The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-17
copyright, 1906. by Marion &. scheitlin.l
PART I-iNnnfinnnd

PAHT discontinued.
Mrs. Watson was apparently stylish
ly and was agreeable in manner.
Those who came into contact with
them decided that Clinton had made q
valuable business and social acquisi-
ton when the watson" family set
tied there. The newcomer and his
good wife chose the better and more
centrally located of tho two houses
rented for their residence. Into the
other house. which was about q mile
and quarter back from the river and
the last house on the street, there
moved about the time of the advent Of
the "Watsons" family of four Ger.
mans. the father. mother and grown
son and daughter. giving the name of
Schafer. This new family, according
to the gossip Of the town. were in the
employ or under the care Of Watson"
the exact relations being ill-deflned.
Both families were unobtrusive. es.
pecially the German family, and there
was nothing In the known affairs Of
either family to arouse uncommon In.
terest.
1T was shortly before this--a few
days, in fact-that I had had my first
look ut the man believed from the
meager description to be Nelson
briggs. After the trip to Nauvoo
had come up the river and stopped ut
Fort Hamilton. small town across
the river from Keoknk, where, one
Cay, on the porch of the town hotel,
saw man answering the descrip.
ton Of the notorious dealer in the
queer" He was talking to man
whom I did not know. and did not
allow myself TO be noticed by the
pair. The man believed to be
briggs was about S. years old. heavy.
with full beard and the air Of a we'll.
TODD farmer. did not allow him to
get out of my sight, and when he went
to Clinton l became convinced that
had not only found briggs. but that
my information from Nauvoo was
correct. Therefore. Immediately
after the suspect had been fol-
the Revere House. in that city under
the name Of &C. A. Demarest," an un.
communicative and unobtrusive chap,
who attracted no attention. Soon
afterward another stranger made his
appearance and rented room in a
house directly across the street from
the one occupied by u. X. Watson"
and his wife. The following day still
anothe Granger appeared in Clinton.
Between "Demarest" and the last
two arrivals there was apparently no
acquaintance nor communications: but
under cover Of the darkness at night
and in the most cautious manner pos.
sible "Denarest" did communicate
with the strangers. one at time. In
fact every item in the domestic routine
in both the Watson" and "Schafer"
residences found its way daily to
"Demarest." One day while this play
was going on Watson" made an cx-
cursion to La Glare. Ia, a distance Of
seven miles. He had taken his de-
parture without precaution against
being followed, for there is no reason
to believe that he suspected there
we're In Clinton three men to whom
his every move was Of vital interest
At La Clare Watson" made his way
70 an old stone house on the river
bank and spent some time in the com.
pany OF . middle.aged man, who oc.
cupied the house with his wife. Leav-
ing the piping" Of the watson" and
"schafer" homes to my assistants and
in my role Of "Demarest" I had taken
up the chase Of Watson" ON his excur.
sion to La Clare and Of the man whom
he had gone to meet This was on
August II, 1875, and during the
months had been working ON the
case I had not had the slightest clew
to the whereabouts of Ben Boyd.
After the visit Of watson" to La
Glare I had little difficulty in estab-
fishing in my own mind the identity
Of the man on whom Watson" had
called as Ben Boyd, the most expert
plate-cutter in the United States and
the man on whose skill and activity
there depended the success or failure
IS no ho~ ~ -