The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-15
HOW FARMER BOY REALIZED DREAMS BOdeker's First Piece of De-
 tective Work BEHIND AN OLD MULE Began in Birmingham as Street Car Conductor and Has Always Been
 Famous for His Ability
 as a Detective
BEHIND AN OLD MULE
By RALPH R. SILVER

By RALPH K. SILt ER
 The cloud of dust down the road rolled nearer and the boy blowing with team of lazy old mules in the field 5y the roadside broke the monotony of his labor by careful inspection of the oncoming traveller. The vehicle was soon close. enough to see that it was a mule drawing a rattling high wheeled wagon and few minutes later the young plowman discovered that there were three prosperous looking trunks piled into the wagon box. The rattling old eontraption slowly moved past the boy in the field and rambled on down the road. The occupant of the wagon was an old nigger and the boy holding on to the blow handles was George II. Bodeker, present chief of police of thee city of Birmingham.
 "Now, what in thunder is that old nigger doin' with them trunks" re- marked young Bodeker to himself He didn't know it then, but that was the first detective case of the present chief of Birmingham's crook chasers.
 As the "plowman homeward plod his weary way" that evening he could not rid his mind of the negro and the trunks. It was the first evidence Of that instinct found in all great detec- tives by which they judge human na- ture so well that wheA they see a man with something that don't belong to him 'they just know it." Ned Purcell, Georgia's great detective of former days, was a friend of young Bodeker's father. One day Plowman Bodeker heard Detective Purcei telling the eld- CT Bodeker Of the strange disappear ance of some trunks and how the case had completely baffled him.
 q see en- declared young Bodeker strutting about like peacock on ex- Eibition.
 You saw 'em?" repeated Sleuth Pur- cell.
 Yep" answered young Bodeker and then he told all about it. Detective Pur- cells eyes opened in wonder for that young Georgia farmer knew every streak, strap and steeple on those trunks he had seen the nigger haul down the road. A few days later Pur- eel brought the negro in question to young Bodeker and he identified him. The negro was convicted and Bode- ker's first detective case was closed.
 It was a long and varied career that was then opening out before the young Georgia farmer before he was to gain an almost national reputation and be .. come chief of police of the south's most progressive city. This incident, ex- pressing the keen and quick perception which later proved one of his greatest virtues, occurred when MT. Bodeke CT was about IT years of age and was living on his fathers farm about one mile out of Augusta. Ga
 George Bodeker was born in Rich mond, Va, May 26. 1865, and moved with his fathers family to Augusta in 1S70 Bodeker's father was a mer- chant tailor and his brother was a druggist, and George was the farmer His only school days were spent at Augusta where he attended the pub lie schools for a few years. But the work on the farm needed somebody to manage it and George gave up school for the farm. That's what he told the neighbors. The truth of the matter is that he had an opportunity to assist the officers of Augusta in capturing. "nigger chicken thieves" after the days work was over and when he had lessons to get he couldn't do it.
 It was Georges dream to some time be detective, but long before he had ever dared to hope he would some time
 
 the "culud pussons' of the neighborhood whose fingers had that peculiar attach nent for things which didn't belong to them One day neighbours prize rooster disappeared from his flock and a couple of days later young Bodelxer found out where 1t had gone.
 Nav sah. Mars Gawge, An done de- clar to heaven An neveh done seen that dar speckled roostah," persisted the ne- m 1ata to tell Jim few things, and Jim com menced to shift from one foot to the other.
 Yes, sah, Mars Gawge. yes sah An done tell you all de truf bout dat dar chicken. Dat dar fool roostah done start ed flirtin' with nah hens, an An just couldn't low no scandal bout mah place ob residence, no, sah! So, An just done got dat roostah by de neck''
 Bodeker left the farm when he was IF and went to Augusta to cast his future with the life of a city. After picking up couple of odd jobs he secured a posi- tion on the Augusta police force when a little over 20 years old. The young as- pirant to detective fame soon found that Augusta was not the place for him. No body ever drummed up enough energy to steal anything and the only people who stayed out late at night were the society folks and he wasn't allowed to arrest man for late hours when he was taking lis girl home in taxicab (They didn't have taXis then, but anyhow, that's the way chief told the story).
 Young Bodeker didn't like it. It was too slow. And just about that time was when people were first commencing to talk about that wonderful little mining camp in Alabama where people were kustlng, building big city and oppor- tunity walked about in broad daylight. He packed clean shirt and a necktie in his suitcase and headed for Birmingham When he landed hero he was nearly c2 years old and it was October. No time to lie about and dream. for it would soon be cold and young Bodeller wanted some rlace to sleep.
 He secured his first position as a driver on one of the dozen horse cars which then were used <here. A year later he was made conductor on horse car that