, 1903-10-07
A Bit of
Detective Work

: looking for, Is going to give you the sup
by leaving the country. He takes the
1880 train tomorrow for Philadelphia
from the Jersey City Pennsylvania depot
and will sail the same evening OH a tramp
steamer. His mother goes with him.
The note was written In a woman's
hand, and 1t seemed probable that
some companion with whom he had
become antagonized had given him
away. | took an assistant along II
an hour before train time went to the
depot on the Jersey side and sat dow
In the spacious corridor rallied off from
the trains to wait and watch. Ten
minutes before train time a
about sixty years of age passed
through to the train, and as there was
something in the way h locke
about her that attracted my attention
| concluded to follow her, leaving Bur
ton, my assistant, to watch outside till
the train was about to start.
The woman went into an ordinary
passenger coach and sat down, deposit
ing her bundles beside her. She seem
ed to be anXiously looking for some
one, and when h train pulled out of
the station, that person not having ap-
peared. she made Il frantic rush to get
off. But the train was by this time
moving pretty rapidly and a brakeman,
catching sight of her, stopped her.
Then she went back to her seat and
began to cry.
whats the matter" l asked.
MY old mans gone and got himself
left. He was to meet me here to go to
Philadelphy. I'm afeerd somep'n's hap
pened to him."
Maybe he's on the train some'rs," l
replied. what kind of a looking man
is he? I'll hunt him up for you"
Hes purity old, my man is. No
hair 'cept patches of white hairs be-
hind the ears, white beard under his
chin and veal green glasses"
"All right. I'll find him for you if
he's aboard"
Glad of an excuse to inspect the pas
sengers, | got up from my seat and
went into the next car forward, where
| had posted Burton. Directing him to
search the cars ahead l searched those
in rear. We both scrutinized every
body, but when we met we had seen
no one answering the description or
exciting the last suspicion. l went
back to the old woman and told her
feared her husband had really got left.
whats the first stopY she asked.
"Trenton. and that's the only stop
of this train. VIII you get out there? p
81 dunno. | dunno what to do"
The great danger now was that our
man If on the train might elude us at
Trenton. l posted Burton in the for
ward part of the train while l took a
position in the real, arranging with
him that as soon as the train stopped
we were to jump off, move back on the
platform to a point where those getting
on and off would not intercept u
view of each other and s%crutiniZe every
one. When the train rolled into the
station we did as we had agreed. but
neither of us saw any n get off ex-
citing the least suspicion. We kept up
the watch till the conductor signaled
the engineer to pull out, and at the
moment we were about to step aboard
a we'll dressed gentleman whom we had
noticed on the train immersed in his
newspaper jumped from the car plat
form and with the agility of a cat ran
to the exit. Quick as thought l sig
nailed Burton to get on the train while
l turned and ran after the fugitive.
He led me quite a long chase and 1t
would have been longer had I not sig
nailed a cop on the street just as the
unner passed him. This ended the
pursuit and in a few minutes 1 had a
pair of bracelets on the gentlemanly
man who had so long fooled us on the
train.
As soon as l got him to the police
station 1 took out a photograph Of Jar
Wis and compared 1t with my captive.
There was nothing very rugged about
either man or photograph, though l did
not doubt from the resemblance that
the one was a likeness of the other. The
original was of a more delicate cast Of
countenance than the picture, but this
l attributed to the refining makeup,
which was for a gentleman.
"Well,"' he said despondently. you've
got me. l done my best to beat you. l
couldn't stay any longer in New York.
You had me cornered."
l telegraphed Burton at Philadelphia
that I had my man. He was not to risk
anything by %arresting the old woman
unless he had proof of her completely
with Jarvis. This was the same as or
dering him not to trouble her, for there
was no evidence whatever against her.
l was several days waiting for extra
dition papers from New Jersey to New
York. Just before l was ready to leave
the matron of the Jail came to me with
a curious look in her eye.
"You won't be allowed to take the
prisoner out of the state ON the papers
you have" she said.
"Why not?"
Because they call for a man."
u nd willow H. &c