The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-12-05

CE1ARLOCk COOMBS.
ALoNDoN DETECTIVE in CLARKsBUR6
BY JOHN g. CUTTINGS.
Z.

Several days before Thanksgiving, as
we were walking in Glen Ells-that new
city which is springing up alongside
clarksburg, like Jonah's gourd, and we,
too, "are exceeding glad Of the gourdp-
but that is irreyelaDt, We stopped on
the corner beyond the bridge to meet a
man whom We had met thed ay previous.
He had piqued our curiosity by inform
ing us that he was London detective,
and said "he thought he had business
out here" He was man of medium
stature and age, compactly built, and
dressed in plain suit Of English.made
clothing. He had strong native &C,
cent, but he did not clip his words as
some do, and he was, wtthal, very polite
and not at all stuck up He carried
a small mace and a aptrolman,s shield,
and he informed US that ehe was act.
ing temporarily with Mayor crile's po.
licemen, and that his name was chor-
lock Coombs.
Now, this name seemed somewhat ia.
miliar to us, but We couldn't quite make
it out until now, for as he came up, it
occurred to us that we had been think
ing of the name Sherlock Holmes .
Sir Conan Doyle's great character in ac-
ton. This we mentioned to him, but he
only laughed and said: 81 know DR..
Doyle in London very well; and / told
him myself that, perhaps, my name had
suggested the name for his famous de-
teotivc, but ne wouldn't admit it,"
Are your methods anything like those
of Sherlock Holmes" we ask.
Not at ALL" he replies, every de-
tective who is worth anything is like
himself, and like nobody else; he must
have individuality, strongly marked. Sir
Conan Doyle understands that. After
ALL" he continued, "the imagination is
the greatest endowment, it is the one
gift of mother nature, that makes the
difference between a commonplace man
and a man of genius" but, looking up
suddenly, he cxclaims: Here comes my
man."
We loked up, too, and saw coming
down the street a strapping, big black
man, who was carrying pumpkin on his
shoulder. He looked like railroad hand.
''IIalt, and lay down that pumpkin 2
commands the detective.
The man obeyed, instantly.
Good lor', boss; gist got pun'kin ober
dat grocery he says.
you're a liar. You got it out of the
patch up by the pine tree,D replied the
officer. Meanwhile he kept turning the
pumpkin over with his foot, examining
it critically. He stoops down and brushes
off spot with his hand, and there, sure
enough, wos square cicotrice, as If the
pumkin had been plugged while green,
and the plug, replaced, had grown up
again.
The pumpkin man saw this too, and
his eyes opened wide.
"Good lor', boss; how know dat dar.
Whar fool plug pun'kin. Dink watah
million. Yah, YAH" he laughs.
Holding his hand out towards the iel-
low, the detective says:
"Giye me that knife with long blade
you have in your pocket"
The black man actually turned pale.
Good lor', boss; how yer know Ise
got dat?" But he delivered up the knife.
The detective followed carefully the
cicatrice of the plug, inserting the long
blade nearly to the hilt, and which
reached near the center. Withdrawing
the plug, he looked it over carefully, then
aid it down. He next turned the vege-
table over, and some of the juice exuded,
together with seeds. He then prodded
into it with a long stick until there was
4 faint "clink," but he heard it, and,
picking up a little substance, he washed
it off in q puddle at hand. 1t proved to
be ring. Rubbing it on his coat sleeve,
it proved to be diamond ring with a
very large set.
The pumpkin mans eyes were as big
as saucers. He seemed to be dumfouud-
ed. He uttered not a word. The de.
teetive continued to prod into the orifice
with the stick, and soon he picked up
another small substance, which, on be.
ing washed of and shined up on his
sleeve, proved to be a beoutifully.chased
gold thimble. He replaced the plug in
the pumpkin and rose up, saying:
"Sambo, You can have that pumpkin
now; It'll make You some pies for
Thanksgiving"
Good lor', boss" says sambo, did
dose things growed in dah9 Don't dcy
go wild dc pun'kinf"
"No, they don't so with the pumpkin,
pnd if you don't get away from here,
ri arrest you for stealing it,"
The man took no second warning, but
up his knife and pumpkin no
ran down the street, yelling;
@Dat wife man kin ter de OF debbil