Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-11-10
DAILY STOR Y.
HOW BECAME A DETECTIVE.
IOrieinal1

and decided that 1 would cast my lot
with city people. Having sufficient
funds to keep me while hunting for a
situation, 1 packed my traps, took a
train for Chicago, found a boarding
place and began my hunt
One day when l came to my room In
the evening l found an envelope that
1 had left my address with the post
master-containing a simple advertis-
ing card. | was about to throw both
into the wastebasket when 1 noticed
something written in lead pencil on the
card. Taking it to the light, | read:
A. % - 1O1s - 3I2]2 9Th.
1t seemed TO me that some one had
been figuring on the card and again l
started TO throw it into the wastebas-
ket But, having al hour before din
ner, with nothing to Go but brood over
my failure 10 obtain n situation, l sat
down with it and amused myself try
ing to puzzle out what the writer had
been figuring. Having nothing to guide
Inc, l failed to make even Il start.
When 1 went down to dinner L left
the card on the table. On returning to
my room while debating whether I
would put in the evening among the
gay crowds on the principal thorough.
fares or i'll my room l took up the ad-
yertising card and began to puzzle over
the writing on it.
After considerable study l made up
my mind that it concealed message.
Suddenly possible Interpretation Of
the - 30 occurred to me- The day
was April Goth. April was the fourth
month, and the ODD would he the day
after tomorrow. The next possible i'll
depreciation l reached was 34212 9th,
which l decided meant 3421a Sixth
street or avenue. With these two
links l was not long in deciding that
101a y meant half past 10 o'clock at
night. If this was a correct decipher-
ing something was to happen on the
22d of April at half past 10 in the
evening at 1927 Sixth street or ave-
nue.. There was no Sixth avenue In
the city, so it must be Sixth street.
/ was so curious in the matter that
I went out at once to visit 3I21, Sixth
street. If there was a half number
would suspect my Interpretation to be
correct. I was astOunded to find the
half number. I could scarcely believe
my eyes The house was only about
twelve feet front, Il very old brick
shanty There was no light in it, and
it was locked tight.
1t occurred to me that if the person
for whom the card was intended did
not get it the scheme-if it was n
scheme-would be spoiled. SO the next
day I returned it to the postoffice. I
was between two horns of 4 dilemma.
The first was. Should I go to the po-
lice with a story that would almost
certainly prove me fool? and the sec
ond was to watch alone to see if any
thing happened. l spent two days Of
wearing INDIGESTION. and when the
night of the 22d came on l had come
to no conclusion. At 10 o'clock | went
to the building in question and wait
ed. 1t may seem that l should have
notified the police. but who except a
crack Drained fool would have made q
case even for suspicion out of such
gauzy evidence?
At half past 10 exactly cart came
numbering along the street and stop
ped in front of 1927. The cartman
went to the door, looked about him-I
was concealed behind n tree box
gave two light raps and after few
seconds third, the door was opened,
and he was admitted I expected TO
see a light in the building. but did not.
Presently two men came out carrying
Il box. One locked the door. and to-
gether they carried the box to the cart,
put it in and drove away.
Oh. why had not had the courage OF
conviction to notify the police?
l followed at Il distance for several
miles. when the men drove into lane
running past the rear OF country
house. on which was n barn. They took
the box into the barn. l went near
and. listening. heard them up in the
hayloft. Then they came down. get
ting out OF the way, of cOurse-and.
jumping on the cart, they drove back
to town.
Marking the spot 50 that | should
know it again, 1 lost no time in max
ing my way back to the city and to po
lice headquarters. | simply told the in
Spector what | had witnessed, sanu IN
ten minutes he. with two policemen
and myself, was driving to the barn.
Cautiously prying open the door, We
went up into the loft and
found the box concealed under the hay.
Taking it back to headquarters. the in
spector invited me into his private Of
fee. where it was opened. 1t contained
gold. bank notes and bonds to the
amount of S243, 600.
l was enjoined TO keep the matter q
secret, the barn was watched and the
men arrested. They had robbed bank
4 long while before and had kept the
proceeds in the brick shanty. Being
by the police they dared not
openly and did so by the
use of the advertising card. They
chose a name which happened to be
mine. Only one of them knew the loca-
H. II, Il H.