Year: 1869

He Plans Robt cry and Gets Caught


=r in His Own Trap. v-


from the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser POL


We have often read of the marvellous ex-
ploits performed, and the almost superhu-
man cunning and acumen displayed by
that truly remarkable French detective
Yidocq, and had settled it in our own
mind that we should ssnever look upon his
like again.; but a recent feat Of one Of our
Niagara frontier detectives, proves that we
were mistaken, and that we have had in
our very midst, all along, unbelnown to
ANYBODY an officer upon whom the mantle
of that great Frenchman might worthily
descend. r-~ ~sger -rT


It seems, from particulars which came to
our knowledge yesterday, that this n. F.
P, whose name-as he is very modest
man, and does not like 10 have his doings
heralded through the press-we omit. A
day or two ago, he conceived the brilliant
idea of having a raid made upon one of
our banks, the vault broken open, the safe
blown up, and the money carried off. In
pursuance of this scheme, he had an in
terview with three sports of the city, to
whom the plan was revealed, and the pro-
position made: that they should do the
work; that he should ''detect" them after
wards; that the bank should be made to





the money stolen; that the robbers were to
share in the proceeds, and that they should
be suffered to escape punishment


The parties to whom the proposition was
made, taking it for granted that they were
to be yictinlized, at first thought they
would give the detective a drubbing, the
remembrance Of which should abide with
him during the course of his natural life;
but it was finally determined to seemingly
bite at the bait, and in the end make him
the victim.


It was settled that the robbery should
take place on Tuesday night about II
O'Clock, and early in the evening the three
''burglars" met the detective and placed in
his hands weighty box, containing, as
they informed him, a complete set of tools
for cracking all sorts Of 'tcribs." This
box they desired him to take care of, as
should any Of the other officers see it in
their possession, suspicion would be ex,
cited. After giving them dollar to buy
dark lantern, the detective was left to HIM
SELF and the trio proceeded to invest the
dollar in cocktails. Passing up Washing
ton street between 8 and 10 o'clock,
prominent Otficial-not a member of the
police force, however, met the three funny
chaps, who told him what was up. After
going a short distance, he came across the
detective, being on the steps of house at
the corner of North Division street, with
the box Of tools beside him, his mind ap-
parently so absorbed in the business on
hand, that he did not answer until spoken
to several times, when he uttered some
mysterious words about the box the tools
and the work to be done, and enjoined
silence. Leaving him with q promise to
return, the official went back to the spot
where he had left the men, and suggested
to them that they had carried the joke far
enough, and persuaded them to take pos
session Of the box, which, by the way, con-
tanned nothing but paving-stones APP
proaching the spot where the detective was
still reclining, one of them engaged him in
conversation, while another succeeded in
removing the box without his knowledge.
Upon discovering that the box was gone.
the detective became considerably excited,
while the bogus burglar declared that the
kit it contained was worth $50, which sum
must be refunded He actually gave his
watch to them, as security, until he should
succeed in recovering the tools, which he
promised to do in short time.


Yesterday the detective called on the Of
fetal alluded to, and it was not until then
that he was undeceived, and made con-
scious of the extent to which he had been
duped. He was completely dumbfounded,
and signifed his determination to resign
his position on the force. We think that
the sooner he does so, the better.