Evening journal., 1905-09-05
A Detective -Bug6lar

a cf1nlAha1- -teaguetxy1tn a poiAnca1 fp1aa
inaily bEOnshk Enfnenre enough to
bear. and shis. place ssas taken by one
whose dull wits no one need fear. 1t
was natural enough that the 0f1cer
should feel sore and revengeful. There
was place in private detective
agency awaiting him, but after think
ing things over he concluded TO turn
criminal himself. He had been honest
and square. but II be was not to be re-
warded he would be the other thing.
He knew scores Of men who were
looked upon as suspicious characters
who were no doubt pickpockets,
thieves and burglars-and they seemed
70 get along all right and have pull"
over him.
A man who had been pursuing Grim
inals for years and years on the one
side and dealing with honest men on
the other cannot break away from the
routine all at once. It took the detec-
tive six weeks TO fully make up his
mind and locate a 'job" TO be done,
I but he got at II at last. AS a detec-
tive 1t had come TO his knowledge that
a certain rich old woman had cash
! box in the house and was in the habit
Of keeping bonds and a considerable
amount of cash therein. In fact, he
had felt It his duty to caution her
against such carelessness. He knew
her habits-how best TO enter the
house-where the box was kept. 1t
would be the easiest kind Of a job 20
break in and carry the plunder away.
and who in the world would suspect
him? The ex-officer sat down and
went all over the case point by point.
as he used to his other cases, and
when he had finished he was firmly
convinced that by no possibility could
he be brought Under suspicion. The
crime would be laid at the door Of
some crook, and they would run in
some one Of the fraternity and railroad
him to state prison.
At 10 o'clock one dark and rainy
evening the ex-detective set out for
the house he was 70 rob. He had dis
guised himself TO look like working
man and had put on false whiskers.
He had a slight limp in his gait This
he did not take into consideration. A
cross eyed man does not go around
thinking that everybody takes notice
of his infrmity. He had been a bit
lop shouldered for years, but he did
not pad the shoulder up when he
donned the coarse clothes. He would
ho.o a oro,rod tboE ~, e,roh a rffs,E aud
in such disguise not one chance in a
million would come up to give him
away. He knew that he was always
studying criminals. but that they
should study him was a different
thing. He passed two men when with
in block Of the house. They spotted
his limp and his lop shoulder.
To effect entrance to the house Nc
/ Queen must cut and bore away a stout
wooden shutter. BE provided himself
with a new brace and bit and saw.
When the shutter opened he laid the
saw on the ground, where it was found
next morning. He knew what sort OF
catch was on the window, and he had
come provided with an instrument tC
spring it back This instrument was
left on the front stOop near which be
was working after being used There
was plenty Of mud on the crossings
Mcqueen had won several cases by the
muddy or dusty tracks left behind
There was grass at hand on which to
clean his boots, and he entered the
window without doing so.
The treasure box was in an unlocked
bureau, while the owner slept in a
room adjoining. Nineteen burglars out
without awakening the woman, but as
Mcqueen got hold Of it he knocked a
bottle OF the bureau with his arm.
The old woman screamed out, and he
fed, leaving bis dark lantern on the
bureau. He had planned to reach
home by a certain route after the
burglary As he started to take that
route he saw a policeman barring the
/ way and had to take another. Almost
at his own door he encountered a third
criminal who knew him in spite OF his
disguise To crown all the owner OF
the box had finally taken his advice
and deposited her bonds and most Of
her cash in a bank and all the detec
tive got for his crime was $26.
The case was given to about the poor
est detective on the force. Mcqueen fe
licitated himself that he was perfectly
safe, and three days later when arrest
ed and he saw the evidence arrayeC
against him he was appalled,. The bi
and brace and instrument for spring
ing the window catch were traced 4
the seller, and he said the buyer wa
) Mcqueen. There were six or elgh
muddy tracks on the floor Of the bed
room, and they were found to At tn
ex-detective's shoes. As a matter o
fact, some Of the mud was still clinginl
TO them, he having failed to take tn
most common precaution. The secon,
night after the robbery he had got ri'
OF the box by throwing 1t In a pom,
back Of the house. A hoodlum Of
boy mousing around had seen his aC
tion and next day recovered the box
Silliest and most foolish OF all, tn
man had taken his old dark lanteri
with him, and there were marks on
that were recognized by half a dozel
of his old comrades.
One Of the sharpest detectives In tn
country had planned a crime that b
e could see no possible loOphOle In an
I. then gone and left so many that eve
a country constable could have brough
. the crime home to him. When arreefe