tive of refinement. He is therefore a
gentleman. Being a gentleman, it can
not be his object to perpetrata a COM
mon burglary. He has the aspect of a
foreigner. Being a foreigner, he may
be a Russian, and, being a Russian, he !
must be a nihilist. Good heavensl The
welfare of the ~populace, the very fate
Of the dynasty, may be at stake. Per-
haps this man carries an Internal ma
chine concealed upon his person. But
what is the life Of one man to the safety
of thousands2 | will risk my life for
the
Here l collided violently with a lamp
post. This delayed me for some time.
bnt when ! again caught up to my man
| was rewarded by p%erceiving unmis-
taxable signs of criminal comnlunica-
ton.
Two. or three times I had noticed an
individual on The opposite side Of the
road almost keeping pace with the one
| was following. | was rather suspi-
cious of him at first, but when I saw
him go into a public house I naturally
came to the conclusion that he had
dropped out of the chase.
/ was wrong, however. A little far
ther IN my man turned back and went
into the same house. Now, thought I,
as I followed him, the plot thickens.
l found my particular villain sitting
at a table reading a newspaper.
For nearly a quarter of an hour I
f~urtively watched them. Then my pa
thence was rewarded. The man who
vas reading took out a pencil and be-
gan %scribbling something on the margin
of the newspaper.
Presently the man threw the news
paper down by the side of his accom-
plice and walked out. l did not follow
him this time. I felt convinced that he
had left behind all l wanted.
/ thought of walking over and taking
up the paper, but, as I anticipated, be-
fore I could do SO the other mar pounced
on it like a hawk. For a few minutes
he pretended to read the news, then !
saw his eyes sneak to the side of the
ooo0 o@I Ia11,,,. %Io ~o-osI 49,
Now this is where l displayed my
genius. When the man had read the
note, he deliberately tore off the piece,
folded it up, stuck it into the gas and
lighted his cigarette with it. Like a
flash | took out a cigarette, and, walk
ing over to him, said the usual, "After
you, please, ; in the most natural man
ner.
Apparently he was satisfied with his
scrutiny, for he handed me the slip l
lighted my cigarette, put out the paper
and threw it on the floor so that it went
well under my chair. l then resumed
my seat and awaited developments.
A few minutes later the man left,
and with my heart in my mouth l pick
ed up the paper and spread it out. Part
of the writing was burned, but what
remained almost made me yell with tri-
umph. It ran thus:
Attempt will be made tonight
Colonel Lewis house in
approach from back garden in Carbon st.
Black Jake and Ned Sawyer.
That was sufficient for me. 1t was
plain that Colonel Lewis house was to
be the scene of a desperate outrage.
Probably the colonel would be murdered
and his residence blown up by dyna-
mite. l shook with excitement. 1t was
plain as daylight.
When the curtain of night dropped
like a storncloud over the palpitating
city Ia rather fine phrase). it found me
concealed in the shrubbery Of Colonel
Lewis garden in Carbon street.
Determined not to be anticipated, 1
had reached the rendezvous much earlier
than was necessary, SO I had plenty of
time to work out my schemes.
ssThey will climb that wall" l solilo-
quized. 'sThey will walk along this
flower bed, so as not to make a noise on
the gravel, and no doubt the first start
will be made on that French window. I
will let them go on. The great thing ia
to catch them inFthe act. Their object
is not plumber. They will burst open the
window and go straight up stairs, with
Nemesis on their track.