Year: 1878

DETECTIvE.*

 It seems an anomaly to regard crime as an

 element of civilization: nevertheless, It IS true that where civilization is at it's fever-heat Il

 the worlds great centres, crime developes It,

 self in new and startling forms, equally ingen'

 ious and terrible The struggle of great null titude for existence is fearful to contemplate.

 Where the avenues of legitimate industry are

 crowded to repletion, the life of a social para

 site becomes to many thousands the only es- cape from starvation The longing for equsl- ity that seems born in an American serves to

 make him dread the social caste that honest

 labor imposes, and he too frequently prefers

 tine chances for living by his wits, rather than

 be bound in the slow routine of more certain

 industry Turn where we will we meet these cleualiers Fiaadustrts Hundreds who would scorn this appellation are in reality no more and no less Every profession, every branch

 of business, every social grade teens with

 them, and into their ranks tens of thousanda are ready to step when the fatal teGlptation l presents itself There are no new crimes, said the veteran Matsell to me one day, and perhaps it is true that the decalogue embraces them all Old crimes in a new dress present themselves every hour. The experiences am about to relate opened up phases in Metripoli- tan life perhaps familiar to many, but new to me. It is very possible that the sensation of being robbed is common one to the average New Yorker who is taxed for the support of ''the finest Police on the planet" It has cer- tainly become somewhat 'mOnotonous" to mes as the process has been repeated twice on a large scale, and several times in a manner only rendered insignificant by the ''clean sweep of 1 the two principal burglaries.

 ! In the Spring of 1S-, having arranged for2 prolonged absence from the City, advertised my residence in --street to be let, partially furnished, designing to store those articles more particularly valued by me in vacant room to be reserved in the house. These ar ticles consisted largely of oil paintings, cur tains, embroideries, and the more costly arti7 cles of furniture, which might be injured by d tenant Of course, the noble army of board ing-house keepers respondedin force to my ad-s vertisement, until concluded that the largest proportion of people in New York kept board ng-houses. But one day my eyes were glad dened by the presence of an applicant totally unlike the dispensers of strong butter and doubtful gastronomics in the disguise of high ly-seasoned hash. My visitor was apparently one of the 'jeu,sesse dore' whose models orna- ment the roof of the Tally Ho! and illuminate the windows of the clubs. He was dressed in an unexceptionable Spring suit, with delicately striped shirt front, the wristbands Ornamented with Mosaic studs of unique design, and sport cd hat and gloves that would have done cred it to Dunlay and Alexandre. He carried a light cane, With exquisitely carved handle. With the general air of a '.pampered child of fortune" he drawled out his inquiries with an evident dislike for the details of business that would have become young nobeman. He gave his name as Charles Key, and learned from him that his mother, widow lady of wealth, was at her country seat, where his o;c fbofi hal absolutely necessary for the family to o-cenle at once to town to be in direct communication with Dr. Parker, the family physician. A natural dislike for hotels and boarding houses, compelled them to take furnished house. It being partially furnished was no objection, as it would be an easy matter to make up the necessary furniture from the mansion on the a nusnher of wealthy relatives among lSadihg families who were named; but feeling of delicate and family pride would be respected, if no direct application were made to them. The articles of furniture which it was proposed toplace in the houre would besuff1cient security for it's proper care, while the rent would be in- variably paid in advance. Highly impressed with my success I referred the necessary le- gal papers to one of the ten thousand and one luminaries of law abounding in New York, who prepured an elaborate chattel mortgage l

 

 new tenant (or.rather, her elegant son) as secu- rity against damcges, &c., and the family was duly installed. The only regret the young l gentleman expressed with regard to the premi- l ses was that there was no stable attached to | it, as his dear mother wanted her carriage and horses with her while, he had special fond- | ness for his trotter and light wagon. However, it could not be helped, and leaving them to en- joy the advantages of being so near their phy- sician during the unfortunate illness of the young daughter of the house, took my de- parture from town.

 Coming to the city for day during the fol- lowing month. made call of courtesy upon my tenant to inquire after theshealth of the child, as had acquired sympathetic interest in the matter. It was evening, and to my surprise, the lady herself came te the door, helding lamp in her hand. asked if there l was anything the matter with the gas, when | she told me that leak had taken place in the | hall fixture, and it had been removed for re- pair, in the meanwhile necessitalng the use of a lamp in answering the door-bell She | had come herself to tine door, as one of the l servants was out, and the other was in atten- l dance on the sick child. This was the first | time had seen this lady, who exhibited the 1 became her son. She was about 40 years of age, dressed in becoming and fashionable costume of black silk, spoke in a low tone of l voice, and rather gave me the impression that my visit of courtesy was one intrusion, apOlO- gizing, however, for not asking me to sit down, as she was required at the bedside ot her daughter Under such circumstances, of | course, retired at once, not very well pleased with myself for making the visit. On my 1 way out of town could not help ruminating | on the incidents of my visit, particularly the nho nf lsrhf sx,f fha holI was certainly not out of repair when left the l house, the personal attendance of the lady at the door with lamp in her hand, and a some l thing peculiar in her manner gave me the im- press, notwithstanding the plausible excuses, that all was not right The subject so dwelt upon my mind, that two weeks afterward returned again to the City. In order to satisfy myself in some way that every thing was as it should be, I went first to my lawyer, who at once made me feel quite ashamed of my un- just suspicious Nevertheless, 1 was still un- satisfied and concluded that would renew my visit to the house, in spite of my previous rebuff This time l would confine myself to the outside and merely take observations. I saw the lady pass in and out several times, al- ways in faultless costume, and with the same air of dignified repose that had impressed me at my first interview. For several days 1 walked by the house. on the opposite side of the street number of times, and on two or three occasions noticed gentleman, who seemed in delicate health, going in and out with pass-key. As no such person had heen referred to in connection with the family, determined to write note to the young gen. tlenlan to come to my office, making aa an ex- cuse that I wished to inquire if the gas-fixtures were all right. He came, looking as unexcep- tional as ever, and, in course of conversation, made some allusion to the elder individual who appeared to be living at the house. ''Oh, yes ?" he replied, ''that is my stepfather."

 '1 beg yonr pardon" Isaid ''ycu informed me that your mother was widowi" ''That is true, did but dislike my mothers sec ond marriage, and although perhaps it is wrong on my part, avoid all reference to it." | asked the name of this gentleman. He said it was Boyd, and that heAWas the manager of one of the large Wall-street corporations, which he named: Knowing the President of the com pany, l called there at once, and learned that this statement was true. I saw Mr. Boyd, and the President stated that he was a most wor- thy and jealous officer of the company. This