The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-11-05
DETECTING
A DETECTIVE.

Copyright. 1907. by J. q. Reed.l
Detective Quirk of police headquar.
tiers was good man. With outsiders
that meant that he was honest and
faithful and would not betray his trust.
With his chief it meant that he did
not have to watch him quite SO closely
as he did the others Of his staff. Mr..
Quirk had never read the stories by
Gaboriau. De Boisgobey or vidocq. Ro-
nance had nothing to do with his TAX
Ing up detective work. He was not
down on crime and criminals and hunt
ing bad men into prison from any feel
ing Of duty toward the law.
Mr.. Quirk realized that as detective
he had a good thing in his grasp.
There was field open to him that is
open to no other man outside the pro-
fession. 1t was for him to work that
field. Detectives have sold themselves
out for few hundred or a few thou
sand dollars. In Mr.. Quirk's opinion
such men We're asses and had mistaken
their vocation. He sighed to be rich,
but he didn't propose to blunder about
it. He must first get standing with
his superiors and the public. He work
ed for five years to accomplish this. A
dozen traps were set for him, but he
escaped them oil by being incorrupti-
bic. He worked case for all It was
worth. and he never let up or COM
promised. If he caught broker in
gambling house he had no more mercy
on him than the thief he caught steal
ing lead pipe. The burglar who offered
him $1,000 to look the other way for n
moment Jared as did the politician who
offered him like sum to "let up" in
court. His fellow detectives pocketed
their "divvies" and called him q fool,
and his chief looked over his reports
and almost believed that he had found
subordinate deserving of a medal.
The day came when Mr.. Quirk real
lied that he had established his repu-
tation and that he could pull of his
scheme with safety. He had it in view
for year. He had several times been
called in by the president Of the -
National bank to straighten out crook
ed things and had thus become we'll
acquainted with the bank messenger,
old Folsom. Folsom was sixty years
old. He walked with hobble. He had
rheumatism, and old age had weaken
ed him. Yet the bank kept him. and
seemingly by some act Of Providence
he had never been attacked by the
class always looking for a good thing.
In making his rounds he sometimes
carried 100000 in checks. In return
ing to the bank he sometimes brought
100000 in cash with him. Mr.. Quirk
fully realized what an easy thing 1t
was. but he uttered no word of warn.
ing. He was waiting to establish his
reputation.
After calling at the last bank on his
route old Folsom always took a short
cut through IN alley to reach his own
institution. 1t wasn't an alley so much
as it was passageway. 1t was only
six feet in width and used by pedestri-
ans only. At any moment from 10
o'clock in the morning till 3 in the
afternoon you could look up or down
the alley and count at least twenty
pedestrians coming or going. There
were doors opening into the rear Of
office buildings, and there was one
door opening into an empty building
that had formerly been a rug shop.
One afternoon Folsom failed to return
to the bank at his usual hour. When
half an hour had passed. an alarm was
given. Men were found who had seen
him in the alley, but an alarm of fire
was on ut the time. and there were
much excitement and confusion. At 10
o'clock that night Folsom was found
In the old rag shop. He had received a
severe blow on the head and was tied
and gagged. Something like $4,000
In cash had been taken from his satch-
ell. 1t was Mr.. Quirk who was given
the case, and 1t was Mr.. Quirk who
found the old man after long hunt.
It was four days before Folsom re-
gained consciousness and told his sto-
~. There was very little to tell. He
had backed up against the door to
stand for moment and look for the
fire. and the door had been opened. he
had been drawn in, and then followed
the blow on the head and darkness.
He had not even seen his assailant.
He was very grateful to Mr.. Quirk.
and he felt the fullest confidence in
him. and yet there was a clew that he
suppressed. Why he did he could not
have told himself. As he fell he must
have grasped the mans coat and torn
of button. for there was the button
clinched tightly in his hand. They
took it from him at the hospital and,
strangely enough. said nothing about 1t
until two weeks later when he was dis
charged. Then it was among his
things. Folsom could not make 1t out
ut first. 1t had the name of tailor on
1t. and he had never patronized the
man. He believed he had seen but
tons like that on business suit. and
1t came to him after that the suit be.
longed to Mr.. Quirk. The tailor cor.
roborated him.
Mr.. Folsom was old. but he did not
lack wit and acumen. He set himself