The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-04-20
A FAMOUS DETECTIVE
The Rise. the Achievements and
the Fall Of NJ. VidoCq.
GREAT FRENCH POLICE SPY.
His Career as a Coiner, a Burglar and
the Associate OF Thieves-He Knew
the Secrets OF More Than Halt OF
the Criminals In Paris.

THE fellow has made his escape by
the roof.
A little band Of Partisan police had
paid n surprise visit To mean. dirty
house in one OF the most disrcputable
parts Of Paris II was about O'Clock
In the morning when an officer tapped
ut the door and demanded admittnnce
of the trembling person who opened II
Slipping past him. they crcpt swiftly
and noisclcssly up the rickcty stairs 10
the door Of n room. opened II and rush.
ed In But the bed IN which they had
expected TO find their man was empty.
lie must have heard them stealing MP
the stairs and escaped 10y the window.
The officer In charge of the party
looked out. In the darkness he could
distinguish nothing But the man
must be there His clothes still lay he.
side the bed. where he had cast them
down when he had retired the night
before
Some OF the most daring Of the OH
GERS crawled out after him. while 9th
ers went for ladders 10 reach the roof
from the street. The man must he
caught! lie was found at last. Crouch
ing down and seeking To- hide himself
among the chimney stacks. the officers
pounced upon him.
A short time later he was before one
OF the chiefs of the police
Good day. NJ. Henri" he said. salut.
ing the stern looking official. Some
one has once more betrayed me into
your hands"
'Nou are accused Of being I'm league
with coiners and passers Of bad mon
ey." said the official What have you
TO sayT"
"Only that am innocent, monsieur,
though the people in the house whore
| lodged were guilty Of such prac-
tices. had the honor OF calling on
monsieur some time back and of say
ing that ! could put It in his power TO
clear Paris OF such scoundrels"
The man the officers had found upon
the roof and who addressed those
words to the police official was one
Vidocq. n man destined to become IA
nous as one of the greatest detec.
tives OF modern times.
Nidocq had been concerned for years
past In all manner OF rogueries He
had received various terms OF impris.
onment. He was regarded as one OF
the most dangerous OF the hundreds
OF criminals that threatened the hon.
est citizens OF Paris. He was daring
| full OF resource. man OF marvellous
/ physical strength and audacity. Upon
/ two previous occasions his accompliccs
had. knowing how much the police val.
ued his capture. betrayed him into
their hands. This was the third time
Nldocq had SO suffered. Two could
play at that game.
M. Henri" said Nidocq. make me
one OF your agents. and | swear TO put
| you In possession Of the secrets of halt
the criminals In Paris"
The offer was n tempting one. for
| the Partisan police were then bafiled
| by criminals OF all descriptions. and
/ Parisians were crying out for more
efficient guardians.
I'VE will see" replied the official
/ 4 short time later Nidocq found him
self In prison. condemned to serve q
sentence Of eight years. But that mis-
erable convict sentenced 10 that terri
BILE sentence was really police spy
lie was popular with the other con
victs and learned all their secrets
Each night he used In his cell To write
out an account Of the discoveries b,
had made during the day. The report
was dispatched TO the chief OF the po
lice and proved remarkably useful.
One day the criminal world Of Paris
was amazed and joyful over the mar
velous escape of Nidocq from prison
They received him with open arms
As a matter of fact, the authorities
had come 10 the conclusion that vidocC
could he much more useful to then
outside than In that grim place. Hi
escape had all been planned. VidocC
returned to his associates as n hero
In fact, he was n spy-a spy with th'
keenest eyes, the most alert ears, th'
most subtle brain, 10 learn all the vii
lainy going.
II was wonderful what III luck be
gan henceforth TO dog the criminal
Of Paris. All their plans came In som'
mysterious manner To the ears Of th'
police. Was II Vidocq who betraye,
them? Some OF them were so con
vinced OF II that at last Nidocq foun'
II necessary 20 disguise himself an,
act the part among them Of new
hand in crime A consummate maste
Of disguise. he went among them, stiI
unsuspected. In his new role.
lie was certainly one of the mos
useful fellows that the police had eve
had as nm ally.
"Nidocq" said NJ. Henri TO him on
day, 1--WE must find that fellow FoS
sard. the man who has escaped fron
the prison at Brest. lie Is in Paris
hiding somewhere, His lodging il In
house in bystrcet near 10 a marke
place, And there are yellow silk cuI
talns 10 the window OF his room. 1
tho sama hauga fhpFa lives "A Wouo