The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-29

sometimes crosses the scent and
- thus unwittingly leads the hounds
10 itself. We are SO often called hounds
tnat IL will do little harm II for the mo-
ment / admit the name 10 be correct for
the sake or illustrating the present ex-
ceptional case. | am not aware whether
q crossed scent occurs frequently in hare
hunting. not being "A hare hunter myself:
but among the few similar cases which
have cropped mp In my own peculiar hunt
ing. the Following stands out as worthy
OF notice:
One morning. about 5 o'clock. a police
man on the canongate heat was found
by the sergeant seated at the foot OF
common stair, apparently fast asleep.
The circumstance was so unlocked for
the man being particularly active and
vigilant-that the sergeant stopped 10
make sure that II was he and then was
startled To find that the mans face was
brutally mauled, and himself not asleep,
but quite insensible from his INJURIES
He was carried home and attended 10:
but his condition was so critical that
we were Instructed 10 look ONT sharnlv
for his assallant. The man himself was
quite unable TO give any information. but
the policeman on the next beat speedily
rendered the information that Farley,
the injured man, had reported to him
having twice observed a thief known to us
as Tommy Cockhat," lettering, and had
announced his intention 10 "pounce up
on, him" IN he turned up a third time.
The rascal alluded to was well known 10
us ALL having "A weakness for strutting
i'm white waistcoat. and with his hat
cooked jauntily on one side OF his close
cropped head Sometimes he was called
"Hammy," from The. fact that his first
conviction had been for stealing a ham;
but on the whole the hat had the best
OF H. To find and arrest this man, then
would have been one OF the easiest
things I'm the world: but what good would
the arrest have done? Supposing the
victim of his brutal fists and toe-piated
boots should never recover consciousness
lin word, should die--he would be as
safe as ourselves. II may not be gener-
ally known. but we aim more at secur-
ing convictions, than at merely arresting
suspected men. Ny most earnest wish,
then. Was To collect evidence against
Tommy. and II possible To collect that
evidence from his own boastful lips. The
man who IN silly enough TO be vain
about his personal appearance ~ gener-
ally quite as eager 80 wag his tongue
about what he considers his own clever
ness. OF course, i did not expect MIR.
and begin boasting of what he had done.
for there his cleverness was not likely to
be appIauded; | wished TO listen to his
sentiments while he revelled I'm security
among his own kind.
Now. the house most frequented by
Tommy happened to be public house In
the Canongate. the proprietor OF which.
with tender solicitude for the welfare
and comfort OF these patrons. had set
apart "A room for their use. This place
was too far from the ground for any one
to hope TO overhear aught that passed
within: and. being completely shut OF
from the other rooms could not be APP
preached from any side with hope OF
success, or without the occupants being
made aware OF the intrusion. In exam
ining the room one day. however, II had
struck me that our wish might be gre IT,
fed in an odd manner, II ever occasion
imperatively called for such an attempt.
In the centre OF the ceiling there had at
one time been hanging lustre. which
had evidently been removed in favor OF
the more economical and mpdest gas
bracket which now served to- illuminate
the room A fancy centre-piece of plaster
yet decorated the ceiling. and in this
could be seen the pipe to which the lustre
had been screwed. The absence OF any
thing I'm the shape OF "A wooden peg. or
other contrivance TO prevent an escape
of gas. convinced me that the lead pipe
had long been disused or removed, and
that my task would be easy on that
score.
The time for such action had now come.
Permission was accordingly obtained 10
use the room Immediately above this re-
ception room of eminent rascals-which
was occupied as dwelling house-and
had the floor lifted i'm the centre. exact
" ar the spot where the pipe leading To
the lustre had been cut of and removed.
The scrap remaining, which was fastened
TO one of the flooring beams, after being
Strengthened and widened little at the
top. served as capital listening hole
for me. and at the same time gave me
a view of about twelve inches OF the beer
stained table directly below.
Regarding the Immediate object of my
listening, ] may say that the whole prep.
arations were fruitless. though Tommy
was ultimately secured and convicted up
on the evidence OF the recovered police
man. But on the second night OF my
listening, l came upon a crossed scent.
and. thereafter, what | may fairly call
a strange clue. Two men came into. the
room below me, and. having ordered beer
and lit their pipes told the walter that
If u gentleman called Snoddv' should
appear and ask for two gentlemen as
he was to see," he was TO be shown up,
and a third glass of beer brought 10 his
consumption.
| did not find the conversation of the
two men very interesting or edifying.
Their faces, unfortunately, | could not
see, and even their occasional illusions
to each other as Pete" and Jenny"
did not give me the slightest inlkling 10
their identity. Petes and Jemmys are as
common among my BARNS as Pats
among the Irish, and the voices of the
two below me were SO strange 10 me,
that ! soon decided that they were COM
paratively fresh arrivals.
For some time after their arrival the
two conversed in a low tone about the
absent Snoddy. and speculated eagerly as
To whether he had got it, or no: and
then they set upon their esteemed friends
character and tore Il TO rags. calling him
IAN extortionate cheat and swindler. who
wanted as much for looking on as they
maybe find himself nightly mistaken
when IL came to the squaring-up'
'We'li square him." remarked Pete,
with a grim chuckle and nudge across
the table, which gave me glimpse OF
his greasy coat sleeve. Well get rid
on the stun first. then pay ourselves sec
ond. and give him his share third. See?"
Jenny did appear TO see for he poked
Pete across the table. and laughed till
some of the beer or smoke went down
tho wrong ways and pulled him up with
a desperate fit of choking and coughing.
Yes, last served don't always come on
best" remarked Jenny. and here II was
that began to take something like an
interest I'm their plans. And. besides. We
have not on'y the work to do and the
risk to bear, but the cloth to melt"
Yes, an we knows what cloth is 20
melt" grumpily added Pete. "rain't like
wedge or dross, that can he showed into
the pot and so changed that no one 'ud
know ~. But cloth. who'll fence IL an
give more'n a sixth its vally2 And we
darent have IL made into togs, though
I'm despit bad of for new ones, cause
we'd be spotted and had up at the Cen
trail first time we showed our noses out
OF DOORS" and having uttered this re-
mark somewhat bitterly end resentfully,
Mr.. Pete launched into a string of inn
precationS~ which began with the alb