The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-04-09

arranged just under the Buttonhole. A
rubber tube that worked the shutter
ended in a bulb placed in Peyser s
nocket. Again Peyser called at noon
and started out with the printer when
he went to lunch. He led the printer
into the sunshine on the pretext OF
wanting to see something on the sunny
side of the street. They walked leis'
urely along, Peyser with his hand on
the bulb in his pocket.
Funny thing about that photog-
rapher yesterday" the printer began
81 would like to know what anyone
wants to get my picture for. thought
for a while that maybe you had some
thing to do with it,
Say, you talk like a pickpocket'
laughed Peyser, his hand still on the
bulb. Only pickpockets and thieves
get nervous when they have their pic
lures taken. If didn't know you Ia
almost think you had something heavy
weighing on your conscience. But as
for me having anything to do with
say, haven't | treated you fair"
Sure you have" said the printer.
He faced Peyser eagerly as he spoke.
Peyser's hand in his pocket closed
over the bulb. There was a sound of
click, drowned by the dishonest
mans voice. Sure you have never
pulled anything off on me. You're all
right"
Within twenty-four hours the picture
had been developed and printed, en-
larged and copied and was in the
hands of every poolroom operator and
bookmaker anywhere within radius
of a hundred miles Of New York, and
was Oh its way all over the country.
The next time the fraudulent printer
tried to play the races he found cold
welcome, and before many weeks had
passed he had made up his mind that
there was more money in printing
menus for local restaurants and pro.
grams for cheap shows on Broadway
than there was in making green and
pink and blue and yellow tickets for
the race track
Early Acquaintance With Crooks.
This was just one Of the many de.
tective games in which the clever
young detective, Frank Peyser, showed
his ability to protect the public on the
race track. He began life on the East
side in New York, and very early in
life made the acquaintance of some OF
the most notorious thieves and crooks
of the city. After school hours as
boy he used to meet them and listen
to their conversation. They were
cleverer than the other people he knew
on the East side and they interested
him, but contact with them fostered
no desire within him to emulate their
ways.
One day about the time he left
school one Of these rough acquaint
ances of his asked him to take walk
up Broadway with him. Peyser &C
cepted the invitation. They walked
up through the Bowery and then as
the evening shades began to gather
they turned into Broadway, crowded
with men and women pressing home
ward after work. Suddenly. as they
pressed near to a man in the crowd
Peyser saw his companions hand rise
and stealthily close over a meerschaun
pipe that showed it's rich hues oyel
the top of a pedestrians pocket.
Though still lad, Peyser knew thai
II he were caught in company with s
pickpocket the fact that he himselI
was innocent wouldn't be of much
avail at the police station. AS hi
companion pocketed the valuable pipt
a cold terror seized Peyser and he dit
just what any other normal boy woul'
have done under similar circum
stances. He ran, and he went right Of
running till he didn't have breatl
enough to run any farther. When b
came to stop his mind was made uI
He had decided that whatever his fl
ture calling might be, he would neve
be crook of thief
| When, little later, Frank Peyse
applied at the Pinkerton detectiv
agency in New York city for a pos
ton, his previous experience on th
East side qualified him for immediat
employment in the race.track depar
ment of the agency.
Success in Department Stores.
In this position he was on duty at a
the big race tracks, at Belmont parl
at Jamaica, at Sheepshead Bay, Brig
ton Beach, Gravesend and Morr
park, on the lookout for pickpocke
and dishonest bookmakers. So su
cessful was he in handling pickpocke
that after six years with the Pinke
tons he was called by the New Yol
Wanamaker store. This work requir,
greater skill even than the race-trat
work, for 1t is better, according to Il
department store creed, to let t.
shoplifters 60 than to make one fall