New-York tribune., 1911-04-02
Ostentatous Loiterers Who with "S'euth" Written All
Over Them Shadowed Footsteps of Some OF the
Politicians, Furnished en- Element Which
Was Often Mirth Provoking.

, crats to be a Democrat and a candidate
for United States Senator. Nj Shepard 8
friends opened headquarters for him AT an
Albany hotel. and on one occasion he male
hrief-a very brief-viSit there
At that time il was III. era OF the tai,
top. silk or plug" hat at the caPita'.
There were as many varieties as names Tor
it among the Democratic hosts. NJ. Shcp-
ard crasped that. evidently. - the one
characteristic Of Democracy triumphant.
"Hoss" Murphy wore one Mr. Sheehan
wore one Dan" Cohalan wore one cas-
sidy. of Queens. wore one All the great
unnumbered multtudes Of Job seekers wore
them.
Mr.. Shepard was sought out by eager
newspaper men, who yearned tc transmit
his views to waiting world. ile'vouch-
safod two or three replies in words of one
syllable which hardly seemed I" cover the
siu alton Then, JUST as the scribes were
sbcui 10 depart. ne appeared 10 melt With
an air of letting them absolutely and On
tirely into his confidence. he gathered the
cxpectant reporters around him as he said:
There is ore thing / can tell you, ii
youn he very careful how sou print it,
Solemn promises were given that the ut
most extra three-ply caution would be used
well. then" said Mr.. Shepard, appar-
'ently choosing his words with great care.
"yoI can say that Mr.. Shepard vas the
only Democrat in Albany to-day who didn't
wear a silk hat"
The political world was on the alert for
s. me incident melodramstic in character
during several weeks OF the -wagsing
N ac fttli
Of mysterious locking, mysterious acting
persons who would appear suddenly from
behind doors OF peer around pillars or tip
toe cautiously up TO a group OF politicians.
Private detective" was stamped on them
as plainly as II they had worn the badge
and snub-nosed shoes Of the funny-paper
"ccp." IT took the people at the capital
about tUo days 10 become acquainted by
sight with most of them. Then began "A
period Of education for them. They were
led on long tramps by legislators for whom
Trey seemed to have a fancy.
ore unlucky wight. on one OF the coolest
nights of the winter, traied Senator Roose-
welt for an hour around the residence dis
trict of the city, across the PARK and back
again. only to have Mr Roosevelt bid him
a pleasant Good night as the insureent
leader stepped into his own home
Tnregenerate legislators and reporters
used TO concocc amazing interviews-which
never found their way into rrint-just for
the pleasure OF watching some Of these in
dividuals maneuvre to get within earshOt
Of the group without becoming too con-
spicuous II they ever reported any OF
this Information 80 obtain TO their en-
ployeis- nobody. by the way. would admit
having employed them-their reports must
have been about "a valuable as that or a
slruth employed by Martin W. ldtilc'on
during the Aids bribery tr.al "A year ago.
That slcuth had felt il his duty to tran
James W. Osborne who was counsel for
Benn cOnser. Allds's accuser. Litteton.
AiIds's counsel. and Osborne are great
personal friends which doesn't interfere
with their work when they are opposed To
oach other on law ease. The aforemen-
toned sleuth. who was 50 obviously
sleuth that he couldn't have deceived ten
year old child. finally got on Osborne
nerves. He let the fellow tlall him one day
until he met Littleton in the hotel lobby