Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-07-15
Observation-Disclosures
! A LESSON IN
DETECTIVE WORK. 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

| s DETECTIVE WORK. :
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
(OriginaLl
How did happen to go into the de-
tective line? I was put in it by a
singular coincidence. I had no more
idea of being detective than being
president Of the United States. never
developed any fancy for such work,
never read detective stories or took
any interest in the methods of how
real cases were managed. What did
hear Of such matters they filed me with
a belief that this business Of noticing
how far match was burned or which
end Of cigarette was lighted first to
gain clew had nothing to do with
tracing criminals.
One day was in a street car going
home from bank where was en-
ployed on 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 folded
bill off the floor and handed it to him,
asking him if he hadn't dropped it.
He unfolded it, cast a glance at it,
| paled slightly and handed it back to
her in hurry, denying the ownership.
The woman asked one or two people
sitting near If they had dropped it, but
they all said they thought they had
not. asked the woman to let me see
1t. It didn't take me long, backed by
my banking experience, to decide that
1t was counterfeit.
This was the first time ever showed
faculty for detective work. l noticed
that no one showed any unusual emo
ton in looking at the bill except the
man who was supposed to have drop
ped it; therefore there was a proba-
bility that he was counterfeiter. 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 1 got
out, too, and followed him at a dis
lance. He entered hardware store,
where he purchased several articles.
I didn't know what they were, but one
of them was hammer with a big end
suitable for beating anything fat.
Another was a crucible for melting
metals. When he went out | snatched
the bill he had paid the salesman, ex-
pecting to see counterfeit, but in this
I was disappointed. 1t was good
money.
Well, tracked the fellow to a room
at the top of business building,
where he had a shop. 1 knocked at
the door. He opened it, but did not bid
me enter. I told him had something
to say to him and wished to go inside.
He said he was making certain con-
trivance that was not yet patented and
no one was allowed to enter the prem
Uses where the work was done.
Mind you, was no detective. I was
merely indulging my curiosity. A
detective would have gone away and
come again prepared to act as an off,
Ger of the law. I simply accused the
man Of counterfeiting, stating what 1
had seen in the car.
He stood looking at me a few mo-
ments appalled,, then said, whats
Moll Brown going to give you for help
ing herr"
II don't know Moll Brown" I re-
piled, land I'm in no ones employ in
this matter. I'm only doing it for
fun
"Come in here and satisfy yourself. -
he said
sweeping floors manufactured and in
process of making. Then he explained:
''Moll Brown was the woman who
tried to fix the counterfeit bill on me.
was intimate with her once and was
to have married her, but found out
she was bad and shook her. She's
sworn to have her revenge"
| Resolved to follow the matter up,
took Moll Browns address. I felt sure
she had got the counterfeit bill from
some one interested in making or pass
ing it. or both, and couldn't refrain
from getting at the bottom Of the mat
ter. I cooked up reason for making
her acquaintance and went to see her.
At this point I began some real de-
tective work. got her confidence and
told her that I was looking for some
easy way Of making money. After a
good deal Of beating about the bush
she agreed to tell me where / could
get some queer to put out and gave
me the address Of the man had shad-
owed. didn't want any better proof
of his story. She was bent on his ruin
and would have included me if it suit
ed her convenience. l delayed about
going to the man she named and con-
tinued to watch her.
Accident helped me. One evening
when visited her man called on her
whom spotted at once. I went away,
leaving him with her, and when he
came out Swallowed him. He went to
place that fancied, putting this and
that together, might be den Of coun-
terfeiters. put the police on to the
matter. They surrounded the building
where the supposed den was, then
closed in and, sure enough, trapped
party at work making spurious bills.
If the woman in their secret had not
been bent on getting revenge, they
might all have been making false mon
ey to this day. The woman was con-
victed with the rest, and the man she
tried to injure was the most grateful
fellow to me you ever saw. AS for me
well, having got taste for detective
work, I accepted position In an
agency.