The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-19
LESSON In DETECTIVE WORK

How did / happen to go into the
detective line? l was put in it by a
singular coincidence. l had no more
idea Of being a detective than being
president OF the United States. / new
er developed any fancy for such work,
never read detective stories or took
any interest in the methods of how
real cases we're managed. What
did hear OF such matters they filed
me with belief that this business of
noticing how far match was burn
ed or which end of cigarette was
light first to gain a clew had nothing
to do with tracing criminals.
One day l was in street car going
home from a bank where | was en-
ployed on a fairly good salary when
| saw man tumble in his pocket for
change to pay his fare. A few min
utes later a woman picked up fold
ed bill off the floor and handed It TO
him, asking him II he hadn't dropped
It. He unfolded it, cast a glance at
It, paled slightly and handed 1t back
to her in hurry, denying the own
ership. The woman asked one or two
people sitting near IL they had drop.
ped it, but they all said they thought
they had not. l asked the woman to
let me see 1t. II didn't take me long,
backed by my banking experience, to
decide that IL was counterfeit.
This was the first time / ever show
ed faculty for detective work. l
noticed that no one showed any un-
usual emotion in looking at the bill
except the man who was supposed to
have dropped It; therefore there was
probability that he was a counter
feiter. But l said nothing, simply
handing it back to the woman.
But my curiosity had been aroused.
Curious to follow up the matter, when
the man who had paled got out I got
out, too, and followed him at a dis
tance. He entered hardware store,
where he purchased several articles.
| didn't know what they were, but
one of them was a hammer with a
big end suitable for beating anything
fiat. Another was a crucible for melt
| ing metals. When he went out
snatched the bill he had paid the
salesman, expecting to see counter
felt, but in this l was disappointed.
1t was good money.
Well, tracked the fellow to a
room at the top of business build
ing, where he had shop. | knock
ed at the door. He opened it. but did
not bid me enter. / told him | had
something to say to him and wished
to go inside. He said he was making
certain contrivance that was not
yet patented and no one was allowed
to enter the premises where the WORK
was done.
Mind you, l was no detective.
was merely indulging my curiosity
A detective would have gone away
and come again prepared to act as al
officer of the law / simply accused
the man of counterfeiting, stating
what had seen on the car.
He stood looking at me few mo-
ments appalled,, then said. WHAT
Moll Brown going to give you fol
helping her?"
81 don't know Moll Brown" | re-
piled, "and I'm in no ones employ
in this matter. I'm only doing it fo
fun"
Come in here and satisfy your
SELF" he said,
went in and found an article fo
sweeping floors manufactured and il
process of making. Then he explain
ed
"Moll Brown was the woman whit
tried to fix the counterfeit bill on me
Resolved to follow the matter M
| took Moll Browns address. fel
sure she had got the counterfeit bill
from some one interested in making
or passing it, or both, and couidn'
refrain from getting at the bottom
of the matter. | cooked up reasol
for making her acquaintance an
went to see her. At this point | be
gan some real detective work. | go
her confidence and told her that
was looking for some easy way o
making money. After good deal @
beating about the bush she agreed I
tell me where | could get som
queer" to put out and gave me tn
address of the man / had shadowet
| didn't want any better proof OF hi
story. She was bent on his ruin an
would have included me II It suite
her convenience. | delayed abor
> going to the man she named and cor
tinued to watch her.
Accident helped me. One evenin
when | visited her a man called o
her whom spotted at once. / wer
away, leaving him with her. an
when he came out shadowed him. Il
went to a place that | fancied, pu
ting this and that together, might
a den of counterfeiters. / put II
police on to the matter. They SUI
rounded the building where the SUI
posed den was, then closed in an
sure enough, trapped party at wor
! making spurious bills,
If the woman in their secret ha
Q not been bent on getting reveng