The herald., 1911-08-24
A DISCOUNTED
DETECTIVE
By TOM BROWNEn
Copyright by American Press AssO-
citation. 1911.
BY TOM BROWNELL

Of footpads and burglars disguised a.
one of their kind with view to learn
ing certain facts concerning them. 1t
was SO dangerous a job that 10 rcsu-
lar detective would undertake it.
These men know their own sort and
would easily recognize a spy. /. being
filled with the romance of detective
work without having had any eXpe-
at once.
About IL o'clock at night, disguised
as tough, | reeled into a saloon
where my men were supposed 10 be
l found them there aud invited them
to drink. l treated several times and
thought | was getting in with them
when suddenly there was a hammer
ing at the door, and the barkeeper
cried: Police, Ctr The lights Went
out. and we were all left in the dark.
scattering like so many rats. The
doors were broken down, and the po-
lice rushed in. When the lights were
turned on 1t was found that the bar
keeper and | were the only captiveS
How the rest got away | don't know.
was taken to IL station, and on the
way l made myself known to the cop
who walked beside me. He gave q
broad grin and said that was the most
beautiful device of all that were 9rac-
ticed In the criminal profession. |
told him he would learn more about
that in time. | slept i'll a filthy cell
for the rest of the night and the next
day sent word TO the detective agency
that | would like to have them come
and get me out. They sent one of the
employees, who had never seen me.
going to discharge me on any such
evidence, or. rather, want Of II, and ]
told the man to go back and tell the
one who had hired me to come and
vouch for me.
He didn't come till late in the after
noon, and when he did he didn't recog'
nize me. told him | was the man
he had sent to the saloon for informa
ton, but he looked at me cOntemptuous
ly and said that the man he had sent
had likely met with foul play and ]
xas trying to get out Of a bad scrape
by personating him. He hadn't seen
me made up, and my disguise was SO
perfect that he believed me to be u
veritable villain. He went away with
out being convinced as to my identity
and | was obliged to spend another
night in cell.
A week passed, and was still pris
oner. Then one day l was indicted as
one Of the men in the saloon when the
police made the raid, who had made
away with the detective that the agen
cy had sent out. In other words,
was charged with being my own muir
derer. Upon inquiry learned that the
man who had thus been sent out on q
mission had disappeared. and it was
supposed he had been dispatched by
the gang.
Here was q pretty how-de-do. l call
ed again for the man who had SEM
me out, but he refused to come to see
me, and l couldn't 60 to see him.
doubted il IT would do any good Il
he came He had never seen me but
once, and then but for a moment
How could he be expected to recognize
me in my rough garb. especially as II
the saloon scuffie had been very bad
ly mauled?
/ sent for q lawyer and told him my
story. He appeared to believe me
but said there would be no use in put
ting such a story before a jury. i
was so palpably false that 1t would
prejudice my case. He said he would
try to get up a defense that would
seem more probable. 1 asked him i
there was anything more probable
than that a man could not have muir
dered himself and be alive. He re
piled that l would have to prove m!
identity, which was impossible. HI
would try to think of some method o
defense that would be easier to prov
than the truth. I'VE lawyers don
care anything" he said. for tn
| ITulu. w udI VIC WANT 10 ooAhCthiht
we can prove. An alibi affords tn
best chance"
When l came to be tr!ed for bein,
implicated In my own murder Their
was no proof against me except tina
/ was known to have gone to the sa
loon from which Z had disappears
and was one Of the gang Of rascal
which was raided. This was consider
ed prima facie evidence that l, proba
bly, with others, had killed myself.
was evident that | would get a Ion
term on general principles.
My lawyers method was very In
i genious. Having entered my claim t
be another person than myself, job
Bofland, he brought John Borland'
mother into court to swear that he
son on the night of the supposed mul
der was at home and in bed. Anothe
witness, who lived in the same house
swore to the same thing. Then m
lawyer called upon the policeman VIII
had arrested me to swear that l ha
been found in and taken from the s;
loon. The lawyer so badgered the pr
liceman that he was not sure Of M
Thus an alIbi was established.
was acquitted. But didn't col
tinue the detective business. l ha
had all Of that romantic occupation
IL.