The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-11
A Bit of
Detective Work
[Original.l


away. took an assistant along and
an hour before train time went to the
depot OH the Jersey side and sat down
In the spacious corridor rallied off from
the trains to wait and watch. Ten
minutes before train time a woman
about sixty years Of age passed
through to the train, and as there was
something in the way she looked
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 the train pulled out Of
the station, that person not having ap-
peared, she made frantic rush to get
off. But the train was by this time
moving pretty rapidly and brakeman
catching sight of her, stopped her.
Then she went back to her seat and
began to cry.
"Whats the matter? asked.
"My old mans gone and got himself
left He was to meet me here to go to
Philadelphy. I'm afeerd somep'ns hap,
pened to him."
maybe he's on the train some'rs," l
replied what kind of looking man
Is he? I'll hunt him up for you"
"He's purity old, my man is. No
hair 'cept patches of white hairs be-
hind the ears, white beard under his
chin and wears green glasses"
"All right. I'll find him for you if
he's aboard"
Glad Of an excuse to inspect the pas
sengers, l got up from my seat and
went into the next car forward, where
had posted Burton. Directing him to
search the cars ahead | 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 l
feared her husband had really got left.
"What's the first stopT she asked.
"Trenton, and that's the only stop
Of this train. VIII you get out Their? p
II dunno. l 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 took a
position in the rear, arranging with
him that as soon as the train stopped
we were to jump off, move back on the
platform to Il point where those getting
on and off would not intercept our
view of each other and scrutinize every
one. When the train rolled into the
station we did as we had agreed, but
neither of us saw any one 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
q 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 cat ran
to the exit. Quick as thought l sig
nailed Burton to get on the train while
| turned and ran after the fugitive.
He led me quite long chase and it
would have been longer had l not sig
nailed a cop on the street just as the
runner passed him. This. ended the
pursuit and in few minutes | 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 l took out photograph Of Jar
Wis and compared it with my captive.
There was nsthing very rugged about
either man or photograph, though did
not doubt from the resemblance that
the one was likeness of the other. The
original was of Il more delicate cast OF
countenance than the picture, but this
1 attributed to the refining makeup,
which was for Il gentleman.
"Well," he said despondently, you've
got me. l done my best to beat you. /
couldn't stay any longer in New York.
You had me cOrnered."
telegraphed Burton at Philadelphia
that 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 eNs or
dering him not to trouble her, for there
was no evidence whatever against her.
was several days waiting for extra
dition papers from New Jersey to New
York. Just before | was ready to leave
the matron of the Jail came to me with
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.
"WlIy not?'
because they call for a man."
"And whom do L propose to take II
not mani"
"well, If you take the person you
brought here it'll be woman"
'What7"
Jarvis sent for me this morning and
proved to me conclusively that the pa
pers committing him or her were file
gal, since they state the sex incorrectly.
She demands her release"
Well. that ends the story. The old
woman was Jarvis himself, and my
catch was his sister, who resembled
him. She had got of at Trenton on pur-
pose to enable her brother to elude us.
Jarvis sailed and was never again seen
in America. Who gave US the informa-
tion we never discovered.
CLARENCE STORMS sHALER,
------------a -
A stone weighs less in water than II
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