The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-04
II Detectxve's "Reminiscences.

that Mr.. Dawson was home only three
nights per week and I am honest enough
TO confess that did not connect the cir
eamstance with the domestic life or
hadsn or Saunders. The reason I didn't
was because ! had not yet suspected
Hsdan of anything and because / had no
case against the other two
As 10 Hsdan. living In the same house
With me, be cultivated my acquaintance.
he told me 9f his business. invited me 20
lunch With him. ard was as frank and
open as any man / ever met on half
Gozen occasions he invited ne 10 drop into
his workrooms in case I found myself
near them. and I admit I took quite q
liking TO him. His wife was more reserv-
cd and less 20 oe seen, but yet the four Of
US went TO the theater occasionally IN
company, and she vas agreeable. II not
talkatiye. Hadan was a fair-sized man.
who always shaved smooth. His reddish
hair was scant. one OF his front teeth
broken. and be hmped a little. from an
Old accident. Any policeman could have
picked him ort OF a crowd on a descrip-
ton. Saunders was 3 larger man, with
hair turning gray. perfect teeth and side
whiskers. Dawson was a smaller mar
than the other two. with black hair. a
black mustaehe. and prominent wart on
his cheek. Hadan had the voice OF wo-
man; Saunders spoke slowly and with a
growl; DAWSON had what might be term
ed a fair voice
Now. then. for six years knew these
three men, and two OF them were under
espionage. / talked with them. ate with
them, drank with them, and never I'm
bioed the fainteSt idea that i was the
hfo~raCf In, -
who was in a machine shop not far from
headquarters was killed by accident. /
happened TO be almost the first one on
hand. recognized him at once as the
tailor. and the body was taken nome
While doing his work the undertaken
found that the black hair and mnstaehc
and wart were all false. This was a reve-
lation, even TO the wife. The affair was
published in the papers, and In less than
two days II was found that Hadan. saun-
ders, and Dawson were one and the same
man. He had padded his body 10 increase
his size and apparent weight. and a false
tooth. whiskers. mustache. and a wart
had done the rest. You win say ought
to have detected the cheat by the voice.
In an ordinary case. yes; but this man
had made study of Disgusting his voice
and was doubtless a natural mimic to be-
gin with. / never caught a tone TO make
me suspect.
You will say that good detective ought
TO penetrate such shallow DISCUSSES as
false whiskers. In answer 10 that, let me
say that whiskerS or mustache can be
made to look so genuine that no living
man can detect the cheat. The wart was
a new dodge and one l was not up 10. 1t
was so well done that had seen the man
prick It with a pin ard cringe little as
he did II. l should have felt bad enough
at being fooled, even had there been no
case in IL, but there was a case. The sill
versmith was q fence" for thieves, the
bric-a-brac man was another. and the
tailor was third. He was married 20
three different women; he lived In three
different parts of the city; he carried on
three occupations; he represented three
different men. All this he did successfully
for six or seven years. and but for the
fatal accident might have gone on for
years more. During his career he had
made fortune, and never a person had
suspected the disguises. 1t seems as If
wife should have detected them. but the
three did not, or ct least so claimed. He
divided his time between them. passed as
a respectable member of society, and they
accepted his excuses Cor his absence with
out question. In each case he told his
wives that he Travelled so many days per
week. and IN each case he left the house
and returned to it with hand baggage
Yes; was made fool of: but, fortunate
ly. I was the only one who knew Il. and
may give the fact away now without my
identity being suspected. II would have
added more glory to my record 10 have
caught up the sly rascal, but now and
then the sharpest OF our profession are
outwitted. ind II I made a stupid blum
der IN the one case | have Offset II d0Z-
others.