Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-10-01
FEARS NO ENEMY
SECRET SERVICE MAN LAUGHS
AT PERIL.
hreats Of Criminals Whom He Has
Been instrumental In Putting
Behind the Bars Have No
Terrors for Him.

That threatened men live long Is
an adage as true as IL Is old" re-
marked an ex-chief Of ths United
states secret service. who is still &C
i've In the detection Of criminals.
don't know how many rogues I
nave arrested and sent to Jail. Meth
er can recall how many Of them
have threatened TO take my life as
soon as they were free"
Why don't they?" was asked
Don't they hate you moro when they
get out OF Jail than when they went
ln9 Think OF the months and years
they have to treasure up their wrongs
and plan their revenge"
Yes. that's all very WELL an
sweced the detective, but It's q very
desperate man indeed who is not
oowed and tanned by Imprisonment.
were you ever in q prison and did You
ever see the way that discipline is
enforcedY There is no Please do this
when the keepers speak to the prison
ers. The commands they give are in
the superlauvely imperative tense. II
they were not. few guards could not
mold In check for Eve minutes hun
oreds Of convicts. The average Grim
lnal is no gentleman He Is as COW
sroly and as fierce as a tiger. Only
rear and force rule him. But his epirit
Is usually broken, and his inseparsble
companion is fear WHOM he comes out
mo the world again. I don't mean
that ne won't fight when he cant get
away. but, as rule, he doesn't hunt
for trouble"
But late at night and in lonely
streets don't you take the middle OF
the road2 Isn't there the chance that
some day one Of your many enemies
will kill your"
Perhaps. I remember once. years
ago, was scared. or, rather, startled.
IoS moment by one of those fellows.
had secured the evidence and ar
rested a man for counterfeitng. He
was subsequently sent I'D for a term
OF years. forget how mAny-but l
remember that he cursed me In the
courtroom while 1 was giving my evil
dence, and threatened. in the most
dramatic and blood-curdnng manner
to kill me when he got out. The af
fair had passed out of my memory
when q man came TO me one day years
later and told me that this counter
feiter had been released from jail and
had been heard to repeat, in the pres
encs OF at least so persons, his threats
70 Kill me on sight I was cautioned
TO be wary, and not TO give him a
chance to do It.
Two or three months afterward
got OF street car late one night in
Philadelphia I had a heavy bag in
each hand.
And who should I see coming
toward me, but the man himself
recognized him first My first thought
was for the contents OF the bags I was
carrying-counterfeit plates that l had
seized and was bringing from Wash
ington to New York. didn't want 10
get killed and lose those, naturally. II
was two blocks to the station. and
couldn't very we'll run.
1T was only a few seconds until I
me the man face to face / was Just
automatically about to drop my heavy
valises and pull my revolver when the
eX-counterfeiter saw and recognized
me. He stopped short for an imper-
cepuble instant. and then he turned
tall and ran as II the devil was after
him, like the coward that he was.
Why did he run after he had threat
end over and over again TO kill me?
I've told you. Further. he knew that 1
would probably have shot him a frac-
ton Of a second before he could spring
at me-"