The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1907-07-31
Running Down a
Eorger.
IcOpyright, la0l, BY P. c. Eastmenti

was witness for the defense. Her
testimony cleared his prisoner. al
though he had good case, but he did
not hold It up against her. as would
have been natural.
For long weeks kept tnb on Hogan
US citizen. He acted just as another
man would. His admiration for the
little widow lmpelled him to seek an
Introduction. After that he was hard
hit. He became frequent caller. and
In time we all came to know that he
was one of her suitors and the favored
one 1t seemed funny that he should
send her bouquets and don a dress suit
and accompany her to the theater.
One day / was surprised out OF my
boots by the detective sitting down
with me and giving me his confidence
Den't imaGiRe 4 was about any Off
clai case. 4 was as a man that he
wanted to talk VIth me about being in
leVe with the WfAsw. A very young
man or an old bachelor will often do
that. She haaA't accepted him in so
many words, but he was sure that his
love was reciprooated. He was low
ing her as man, but he had sized her
up as detective. From his reading
of her character she was close upon
the order of angelic. BE had looked
for a flaw In vain. He was satisfied,
and more than satisfied. and naturally
he wanted all others to be so. 1 could
tell you here that differed with him
In many respects, not orally, but men
tally, and thus make cut that / was
possessed of superior acumen. but /
am not posing in that direction. To
some one else l might have said my
say. but net to Hogan. He would have
been down oil me at the first word.
| The case in which the widow had
been witness for the defense was
one Of forgery. About the time Hogan
gave me his confidence three banks
were ylctlmized the same day. sigma
lures Of deposltors were counterfeited
and over $1,000 hauled In. In each
case the check was presented by a
woman. a fairly tall woman, wearing
glasses and supposed to be over mid
die age. AS her Identity was vouched
for, the teller had TO count out the
money. The case was given to Hogan,
and he took 1t up with the utmost
arder and confidence. A week passed
and there were two more forgeries
Then, few days later, two or three
checks were kIted. 1t was all done
by the same womaH, and yet Hogan
hadn't struck a clew. He was SO hot
on the trail, however, that she changed
her tactics She intrusted the checks
to an old man and raised $4,000 In O
day. whats the matter with Ho,
gan" was being asked at headquar.
ters; but, bestir himself as he would
and did, he could not advance his case
By forgery and check raising the gang
scooped in nearly $4,000, and not one
of them was spotted.
Then occurred what some of us call.
ed laughable thing and made merry
over. Hogan was thrifty man. BE
had saved money from his salary. and
he had speculated, and his bank &c
count stood very close to $4,000 he
was a deposition at state bank, and
one day the same old man presented q
check for $4,000 and drew out the
money. 1t was Hogan's signature as
plain as day, and he had not only
vouched for the signature of the 9th
er, but had sent along brief note
The teller tried to reach him at head
quarters, but failed to get the con.
nection, and the check was paid. Two
hours later Hogan was roaring around
that bank like an angry lion. He had
been done for. 1t was only natural
that he should call on the widow that
evening to. relate his loss. and, hel
sympathies being aroused. the climax
came-that is, she leaned her head Oh
his stalwart shoulder and murmured
that she would be his She was sorry
for hIs less, but she had enough fol
both.
Two evenings later he went up to
make sure of the date of the wedding
day, and she was out. He did not &c
again for a week, being busy on his
case, and when he next appeared the
house was empty and had been for
several days. His petite fiancee had
fed. For day OF two the man fought
hard against the belief that he had
been duped. Then the man took q
back seat. and the detective came to
the front, and 1t did not take him long
TO figure out things. The cute little
widow was no widow at all, but the
wife of an adventurer. She had been
an actress. and she knew all about
makeups. She had been driven to eV.
cry bank in n carriage In shoes that
increased her natural height by si1
inches. Pencil and paint had put Oh
wrinkles and lines, and she had taken
care to dress for the occasion. Hogan
himself would not have known her OF
the street Her husband had been
Just as artfully disguised, and when
the point OF safety had been reached
the field had been abandoned.
The thing must have come hard OIL
the man, but he was full of grit, and
he braced up. he was given carte
blanche as to his movements for q
year, and he drew out the balance OF
his money and crossed the ocean on 9
trail he had picked up. For ten months
he followed the couple over Europe
losing the trail here and there, but al
ways picking It up again, and then one
day, when he was within twenty nIies
Of Swiss hotel where the couple were
stopping. his train was wrecked. and
he was numbered with the dead We
didn't crlticlse his falling in love oil
his false reading of human nature, but
we read the newspaper paragraph and
then laid the paper aside AMI said
Poor. Hogan~ II. QUAD.
Model sportsmen's Club.