Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-03-29

| tlceo tnat ne ndu nedu VI nin.
Jones had also noticed that be had
an eye like an eagle and perspica-
city that enabled him 10 tell horse
from a COW Oh sight The livery
man was hattered. He couldn't help
but be. He had been called fool
often enough for trying to conduct a
livery business in county where
there were 264 separate. distinct and
steep bills, and to find that all the
people had been wrong about IT all
the time was like pouring sweet oil
on burn.
After an hours conversation the
man of horses and buggies gave up
S25 and received a commission to act
as detective. He was not TO be con-
fined to any one sort of crime, but
could go ahead and do business with
criminals of all sorts, regardless Of age
or sex. Before Mr.. Jones had left
the stable the newly made detective
bad made up bis mind to keep an eye
on the landlord of the hotel. He
had long suspected that counterfeit
money was being made in the garret
of the Clarion.
The man who arrived took another
saunter that day. He sauntered in
to see Mrs. Bascomb, who kept a
small millinery and notion store. He
had not come for fall hat or paper
of hairpins What he had come for
he related in whispers, accompanied
by a confidential demeanor. His
agency needed women detectives. A
word caught up now and then as a
woman customer was trying on hat
or buying a yard Of tape might lead
to the unearthing of great mystery.
Mrs. Bascomb was located next to
the postofice. She could keep her
eye on the postmaster. There was
blacksmith shop opposite. She could
have the smith and all his customers
under constant espionage. AS it was
dull times in the millinery business
it took full hours talking to make
Mrs. Bascomb part with $50 in cash
in exchange for detectives commits
sion, but she finally parted, and was
advised to "spot" all crosseyed men
mailing letters at night after the post
Office had closed.
During the next week the m an who
arrived was on the saunter most OF
the time. The two dry goods mer-
chants and one of the grocers refused
to buy commissions on account Of re.
ligious OF some other scruples, but ev-
erybody else approached had only to
be talked to for a few minutes to pay
a price. If they wouldn't pay $50
the price was gradually reduced to
SIS. the arrest of single murderer,
they were told, would make them
good thousand times over.
Not less than 20 women were in
cluded in Mr.. Jones list. and when
he could secure no more clients in the
town he worked the surrounding
country. Not farmer or farmers
hired man turned him down. 1t
happened in several cases that both
the farmer and his man took commits
sions and were instructed to watch
each other.
When Mr.. Jones departed he left
more than 100 detectives behind him
to watch for the coming Of the crime
wave. They were to make reports to
the home office whenever they struck
clue. Not on their life Of lives
were they to give away the fact that
they were working for the agency or
keeping their eyes peeled. Craft,
cunning and silence must be the order
of the day.
During the next two months Briggs
Vile had an uncomfortable time of It.
Everyone had a feeling that he was
under espionage, and his feeling was
right. Men and women sitting in
their church pews Of Sunday glared
around in a suspicious manner and
forgot all about the sermon. Boys
and girls of te der years found them
selves shadowed, and went home to
tell fathers and mothers who were
shadowing someone else.
1t was at church social that the
grand expose occurred. Mrs. Bas-
comb brought it about by charging
the cross-eyed cooper with mailing a
letter at midnight. This was in re-
yenge for bis hogging down more
than his share of the ice cream. In
FIVE minutes it came out that there
were about 40 detectives present and