m 
 
 
 
 : 
 
 1 
 
 
 

GUARDING THE MAILS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE SECRET SERVICE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 BEING A RECORD OF 
 
 MAIL ROBBERIES 
 
 AND THEIR 
 
 DETECTION. 
 
 EMBRACING SKETCHES OF WONDERFUL EXPLOITS OF 
 
 SPECIAL AGENTS IN THE DETECTION, PURSUIT, 
 
 AND CAPTURE OF 
 
 DEPREDATORS UPON THE MAILS, 
 
 WITH A COMPLETE 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE MANY MEANS AND COMPLICATED 
 
 CONTRIVANCES OF THE WILY AND UNSCRUPULOUS 
 
 TO DEFRAUD THE PUBLIC. 
 
 BY 
 
 F. H. WOODWARD 
 
 }) 
 CHIEF SPECIAL AGENT IN THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 J. P. FITCH, 
 
 HARTFORD, CONN. 
 
 1882. 
 
to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, 
 "BY P. H. WOODWARD, 
 
 ,':.-: : : /. 
 
 Ia"!tli,e ( <t)flfc4of Jtlflj l^ibttarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. THE EXILE. . . . . .21 
 
 II. BREAKING IN. .... 53 
 
 III. WHY DID SHE DO IT? . . .81 
 
 IV. A DESPERADO ROUTED. . . . 107 
 V. SELF-CONVICTED. .... 127 
 
 VI. A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. . . 141 
 
 VII. A FALLEN STAR. .... 159 
 
 VIII. KINDLING FALSE FIRES. . . . 191 
 
 IX. PLUG-TOBACCO. .... 229 
 
 X. UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. . . 235 
 
 XL AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. . 255 
 
 XII. THE CONSPIRATORS. . . . 269 
 
 XIII. A TRICKSTER TRICKED. . . . 319 
 
 XIV. LOST AND SAVED. . . . 337 
 
 ii 
 
 M88297 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 XV. A TELL-TALE SEAL. . . -355 
 
 XVI. TAKING IN STRANGERS. . . . 361 
 
 XVII. BEGUILED BY WORMS. . . . 385 
 
 XVIII. SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. . . 417 
 
 XIX. THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. . . . 451 
 
 XX. A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. . . 481 
 
 XXI. THE PATRIOTS OF '67. . . . 509 
 
 XXII. OUT OF THE DEEPS. . . . 527 
 
 XXIII. IN CONCLUSION. .... 567 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Starting in Life 21 
 
 Otho Hinton 23 
 
 Removing the fire-board from before the grate, he discovered pieces of 
 
 letters, post-bills, strings, sealing-wax, and paper partly burned. . 28 
 "Jake, I'm tired and sleepy; I believe I will get up on top, under the can- 
 vas, and take a nap." 30 
 
 The astonishment of the robber was equalled only by his chagrin. ... 32 
 
 "The key is gone," replied Mike, the porter. 34 
 
 Unaccustomed to so much walking, he decided to buy a horse 37 
 
 In the gathering gloom only the nearest objects were visible 39 
 
 Guided by the splashing in the water, he turned the skiff down stream, 
 
 and in a few seconds came upon the half-drowned man 41 
 
 " No yer don't, no yer don't, Meester Heenton. Yer puts yer fut een eet 
 
 dis time.*' 44. 
 
 "Did you know that he was under arrest for robbing the mails?" asked 
 
 the officer 47 
 
 The negro gradually recalled the circumstances 49 
 
 The dealer had no suspicion whatever of the identity of the proposed 
 
 customer 50 
 
 The Lonely Ride 53 
 
 After a long skirmish, the old lady admitted that for several months her 
 
 daughter had held for Ben two one hundred dollar bills 58 
 
 The late mail-rider did not wait for a second warning, but, mounting a 
 
 fleet steed, plunged into the forest 59 
 
 " No mail-robber ever gets away from me. Now, my boy, you have been 
 
 robbing the mails." 6l 
 
 The rifled packages, hidden in hollow trees and under old stumps, were 
 scattered along the road for the distance of thirty-five miles, the 
 thief pointing out the places of concealment as they cantered 
 
 along 62 
 
 13 
 
14 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 William, in turn, conducted the party to a mausoleum of stolen treas- 
 ures 64 
 
 "Here is but one," remarked the agent. " I must have the other also." . 66 
 Hurrying through the meal, he repaired to his own room, to study an 
 
 apparently insignificant scrap of manuscript 68 
 
 " O, what an infamous villain you are ! Caught at last in your own trap ! " 71 
 Smythe took advantage of the heavy slumbers of his companion to steal 
 
 from his pocket the manipulated receipt 75 
 
 The Home of the Dunstons 81 
 
 "Just so," replied the agent; "but in our business we never leave any 
 
 outlets open, and I will go through it as a matter of form." .... 85 
 At the same instant a woman stepped out upon the veranda, with a milk- 
 pail in each hand . . 87 
 
 "Great God! that I should live to come to this." 88 
 
 She stepped quickly toward an open window, and placing her hands on 
 
 the sill, gave a convulsive spring 90 
 
 He now staggered into the room, and, appalled at a scene he could not 
 
 comprehend, fell heavily to the floor 91 
 
 " Stop ! We are officers of the United States government. We come 
 
 hither to perform a painful but imperative duty." 94 
 
 " Old girl, we have lived together forty years, and I believe you." .... 95 
 The poor, broken-hearted wife threw herself at the feet of her husband, 
 
 and ejaculated piteously, "John, O John, forgive me! " 97 
 
 With a long, dirk-shaped needle she was trying to pierce her heart. . . . 102 
 Rising from her seat, she snatched the hat from her head, and tore it into 
 
 shreds 104 
 
 The husband, so tender, and true, and faithful, that he would willingly 
 have bared his own heart to the shaft to spare that of the wife, stood 
 
 at her side to support her trembling form 105 
 
 The broken-hearted wife was left, day after day, to the solitary companion- 
 ship of sad thoughts and gloomy forebodings 107 
 
 Mounting the ox-wagon with half a dozen bright-faced children, they rode 
 
 for an hour through the woods 108 
 
 " Quarrel, stranger! Why, I whipped that woman every day, reg'lar." . 112 
 
 The Desperado 117 
 
 The clerk, maddened with liquor and frenzied with passion, crept stealthily 
 
 on to the piazza, armed with a double-barreled gun 118 
 
 She had seen the clerk open letters, and had often heard the contents dis- 
 cussed I2O 
 
 The Teller declines to accept the Bill 127 
 
 Virgil Swayne 128 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 15 
 
 "Look again," urged the lynx-eyed messenger 130 
 
 " You are a dealer in counterfeit money." 134. 
 
 " I will tell you where you got it. You stole it from a letter." 139 
 
 The Home of the Nathans 141 
 
 The passengers were compelled to pry out the wheels with fence-rails. . 145 
 The raindrops, driven by a strong north-easterly wind, penetrated like 
 
 hail 146 
 
 Mrs. Nathan, with arms folded behind her back, was slowly pacing the 
 
 room . . . 151 
 
 Her small black eye seemed to emit venom like the eye of an enraged rat- 
 tlesnake . . . r 153 
 
 " Thank God that j'ou still live," whispered the dreaded visitant 155 
 
 The special agent listened with apparent interest to the doleful doggerel. 156 
 With a sly twinkle of the eye, he congratulated the bridegroom upon his 
 
 good fortune 157 
 
 Paul Atherton 159 
 
 The officer mailed a number of letters that to an ordinary thief would 
 have proved as irresistibly attractive as fat chickens to a hungry 
 
 hawk 164 
 
 But the gentleman declined to lend the slightest assistance 168 
 
 The broad collar of an overcoat concealed his cheeks, while his forehead 
 
 and eyes were buried under the ample brim of a slouched hat. . . . 170 
 
 The door was then cautiously opened, and the figure disappeared 172 
 
 " By the way, Mr. S., how are you getting on with that mail contractor? 
 
 Don't you fellows from Washington drive rather slow coaches?" . 173 
 The youth lowered something by a string, closed the sash, and shortly 
 
 after emerged from the front door 174 
 
 The asthmatic old gentleman of the previous night, now transformed 
 
 into a somewhat dilapidated inebriate, followed closely 175 
 
 The new arrival staggered into the billiard-parlor, and tumbled into a 
 
 seat in close proximity to the table upon which Paul was playing. . 176 
 
 Not to be outdone, the ragamuffin ordered a " bot'l best wine." 179 
 
 " You are a deceiver a thief! " 181 
 
 "I am guilty, O God, how guilty! Let me die here." 183 
 
 Paul opening Letters 185 
 
 " Guilty or not guilty?" " Guilty, very guilty." iSS 
 
 In suddenness and fury the storm surpassed the tropical cyclone 190 
 
 The sheriff found in a barrel, partly filled with old iron, registered pack- 
 age-envelope No. 8 197 
 
 Around, around, around he walked, through the hours that seemed to 
 
 lengthen into ages 201 
 
i6 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 " I have reformed have dropped ' cus words' am going to walk as 
 
 straight as a bee-line." 204 
 
 Taking a seat on the back of a chair, and eying the poor fellow with a 
 
 cold, fixed stare 205 
 
 "Well, Billy, you are a little queer in spots. Now sit down here and be 
 
 easy. I am not a fool, and at all events I am not a coward." . . . 212 
 " Stranger, it is no use. My guilt has found me out. I took the gold. 
 
 O, my God, why did I do it?" "... 216 
 
 " All right," thundered the officer. >' If you will not listen, I'll make you 
 
 feel." 221 
 
 "Officer, here is your .man ; do your duty." 227 
 
 "You are the man that robbed that registered letter." 229 
 
 Removing the picture, he found secreted behind it, one five and two one 
 
 hundred dollar notes 232 
 
 Merchants, bankers, and others, do not hesitate to commit the custody of 
 
 their mails to mere boys 235 
 
 The Youthful Protege 239 
 
 Plunging his hand into the well-filled pouch, the "scion of a wealthy 
 
 family " drew out a large number of letters 245 
 
 Entirely unsuspicious of the object of the expedition, he pointed out vari- 
 ous places of interest on the way. 249 
 
 Apprehended in the very act 252 
 
 Abel Ridley 255 
 
 The Pawnbroker 257 
 
 The conductor kindly stopped to let the special agent off. 261 
 
 As the fellow emerged from behind the counter, he was stopped in the 
 
 middle of the floor, where there was no. chance for further tricks. . 263 
 
 The youth first took the stand 265 
 
 His just deserts 269 
 
 That gentleman, raising his eyes from the note, scanned him cautiously. 272 
 On the pretense of buying a machine, Dudley called at the salesroom in 
 
 company with his brother-in-law 275 
 
 Expecting to discover a huge roll of bills, he found nothing more valuable 
 
 than a bundle of obsolete railroad time-tables 280 
 
 That evening, the insurance agent lingered at the office much beyond the 
 
 usual hour, waiting for the return of the customer 288 
 
 At this point, a new character appeared on the scene, in the person of a 
 
 fresh, fair, blooming young woman 290 
 
 Watching intently the transports of reconciliation, the fragile support un- 
 derneath gave way, and the detectives tumbled promiscuously to the 
 floor . 294 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 1 7 
 
 "There is some mistake here. You have got the wrong man. What have 
 
 I done?" 296 
 
 Excellent fare, moistened not unfrequently with choice wines, won his 
 
 entire confidence, and talk he must 298 
 
 She visited the store, and made numerous purchases, always dealing with 
 
 . Miss Adelaide 307 
 
 Collaring the miscreant, with an air of triumph 309 
 
 The Country Home of Dudley 312 
 
 "I want to get out!" 319 
 
 O, John! ^- big robbery! Tilsit! quick!" 323 
 
 " Please copy this list in your own hand on one of the regular blanks." . 325 
 
 Preparing for the " grand bounce." 327 
 
 " I am certainly sorry to have disturbed you, but I must have that bill." . 333 
 
 Miss Edna Norman 337 
 
 As if in alarm, she thrust it back, and soon disappeared." 342 
 
 Taking it down, and thrusting his hand into the pocket, he drew forth 
 
 not only the decoy, but several other letters 343 
 
 Taking a string of keys from the trunk, he unlocked the casket, while the 
 
 girl averted her face in silent, sullen submission 349 
 
 Rushing forward, she clasped the broken reed in her arms, exclaiming, 
 
 " Edna, dear Edna, I know all, but I forgive all !" 352 
 
 Mr. Mahoney, Sen 355 
 
 Mr. Mahoney, Jr 359 
 
 William Parker, M. D 361 
 
 While thus engaged, the clerk incautiously informed him that he had an 
 
 inquiry from the department 368 
 
 With guilt pictured upon every lineament, he answered, " I have not got 
 
 the letter." 370 
 
 Mr. Myers, equipped with the proper authority, thoroughly searches the 
 
 effects of Parker 374 
 
 The complete breakdown of the doctor took every one by surprise. . . . 376 
 
 Charles Worms, Captain and A. Q^ M 385 
 
 In the parlor of the proprietor his position soon became established as a 
 
 familiar and favorite visitor 386 
 
 Quickening his steps, he came up in time to see the familiar figure of his 
 
 friend disappear through the entrance to one of the rooms 390 
 
 " Dat be not necessary," answered the captain, gyrating around the 
 
 table 395 
 
 '* Yas, yas," ruminated the tapster, " I mind 'im now. Talk much, didn't 
 
 he, 'bout bein' a soldier? Talk very big." 401 
 
 tl But I haf no writteen audoritee," remonstrated J. S 403 
 
 2 
 
l8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The surprise of the gentleman thus rudely awakened grew into wonder, if 
 
 not into dread 410 
 
 Devoted ostensibly to the manufacture of " Boonekamp Bitters," the prem- 
 ises were really used for making articles that belong to the equip- 
 ment of the vilest order of quacks 413 
 
 Sold 417 
 
 Rev. Zachariah Sapp 423 
 
 " Is it good?" queried the anxious owner 425 
 
 " I have heard of you before. You are the villain, are you, who has been 
 
 turning my office into a den of thieves ? I have caught you at last ! " 429 
 
 The Aspirant 432 
 
 " Look a-here," replied Seth, holding forth the missive in his shriveled 
 
 and bony fingers 435 
 
 " Bless yeour soul," replied she, " it's all right. I 'tend to all the biznis." 441 
 " But where is the arsenal? I understood it was situated here." " Your 
 information is correct," replied the young man. "That is it, across 
 
 the road." . . . . 447 
 
 Rebecca Starr 451 
 
 " Sharretts, what on earth do you mean? I thought you were a detective 
 
 a first-class detective. Have I been humbugged in my good 
 opinion?" 456 
 
 At his request, a female clerk ripped open the ends, when he wrote his 
 
 own name on the inside in indelible ink 459 
 
 The Deacon's Mansion 462 
 
 Dropping the commission from her trembling hands, she burst into tears, 
 
 and exclaimed, " O, sir! did you do that to catch me?" 466 
 
 " My child, my child! if the whole world unites in calling you a sinner, 
 the heart of your poor old father will be a safe home for you always 
 
 only it does ache a little now, Rebecca." 469 
 
 Apparently satisfied that no one was near to interrupt the colloquy, she 
 
 said, "Are you the human crittur that wants to see my old man?" 472 
 The squire emerged from the door, and in elaborate legal verbiage com- 
 manded him to stop. Not to be outdone, the Amazon of the clock- 
 face added a defiant crow 476 
 
 Committing the Crime 48* 
 
 Midnight conclaves were held, notable for wisdom and gush 482 
 
 Before the sash was exhausted he could in every instance, from the ap- 
 pearance of the fracture, tell from which direction the blow came. 488 
 Before removing her bonnet, or taking a seat, she " let her tongue loose," 
 and hardly paused for breath till her stock of discoveries was ex- 
 hausted 49! 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 19 
 
 " Put on your clothes, and go with me ! Quick ! Not a minute to lose ! " 496 
 Quick as a gazelle she sprang away, and, rushing down the length of 
 
 the room, threw herself upon the neck of her brother 504 
 
 The Judge 509 
 
 An African with a tallow dip led the way to the sleeping apartment. . . .510 
 
 Digem 517 
 
 Mr. Darrell . 521 
 
 With no small degree of ill-suppressed wrath, she continued, "The old 
 
 reprobate lies from beginning to end." 524 
 
 As the stranger entered, he found the proprietor engaged at his trade. . . 527 
 "Yet," continued the innkeeper, " this is a dead sure thing on him; and, 
 
 although I am truly sorry, I s'pose he'll have to be put through." . 534 
 
 He became impacted in the kettle like the cork in a champagne-bottle. . 541 
 
 " O, yes, you do, Frank." 543 
 
 The officer jumped out, and sprang to the side of Mr. Rafferty 547 
 
 Aminadab Luffer 552 
 
 Aminadab in Danger 554 
 
 Garmo receiving the congratulations of his friends 560 
 
STHO HINTON carried 
 into Columbus, Ohio, 
 the first mail ever re- 
 ceived there. A solita- 
 ry log hut, surrounded by 
 miles of unbroken forest, 
 has since expanded into the 
 proud and prosperous capital 
 of the state. Little did the 
 friendless boy, clad in coarse 
 home-spun, and starting in 
 life as a "mail-rider, "foresee 
 either the marvellous growth 
 of the country, or the strange 
 vicissitudes in store for him. 
 On that bright June morning 
 he rode through the woods 
 with a light heart, and with 
 songs as cheery as the carols 
 of the birds that peopled the 
 leafy trees, for his willing 
 labor brought honest though scanty recompense. 
 
 Faithful to employers, diligent in the discharge of every 
 duty, the lad soon attracted the attention of influential patrons^ ' 
 when advancement rapidly followed. Promotion succeeded 
 promotion, till Otho Hinton became general agent of the 
 
 Starting in Life. 
 
22 THE EXILE. 
 
 " Ohio Stage Company," an organization wielding a large 
 capital, and composed of some of the foremost men of the 
 state, at the head of whom stood William Neil of Columbus. 
 In the years 1849 anc * 1850 the company had a monopoly of 
 the important, mail routes in Ohio, its ramifications extending 
 in all directions. 
 
 At the ; time referred to, the State Bank of Ohio, then ap- 
 proaching* the Zenith : of prosperity, had established branches 
 at all the important towns in the commonwealth, and large 
 sums were constantly transmitted by mail between the parent 
 institution and its various offshoots. Business of this char- 
 acter has since been transferred almost wholly to the ex- 
 press companies, so that it is difficult to realize with what 
 confidence, in those days of primitive simplicity, men intrust- 
 ed to the mails, packages containing hundreds or thousands 
 of dollars in currency. For the most part the valuable par- 
 cels went through safely, though often, no doubt, from the 
 well-known nature of the contents, exciting the cupidity of 
 officials who lacked the hardihood to steal, for great precau- 
 tions were then taken to preserve a trace of letters, so that 
 any act of depredation pointed much more directly to the thief 
 than under the less cumbersome but more economical and 
 expeditious system which now prevails. Isolated instances of 
 robbery were generally followed by speedy detection and pun- 
 ishment. Occasionally, however, a crafty rogue contrived to 
 do a great deal of mischief before the method of his opera- 
 tions could be discovered. 
 
 In the year 1849 a series of alarming depredations began in 
 Ohio. One after another, money packages containing large 
 remittances, mailed at various offices, and addressed to differ- 
 ent points, both in and out of the state, unaccountably disap- 
 peared. The losses were reported to the department, and 
 referred for investigation to two or three special agents, whose 
 districts, under the old system of division, seemed to be in- 
 vplved. Mr. Thomas P. Shallcross, then a young man and 
 cpmparatively new in the service, though he had already 
 
WHAT ON EARTH IS TO PAY? 
 
 given evidence of the skill in detection which was soon to 
 render his name a terror to evil-doers, was at the time as- 
 signed to duty in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. One 
 day Mr. Shallcross happened to be in the office of William 
 H. Dundas, Esq., chief clerk of the contract bureau, who, in 
 connection with other duties, had the direct supervision of the 
 work of special agents, and who at the moment was engaged 
 on the reported losses from Ohio. Greatly annoyed at the 
 prolonged continuance of 
 the trouble, Mr. Dundas en- 
 tered into an elaborate ex- 
 planation of the complaints, 
 when General Hinton, for 
 such was now his title, quite 
 unexpectedly dropped in. 
 The chief clerk and he were 
 old friends, and their greet- 
 ings were very cordial. 
 
 "By the way, General," 
 remarked Dundas, "we are 
 having a terrible time with 
 our mails out in your region, 
 and we were discussing the 
 matter as you came in. 
 What on earth is to pay? 
 Come, give us your views, 
 for you, perhaps, may hold 
 the clue." 
 
 A third of a century, replete With honor and prosperity, 
 had passed over the head of Otho Hinton since our first intro- 
 duction to him on what was then the wild western frontier. 
 The solidity of his form corresponded well with the supposed 
 permanence of his fortunes. Tall, erect, and carrying a 
 weight of two hundred and twenty-five pounds without detri- 
 ment to the symmetry of a handsome figure, at the age of 
 fifty-three he was in the prime of vigorous manhood. Yet 
 
 Otho Hinton. 
 
24 THE EXILE. 
 
 those well-cut features wore at times a sinister expression far 
 from pleasing. A sensualist by inclination and habit, he suf- 
 fered the vice to gnaw at his heart till the foundations of 
 virtue were hopelessly sapped. 
 
 At the random shot of Mr. Dundas the features of the great 
 mail contractor winced, and his large brown eye gave a con- 
 vulsive twitch, as if conscious that suspicion rested upon him 
 already. These involuntary movements, that flitted away 
 like a shadow, did not escape the observation of Mr. Shall- 
 cross, who has the rare gift of seeing everything without 
 appearing to notice anything. Hinton soon walked out, to 
 seek relief, evidently, from an atmosphere oppressive with 
 suggestions of guilt. 
 
 "Did you mark the peculiar actions of General Hinton 
 when you mentioned the Ohio losses ? " inquired the special 
 agent. 
 
 "No," answered Mr. Dundas, "I saw nothing unusual in 
 his manner." 
 
 " I did," rejoined the detective. " Upon the sudden intro- 
 duction of the subject, the General for a moment lost his 
 mental balance, and betrayed a confusion that argues any- 
 thing but innocence. The facts, too, all point to him as the 
 criminal. You must have observed that the losses are not 
 confined to a single line, but have occurred on all the impor- 
 tant routes in the state, where, besides, there are no common 
 points of contact or intersection. No one person could perpe- 
 trate these robberies, unless provided with a roving commis- 
 sion, yet the ear-marks plainly indicate that all are the work 
 of a single hand. Hinton is the only man in whom all the 
 required conditions meet. As general manager of the com- 
 pany, he passes over the different lines at will, and the little 
 army of employes are completely subject to his command. 
 Give me an opportunity to investigate the cases, and I will 
 soon convince you that my suspicions are correct." 
 
 Mr. Dundas, whose native caution had been heightened by 
 conservative influences, was a good deal nettled at what ap- 
 
A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. 25 
 
 peared to him to be the hasty, rash, and indeed presumptu- 
 ous conclusions of the special agent. 
 
 "How could the General get possession of the packages?" 
 inquired he ; " it would be impossible to steal them from the 
 post-offices \vithout" instant detection, and he could not abstract 
 them from the pouches, if he does pass over the routes, with- 
 out both the collusion of the drivers and cutting the bags ; yet 
 there is no complaint that a single one has been mutilated. 
 Of course he has no mail-keys. How, then, could he commit 
 the robberies ? " 
 
 "Are you aware," inquired Shallcross, "that a year or two 
 ago a full set of keys was stolen from the depository in this 
 building ? " 
 
 " I have an indistinct recollection," replied the chief clerk, 
 "that Mr. Johnson reported something of the kind, but General 
 Hinton never took them. I have too much confidence in his 
 honor and integrity to harbor the suspicion for a moment that 
 he would commit so base an act, even if the opportunity was 
 granted him, which may be doubted. To my mind the con- 
 clusion to which you have so hastily jumped seems utterly 
 preposterous." 
 
 " Perhaps argument will not bring us any nearer to agree- 
 ment," rejoined the detective ; " but in view of future devel- 
 opments let me again venture the prediction that when the 
 truth is brought to light, the man in whom you place such 
 unbounded faith will be exposed as the criminal." 
 
 "As a friend," answered the chief clerk, "let me advise you 
 not to talk in this manner about General Hinton. I have 
 known him long and intimately, and have yet to see the first 
 act indicating knavery or dishonor. The opinion of those 
 most closely associated with him in business may be inferred 
 from the trusts they confide to him. He directs the financial 
 management of the Ohio Stage Company, draws their mail 
 pay, attends to the matters requiring congressional action, 
 and is their accredited agent at this department. All the 
 duties growing out of this position he has discharged satisfac- 
 
26 THE EXILE. 
 
 torily for many years. Besides, the social connections of the 
 General are powerful, both here and at home. As the per- 
 sonal friend of senators and cabinet ministers, he wields an 
 influence that should not be lightly defied. Were he to hear 
 of your remarks, he might cause you a great deal of trouble." 
 
 "My suspicions have been expressed to no human being 
 except yourself," replied the special agent, " and I shall con- 
 tinue to keep my own counsels till the opportunity arises to 
 convince you that I am right. I need hardly request you 
 to observe equal reticence in regard to the matter, for, aside 
 from native prudence, your interest both in the General and 
 in the service enjoins silence." 
 
 The next day Shallcross left Washington. 
 
 On the 22d of August, 1850, the mail was robbed between 
 Zanesville, Ohio, and Wheeling, Virginia. At that time the 
 great eastern and western mails were carried by stage-coaches 
 from Zanesville, via Wheeling, to Cumberland, Maryland, 
 the western terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, 
 over the famous " National Road " which was laid out and 
 macadamized at the cost of the general government. As 
 originally projected, the road was to extend to St. Louis, 
 Missouri, but was never completed beyond Vincennes, Indi- 
 ana, the rapid growth of our railway system superseding the 
 old methods of transportation. In those days not unfrequently 
 a dozen four-horse coaches, heavily loaded, left Wheeling in 
 a single morning. 
 
 The robbery of August 22d was discovered on the arrival 
 at Wheeling of the through pouch from Zanesville, the way- 
 bills showing the shortage. Captain G. W. Clutter, then 
 chief clerk in the Wheeling office, having been instructed by 
 Mr. Shallcross to notify him immediately of any irregularities 
 that might occur, telegraphed the fact at once. The despatch 
 reached the detective in South Carolina, when he made the 
 journey to Wheeling as fast as the conveyances of the period 
 would take him. 
 
 The opportunity had arrived to test the correctness of the 
 
THE CRIMINAL AGAIN AT WORK. 27 
 
 theory propounded with confidence to Mr. Dundas, to be 
 thrown back with ill-disguised contempt. Pride, not less 
 than duty, stimulated the officer to make the investigation 
 thorough. So far everything had happened according to ex- 
 pectation. Alarmed by the remarks of the chief clerk, the 
 thief had refrained for an unusual period from a repetition of 
 the robberies ; but, as months rolled peacefully by, temptation 
 at length overmastered fear. Even on the brink of ruin the 
 thief cannot repress the propensity to steal. When the moor- 
 ings that bind one to honesty are cut, the day of safety is 
 passed. Some demon, cruel, relentless, vengeful, goads on 
 the criminal to fresh hazards with a power which he finds it 
 vain to resist. 
 
 " Like the bat of Indian brakes, 
 Her pinions fan the wound she makes, 
 And, soothing thus the dreamer's pain, 
 She drinks the life-blood from the vein." 
 
 On his arrival, the first object of the detective was to ascer- 
 tain whether Hinton came through with the rifled pouch, on 
 the night of August 22d, and, somewhat to his astonishment, 
 he learned that such was not the case. Captain W. D. Terry, 
 or "Captain Bill," as he was familiarly called, a sub-agent of 
 the Ohio Stage Company in charge of the line between Zanes- 
 ville and Wheeling, happened to be in Wheeling at the time. 
 Without waiting to visit his family, who resided there and 
 whom he had not seen for many months, Shallcross request- 
 ed the captain to hitch up his fastest team, and take him in 
 the direction of Zanesville as quickly as possible. Always 
 prompt to respond to the calls of the department, Terry in- 
 stantly complied, and in a few minutes the two were off. 
 
 Arriving at Morristown, Ohio, the detective carelessly in- 
 quired of the son of the landlady who kept the stage-stand, if 
 General Hinton had been there lately. 
 
 "Yes," replied the youth; " he came on the morning coach 
 a few days ago, and stopped off." 
 
 "What morning?" 
 
28 
 
 THE EXILE. 
 
 The boy looked at the register, and replied, " It was the 
 23d of August." 
 
 The officer sauntered up to the table where the register 
 lay, and caught the number of the room which had been as- 
 signed to the General. Being well acquainted with the house, 
 he proceeded up stairs, without manifesting the least concern 
 or excitement, to the apartment occupied by Hinton, and 
 removing the fire-board from before the grate, discovered 
 
 " Removing the fire-board from before the grate, he discovered pieces of letters, 
 post-bills, strings, sealing-wax, and paper partly burned." 
 
 pieces of letters, post-bills, strings, sealing-wax, and paper 
 partly burned, with a post-bill from Hillsboro', Ohio, almost 
 entire. These remnants were carefully gathered up and 
 placed in an envelope. In a few minutes he returned to find 
 Captain Terry at the door with a relay of horses, when the 
 two gentlemen stepped into the carriage and were off. 
 
 From Morristown they drove to Cambridge, stopping at the 
 
A SHARP LITTLE GAME. 
 
 2 9 
 
 intermediate stations long enough to allay, by inquiries hav- 
 ing no relation to the object of the journey, any suspicion that 
 might arise from seeing an agent of the post-office and of the 
 stage company travelling together. At Concord, some dis- 
 tance west of Cambridge, and the first stand east from Zanes-' 
 ville, they met "Jake" Fricker, the driver in charge of the 
 eastern bound coach on the evening of August 22d. Taking 
 him aside, the officer remarked, "Jake, I wish to ask you one 
 or two questions privately." 
 
 "Proceed," replied the Jehu of the line, striking an attitude 
 of attention. 
 
 "Jake, you took the coach out of Zanesville on the evening 
 of August 22d. Was General Hinton with you on that trip?" 
 
 "Yes, the General was along. I remember it well." 
 
 * Now, Jake," continued the officer, " I want you to tell 
 me just where the General was that night, and what he did. 
 Did he handle the mail-bags at all, and if so, when and how? 
 I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." 
 
 "The truth you shall have," replied the driver ; " for if there 
 is anything wrong, I want to be clear of it. If the mails have 
 been interfered with, I don't want to be blamed, and don't 
 mean to be if I can help it. On that trip, as we were start- 
 ing from Zanesville, General Hinton got up on the box with 
 me, and said, ' I believe I'll take a ride with you down the 
 road.' He talked and smoked till after dark, when he re- 
 marked, with a played-out sort of a yawn, ' Jake, I'm tired 
 and sleepy. I believe I will get up on the top of the coach, 
 under the canvas, and take a nap. Hand me one of the 
 mail-bags out of the front boot for a pillow. Don't give me 
 the way mail, but a through pouch, for I don't wish to be 
 waked up at every post-office.' Not thinking it any harm, 
 as I had often done the same thing before, I drew out the 
 bag made up at Zanesville for Wheeling. He took it, and 
 lay down at full length on top of the coach, under the can- 
 vas. When I reached the end of my drive, he was still 
 there, sound asleep as I supposed, for he did not speak or 
 
30 THE EXILE. 
 
 move. The next driver took him on down the road; and 
 that is all I know about the matter." 
 
 The locked pouches, or as many of them as could be stowed 
 there, were then carried in the front boot of the coaches 
 under the feet of the drivers. 
 
 Having completed the statement of facts, Jake yielded to 
 the promptings of an irrepressible curiosity and inquired iri- 
 nocently, " Mr. Shallcross, has the mail been robbed?" 
 
 " Jake, I'm tired and sleepy; I believe I will get up on top, under the canvas, 
 
 and take a nap." 
 
 " That is just what I wish to find out," answered that gen- 
 tleman. "Have you heard that it was?" 
 
 "Well," replied Jake, scratching his head doubtfully, "I 
 can't exactly say I have ; but I've had some d d funny 
 questions asked me lately about the mails." 
 
 The driver was cautioned to say nothing to any one about 
 the interview ; and in a short time Captain Terry and the 
 officer left for Zanesville behind a span of fresh horses. 
 
SHADOWING THE THIEF. 3! 
 
 On arriving there, Shallcross soon learned that Mr. Moses 
 Wheeler, a local banker, on the afternoon of August 22d, 
 mailed a large package of eastern bank-notes which failed to 
 reach the distribution office at Wheeling. Of a part of these 
 the banker had retained a full description, a copy of which 
 was turned over to the officer. 
 
 By telegraphing to different points, it was ascertained that 
 Hinton was seen in Pittsburgh a few days before, and thither 
 the detective proceeded by the first coach. Too restless to 
 remain long in one place, the General had left for Cleveland, 
 Ohio. Mr. Shallcross at once sent a despatch to D. M. Has- 
 kell, Esq., postmaster at Cleveland, giving a description of the 
 stolen money, and directing him to employ some one to watch 
 every movement of Hinton while in the city. In case the 
 General visited any bank or broker's office, the party on the 
 lookout was to follow immediately for the purpose of gaining 
 possession of any bills he might have parted with in exchange 
 for current funds. 
 
 Mr. Haskell laid the matter before Thomas McKinstry, 
 deputy United States marshal, and the two undertook the task 
 of " shadowing " Hinton, who had already arrived. After 
 dinner the General sauntered up and down two or three of 
 the principal streets, and on passing the office of a prominent 
 broker, disappeared quickly through the doorway. A few 
 seconds after he came out, the postmaster hurried in, for during 
 the interim he had slipped across the street and taken refuge 
 in an adjoining store. Going up to the banker, he inquired 
 in a low, confidential voice, "Mr. Crittenden, did the gentle- 
 man who just left exchange any money here?" 
 
 "Yes," replied the broker, who had not finished arranging 
 the identical bills ; " and here it is," pushing out the notes just 
 received at a discount of five per cent. On comparing them 
 with the description, they were found to correspond. Ar- 
 rangements were speedily made to have the money sealed up 
 by itself to be used as evidence, when the postmaster returned 
 to the office. 
 
32 THE EXILE. 
 
 Meanwhile Mr. Shallcross had been equally fortunate at 
 Pittsburgh, having obtained a package of notes exchanged by 
 Hinton at the bank of Sibbet and Jones, and which were also 
 identified as a portion of the plunder captured on the night of 
 the 22d. Thereupon he sent a second despatch to Mr. Has- 
 kell, informing him that he held conclusive proofs of the guilt 
 of Hinton, and directing him to keep a close watch of the 
 criminal till his arrival, but under no circumstances to make 
 
 The astonishment of the robber was equalled only by his chagrin." 
 
 an arrest. He further stated that he should start that night 
 for Cleveland. 
 
 The telegram was handed to Mr. Haskell shortly after his 
 return to the post-office. Instead of acting in accordance 
 with the instructions of the officer who had the case in charge 
 and was responsible for its management, the postmaster, on 
 consultation with McKinstry, went in person before a United 
 States commissioner, and swore out a warrant for the arrest 
 
33 
 
 of the General, who was apprehended the same evening. As 
 he was well known in the city, the news spread rapidly and 
 caused great excitement. 
 
 The astonishment of the robber was equalled only by his 
 chagrin. For a long period having carried on an extensive 
 scheme of depredations under the eyes of skillful detectives 
 whose confidence he shared, he came at last to regard expos- 
 ure as a remote contingency hardly to be considered in the 
 calculation of chances. As yet he did not know that a new 
 man had taken up the trail, or that steps rarely misled by 
 false scents were pursuing him unseen. Thus far he saw 
 only the clumsy hand of a postmaster, unpractised in the arts 
 of detection, who had rashly ventured to turn aside from the 
 legitimate sphere of duty, to trip an expert that had passed 
 unscathed beneath the batteries of the most experienced offi- 
 cers in the land. He felt like a certain eminent physician 
 that, at the age of threescore and ten, fell mortally ill of the 
 measles. As the rigors of the last agony were approaching, 
 he remarked, " I have nothing to fear, no regrets to express 
 at being cut down at the height of my usefulness, but it is 
 hard, hard, very hard, after facing death for half a century 
 in all its forms, after passing many times unharmed through 
 the plague and the pestilence, to perish at last of a baby 
 disease." 
 
 Determined, if possible, not to be outwitted by a novice, the 
 General exerted his ingenuity to circumvent his captor. With 
 loud protestations of innocence, he denounced Haskell as an 
 idiot, declaring that his days as postmaster at Cleveland 
 were numbered, as he had influence enough at Washington 
 to secure the removal of a dozen such fellows for the asking. 
 To avoid sleeping in jail that night, he implored the commis- 
 sioner to allow him time to consult with friends and to secure 
 counsel, suggesting that he be permitted to remain till morn- 
 ing at the Weddell House, under charge of a proper guard. 
 Meanwhile Haskell, having become really frightened at the 
 bold front and rigorous threats of the accused, so far weak- 
 3 
 
34 
 
 THE EXILE, 
 
 ened in resolution as to accede without opposition to the 
 arrangement proposed. Hence, with the consent of the com- 
 missioner, it was agreed that McKinstry and Colonel Abbey, 
 city marshal, should remain with the General through the 
 night in one of the parlors of the hotel. 
 
 After supper the three gentlemen repaired to the apartment 
 designated for the purpose on one of the upper floors. Hin- 
 ton had seen much of the world, and in conversation could be 
 forcible or entertaining at will. In the present emergency 
 he exerted his powers to the utmost to obtain temporary as- 
 cendency over the minds of his guardsmen, with the view of 
 
 withdrawing their thoughts 
 from the object of the meeting, 
 and of encouraging a feeling 
 of security. Protestations of 
 innocence and threats of ven- 
 geance against the postmas- 
 ter, were adroitly interlarded 
 with anecdotes and personal 
 reminiscences. At length the 
 watchers grew sleepy and 
 negligent, while the General 
 at intervals paced the room 
 diagonally for the apparent 
 purpose of resting his limbs. 
 Seizing a favorable moment, 
 he gave a sudden spring, 
 pulled the key from the door, 
 whirled through, and locking 
 the room on the outside, placed 
 the key in his pocket. The 
 guardsmen recovered from the shock of surprise to find them- 
 selves prisoners. Hinton hurried noiselessly down stairs and 
 escaped by one of the private entrances to the hotel. 
 
 Some seconds elapsed before McKinstry and Abbey could 
 decide upon a plan of action. They then began to shout lus- 
 
 ' ' The key is gone,' replied Mike, the 
 porter. " 
 
THE ESCAPE OF HINTON. 35 
 
 tily for the porter on watch below, who, after some delay, 
 caught the sound of the tumult, and ran up stairs to inquire 
 what was the matter. 
 
 "Let us out quick," replied McKinstry ; "General Hinton 
 has locked us in and escaped. Come, make haste." 
 
 "The key is gone," replied Mike, the porter. 
 
 "Hurry up and find another," answered the voice within. 
 
 Mike, having returned to the office for a master-key, liber- 
 ated the guards thus unexpectedly metamorphosed into pris- 
 oners. It was between one and two o'clock in the morning. 
 Without sitting down to chew the cud of mortification, they 
 roused a few friends, and began to scour the city in search of 
 the fugitive. Messengers were despatched in various direc- 
 tions, but the}'' gradually returned bringing no tidings what- 
 ever of the runaway. 
 
 Shallcross arrived about noon from Pittsburgh. When in- 
 formed that the postmaster, in violation of positive instruc- 
 tions, had assumed management of the case only to commit a 
 series of blunders ending in the flight of the criminal, his 
 wrath found expression in language more forcible than ele- 
 gant. Through superserviceable zeal, poor Haskell had 
 managed to draw upon his devoted head the fire of both friend 
 and foe. Nor is there any one to whom a blunderer can go, 
 under such circumstances, for consolation, as all are under 
 strong temptation to join in the general censure, if for no 
 other reason than to show their own superiority. 
 
 It is worthy of remark in passing, that whenever postmas- 
 ters interfere with the work of special agents, in matters of 
 detection and arrests, they almost invariably make a failure. 
 If the thief is at all sharp, he not unfrequently proves a Tartar 
 in the hands of his captor, causing a great deal more trouble 
 than he receives. The department is often annoyed, and the 
 ends of justice are often thwarted, by well-meant but perni- 
 cious intermeddling of this kind. Instead of acting on his 
 own responsibility in such cases, it is the duty of postmasters 
 to notify the proper officer at Washington, that an agent of 
 
36 THE EXILE. 
 
 the requisite qualifications may be sent to attend properly to 
 the business. 
 
 Having taken a hasty survey of the situation, Mr. Shallcross 
 proceeded immediately to Columbus, traveling night and day, 
 as he had done continuously for over two weeks, with nothing 
 more comfortable than a seat or the floor of a coach to sleep 
 on. In that city the Ohio Stage Company had its headquar- 
 ters, J. H. Sullivan, Esq., being then president, and Oscar 
 Ream, Esq., secretary. On the presentation of the facts by 
 the special agent of the post-office department, those gentle- 
 men at once issued orders to all the agents of the company to 
 keep a strict lookout for Hinton, and to report promptly any 
 information they might obtain concerning him. From Colum- 
 bus, in company with Mr. Ream, Mr. Shallcross, drove to 
 Delaware, Ohio, the home of Hinton, and made the necessary 
 arrangements for his apprehension should he visit his family. 
 
 In the mean time the post-office department, having been 
 fully advised of the situation, authorized Mr. Shallcross 'to 
 offer a reward of one thousand dollars for the arrest of Hin- 
 ton, and he accordingly scattered broadcast handbills contain- 
 ing a complete description of the fugitive, with the amount of 
 the reward displayed in conspicuous type, well suited to open 
 the optics, and put on the qui vtve the "Buckeyes " of the 
 period. Mr. Sullivan added, over his own signature, as pres- 
 ident, strict instructions to all employes of the company to 
 extend the fullest aid to the special agent in his efforts to 
 effect a capture. For several days no news was heard of the 
 robber from any quarter, and it seemed idle to speculate in 
 regard to his movements. From the fact that Hinton was ex- 
 tensively known through the state, the detective reasoned that 
 he would try to remain in concealment till the pursuit relaxed 
 in vigor, and then make his way as best he could to some 
 other part of the country. 
 
 On returning to Columbus, Mr. Shallcross found a telegram 
 announcing that Hinton had been seen in the vicinity of 
 Akron, Ohio, where he applied at a farm-house for food, 
 
A HARD JOURNEY WITH HARD FARE, 
 
 37 
 
 saying that he was very hungry, having eaten nothing for 
 two days except green corn plucked from the fields beside the 
 road. Thither the special agent started immediately, and 
 learned from the farmer's wife that, after a voracious meal, 
 the half-starved traveler left in the direction of Ravenna. 
 Barely stopping to thank the lady for the information, the offi- 
 cer pushed on in hot pursuit. A few miles beyond he ascer- 
 
 " Unaccustomed to so much walking, he decided to buy a horse." 
 
 tained that a man answering to the description had recently 
 passed, and that he had bought from an old gentleman in the 
 vicinity a horse and equipments. From this person additional 
 and highly important information was obtained. He still had 
 the bills, eighty-five dollars, received in payment for the 
 horse, and on examination they proved to be the identical 
 notes contained in the letter mailed at Hillsborough, Ohio, 
 the post-bill accompanying which, the detective at an earlier 
 stage of the chase had found behind the fire-board of the 
 
3 THE EXILE. 
 
 s 
 
 General's room in the hotel at Morristown. The gentleman 
 was directed to retain the money, and not to part with it under 
 any circumstances till authorized to do so. 
 
 In addition to the stolen bills, another discovery was made 
 at this place. The seller of the horse stated that the purchaser 
 arrived about noon, and represented himself to be an agent 
 of a nursery firm engaged in selling trees. Unaccustomed 
 to so much walking, he had become weary and foot-sore, and 
 had accordingly decided, to buy a horse, to facilitate his move- 
 ments. After completing the bargain and taking dinner, the 
 stranger remarked that he had a visit to pay to a gentleman 
 in the neighborhood, but as the distance was considerable 
 around by the road, he would take a short cut on foot across 
 the lots, adding that he might not return before nightfall. 
 He left in the direction of the place designated, and came 
 back at dusk. He then partook of a hurried supper, and rode 
 away. 
 
 Before the arrival of the special agent, the old gentleman 
 whom the nursery agent had favored with his patronage 
 learned from the farmer, upon whom the same individual pro- 
 posed to call, that no such person had come near his place. 
 Hence the detective inferred that the fugitive hoped to escape 
 by traveling in the night and remaining in concealment 
 through the day. On the afternoon of the purchase he prob- 
 ably stayed in an adjoining cornfield, with no other compan- 
 ionship than guilty memories and dismal forebodings. 
 
 The detective further concluded, from the direction of his 
 flight, that he was hastening toward the river, hoping to find 
 an asylum among the hills of Virginia and Western Pennsyl- 
 vania, where few if any were familiar with his features. 
 
 Changing horses at Ravenna, Mr. Shallcross continued the 
 pursuit with unabated vigor, stopping at wide intervals long 
 enough to partake of necessary food, but not thinking of rest 
 while the object of the chase was still unaccomplished. A 
 hint here and there, occasional and fragmentary, as the fugi- 
 tive traveled mostly at night, satisfied the officer that Hinton 
 
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 
 
 39 
 
 was aiming for the ford at Wellsville, in Columbiana County, 
 and toward that point accordingly he hastened. 
 
 Arriving about midnight at a small hamlet a few miles from 
 New Lisbon, the special agent learned that early on the 
 morning of the same day a stranger, who from the description 
 could be no other than Hinton, had ridden up to the door and 
 asked for breakfast. When the meal was over, the gentleman 
 remarked that he had business to transact in the neighbor- 
 hood which would probably consume the day, and requested 
 the privilege of leaving his horse in the stable. He then 
 went away on foot, but re- 
 turned at twilight, paid his 
 bill, and rode off. This cir- 
 cumstance fully confirmed the 
 theory already formed in ref- 
 erence to the method of travel 
 pursued by the fugitive. 
 
 It was now definitely known 
 that the robber was only four 
 hours in advance of the officer, 
 who urged on his jaded horse 
 with renewed zeal, in the effort 
 to overtake him, if possible, 
 before he should succeed in 
 crossing the Ohio. Having no 
 longer a doubt that he would 
 attempt to ford the stream at 
 Wellsville, the intuitions of the 
 detective, originating in the 
 scanty information possessed as 
 far back as at Ravenna, amounting almost to foreknowledge, 
 he aimed directly for that point. 
 
 Hinton, it was well known, was entirely familiar with the 
 route, having often passed over it as general manager of the 
 stage company, so that there was no reasonable hope that he 
 might be detained by missing the way. 
 
 In the gathering gloom only the near- 
 est objects were visible." 
 
THE 
 
 As the special agent approached the river, he entered a 
 bank of fog, which grew more dense and dismal as he ad- 
 vanced, till in the gathering gloom only the nearest objects 
 were visible. Fences, houses, trees, were successively lost 
 to sight, till at last he was compelled to trust entirely to the 
 instincts of the horse for pilotage. 
 
 Meanwhile Hinton was pursuing his solitary journey under 
 equal disadvantages. About two o'clock in the morning he 
 passed through the familiar streets of Wellsville, having little 
 need to use caution now, for the village was buried in dark- 
 ness and sleep. A few moments later and the waters of the 
 river were rolling in mystery before him. 
 
 Should he go on alone or seek aid? By daylight, or 
 in an ordinary night, a person familiar with the ground could 
 here ford the stream, at seasons of low water, without peril, as 
 a bar extends from the Ohio side in a north-easterly direction, 
 midway into the river, and there intersects with another, 
 reaching out in a north-westerly line from the opposite bank. 
 Though the rider had often crossed at this point, the horse 
 was a stranger to the locality, and in a night like the present 
 a horse that knew the ford could be trusted with much more 
 confidence than a man. 
 
 Weary in body and tortured in mind, the robber did not 
 stop to count the chances. Behind, earth and air swarmed 
 with dangers ; ahead, beyond that vefl of mist, as he delusively 
 imagined, lay peace and safety. In a few hours it might be 
 too late. Into the stream, accordingly, he urged the horse, 
 
 M Like one that on a 5< 
 
 Doth walk in fear and dread, 
 
 And turns no move his head ; 
 Because he knows a frightful 
 Doth close behind him tread.* 
 
 Cautiously feeling his way along die bar, Hinton advanced 
 several rods without accident, but before reaching the point 
 of intersection lost his bearings, and guided the animal into 
 
ALMOST A WATERY GRAVE. 4! 
 
 deep water. For a few seconds he drifted passively at the 
 mercy of the current, and then, waking to a realization of the 
 danger, struggled frantically to regain the ford. The heavy 
 weight of the rider pressed the horse beneath the surface, 
 when throwing out his arms in sudden fright, he lost his seat 
 in the saddle, and became separated from the beast. It was 
 an appalling crisis. Dread of capture, stronger than the fear 
 
 Guided by th 
 
 ti(? in the water, he turned the skiff down stream, and in 
 ;onds came upon the half-drowned man." 
 
 of death, deterred the robber from shouting for help. Besides, 
 at that hour of the night, what would outcries avail? Sleep 
 and silence, deep as the blackness that hung over the river, 
 seemed to hold both man and nature in chains. From what 
 quarter could aid penetrate the gloom? Then, in the moment 
 of supreme despair, the wretch remembered the happiness of 
 innocent though humble childhood, and passed in swift review 
 the career of vice and crime that had dragged him down from 
 
4 2 
 
 THE EXILE. 
 
 seats of honor to perish alone, pursued by avenging furies. 
 Conscience declared that the surrounding darkness, so black 
 and hopeless, was a fitting pall to hide from sight the close of 
 such a life. 
 
 The noise, however, attracted the attention of the boat- 
 watchman who slept at the landing. 
 
 Without waiting to deliberate, for he knew some one was in 
 trouble, he sprang up, lit a reflecting lantern, jumped into a 
 skiff, and pushed out into the stream. Near the bank he met 
 the riderless horse retracing its steps along the bar. Guided 
 by the splashing in the water, he turned the skiff down stream, 
 and in a few seconds came upon the half-drowned man, who, 
 amid all the terrors of the situation, dared not call for aid. 
 The rescue was not yet complete, for it required great and 
 skillful efforts to draw him into the boat, which, however, was 
 at length accomplished, when the watchman rowed back to 
 the Ohio side. On the way Hinton fabricated a story which 
 entirely satisfied the Good Samaritan whose prompt action 
 had saved him from death. 
 
 Hinton knew every one at Wellsville, for this was an im- 
 portant stage stand. It would not answer to be seen near the 
 village by daylight, and the river could not be crossed, under 
 the circumstances, in the fog. The only alternative pre- 
 sented to the mind of the fugitive was to obtain somewhere a 
 supply of food, and seek shelter in the forests of the neigh- 
 borhood, while waiting for a more favorable night for fording 
 the stream. 
 
 Thanking the boatman, and remounting the horse which had 
 considerately come to a stand near the landing, Hinton rode 
 slowly toward the hotel of the town, revolving plans for the 
 future on the way. With the building and its environments 
 he was perfectly familiar, having often shared its good cheer. 
 Tying the animal under a shed in the rear, he walked up to 
 the back L to reconnoitre. Utter stillness prevailed. Gently 
 trying a window of the kitchen, he found it unfastened. Be- 
 fore proceeding further, he pulled off his boots, which were 
 
PY TAM, VOT IS DISH?" 
 
 43 
 
 filled with water, turning them sole upward against the steps 
 to drain. 
 
 Chilled by the long immersion, shivering with cold and 
 dread, the homeless wanderer paused a moment irresolutely, 
 undecided whether to raid on the well-stocked pantry of the 
 inn, or to ride away unfurnished with supplies. During his 
 flight, however, he had suffered too much from hunger to risk 
 a repetition of the evil. Silently raising the window, he thrust 
 in his head and body, and cautiously stretched out his foot 
 toward the floor. The dripping stocking fell on the face of 
 Caspar, the hostler, who was sleeping on a blanket directly 
 beneath the window. Visions of burglars and midnight as- 
 sassination did not frighten away the wits of the Teuton. 
 Spitting out the unsavory waters of the Ohio, he grasped the 
 nether extremity of the intruder, exclaiming, " Py tarn, vot is 
 dish?" 
 
 Hinton made a brief and desperate, but unavailing effort 
 to escape, for the German was much the stronger of the 
 two. 
 
 " Mine Got ! murter ! heelp ! heelp ! queek ! I'm got heem," 
 yelled Caspar, awaking the night with strange imprecations. 
 
 " Hush ! hush ! " whispered the prisoner. " I am no thief. 
 I'm an old friend hungry that stopped to get food with- 
 out disturbing the house. Please keep quiet, and let me go." 
 
 "Meester Heenton, ees it you?" ejaculated Caspar, recog- 
 nizing the voice. 
 
 " Let me go and I'll make you rich, the richest man in 
 Wellsville," pleaded the prisoner. 
 
 " No yer don't no yer don't, Meester Heenton ; I knows 
 eet all. Yer puts yer fut een eet dis time, dat ishso," and 
 the hostler again waked the echoes with calls for aid. 
 
 In a few minutes Mr. Ben Way, proprietor of the establish- 
 ment, appeared with a light, when, to the captor thus rein- 
 forced, the prisoner offered no further resistance. 
 
 While the above incidents were happening, the special 
 agent of the post-office department was approaching the vil- 
 
44 THE EXILE. 
 
 lage as speedily as circumstances would permit. It was about 
 half past three in the morning, when, attracted by the light, 
 he stopped at the door of the hotel and knocked for admit- 
 tance. The summons was answered by the landlord in per- 
 son. Upon entering the room, the astonishment of the officer 
 was only equalled by his delight as he saw the robber whom 
 he had suspected so long and hunted so vigorously, a prisoner 
 in the hands of the herculean hostler. 
 
 "No yer don't, no yer don't, Meester Heenton. . . . Yer puts yer fut een eet 
 dis time, dat ishso." 
 
 The situation was soon explained to the special agent, who 
 directed, as a matter of greater security, that Hinton should 
 be put in irons, and drawing a pair of handcuffs from his 
 pocket, he caused these useful ornaments to be clasped around 
 the wrists of the captive. 
 
 Having arranged with Mr. Way and the deputy sheriff of 
 Columbiana County to take the prisoner to Cleveland, Mr. 
 
CAGED AT LAST. 45 
 
 Shallcross lost no time in looking up the witnesses, going to 
 Wheeling, Morristown, Zanesville, Hillsborough, and other 
 places along the National Road, then the great highway be- 
 tween the east and the west. Among the parties summoned 
 were George W. Clutter, chief clerk in the Wheeling post- 
 office, Moses Wheeler, banker of Zanesville, several of the 
 drivers with whom Hinton had traveled while depredating on 
 the mails, the citizen of Hillsborough who sent the letter con- 
 taining the money afterward paid through the hands of the 
 thief for the horse purchased near Akron, and others whose 
 testimony was deemed important. 
 
 On the loth of September the special agent, with the wit- 
 nesses, arrived in Cleveland, and the next day the examina- 
 tion before the United States commissioner began, and con- 
 tinued without intermission till the I4th, when the accused 
 was held for trial on four separate charges, and required to 
 give bail in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. As no one 
 in that city was willing to risk so much on his appearance 
 at the appointed time, the General was remanded to jail for 
 the night. 
 
 On the i5th, Mr. Shallcross and General G. A. Jones, 
 United States marshal for the district of Ohio, started for 
 Columbus, having the prisoner in custody, and arrived the next 
 afternoon. As the party drove through the suburbs, Hinton 
 remarked, " I am the person who carried the first mail ever 
 brought into Columbus, when a poor and almost friendless 
 boy." 
 
 The prisoner was lodged in jail to await trial at the fall 
 term of the United States circuit court, before Hon. Justice 
 John McLean, a former postmaster-general. Hon. Henry 
 Stanberry, afterwards attorney-general under President John- 
 son, was to conduct the prosecution. When postmaster-gen- 
 eral, Justice McLean drafted the statute under which the in- 
 dictments in the present case were to be found. 
 
 After the grand jury had presented a true bill and the pris- 
 oner had been arraigned, on motion of counsel the trial was 
 
46 THE EXILE. 
 
 postponed until the next term of the court, and the bail re- 
 duced to ten thousand dollars. This was on the i5th of Oc- 
 tober. On the 1 7th of the following January, several friends 
 of the defendant entered into the required recognizance, when 
 he was discharged from custody. 
 
 At the April term the accused failed to appear, when the 
 court ordered the recognizance to be forfeited. All efforts of 
 the sureties to have the order revoked and the forfeiture res- 
 pited till the October term proved unavailing, so that the 
 friends of the robber were compelled to pay dearly for their 
 confidence in his treacherous promises. 
 
 Shortly after his release on bail, Hinton departed from Co- 
 lumbus, and for several weeks no tidings came from him. 
 Early in April, however, a letter was received from him by 
 one of the bondsmen, in which he wrote, " I have not the 
 heart to appear for trial, and before this reaches you, the tur- 
 bulent waters of the angry Mississippi will be rolling over my 
 dead body." The writer gave sundry directions in regard to 
 his affairs, and made one or two trifling requests of the friends 
 who had stood by him in trouble. 
 
 The missive, adroitly contrived to mislead, satisfied some 
 that the fugitive had really committed suicide ; but Mr. 
 Shallcross, whose experience and habits of mental analysis 
 enabled him to see readily through the artifice, became con- 
 vinced that instead of a watery grave the robber was seek- 
 ing, by way of the Mississippi, an escape from the country 
 to Mexico or Cuba. He accordingly embarked on the "Fa- 
 ther of Waters : ' in the month of May, and arrived at New 
 Orleans the ist of June. Being well acquainted with the 
 chirography of Hinton, he naturally looked to the registers of 
 the various hotels for tokens of his presence. Beginning at 
 the St. Charles, and running back through the record, he 
 soon found the name of " O. H. Hall," in the irregular, rigid, 
 and perfectly familiar hand of the man whom he was hunting. 
 
 The St. Charles was then kept by Hall and Hildreth. 
 Calling the attention of the former to the name on the regis- 
 
SAILING UNDER FALSE COLORS. 
 
 47 
 
 ter, the detective inquired whether the gentleman was a rela- 
 tive or acquaintance. The proprietor replied that he remem- 
 bered the man, but had no personal acquaintance with him, 
 adding, further, that, he left the hotel abruptly some weeks 
 before. 
 
 Having discovered the alias of the fugitive, the officer saun- 
 tered out, to devise at leisure new plans for continuing the 
 chase, when he fortunately met an old acquaintance, Mr. 
 
 " ' Did you know that he was under arrest for robbing the mails ? ' asked 
 
 the officer." 
 
 Wilson Dales, a steamboat agent, and formerly a steamboat 
 clerk, in which capacity he had traveled upon the Mississippi 
 and Ohio till he knew almost every one of any prominence in 
 the valleys of both rivers. The first exclamation of Dales 
 was, " Why, Shallcross, whom on earth are you after away 
 down here ? " 
 
 The detective was delighted to meet the gentleman, and 
 
48 THE EXILE. 
 
 after conversing for a few minutes on indifferent topics by 
 way of preparation, inquired, " Do you know General Otho 
 Hinton, of Columbus, Ohio?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Dales ; "I saw him a few weeks ago at the 
 St. Charles, and spoke to him, but he refused to recognize me 
 or acknowledge the acquaintanceship. His conduct struck 
 me as very strange, for I was sure that I could not be mis- 
 taken. He left the house soon after, and I have not seen or 
 heard of him since." 
 
 " Did you know that he was under arrest for robbing the 
 mails? " asked the officer. 
 
 "Yes," answered the steamboat agent; "I read something 
 about it in the papers, and was under the impression that he 
 had probably broken jail, and was trying to elude pursuit. I 
 mentioned the matter to one of the hotel proprietors, who said 
 that my recognition of the man had cost them a customer, as 
 he left immediately afterwards." 
 
 The special agent then visited the other hotels seriatim, 
 and found upon the register of the St. Louis the name of " O. 
 H. Hitchcock" in the ill-disguised writing of Hinton. Em- 
 ployed here as porters were a wide-awake Irishman and 
 good-natured negro, whose favorable consideration the officer 
 soon won by judicious attentions. Both were questioned in 
 reference to "Hitchcock," whose striking appearance could 
 easily be described and was likely to be remembered. Both 
 recollected the man, but neither could tell at first the direction 
 of his departure. The Irishman thought he took passage for 
 Mobile, while the negro was equally confident that he left by 
 an up-river boat. On more mature reflection, however, aided 
 by sundry suggestions from the special agent, the negro grad- 
 ually recalled the circumstances, and declared that the gentle- 
 man sailed on the steamer "Falcon," for Cuba. 
 
 A day or two later the Falcon returned to New Orleans, 
 when Mr. Shallcross learned from the purser that a person 
 answering exactly to the description of Hinton, though travel- 
 ing under a different name, had taken passage on the outward 
 
A SUCCESSFUL HUNT. 
 
 49 
 
 trip, and was then in Havana. Aware that no extradition 
 treaty existed between the United States and Spanish govern- 
 ments, whereby a fugitive from justice could be demanded of 
 the Cuban authorities, the officer here desisted from further 
 pursuit, notifying the department by mail of the continued 
 existence and present refuge of the escaped robber. 
 
 Other matters arose to engross the attention of the special 
 agent, and though anxious to resume the trail, he waited sev- 
 
 " The negro gradually recalled the circumstances." 
 
 eral months before finding a suitable opportunity. In Febru- 
 ary, 1852, while engaged in the investigation of certain cases 
 in the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., he improved an interval 
 of comparative leisure to make a trip to Havana on the steamer 
 Isabel, which then plied regularly between the two ports. 
 On landing, the detective adopted a disguise, and made the 
 rounds of the city in search of the exile. The hunt was 
 thorough, and was rewarded with success. Hinton had be- 
 
 4 
 
50 THE EXILE. 
 
 come the proprietor of a tobacco store, and employed a num- 
 ber of hands in the manufacture of cigars. Satisfied that his 
 disguise would prevent recognition, the officer did not hesitate 
 to enter the establishment and engage the owner in conversa- 
 tion, making inquiries in regard to certain brands of cigars, 
 and intimating a desire to purchase quite a large quantity 
 before the sailing of the Isabel for the States, provided prices 
 
 " The dealer had no suspicion whatever of the identity of the proposed 
 
 customer." 
 
 could be made satisfactory. The dealer having no suspicion 
 whatever of the identity of the proposed customer, entered 
 into the negotiation without the slightest constraint. 
 
 The last twelve months had made noticeable changes in the 
 appearance of the fugitive. During the period his hair had 
 turned gray, and the lustre had faded from his eyes. The 
 figure, then erect, had become stooping, and the step, then 
 firm and resolute, had given place to a timorous, temporizing 
 
FEARFUL OF COMPLICATIONS. 5.1 
 
 shuffle. It was like the change produced by a sudden stroke 
 of paralysis at a time of high health. Yet it was evident that 
 w the turbulent waters of the angry Mississippi " had never 
 rolled over the dead body of the robber. The threat of sui- 
 cide was, doubtless, intended as a blind ; and a clumsy one it 
 proved, revealing to the detective the very purpose it was 
 designed to cover. 
 
 Having matured a plan, the officer called upon Mr. Camp- 
 bell, United States consul at Havana, to consult in reference to 
 the possibility or expediency of securing the person of the crim- 
 inal. That gentleman promptly took the ground that, as no 
 extradition treaty existed between the American and Spanish 
 governments, Hinton could not be compelled to return, and 
 that any attempt to accomplish this object by force or artifice 
 would result in disagreeable complications between the two 
 powers, and hence could not for a moment be countenanced. 
 In case such a plan was seriously entertained in any quarter, 
 it would become his duty, as the representative of the United 
 States, to interpose actively for the protection of the fugitive. 
 
 With the facilities at his command, the special agent could 
 easily have decoyed Hinton on board the steamer, and taken 
 him home a prisoner, but acting on the advice of the consul, 
 and also on his own better judgment, he determined to aban- 
 don the enterprise, and accordingly returned to Charleston. 
 
 On the return voyage, the officer arranged with the purser 
 of the Isabel to visit Hinton's establishment every trip, and to 
 notify him at once of any changes or other unusual move- 
 ments. 
 
 Not many months later a formidable insurrection broke out 
 in Cuba, attended with a feeling of general disquiet and un- 
 certainty. Rumors were rife that the island was about to be 
 ceded to the United States. During the excitement, Hinton 
 sold out his interests, and left for parts unknown. The facts 
 were promptly reported to Mr. Shallcross by the purser of the 
 Isabel. For a time nothing whatever was heard of the fugi- 
 tive, but the detective kept the matter in mind, and as a 
 
52 THE EXILE. 
 
 reward for his perseverance succeeded in locating him on the 
 Columbia River, in Oregon, where he was engaged in keep- 
 ing a hotel and running a ferry. 
 
 This information was communicated through the post-office 
 department to the United States district attorney, at Columbus, 
 Ohio. Measures were promptly taken to effect the capture of 
 Hinton, the necessary papers, at the earnest solicitation of the 
 bondsmen, who were anxious, if possible, to recover the ten 
 thousand dollars lost through his treachery, being placed in 
 the hands of one Mills, who was specially deputized to make 
 the arrest. The selection proved exceedingly unfortunate. 
 Armed with authority to execute an important trust, for which 
 his indiscretion and lack of judgment totally unfitted him, the 
 deputy started for the Pacific slope, with loud boasts that he 
 would soon return with Hinton a prisoner. So pervasive and 
 full was the determination, that it bubbled over on all occa- 
 sions, Mills losing no opportunity to tell who he was and to 
 explain the object of his mission. As might have been fore- 
 seen, the news of his approach preceded him ; and on arriving 
 at the Columbia River, he found that the hotel and ferry had 
 passed into the hands of another owner, and that the late pro- 
 prietor had vanished as suddenly as he came. 
 
 Forewarned of the approaching danger, Hinton hastily dis- 
 posed of his property in Oregon, and fled to the Sandwich 
 Islands. At that time there was no extradition treaty between 
 the American and Hawaiian governments, so that the exile 
 seemed to be safe from further pursuit. Soon after, however, 
 Mr. Squires, our consul at Honolulu, attempted to open 
 negotiations for the annexation of the Sandwich Islands to the 
 United States. The project so alarmed Hinton that he lost 
 no time in sailing for Australia, where definite trace of him 
 was soon lost. 
 
 He is believed to have led an obscure and wretched life, 
 dreading to meet men, if not dreaded by them. A few years 
 later, death terminated the earthly miseries of the exile, and 
 his remains were borne to the grave by strangers. 
 
9 
 
 exceedingly small per- 
 centage of the men, com- 
 missioned from time to 
 time as special agents of 
 the post-office department, 
 grow into efficient and valu- 
 able officers. To all posi- 
 tions controlled more or less 
 by political influences many 
 unfit applicants gain admis- 
 sion by virtue of strong con- 
 nections and stronger impor- 
 tunities. Where the duties 
 are simple and run in the 
 beaten ruts of routine, they 
 may accomplish the pre- 
 scribed term of service with- 
 out proving noticeable fail- 
 ures. Others, more able 
 and earnest, furnish the pow- 
 er to drive the machinery, 
 
 while they attend with passable intelligence to the minor 
 
 details. 
 
 But the work of a special agent is peculiar and difficult, 
 
 comparatively few possessing the qualities which enable them 
 
 The Lonely Ride. 
 
54 BREAKING IN. 
 
 to achieve in it even a tolerable degree of success. Men 
 eminently fitted to shine in the pulpit, at the bar, or on the 
 bench, might fail lamentably in efforts to gather up and inter- 
 pret the clues that lead through labyrinthine windings to the 
 secrets hidden in the mind of the wily criminal. In addition 
 to a kind of clairvoyant insight into the operations of a guilty 
 soul, a master in the art of detection must possess a keenness 
 of attention that permits nothing, however minute, to escape 
 its observation, a sagacity in construing the meaning of facts 
 that rarely blunders, a resolution that never falters, a persever- 
 ance that never tires, and often a courage that triumphs over 
 dangers by a quality of transcendent heroism. 
 
 A character so well furnished with the essential attributes 
 of a detective usually finds more congenial and remunerative 
 employment. Many who seek the places with most unrea- 
 sonable urgency, and with the most formidable array of 
 indorsements, are persons that have fallen to the ground in 
 the battle of life, unable to maintain a foothold under a sys- 
 tem of free competition. If successful in securing admission 
 to the ranks, they soon discover their incapacity, and, con- 
 scious of total unfitness for the work, bend their available 
 energies to the task of clinging as long as possible to the emol- 
 uments of the office. Gradually they drop off from sheer lack 
 of strength to hold on longer. Prior to the recent great 
 improvement in the personnel of the force, a few agents of 
 rare gifts and great experience actually performed nine-tenths 
 of the important labor. 
 
 This chapter will contain a sketch of the early efforts, 
 discouragements, and triumphs of one of the most remark- 
 able men who have ever done good and valiant service for 
 the post-office department Mr. John B. Furay, of Omaha, 
 Nebraska. His labors, almost herculean both in hardship 
 and achievement, have been confined to the frontier, several 
 of the most important arrests effected by him having been 
 made on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 His method of procedure is somewhat peculiar, as in many 
 
SERVING AN APPRENTICESHIP. 55 
 
 instances, after clearing away every doubt from his own 
 mind, he relies with what would seem to be the most auda- 
 cious self-assurance on making the evidence for conviction 
 out of the criminal himself. 
 
 Mr. Furay was appointed special agent of the post-office 
 department in August, 1870. For the first few months his 
 efforts, though untiring, were misdirected and unsatisfactory. 
 In describing the situation, he writes: "When I was new 
 and green I acted timidly, and I should always have acted 
 so, as I feel, had my good fortune not thrown me with 
 Colonel Fred W. Schaurte in the spring of 1871. I have 
 often looked back at some of the old cases turned over to me 
 by my predecessor, and have felt ashamed of how I threw 
 them away through pure greenness and timidity. But I 
 went down to St. Louis under orders to work with Colonel 
 Schaurte for ninety days, and from him I learned how it was 
 done." 
 
 Prior to this short but exceedingly profitable apprenticeship 
 to Colonel Schaurte, he groped in the dark, playing the game 
 of blindman's-bufF with eyes bandaged, and caught no one. 
 To use his own words : " Although I had plenty of opportu- 
 nity, a perfect surfdt of good cases, and my district full of 
 good thieves as active and saucy as mosquitoes, and although 
 I worked hard enough, did too much, in fact, still I could 
 not capture anybody. I could figure down pretty generally 
 who it was, but I could not get the evidence on them. I 
 found that the thieves in those days, where they stole from 
 the mails, made it a specialty to cover up their tracks as 
 well as possible, and I was disposed to regard that the prob- 
 lem of how to capture them was one that could not possibly 
 be solved." 
 
 Colonel Schaurte received the novice with characteristic 
 urbanity and kindness, reviewing critically the several barren 
 investigations that made up the record of the few previous 
 months, and pointing out the causes of failure. Having ex- 
 plained the theory of success, he placed in the hands of Mr. 
 
56 BREAKING IN. 
 
 Furay the papers relating to the loss at different times of 
 about fifty registered packages, on the route between Ironton, 
 Missouri, and Pocahontas, Arkansas, Ironton being then 
 the southern terminus of the line of railway which has since 
 been extended to Houston, Texas. Proceeding to Ironton 
 incognito , the anxious learner procured a good saddle-horse, 
 and made the entire trip, the distance being about one hun- 
 dred and thirty miles each way. It was during the season 
 of the spring freshets, and it rained continuously. Many of 
 the streams could only be crossed by swimming the horse, 
 as they were heavily swollen and without bridges. 
 
 The regulations of the department require each post-office 
 to keep a record of all registered packages passing through 
 it. The transit sheet provides blank spaces for a full descrip- 
 tion of each package, and for the dates of its arrival and 
 departure. As an additional security, adjoining offices are 
 also required to exchange receipts for the same. If a dis- 
 honest postmaster purloins a letter, he may claim that he sent 
 it forward in due course of mail, and the issue is narrowed to 
 a question of veracity between him and the office that failed 
 to receive it. 
 
 The special agent discovered that only one or two of the 
 many offices between Ironton and Pocahontas pretended to 
 keep any record whatever of registered matter, and at these 
 the work was very imperfectly done. Similar neglect pre- 
 vailed in regard to the interchange of receipts. Owing to 
 the disregard of the instructions of the department, no record 
 existed to indicate at what locality on the long route the 
 letters disappeared. 
 
 The scholar returned to St. Louis from the land of floods 
 to report progress. With words of kindly encouragement, he 
 was advised to repeat the trip, and to scrutinize every point 
 closely. On the second expedition he discovered that the 
 mail-pouches in use were badly worn, and telegraphed to St. 
 Louis for a supply of new ones, which were promptly fur- 
 nished. Having accomplished so much he reported again at 
 
"THE GAL is A FOOL FOR IT." 57 
 
 headquarters, badly discouraged at the slow and barren pro- 
 gress of the hunt. He was advised to go back a third time 
 with the special view of locating the losses, as about the only 
 fact thus far developed was the disagreeable one that the 
 letters went in at one end and failed to come out at the other, 
 a hundred and thirty miles away. 
 
 The third expedition proved much more fruitful than its 
 predecessors. The mail was carried on horseback. On reach- 
 ing the route, the agent learned that the losses ceased abruptly 
 with the introduction of the new pouches. This indicated 
 that the robberies were committed by one of the riders, as 
 postmasters having access to the entire mail could steal 
 as well with new pouches as with old ones. He further 
 learned that one of the riders had lately quit the business, 
 leaving two younger brothers to perform the work, the three 
 having been previously employed to "ride mail," as it is 
 called in that country, by their father, a sub-contractor on a 
 part of the route. Yet the theory that the depredations were 
 committed by one of the riders failed to explain the facts, for 
 in several instances packages going in the same direction were 
 stolen on two consecutive days from the custody of different 
 brothers. However, the special agent decided to investigate 
 the family, and accordingly proceeded to a settlement on the 
 Big Black River, near which Benjamin, the eldest of the 
 three, was then at work. In a short time he heard all the 
 gossip of the neighborhood, and among the rest that Ben had 
 lately quarrelled with a young woman to whom he had been 
 engaged. In commenting on the situation, an unsuspicious 
 neighbor observed, "the gal is a fool for it, as Ben is right 
 peart, and for a young man has saved up a right smart chance 
 of money, as I have heern tell." 
 
 The officer then paid his respects to the mother of the 
 maiden whose affections were supposed to have soured into 
 hate. After a long skirmish, the old lady admitted that for 
 several months her daughter had held for Ben two one-hun- 
 dred-dollar bills, which he claimed to have won at "chuck- 
 
BREAKING IN, 
 
 a- luck," in Pocahontas. 
 A few days before, he 
 called for the money in 
 consequence of some mis- 
 understanding, and broke 
 the compact with the girl. 
 As the wrath of the mat- 
 ron seemed to afford an 
 
 'After a long skirmish, the old lady admitted nTTin i p n l P Ho-P nf firMitv 
 that for several months her daughter had ' lltv 
 
 held for Ben two one-hundred-dollar bills." the agent, after enjoining 
 
 the most solemn secrecy, 
 
 revealed his official character and the object of his visit. This 
 act of confidence he soon had occasion to record as " blunder 
 number one.'* 
 
 Having read in the Constitution that no person was to be 
 deprived of liberty without w due process of law," the officer 
 galloped to the house of a " squire," seven miles distant, for 
 the purpose of filing an information and procuring a warrant. 
 The caution observed in approaching the suspected criminal 
 he also set down as "blunder number two," and learned to act 
 thencefonvard, in dealing with robbers, with the most decisive 
 promptitude. 
 
 From time immemorial, mothers-in-law have been unmerci- 
 fully pelted with witless jests and pointless sneers ; but, in this 
 
AN IRATE FEMALE RELENTS. 
 
 59 
 
 instance, during the brief absence of the officer, the heart of 
 the rejected candidate for that endearing relationship warmed 
 
 The late mail rider did not wait for a second warning, but> 
 mounting a fleet steed, plunged into the forest." 
 
 toward the lost Benjamin, and she sent him 
 word that an agent of the government was at 
 his heels. The late " mail-rider " did not wait 
 for a second warning, but, mounting a fleet 
 steed, plunged into the forest. On coming up 
 an hour later, how lonesome the officer felt to 
 be deprived of the companionship of the one whom he had 
 sought so long and so far ! How he cursed the vain, mis- 
 leading philosophy of the poet who sang, 
 
 '* Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, 
 Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned ! " 
 
 Too late he discovered that the " process of law " came in at 
 the wrong time and in the wrong place. 
 
 However, without wasting a moment in idle regrets, he 
 hurried to Cane Creek, ten miles distant, and there procured 
 the pilotage of the postmaster, who knew the forests thor- 
 
60 BREAKING IN. 
 
 oughly. The two rode the entire night, changing horses 
 three times. As they cantered along, discussing the robber- 
 ies, the postmaster recalled a particular week when Ben was 
 not on the route, yet, as shown by the papers, several losses 
 occurred during the time. Hence he could not be the only 
 thief. There must be another, and the question of paramount 
 importance was to determine \vho. Could it be one of the 
 other brothers? The family-tree had an unsavory reputation. 
 Was it true that all the fruit was equally bad ? 
 
 At nine o'clock in the morning, after making a circuit of 
 many miles in luckless pursuit of the eldest brother, the 
 equestrians debouched on the main highway, and sauntered 
 leisurely along to meet the approaching rider, who proved to 
 be the youngest of the ill-starred trio. Without uttering a 
 word, the officer seized the bridle of the horse, and, having 
 led it a short distance to one side, pulled out a pair of hand- 
 cuffs and ordered the lad to dismount. The boy slid to the 
 ground, half demented from fright. 
 
 "Do you know who I am?" inquired the special agent, 
 coolly unlocking the shackles. 
 
 " No, sir," was the trembling response. * 
 
 " Have you ever heard of a detective ? " continued the offi- 
 cer, severely. 
 
 "Yes, sir, I reckon I have." 
 
 " Did you ever see one ? " 
 
 " No-o-o, I reckon not." 
 
 "Then look at me," said the fierce stranger; "I am the 
 great detective of America. No mail-robber ever gets aw r ay 
 from me. Now, my boy, you have been robbing the mails. 
 I know it ; you know it ; in a little while everybody will know 
 it. What did you do with the packages ? " 
 
 The boy was about to stammer forth a denial, when the offi- 
 cer broke in, "Come, hush, don't lie to me! You might 
 deceive some people, but remember I am a detective. Don't 
 you know a detective can see right through you? What, I 
 say, did you do with the packages? Quick, don't lie again ! " 
 
A FRIGHTENED THIEF. 
 
 6l 
 
 The terrified delinquent tried to fall back a little as if to gain 
 a moment for reflection, but the officer, bending over him with 
 an eye so fierce and searching that its boasted power seemed 
 to do scant justice to the reality, continued, with overwhelm- 
 ing precipitancy, "Come, quick, there's not a minute to be 
 lost ! " 
 
 cG 
 
 vv/ 
 
 "No mail robber ever gets away from me. Now, my boy, you have been 
 robbing the mails." 
 
 "Well," said the lad, cowering under that pair of terrible 
 orbs, " I'll I'll tell the truth. I burned the most of them." 
 
 With him the fight was over, and resistance at an end. The 
 agent immediately dropped the air of seventy, and took the 
 
62 
 
 BREAKING IN. 
 
 opposite tack. W 'O, James," he resumed, w how sorry I am 
 that you burned them ! A good many of them contained 
 papers which you could not use, but which are very valuable 
 to the poor people who sent them. For their sake I hoped 
 
 you would not destroy what 
 could do you no good." 
 
 "Well," answered the 
 lad , " they are not all 
 burned, and I'll show you 
 where they are hid." 
 
 Another rider was found 
 to complete the trip, and 
 with James in custody, the 
 equestrians started for the 
 place where the booty was 
 secreted. On the way the 
 detective coaxed, threat- 
 ened, and pitied by turns, 
 till the boy admitted that 
 the three brothers, Benja- 
 min, William, and himself, 
 
 " The rifled packages, hidden in hollow trees and under old stumps, were 
 scattered along the road for the distance of thirty-five miles." 
 
 were all engaged in the robberies. The rifled packages, hid- 
 den in hollow trees and under old stumps, were scattered 
 along the road for the distance of thirty-five miles, the thief 
 pointing out the places of concealment. 
 
 Having accomplished so much, they turned back to cap- 
 
THIRTY-SIX HOURS IN THE SADDLE. 63 
 
 ture William, who was approaching from the south. When 
 charged with the crime, he at first denied it stoutly ; but 
 James, having already divulged the guilty secret, advised his 
 brother to follow the good example ; and beset thus on both 
 sides, the culprit held out but a few moments. Having eased 
 his conscience by confession, William, in turn, conducted the 
 party to a mausoleum of stolen treasures appropriated to his 
 individual use, where he also resurrected a number of rifled 
 packages. 
 
 As the mail was carried on horseback, the thieves had con- 
 trived to keep a hole on the inner side of each pouch, partially 
 concealed by the folds, which was sewed up with a "whang" 
 of leather. The nip would not be noticed except on close 
 examination, and even then, as it appeared to be securely 
 closed, would hardly attract attention. 
 
 At dark the motley company reached Cane Creek, the spe- 
 cial agent having been in the saddle for thirty-six consecutive 
 hours. Leaving the prisoners in charge of a guard, and pro- 
 curing a change of horses, he pressed on twenty-one miles 
 further, to the house of an uncle of the boys, in quest of the 
 eldest brother who had most of the stolen property. The 
 fugitive, however, was not there or in the neighborhood, but 
 had fled across the country toward the southwest, with a start 
 of twenty-four hours. Seeing the futility of prolonging the 
 chase, he set out to return to Cane Creek the same night, but, 
 overpowered by fatigue, dropped asleep on the road, and fell 
 from the horse. He did not attempt to proceed further, but 
 making a bed under a stack of straw, slept till morning. 
 
 Benjamin succeeded in effecting his escape. The other 
 two brothers were taken to Ironton before a United States 
 commissioner, who bound them over for trial. They were 
 promptly indicted, and, when arraigned, pleaded guilty. As 
 neither could read or write, they were sentenced to a term of 
 three years in the House of Refuge. At the end of eighteen 
 months, William ran away ; and six months later, James fol- 
 lowed his example. At the latest accounts the three brothers 
 
6 4 
 
 BREAKING IN. 
 
 " William, in turn, conducted the party to a mausoleum of 
 stolen treasures." 
 
 were living in a state of outlawry in a remote part of Texas, 
 the terror and scourge of the country for many miles around. 
 The successful issue of this case cured the timidity of the 
 novice, causing him to rely with absolute self-confidence upon 
 the extent and fertility of his own resources in subsequent 
 efforts to rid the service of criminals. Before the expiration 
 of the one hundred days of apprenticeship, he made three 
 other arrests, though neither of the cases presented any fea- 
 tures of marked interest. 
 
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. 65 
 
 In the fall of 1871, Mr. Furay was directed to go to 
 Kansas to assist temporarily the special agent in that state. 
 Among the papers placed in his hands for investigation were 
 those relating to the loss of two registered packages for- 
 warded from St. Louis on the 2d and 5th of December, 1870, 
 and directed respectively to Elk City and Elk Falls, Kansas. 
 From Humboldt, the railroad town through which both those 
 offices received their mails from the outside world, the two 
 packages were sent westward on the 7th, and reached Eureka, 
 fifty-five miles distant, the same day. At that time, through 
 some confusion in the reorganization of routes, the offices, 
 both at Elk Falls and Elk City, were left without supply. On 
 the 22d of December, the packages were forwarded from 
 Eureka to New Albany in the direction of their destination, 
 and the postmaster at that point, having no established com- 
 munication with either office, returned them to the railroad, 
 so that, after a circuit of over one hundred miles through the 
 interior, they reached Humboldt the second time on the 27th. 
 On the 2pth the packages were again dispatched to Eureka. 
 
 Whenever registered letters are lost, and the records are prop- 
 erly kept, the department, by means of "tracers," can determine 
 where they disappear. Each office through which the missing 
 package passed is required to indorse on the tracer the dates 
 of its arrival and departure, and to give the name and official 
 description of the party whose receipt is held for it. 
 
 As both packages failed to reach the offices of destination, 
 half a dozen tracers were sent out during the next few months. 
 Most of them were suppressed somewhere on the route. Af- 
 ter long delay and many inquiries, two finally completed the 
 circuit, and were returned to the special agent, but contributed 
 little toward the elucidation of the subject. From Humboldt 
 to Eureka they followed the packages on the second trip, or 
 the one made December 2pth. The office at Eureka claimed 
 to have sent them on by the next mail, and to hold the receipt 
 of the postmaster at New Albany ; but the latter persisted in 
 going back to the record of the first trip, and in replying to 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 BREAKING IN. 
 
 all interrogatories with the answer that they passed through his 
 hands on the 22d. 
 
 In September, eight months after the occurrence of the 
 losses, Mr. Furay set out on a tour over the several routes, 
 with the view of ascertaining, if possible, who was the thief. 
 Reaching Eureka on the evening of the nth, he proceeded 
 to examine the records, and make a critical survey of the 
 situation. The postmaster, who was also the editor of the 
 
 1 Here is but one," remarked the agent. " I must have the other also." 
 
 village newspaper, left the management of the office almost 
 exclusively to an assistant named Smythe, in whom he re- 
 posed unbounded confidence. 
 
 According to the transit sheet, the lost packages left Eureka 
 December 22d, and again on the 2d of January, in the latter 
 
THE MISSING RECEIPT. 67 
 
 instance with three others for Elk Falls, which had arrived 
 during the interim. The special agent then called for the 
 receipts from the postmaster at New Albany. Of course 
 there should have been two of these, one dated December 
 22d, for two packages, and the other dated January 2d, for 
 five. A receipt for the five, dated December 2pth, was 
 promptly produced, when the assistant postmaster paused in 
 his labors. w Here is but one," remarked the agent. "I must 
 have the other also." 
 
 S my the, who laid his hand upon the first without hesitating 
 an instant, and who was evidently methodical and careful in 
 the arrangement of papers, began to search for the missing 
 document, but his cold, evasive, yet systematic manner of 
 doing so at once satisfied the detective that he did not intend 
 to find it. As the receipt already exhibited traced the lost 
 letters out of the office on their second round, it was not ap- 
 parent at first how the disappearance of its mate could bene- 
 fit the assistant. After hunting a while, he remarked, "I 
 can't find it. I had them both on each of the visits of the 
 other special agent, and presume he must have wrapped it up 
 with the papers." 
 
 "We will see," said Mr. Furay, to whom every scrap re- 
 lating to the losses had been transferred. He examined the 
 entire bundle then and there, but the receipt was not in it. 
 
 "It is strange," continued the young man, reflectively. "I 
 can't for my life imagine where it has gone to." 
 
 The correctness of the intuition of the detective, based 
 wholly on the manner of the assistant, conferred an interest 
 on that scrap of paper to which it did not seem to be intrin- 
 sically entitled. His curiosity was stimulated to follow the 
 lead further, in the vague hope that the clue might guide the 
 way to important discoveries. Accordingly, with an air of 
 indifference that very falsely translated his real eagerness and 
 anxiety, he picked up the receipt with the careless remark 
 that he would file it with the other papers. 
 
 It was now nearly dark, and the special agent went to the 
 
68 BREAKING IN. 
 
 hotel for supper. Hurrying through the meal, he called for 
 lights, and repaired to his own room to study the mysterious 
 connection between an apparently insignificant scrap of man- 
 uscript and the peculiar manner of the assistant postmaster. 
 
 " Hurrying through the meal, he repaired to his own room, to study an 
 apparently insignificant scrap of manuscript." 
 
 Bending over the writing, he soon discovered that the "9," in 
 the date "December 29," had been raised from a 2, the job 
 being executed with a degree of care and precision which 
 clearly indicated that the operator was a rascal of no ordinary 
 
CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP. 69 
 
 accomplishments. Close inspection also showed that, though 
 the chirography was the same, the description of the three 
 latest packages for Elk Falls was written in a stiff, nervous 
 hand under a different condition of the system, and with a 
 different pen from the original entries. The true theory of 
 the case flashed upon the mind of the detective. Having 
 deliberately planned the forgeries, Smythe must have taken 
 the receipt of December 22d, changed the date, and made 
 three additional entries above the signature of the postmaster 
 at New Albany. The other receipt he suppressed, as its 
 presence would at once have revealed the villany. 
 
 Having made these discoveries, the detective sauntered 
 back to the office. Meanwhile the postmaster, informed of 
 his arrival, also dropped in, and the two were soon engaged 
 in animated conversation on topics of current interest, in 
 which Smythe participated quite freely. At length the spe- 
 cial agent, referring to the mail routes of Kansas, inquired 
 whether the contractors in that vicinity were in the habit of 
 performing the service properly. 
 
 "I tell you what it is," said Smythe, with an air of bravo, 
 unconscious that he was fluttering like a moth into the flame, 
 "I have been here thirty months, and during the time have 
 had but three failures and two delays to report, and those all 
 occurred upon the Emporia route." 
 
 The doors were closed, and only the three were present. 
 Jumping up and stepping in front of the assistant, the agent 
 inquired, " Mr. Smythe, will you take an oath in the presence 
 of the postmaster that there have been no other delays here 
 than those you have mentioned?" 
 
 The abrupt question, accompanied by a steady, scrutinizing 
 gaze, seemed for a moment to paralyze him, but rallying as 
 soon as the first shock of surprise was over, he answered, 
 "Yes, sir, I mean it.'* 
 
 " Have there been no delays on the Humboldt route within 
 that time?" 
 
 "No, sir." 
 
^O BREAKING IN. 
 
 " Nor on the New Albany route ? " 
 
 " No, sir," emphatically, ' nor on the New Albany 
 route." 
 
 w Have you kept a schedule of arrivals and departures, and 
 kept it correctly ? " 
 
 "Yes, I have." 
 
 " Let me see it." 
 
 During the colloquy, the drift of which was utterly unintel- 
 ligible to him, the postmaster sat in mute astonishment, won- 
 dering what sort of a wild animal the post-office department 
 had turned loose upon the people of Kansas, and what freak 
 he would take next. The assistant produced the schedules, 
 when the detective, as if by accident, picked up first the one 
 for the New Albany route. The record of departures showed 
 that the mails, which by contract were carried once a week 
 each way, left Thursday, December 22d, and instead of leav- 
 ing next the 2pth, as they ought, were detained till Monday, 
 January 2d. 
 
 Laying the paper on the table, the detective asked, in a 
 tone somewhat bitterly triumphant, "Do you see that date of 
 departure ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir, I do," replied the assistant, catching the point 
 for the first time. 
 
 "Now," continued the detective, directing the attention of 
 the postmaster particularly to the salient features of the case, 
 " let us examine the ear-marks on this receipt. Do you see 
 where some scoundrel has raised the date from December 22 
 to 29, little dreaming when he planned the job that the mails 
 would be delayed till January 2d? Observe the outlines of 
 the original '2.' Notice, too, that the lower entries were not 
 made at the same time, or with the same pen as the upper 
 ones." Then turning to Smythe, he hissed forth, " O, what 
 an infamous villain you are ! Caught at last in your own 
 trap ! Where are those letters? I must have them here, and 
 now." 
 
 But Smythe was no ordinary thief. Cool, brave, deter- 
 
A COOL VILLAIN. 71 
 
 mined, self-reliant, a man of quick invention and great men- 
 tal resources, equally ready to employ cunning or force for 
 the accomplishment of his ends, he possessed the essential 
 outfit of a daring and dangerous rogue. The opportunity for 
 the development of his peculiar gifts in a small interior village 
 was not large, but he managed to plot and rob so adroitly as 
 to avoid suspicion and retain the good opinion of the com- 
 
 " O, what an infamous villain you are ! Caught at last in your own trap ! " 
 
 munity. Lights of such effulgence usually gravitate toward 
 the cities, to become central figures in the various rings of 
 vampires that fatten on the blood of the public. 
 
 Here the fellow showed grit. Despite the damning evi- 
 dence which pointed overwhelmingly to him as both thief and 
 forger, he denied the charge with perfect calmness, and did 
 not quail a particle when threatened with arrest, but argued 
 
72 BREAKING IN. 
 
 that the robberies were committed at New Albany, and 
 that a personal visit to that office would satisfy the agent of 
 the fact. 
 
 After a prolonged but fruitless effort to break down the 
 criminal, the officer withdrew for the night. In the morning 
 he drove up to the office, and insisted so strongly that Smythe 
 should accompany him to New Albany, that the latter was 
 compelled to yield a reluctant assent. On reaching Twin 
 Falls, fifteen miles distant, the detective stopped to examine 
 the records, which were too imperfect to throw any light upon 
 the case. Returning to the buggy, he found Smythe in con- 
 versation with Mr. Meklig, a resident of the place. 
 
 r I hope, while you are about here, you will find my money," 
 remarked the gentleman. 
 
 " What money ? " inquired the officer. 
 
 "Why, hasn't Smythe told you about it?" he asked, in sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " No," answered the officer. " I don't understand you. 
 What do you mean?" 
 
 "On the 22d of August," replied he, "I sent a letter ad- 
 dressed to a firm in Lawrence, containing three hundred dol- 
 lars, to Eureka to be registered. The house never received 
 it, and I can't find out anything about it." 
 
 Deadly pallor overspread the swarthy complexion of Smythe. 
 In answer to the query of the detective, he stammered forth, as 
 if the lie stuck heavily in his throat, "Why, I thought I told 
 you about that letter. Yes, there were two mailed that day, 
 and both seem to be lost." 
 
 " Smythe ! " exclaimed Mr. Meklig, in astonishment, as if 
 new light was breaking upon him, "is this the way you give 
 information of losses to your superior officers ? " 
 
 The other lost letter, mailed August 22d, contained one hun- 
 dred and nine and a half dollars. To the mind of the detec- 
 tive, things were beginning to work splendidly. 
 
 They continued on to New Albany. The transit-sheet 
 showed that the missing packages were received December 
 
AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. 73 
 
 22d, and dispatched by the first outgoing mail to the railroad. 
 According to the record they did not come a second time, as 
 claimed by the office at Eureka. 
 
 A trained eye could see at a glance that the postmaster be- 
 longed to the class of busy, earnest, preoccupied men who 
 have no time to plot mischief, or disposition to descend to ras- 
 cality. Though powerfully built, and ready on provocation to 
 deal heavy blows, he was evidently good-natured, generous, 
 and frank to a fault. As the detective compared the counte- 
 nances of the accuser and the accused, both strongly marked 
 in outline and expression, but differing as widely as falsehood 
 from truth, he thanked God that he was there to protect the 
 right and unmask the wrong. When the pursuit of criminals 
 is intrusted to the indolent, the incompetent, or the corrupt, it 
 sometimes happens that the innocent, enveloped perhaps in a 
 thin fog of suspicious circumstance that would dissolve at the 
 first breath of real genius, are subjected to cruel hardships, 
 while the actual offenders escape unharmed. 
 
 At New Albany, very much to his confusion and chagrin, 
 S my the was compelled to play the r81e of prosecutor. He 
 had alleged that the thief would be found there, and was 
 accordingly left to hunt up the evidence. While the fellow 
 was rummaging among the papers, to make a show of doing 
 something, the officer would now and then inquire in a 
 low, seemingly confidential whisper, "Well, what do you 
 find?" 
 
 The rogue fully appreciated the irony, but his muscles 
 never relaxed. He was as unhappy as a police-court lawyer, 
 who, to make an impression upon the mind of an unfortunate 
 client, that in his extremity has promised a jackknife for a 
 fee, tries to look sharp and wise, dreading every minute lest 
 some one come in with a dun for seventy-five cents obtained 
 under false pretences. 
 
 Smythe saw the disadvantages and perils of the situation, 
 but did not lose heart ; for hitherto cunning and resolution had 
 piloted him safely through many dangers, giving him an ex- 
 
74 BREAKING IN. 
 
 aggerated confidence in the impregnability of his defences. 
 He evidently regarded the detective as more of a bulldog than 
 a hound, who would just as soon chase the shadow of a vul- 
 ture as the body of a fox, yet gave him credit for discovering, 
 by blunder or otherwise, the vital point of the case. With 
 rare ingenuity the fellow contrived to manufacture false scents 
 and trails, but the detective declined to bay upon a single one 
 of them, contenting himself meanwhile with the simple expos- 
 ure of the shams. Under a tranquil exterior, the feelings of 
 the wretch must have seethed like the caldron of Macbeth's 
 witches, yet he seemed to retain his wonted calmness and self- 
 reliance. 
 
 They remained at New Albany two or three hours without 
 discovering a scintilla of evidence against the postmaster. 
 About five in the afternoon, having taken dinner, they started 
 back for Eureka, but, as the roads were bad, the sky cloudy, 
 and the night dark, only reached Twin Falls, where they put 
 up at a small country tavern. Both occupied the same room ; 
 and Smythe took advantage of the heavy slumbers of his com- 
 panion to steal from his pocket the manipulated receipt which 
 he seemed to regard as the principal evidence against him. 
 When the officer discovered the robbery the next morning, he 
 was terribly enraged to find himself outwitted and beaten at 
 the second stage of the fight, after having succeeded so admi- 
 rably in the first. 
 
 The contest that ensued was a struggle between gladiators. 
 Mortified at the lack of vigilance which rendered the theft 
 possible, stung by the covert, easy insolence of the fellow 
 who now thought himself master of the situation, and withal 
 impressed with a fuller appreciation of his desperate purpose 
 and daring, the detective threw all his energies into the battle 
 of wits. He is a grand talker, mesmeric and crushing by 
 turns, whose words roll down upon the head of a criminal like 
 the waters of a cataract ; but Smythe, unfortunately, was 
 equally able as a listener. About five feet nine inches tall, 
 broad-shouldered, though thin through the chest, with hair 
 
A HARDENED VILLAIN. 
 
 75 
 
 and beard so intensely black that they glistened like the skin 
 of some reptiles, with thin, bloodless lips contracting firmly 
 
 " Smy the took advantage of the heavy slumbers of his companion to steal from 
 his pocket the manipulated receipt." 
 
 around a small mouth, and with diminutive, repellent eyes 
 that sparkled with a peculiar snakish lustre, he could, if he 
 chose, face a storm of denunciation and obloquy with the 
 freezing stolidity of an Indian ; or, if it better suited his pur- 
 pose, he could strike back with any weapon that came to 
 
7 BREAKING IN. 
 
 hand. Such an antagonist was not a safe one to encounter at 
 a disadvantage. It required a great deal of courage and sus- 
 tained effort to look down into those cold, glassy, treacherous 
 eyes, for this was what the detective aimed to do, as remark- 
 able discoveries are often made by gazing from above into the 
 ''windows of the soul." If guilt is hidden within, it is very 
 apt to reveal itself, especially if the criminal sits while the 
 interrogator bends over him, for the inferior position detracts 
 from his courage. This psychological law plays an important 
 part in the science of detection, and agents cannot study it too 
 closely. 
 
 That morning they were four hours in riding fifteen miles 
 from Twin Falls to Eureka. With the ill-omened receipt 
 either destroyed or secure in his own possession, the self- 
 assurance of the accused returned, and he put forth his best 
 efforts both as listener and reasoner. Managing his cause 
 with admirable coolness and discretion, he made a determined 
 defence, often slipping out as it were, from under the blows of 
 his adversary, who as often found himself talking to empty 
 space and wasting eloquence on the air. 
 
 In the course of the argument, however, Smythe became 
 pretty well convinced that he was responsible for the stolen 
 money ; and, finding that no confession could be wrung from 
 him, the special agent moderated in his demands, and began 
 to work for the recovery of the funds. The four packages, 
 including the two sent from Twin Falls August 22d, contained 
 four hundred and sixty-six and a half dollars. This sum he 
 agreed to pay ; and on reaching Eureka, he placed the full 
 amount in the hands of the detective to be distributed among 
 the proper owners. The latter was aware that another special 
 agent, under orders from the department, had visited the office 
 shortly before to look into the money-order account, which was 
 supposed to be considerably in arrears ; and, as Smythe had a 
 habit of using the funds belonging to that branch of the busi- 
 ness, the detective concluded that the large sum just trans- 
 ferred to his custody was probably abstracted thence to meet 
 
MASTER OF THE SITUATION. < 77 
 
 the present unexpected emergency. He accordingly called 
 for the books, and examined them carefully, finding several 
 false entries, made by the assistant postmaster, for the pur- 
 pose of tiding the rotten craft over the previous investigation. 
 S my the knew that when the accounts reached Washington, 
 the manipulations would be discovered, and hence stole the 
 letters from Twin Falls to make good the balance, and to 
 facilitate the explanation of the fraudulent figures as mere 
 "mistakes." 
 
 Mr. Furay unwound the false entries, and found the office 
 eight hundred and thirty-seven dollars behind on money-order 
 account. Now the law guards this fund with the most strin- 
 gent penalties, making it a penitentiary offence for any post- 
 master or employd connected with the operations of this 
 branch of the work, to convert to his own use, or misapply 
 for any purpose whatever, any portion of the money-order 
 funds. The special agent demanded the balance, threatening 
 the guilty assistant with immediate arrest unless the entire 
 amount was paid over. 
 
 Now, for the first time, Smythe was thoroughly alarmed, 
 and began to beg like a dog. The postmaster, too, honest, 
 kind, and credulous, who, till the moment of the discovery, 
 would not believe a word reflecting on the integrity of the 
 assistant, being overmastered by the power and guile of the 
 snake, shared fully in the fright, not knowing where the ex- 
 traordinary developments might end. The money in arrears 
 must be forthcoming, or the tumbling walls would rattle about 
 their heads. The serpent vanished from the eyes of Smythe, 
 and, notwithstanding the theft of the receipt, the detective was 
 again master of the situation. Weighted with the load of 
 cumulative evidence, the criminal wilted under the gaze of 
 the officer like newly-mown grass under a July sun. 
 
 He was advised to convey his property, worth about five hun- 
 dred dollars, in fee simple to the postmaster, as partial indem- 
 nity for the misappropriated funds. Here an unexpected 
 difficulty arose, the wife of the embezzler refusing to sign 
 
78 BREAKING IN. 
 
 the papers, as required by the laws of Kansas to make the 
 transfer binding. Unsupported by any one in her singular 
 resolution, she held but stubbornly against the united appeals 
 of husband, postmaster, and detective, but finally yielded, and 
 affixed her name to the deed. The postmaster then mort- 
 gaged to a local banker his newly acquired possessions, to- 
 gether with all his individual property, to raise the amount 
 of the deficiency, and the rush with which the business was 
 hurried through may be inferred from the fact that the officer 
 in returning from New Albany reached Eureka about noon, 
 and left at seven o'clock the next morning, having in charge 
 both the surplus money-order funds and the entire amount 
 stolen from the four registered letters. Where an agent is on 
 the right track, and has cleared away outlying doubts and 
 difficulties, delays are dangerous, while judicious but over- 
 whelming precipitation almost invariably wins. 
 
 That night the detective neither slept nor lay down. 
 Toward daylight, S my the, who still denied the robberies, 
 came and said, "I believe the letters from Twin Falls will 
 yet be found. I have one favor to ask. Will you hold the 
 money thirty days before delivering it to the owners? They 
 left here, as registered letters, numbers nine and ten, in pack- 
 age envelope number nine, addressed to Lawrence, Kansas. 
 For some unaccountable reason, I have no record of any of 
 the packages which left that day." 
 
 tf Certainly," replied the agent, " I will wait a month ; and 
 if the letters are found in the mean time, the money shall 
 be restored to you." 
 
 Before starting, the detective requested the postmaster to 
 report promptly any statement the suspected criminal might 
 make in regard to the loss of the letters from the Eureka office, 
 foreseeing that, with his rare and versatile cunning, he might 
 proceed to manufacture evidence to suit his purposes. He also 
 ordered the peremptory dismissal of the assistant an order 
 which the principal was more than ready to obey. As yet 
 no person in Eureka outside of the official family knew the 
 
HE DECIDES TO REFUND THE MONEY. 79 
 
 nature of the trouble. The presumption was, that the young 
 man would soon begin to explain matters to a curious public, 
 and hang himself in the process. The situation would force 
 him to talk ; and he was the more likely to be imprudent, for 
 he confidently believed that in the arts of deceit he easily 
 overmatched the people of the place, both individually and 
 collectively. 
 
 On the return trip, the special agent passed the office to 
 which Smythe claimed to have sent the package containing 
 the two valuable letters mailed August 2 id, and quietly ex- 
 amined the records. He found an entry of the other packages 
 forwarded that day from Eureka, but number nine was not 
 among them. The other offices on the route to Humboldt 
 were successively visited with similar results. Neither of the 
 postmasters on this line could have stolen the letters alleged 
 to have been sent in January to New Albany, nor could the 
 postmaster at that place have taken the package of August 
 22d, for it did not go within forty miles of his office. The 
 centre of the maelstrom was located exactly at Eureka. 
 
 Proceeding on to Lawrence, the agent deposited in a national 
 bank four hundred and nine and a half dollars, payable on his 
 own order after thirty days, to the firm to which two of the let- 
 ters were addressed, and held the balance of sixty-five dollars 
 to liquidate the other losses, which in due time, upon presen- 
 tation of the proper evidence, were severally made good. 
 
 From Lawrence the officer returned to Omaha, where he 
 was detained about two weeks in attendance on court and by 
 other duties. Meantime, as he learned from the daily bulle- 
 tins of the postmaster, a lively commotion had succeeded the 
 ordinary calm at Eureka. Besides the position from which 
 he was lately ejected, Smythe also held the office of deputy 
 county clerk, and as he now had no other business, devoted 
 himself exclusively to that. But the public were curious and 
 inquisitive. It was known that an agent of the department 
 had visited the post-office, and that after various mysterious 
 movements, the assistant, after having long exercised almost 
 
80 BREAKING IN. 
 
 absolute control over its affairs, had suddenly left. The post- 
 master, as previously instructed by the special agent, declined 
 to enter into explanations. The strain on the central object of 
 all this interest became too great to be borne. As a politi- 
 cian and newspaper writer he could not remain quiet under 
 the pelting of questions and insinuations, but, like many 
 others similarly situated, tried the worst possible expedient 
 to stop the clamor, in publishing a card to vindicate himself 
 from the "aspersions of malignant enemies." In this docu- 
 ment statements on vital points were made over his own signa- 
 ture entirely contradictory to those put forth with solemn 
 reiteration during the late inquiry. 
 
 Returning immediately to Eureka, the special agent man- 
 aged to get possession of the original manuscript of the card, 
 whereupon he arrested Smythe and took him to Topeka, where 
 the United States Court was then in session. Though ably 
 defended, the prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to ten 
 years in the penitentiary. 
 
 It was not till the doors of the prison had closed upon this 
 bold, bad, dangerous man, that the most crushing evidence 
 against him came to light. His successor, as deputy county 
 clerk, in prying open a drawer which Smythe used for pri- 
 vate papers, and which he left locked when taken away for 
 trial, found the identical letter which Mr. Meklig sent to 
 Eureka to be registered on the 22d of August. It was not 
 postmarked, but bore the number w 9 " in the familiar chirog- 
 raphy of Smythe. The envelope had been opened with a 
 degree of skill which proved the operator to be an adept at 
 the business. As might be inferred, the enclosure of three 
 hundred dollars was missing. The county building, where 
 the discovery was made, was half a mile from the post- 
 office. Thenceforth the few adherents who professed to 
 doubt the criminality of Smythe, were completely and forever 
 silenced. 
 
? N the northern part of the 
 State of New York there are 
 situated, about fifteen miles 
 apart, on converging lines of 
 railway, two thrifty towns, 
 called Fulham and Wexford. 
 Between them nestle, in com- 
 |j parative obscurity, three or 
 four small hamlets, wherein for 
 the most part the lives of the 
 inhabitants glide placidly on, 
 from year to year, at a long 
 remove from the excitements 
 and cares, the vices and crimes, 
 that wreck so many in more 
 ambitious neighborhoods. It 
 was the boast of the people 
 that they were moral and law- 
 abiding, and the subject of 
 The Home of the Dunstons. frequent thanksgiving that 
 their "lines had been cast in pleasant places." 
 
 " Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, 
 Their sober wishes never learned to stray; 
 Along the cool, sequestered vale of life, 
 
 They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." 
 
 6 
 
82 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 Yet a fierce tempest was about to burst upon one of the 
 most peaceful and prosperous homes in that beautiful coun- 
 try. The Tempter that destroyed the happiness of the pri- 
 meval garden had found lodgment in another Eden, and 
 another Eve had been overcome by his lying whispers. Un- 
 seen and unsuspected, the steps of the avenger were drawing 
 near, and his shadow was soon to darken the doomed 
 threshold. 
 
 For a long time a system of mail depredations had been 
 carried on somewhere in the vicinity, and several offices had 
 come successively under suspicion. The son of the postmaster 
 at Wexford was the first to be put to the test ; and although 
 numerous sufferers confidentially suggested to the special 
 agent that he was the probable thief, the ordeal established 
 his innocence. Satisfied that the source of the trouble must 
 be sought elsewhere, special agent B. K. Sharretts, who was 
 charged with the investigation, proceeded to subject to pro- 
 fessional scrutiny several other offices around which the losses 
 rained most heavily, but in every instance the baits most 
 tempting to the palate of a thief passed along untouched. 
 After one or two fruitless visits to this part of the country, 
 fresh robberies furnished the clew that the offender operated 
 at some point between Fulham and Wexford, and the agent 
 accordingly returned, in full confidence that the mystery 
 would soon be solved. 
 
 Communication between the two towns was kept up by a 
 daily line of stages, that also supplied three intermediate 
 offices, Masonville, Hamilton, and Eden. A single pouch 
 contained both the local and through mail, and was opened 
 by each postmaster on the route. As usual on such lines, the 
 contents were emptied promiscuously on the floor, and after 
 such letters and papers as belonged to the particular locality 
 had been picked out from the mass, the residue was replaced, 
 to undergo similar manipulation at the next stopping-place. 
 As will be seen, the system affords ready opportunities for the 
 commission of fraud. The party assorting the mail, even 
 
SEEKING FOR LIGHT. 83 
 
 when working under the eyes of casual observers, has only 
 to shuffle foreign matter carelessly to one side with the pack- 
 ages for local delivery, and subject them to the dissecting 
 knife at his subsequent convenience. There was abundant 
 reason to believe that this was the method pursued in the' 
 present instance ; and as the evil was of long continuance, 
 the agent expected to find the criminal operating with reckless 
 assurance. In such cases the main effort is expended in 
 locating the thief, as he seldom fails to rush headlong into the 
 net spread for his capture. 
 
 Special agent Sharretts, under the guidance of the new 
 light now before him, carefully arranged a plan of operations, 
 fully assured that the thought and labor expended on the case 
 would soon bring the success which in the end usually re- 
 wards well-directed effort. Having already learned, during 
 his operations in the neighborhood, that the stage-driver was 
 both honest and discreet, he introduced himself to that func- 
 tionary, explained sufficiently for the purposes of the occasion 
 the object of his mission, and obtained a promise of hearty 
 co-operation. 
 
 Preparing a number of letters, suggestive in appearance of 
 a plethora of greenbacks and other valuables, he made a 
 complete list of the contents of the pouch about to start upon 
 its fateful journey, taking the address and destination of each 
 missive. By previous agreement, the deputy United States 
 marshal for the district was to follow from Wexford in a pri- 
 vate carriage, about half a mile behind the stage, to be ready 
 for any emergency that might arise. 
 
 On reaching Masonville, the pouch was handed to the post- 
 master, who, after assorting the contents in the customary 
 style, returned it to the driver. As the horses jogged away, 
 the agent opened the bag, to find that, except the local mail, 
 nothing had been touched. The same thing happened at the 
 next place, though the pouch had seldom been freighted with 
 packets of such obvious value. If there was a thief at either 
 office, he was evidently absent on this occasion, as an old 
 
84 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 offender, emboldened by long immunity, would be extremely 
 unlikely to hesitate in the face of such temptation. 
 
 As the agent relocked the pouch after the search beyond 
 Hamilton, the driver remarked, "Well, friend, you may as 
 well give up for to-day. The next office is kept by a lady, 
 independently rich and of the highest character. She will 
 not disturb anything that doesn't belong to her. She Is one 
 of the first ladies of the county, and no man living can say 
 a word against her." 
 
 The agent, though convinced from the character of the 
 losses that a thief was harbored in one of the three offices, 
 was half inclined to come to the same conclusion. Throwing 
 off the anxiety that had partially distracted his attention, he 
 handed a fragrant "Havana" to his companion, and lighting 
 another himself, surrendered his thoughts to the enchantments 
 of nature. The air was soft, while the fields were burnished 
 with crimson leaves and golden harvests. In winding over 
 the hills, the road presented many grand outlooks, while 
 peace and plenty seemed to hang over the country in per- 
 petual benediction. Reared in the neighborhood, the driver 
 knew every one on the route, executing their commissions at 
 the terminal towns, and enjoying a popularity which many 
 of more ambitious turn might envy. Amid scenes of such 
 tranquillity the agent forgot the din of the metropolis, and 
 wondered how, in the presence of the earth and sky, man 
 could consent to break the laws of the Eternal Father, who 
 had given him so beautiful a home. 
 
 In due time the coach reached "Eden," a substantial but 
 solitary farm-house located on a steep hillside. 
 
 " It is no use to examine the bag here," remarked Jehu, as 
 he drove away from the door. " I am not afraid to stake my 
 existence that it's all right." 
 
 "Just so," replied the agent ; "but in our business we never 
 leave any outlets open, and I will go through it as a matter 
 of form." Proceeding to unlock the bag, he discovered, to 
 his own surprise and to the horror and dismay of the driver, 
 
JEHU SURPRISED. 85 
 
 that all the decoys were missing, as well as several other 
 letters directed to Fulham and points beyond. Yes, there 
 was no mistake about it. They went over the list twice, each 
 time with the same result. The letters were gone ! 
 
 \ 
 
 "Just so," replied the agent; "but in our business we never leave any outlets 
 open, and I will go through it as a matter of form." 
 
 With a look of blank amazement, the driver broke out, 
 " Can it be possible the wrong is here ? What will happen 
 next?" 
 
 "It is too true," answered the agent; " the trouble is yon- 
 der," pointing in the direction of Eden. 
 
 Poor Jehu was struck dumb, his confidence in human nature 
 sadly shaken. They waited in silence for the arrival of the 
 
86 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 marshal. When the latter drove up, the agent descended 
 from the coach, briefly explained the situation, and sprang 
 into the carriage, which was soon in rapid motion toward 
 Eden. 
 
 The postmaster was a wealthy and influential farmer, named 
 Dunston, known and respected for sterling virtues throughout 
 a circuit of many miles. Till this day the breath of suspicion 
 had never touched him or his house. He had consented to 
 take the appointment, at their solicitation, for the benefit of 
 the neighbors, but finding that the duties interfered with his 
 labors on the farm, soon surrendered the entire management 
 of its affairs to his wife. She, too, was equally respected. 
 More than this, she was greatly beloved for an active, though 
 unostentatious benevolence, that sought out the unfortunate, 
 habitually supplying their needs with a generous and gracious 
 hand. From personal experience of her bounties the poor 
 stood ready to rise up and pronounce her "blessed." It was 
 known that she had exclusive control of the office. Could it 
 be possible that a lady rolling in wealth, eminent for benefi- 
 cence, and raised far above the reach of ordinary temptation, 
 was also a vulgar thief ? 
 
 The house of the Dunstons was perched on the side of a 
 rugged and precipitous hill. The road wound along the edge, 
 with a steep embankment on one side that faded away into 
 the leafy depths below. Behind a span of restive horses there 
 was a much more comfortable feeling of security in ascending 
 than in descending, particularly for a stranger, whose riding 
 was mostly confined to the omnibus and railway coach. 
 
 In a few minutes the officers drove up to the door, and 
 having secured the team, opened the gate into the enclosure, 
 and walked up the path toward the house. At the same 
 instant a woman stepped out upon the veranda, with a milk- 
 pail in each hand, and crowned with an immense sun-bonnet, 
 the cape of which concealed half her person. As she glided 
 across the floor, toward the rear of the dwelling, the agent 
 divined intuitively that the figure was Mrs. Dunston ; and 
 
A COOL RECEPTION. 87 
 
 barring the exit, without appearance of design in doing so, 
 inquired, "Can you tell me, madam, where I can find the 
 postmaster?" 
 
 "There isn't any postmaster here," she answered, in rather 
 a brusque tone. 
 
 "The postmistress, then? " 
 
 " There isn't any postmistress, either." 
 
 44 At the same instant a woman stepped out upon the veranda, with a milk- 
 pail in each hand." 
 
 " Will you please inform me then, madam, who attends to 
 the post-office? " 
 
 " I don't know anything about it," she snapped out still 
 more brusquely. 
 
 Seeing from her manner that she suspected the visit of the 
 strangers boded no good, and that if really Mrs Dunston, she 
 was disposed to deny her identity, he felt that temporizing 
 would be of no avail, and therefore said, "Allow me to differ 
 
88 
 
 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 with you, madam. You are the postmaster, and I wish to 
 have a few minutes' private conversation with you in your 
 office. I am a special agent of the department." 
 
 On hearing this a deadly pallor overspread her face, and 
 without further demur she led the way into the house. The 
 officers followed into a neatly furnished sitting-room, which 
 was also used for postal purposes. A brief survey of the 
 establishment sufficed to discover that the inmates did not 
 
 affect the style of the city, but 
 were content with the plain, 
 solid comforts of home. Un- 
 less forced to the conclusion 
 by overwhelming evidence, 
 no one would expect to find 
 a criminal in the mistress of 
 such a dwelling. 
 
 In the most delicate manner 
 consistent with the painful but 
 unavoidable duty before him, 
 the agent explained the object 
 of his visit, and the official 
 character of his companion. 
 The courtesy of the announce- 
 ment served to exasperate 
 rather than to soothe. With 
 an air of defiance she ex- 
 claimed, in discordant tones, 
 " You are wretches and scoun- 
 drels ! How dare you come here to insult me ? I a thief, 
 accused of stealing, in my own house I Great God ! that I 
 should live to come to this." 
 
 Yet there were no signs of yielding. Resolution and stern- 
 ness, upheld by an iron will, were stamped on every feature. 
 It was at once seen that it was not a case for soft words or 
 mild remedies. 
 
 Great God ! that I should live to come 
 to this." 
 
AN ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE. 89 
 
 " Diseases, desperate grown, 
 By desperate appliance are relieved, 
 Or not at all." 
 
 Without further wasting words in needless circumlocution, 
 the agent came directly to the point. " Madam, you have 
 been engaged in a long and systematic course of robbery. I 
 am not mistaken. I know what I am saying, and appreciate 
 the full import of my words. You, and no one else, are 
 guilty of the depredations which have brought several inno- 
 cent persons in the county under unjust suspicion, and have 
 caused great annoyance and loss to the sufferers. The crime 
 is all the more damning because there is not a circumstance 
 to palliate its enormity. I can pity and forgive the poor 
 wretch who steals for bread, but you have wealth that leaves 
 not a wish ungratified. If so disposed, I could particularize 
 scores of letters that you have robbed in the past ; but it is not 
 necessary. You took twelve this very day. To convince you 
 that I speak advisedly, one was addressed to Brasil & Co., of 
 Fulham, and contained forty-five dollars. Another, directed 
 to Miss Susan Brown, held a silver coin folded in a piece of 
 red ribbon. Those twelve letters are now in this house. 
 Have them I must, and have them I shall." 
 
 During the recital, the marble lineaments of her face grad- 
 ually relaxed, and, overpowered by intensity of feeling, she 
 fell into an hysterical sob. Without further making reply, 
 or seeming to resent the terrible words of the accuser, she 
 stepped quickly toward an open window, and placing her 
 hands on the sill, gave a convulsive spring. The agent came 
 up just in time to prevent her escape. What was his con- 
 sternation on looking out, to discover that the window over- 
 hung a rocky ravine forty or fifty feet deep ! A few seconds 
 more and the wretched creature would have added self- 
 destruction to the catalogue of her crimes. 
 
 Perplexing as was the situation, the search could not stop. 
 Again the agent demanded the missing letters, only to elicit 
 the reply, " I know nothing at all about them." Even the ex- 
 
9 
 
 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 perienced detective, whose acumen, trained by long practice, 
 rivalled the scent of the hound, was staggered by the persis- 
 tence and apparent sincerity of the denials. Whatever doubts, 
 however, might be tolerated by the emotions of his heart, his 
 intellect, on a calm survey of the facts, still assured him that his 
 conclusions were correct. 
 
 Having led Mrs. Dunston to a seat, where she was closely 
 guarded by the marshal, the agent proceeded to search the 
 room, every nook and corner of which were carefully ex- 
 
 " She stepped quickly toward an open window, and placing her hands on the 
 sill, gave a convulsive spring." 
 
 plored. He examined in detail the bureau, bed, stand, and 
 other articles of furniture. He looked behind the pictures on 
 the wall, and raised the carpet where loosely tacked, but thus 
 far the inquest proved wholly fruitless : not a sign of the lost 
 missives or their contents anywhere appearing. As the 
 mystery deepened, the determination of the agent increased. 
 Turning again to the woman, he remarked, with deliberate 
 
MRS. DUNSTCN REFUSES TO BE SEARCHED. pi 
 
 emphasis, " the letters are not secreted about the room, but 
 are hidden on your person. You must be searched unless 
 you deliver them up at once." 
 
 Hastily placing her hand on her dress, she fiercely ex- 
 claimed, her eyes flaming with the fury of hell, "You shall 
 not search me." 
 
 Grasping her by one wrist, the agent directed the marshal 
 
 " He now staggered into the room, and, appalled at a scene he could not 
 comprehend, fell heavily to the floor." 
 
 to hold the other, and examine her pockets. As he attempted 
 to comply with the request, a scream of terror and despair, 
 that chilled the blood of the officers, filling the house with its 
 clamor, and reverberating among the hills, broke from her 
 
p2 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 lips. A pretty, but half-idiotic girl, reared in the family, 
 who had regarded the previous proceedings in silent bewil- 
 derment, aroused from stupor by the frenzy of the mistress, 
 now joined in the fearful chorus, her excitement becoming so 
 uncontrollable that her shrieks continued even after the final 
 catastrophe. Nor did the agony of the females bound the 
 misfortunes of the day. 
 
 " When sorrows come, they come not single spies, 
 But in battalions." 
 
 On entering the house, the officers observed a venerable 
 gentleman walking up and down the parlor, with his arms 
 folded behind his back. A profusion of silvery locks hung 
 about his shoulders, and his form, though bent, still towered 
 far above the ordinary height. He now staggered into the 
 room, and, appalled at a scene which he could not compre- 
 hend, fell heavily to the floor. A mind weakened by old age 
 succumbed to the shock. It was subsequently learned that, 
 having lost all his relatives, he took up his abode with the 
 Dunstons a quarter of a century before, and had since made 
 their mansion his home. He loved "Faith," as he called Mrs. 
 Dunston, with the devotion of a father, and by will had be- 
 queathed her a large estate. When the truth afterwards 
 dawned upon him that the woman whom he believed to be 
 endowed with more than earthly virtue, was, in the eye of the 
 law, a criminal, the blow drove him to the grave. 
 
 Meanwhile farmer Dunston, aided by half a score of labor- 
 ers, was engaged in a field at some distance from the house, 
 gathering the harvest. Suddenly the terrific screams of the 
 women awoke the hills with strange echoes. Leaving the 
 teams to care for themselves, the crowd started for the domi- 
 cile, each armed with whatever implement happened to be 
 most convenient. Hurrying across the yard, where the sight 
 of an unfamiliar carriage added fresh fuel to the flame, the 
 band burst through a door in the back part of the room, 
 headed by farmer Dunston in person. For a moment the 
 
THE OFFICERS IN DANGER. 
 
 93 
 
 confusion of bedlam prevailed in that narrow apartment. It 
 was indeed a sight to shock the strongest nerves. Upon the 
 floor lay, in moveless swoon, the long, slender form of the old 
 gentleman ; the idiotic girl greeted the arrival of the band 
 with a whoop that might have served as an Indian battle-cry ; 
 the wife sobbed hysterically ; and amid all, the evident authors 
 of the terror and the tumult, stood two strangers. The mar- 
 shal, unprepared for the crisis, shrank back aghast. His 
 momentary discomfiture might be accepted as a tacit confes- 
 sion of an evil purpose. Who were these unknown men? 
 Why had they invaded the sanctity of this happy home? In 
 the estimation of the rustics, who glared upon the officers with 
 looks of mingled amazement and ferocity, no lawful object 
 could have drawn them thither. To her neighbors, Mrs. 
 Dunston was a paragon of excellence. As soon would they 
 doubt an angel from heaven, as question her integrity. There 
 could be but one explanation of the mystery. The strangers 
 must be robbers, burglars, ready, perhaps, to bury deeds of 
 lesser blackness under the crowning crime of murder. Such 
 conviction seemed to flash simultaneously upon the band of 
 rescuers. Mr. Dunston sprang forward with a pitchfork in 
 his hands, prepared to impale upon its glittering tines the rep- 
 resentative of the post-office department. The case was too 
 plain to call for judge or jury. 
 
 At this juncture, raising his arm with a look of conscious rec- 
 titude, and maintaining an imperturbable calmness that awed 
 into silence the excited throng, the special agent quietly said : 
 "Stop. We are officers of the United States government. 
 We come hither to perform a painful but imperative duty. 
 This gentleman is a marshal. I am a special agent of the 
 post-office department. " 
 
 In the heterogeneous crowd there happened to be a returned 
 volunteer, who now stepped to the front. In the army, hav- 
 ing learned to appreciate the deference due to the authority 
 of the government, he remarked, borrowing a hint from the 
 argument of Gamaliel, "Hold on. If they are United States 
 
94 
 
 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 officials, you have got to hear them. If they are impostors, 
 we can deal with them afterwards." 
 
 Dead silence succeeded the previous clamor, and the agent 
 proceeded to exhibit his commission. 
 
 "What is the matter?" inquired Mr. Dunston. 
 
 "I am pained to say," answered the officer, "that numerous 
 
 < Stop ! We are officers of the United States government. We come hither to 
 perform a painful but imperative duty.' " 
 
 robberies of the mail have been committed at this place, and 
 your wife is the guilty party." 
 
 Turning to the wife with a look of tenderness and confi- 
 dence, the husband inquired, w Faith, is this true?" 
 
 The crowd strained forward with eager intentness to catch 
 
A HUSBAND S CONFIDENCE. 
 
 95 
 
 the answer. "No, no ; I am innocent. I would not think of 
 such a thing. I could not think of such a thing. " 
 
 The cloud rolled from 
 the face of the old man. 
 Clasping the woman 
 fondly, he gave ex- 
 pression to his perfect 
 trust in her integrity. 
 "Old girl, we have 
 lived together forty 
 years, and I believe 
 you. Men, you are 
 mistaken. We have 
 plenty more than we 
 know what to do with. 
 She has no occasion 
 to be bad. At her 
 time of life she can- 
 not be bad. Impossi- 
 ble 1 " 
 
 "Mr. Dunston," an- "'Old gM. ^e have lived together forty years, 
 
 and I believe you. 7 
 
 swered the officer, "it 
 
 would be an inexpressible relief to me to be able to go away 
 and leave your dream unbroken, but such a course, however 
 agreeable to my feelings, is out of the question. The charge 
 is too true. As she well knows, she took twelve letters to-day, 
 and at this moment has them secreted on her person. She must 
 be searched. If she refuses, it will be necessary to take her 
 to Wexford, where the work may be done by ruder hands." 
 
 Convinced from his looks and manner that Mr. Dunston 
 was a man of thorough truth and honor, who might be per- 
 mitted to hold the scales of justice even where his own 
 dearest interests hung trembling in the balance, the agent 
 told him that he could accompany his wife to an adjoining 
 room, the door being left ajar, and hand out her garments 
 as she disrobed. One article of apparel after another was 
 
96 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 passed through the aperture for examination, but for some 
 time without discovery of a sign of the contraband treasures. 
 Happily the period of suspense, so painful to all, could not, 
 in the rapid rush of events, last much longer. As the search 
 progressed toward the primitive foundations, a shadow of 
 doubt momentarily crossed the mind of the officer, yet the 
 intuition, won by long practice and trusted at length as in- 
 fallible, still assured him that his theory could not be wrong. 
 He accordingly watched every movement with the preter- 
 natural acuteness of vision developed by the business of 
 detection, and at a stage of the proceedings where the cumu- 
 lative discouragements would have driven any but a thorough 
 professional to surrender in despair, a sudden disclosure, wholly 
 unlocked for by the rest of the expectant company, established 
 the truth of his judgment. While the lady was disentangling 
 a garment that had fallen about her feet, the stillness was 
 broken by the thud of a package of letters on the floor. 
 
 The poor, broken-hearted wife threw herself at the feet of 
 her husband, and clutching him convulsively by the knees, 
 ejaculated piteously, "John, O John, forgive me ! " 
 "Faith, Faith," he tremblingly asked, "how is this?" 
 "John, I don't know. O forgive me, forgive me ! " 
 At this tacit confession of guilt, the husband, crushed in 
 spirit and overpowered by intense emotion, threw his arms 
 lovingly about the neck of the prostrate wife, when both wept 
 like children. Comparative calm succeeded the outburst of 
 grief. He directed the company of laborers to disperse, 
 and they seemed relieved to be permitted to escape from the 
 oppressive atmosphere. Thenceforth the husband offered 
 neither suggestion nor hinderance, remaining a passive spec- 
 tator of what followed. Upborne by a sense of justice 
 which even the strongest affections could not shake from 
 its eternal foundations of rock, he had no thought of at- 
 tempting to evade the penalties of a broken law. Neither 
 did he desire to have the facts disguised or concealed, but 
 said repeatedly, "Faith, my dear girl, if you have done 
 
FAITH, MY DEAR GIRL, TELL THE TRUTH. 
 
 97 
 
 wrong, tell the truth. I'll stay by you through thick and 
 thin ; I'll never desert you." 
 
 By this time Mrs. Dunston had become quite calm. Of 
 the letters purloined, some were bona fide communications 
 directed to different localities, while others had been pre- 
 pared by the agent, who was of course acquainted with the 
 contents. Only a part of the missing letters, and not one 
 
 < The poor, broken-hearted wife threw herself at the feet of her husband, and 
 ejaculated piteously, ' John, O John, forgive me ! ' " 
 
 of the decoys, were found on her person. It was now need- 
 ful to ascertain whither these had disappeared. 
 
 The officer addressed Mrs. Dunston with gentle decision. 
 " Of course you will follow the excellent advice given by 
 your husband, and explain these transactions fully. What 
 did you do with the letter containing the silver coin and the 
 ribbon ? " 
 
 Dazed and abstracted as if but partially recovered from a 
 stunning blow, she replied, at the same time pointing me- 
 
 7 
 
98 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 chanically toward an article of furniture in the corner, "I 
 don't know ; but if it is anywhere about the house, it may be 
 in the drawer of that stand." 
 
 The agent had already examined the stand thoroughly, as 
 he supposed. On renewing the search, however, he dis- 
 covered that its face had been turned toward the wall so as 
 to conceal the existence of the drawer. On restoring the table 
 to its proper position, the hidden receptacle was revealed, 
 and there, sure enough, were the coin and ribbon, with 
 several pieces of jewelry, a pair of kid gloves, and a number 
 of other articles which were enclosed in the test letters stolen 
 an hour or two before. Some of the envelopes were also 
 found in the same place, but the letters were not there. The 
 scattered fragments of these were subsequently discovered in 
 the ravine under the window. 
 
 " Mrs. Dunston, will you be kind enough to inform me where 
 to look for the letter containing seven dollars and a half? " 
 
 In the same listless and abstracted manner, she replied, 
 "O, I don't know; I can't tell ; but if it is anywhere, it may 
 be in that curtain," designating a particular window. 
 
 Following the indication, the officer untied the string, and 
 allowing the curtain to unroll, found the money secreted in 
 the coil. 
 
 "Madam, there is still another to be accounted for the 
 one containing forty-five dollars ; what did you do with 
 that ? " 
 
 She hesitated a moment, when the husband spasmodically 
 interrupted the flow of events. "Tell it all, Faith. Don't 
 keep anything back. You can't make it any worse now." 
 At the same time he soothingly stroked with both palms the 
 hair upon her temples, and kissed her forehead. 
 
 Apparently in deep agony as if appalled at the sacrilege 
 of the act, she replied, "I don't know. Perhaps you may 
 find it between the leaves of God's Holy Book, on the parlor- 
 table." 
 
 The letter was not there, but the bills were scattered along 
 
ALMOST A TRAGEDY. O/) 
 
 the pages of the Old and New Testaments. The contents of 
 all the decoys were recovered. 
 
 It now became necessary that she should accompany the 
 officers to the county seat, for a preliminary hearing before a 
 United States commissioner. Offering no objection to the 
 proposal, she was permitted to leave the room to make the 
 needful preparations. She started quietly for the door lead- 
 ing up stairs, but when opposite the open window, dashed 
 frantically toward it, and made a second attempt to end her 
 life and the investigation together. Again by a rapid spring 
 the officer interposed in time to prevent the tragedy. After 
 that there was no relaxation of vigilance, and as night was 
 drawing on, the arrangements for departure were hastily 
 pushed under the direct supervision of the representative of 
 the post-office department. 
 
 The repeated attempts at self-destruction, following the 
 tumultuous outbreak of passion and of grief, betrayed the fury 
 of the tempest that raged within. Well might she join in 
 the refrain of the common mother of the race, when the 
 dread sentence of banishment from Eden was announced : 
 
 " Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave 
 Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades. 
 Fit haunt of gods?" 
 
 The four people most deeply interested in the events of the 
 hour were soon seated in the carriage of the marshal, and 
 were bowling along at a rapid pace toward the neighboring 
 town. The agent whose sagacity and contrivance had suc- 
 ceeded in exploding the mine that had long imperiled the mails, 
 began to felicitate himself on the prospect of a comparatively 
 tranquil termination to a tempestuous day, when another catas- 
 trophe occurred, which, for the moment, threatened to prove 
 more generally destructive than either the projected leap from 
 the window or the lunge from the pitchfork. Bad news flies 
 fast, losing nothing in the way of point or embellishment on 
 the road. While the events described were taking place, 
 
IOO WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 rumors of the arrest were dispersed as if on the wings of the 
 wind. The excitement was intense and contagious. People 
 could not remain at home. On account of the social position, 
 wealth, and hitherto irreproachable character of the prisoner, 
 large crowds, some from curiosity, others from sympathy, 
 thronged into the town from all directions, in vehicles of 
 every description, blockading the streets, and almost barricad- 
 ing the entrance to the hotel. The high-spirited team driven 
 by the marshal, growing impatient under the excitement of 
 the crush, became well-nigh unmanageable. Dashing up to 
 the pavement in front of the " Fulham House," they brought 
 to grief a couple of light buggies that happened to obstruct 
 the passage, and scattered the throng that loitered about the 
 sidewalk. 
 
 Mr. Dunston and the marshal alighted, the latter carelessly 
 dropping the reins over the dashboard. The agent and pris- 
 oner were about to follow, when the horses started on a furi- 
 ous run up the street. By the suddenness of the spring he 
 was nearly thrown headlong from the carriage. It had 
 grown quite dark ; and an interval that seemed long to the 
 imperiled traveler, when measured by the distance traversed, 
 elapsed before the lost reins were recovered. To add to the 
 terror of the situation, the woman shrieked, " Let them run ! 
 let them run ! I want to die ! I want to die ! " Her compagnon 
 de voyage, not sharing in a like ambition for summary extin- 
 guishment, succeeded, by the outlay of herculean strength, in 
 stopping the span just as they were rushing upon a pile of 
 dirt and rocks thrown from a contiguous excavation. A few 
 
 o 
 
 feet more, and the gratification of the mad wish of the woman 
 would have been tolerably sure. The team was driven back 
 to the hotel, with an immense retinue of pedestrians following. 
 Irritated at the mishap, and eager for a victim on whom to 
 empty the vials of wrath, the officer at once interviewed the 
 landlord, censuring him for permitting the blockade in front 
 of his establishment, and for not furnishing attendants at the 
 door to care for the horses of guests. Boniface seemed to 
 
VULGAR CURIOSITY 
 
 101 
 
 appreciate the force of the critidsrnvand apologized* wUh 'due 
 humility. As evidence of good faith in the matter, he offered 
 to pay all damages, remarking, as if the smallness of the loss 
 contained a suggestion of comfort, " Only two buggies were 
 smashed, anyhow." He also added a malediction on the 
 owners, which a regard for the proprieties compels us to 
 omit. 
 
 Mr. Dunston and the officers accompanied the prisoner to 
 the parlor, where they endeavored to persuade her to partake 
 of refreshments ; but she obstinately refused either to eat or to 
 drink. Meanwhile the impertinent curiosity of the multitude, 
 some of whom acted like half-tamed boys at a menagerie, be- 
 came excessively annoying. The nuisance soon reached a 
 crisis. A hatchet-faced woman, preceded by a nose, long, and 
 thin, and sharp of edge, that inverted might have served as an 
 excellent model for the prow of a blockade-runner, raised the 
 latch, and, peering into the room, soliloquized in an under- 
 tone, " Neow dew tell. Who'd V tho't it? " Her glassy eye 
 shot forth a gleam of triumph, as if happy in fancied superi- 
 ority to the poor woman who had always been held up to the 
 sisterhood as a model of excellence. But the expression of 
 sinister satisfaction on that ill-omened countenance was of 
 short duration. Exasperated at the inhumanity of the pro- 
 ceeding, the representative of the post-office department gave 
 the door so sudden a slam that it impinged with considerable 
 force on the summit of her proboscis. A stifled scream of pain 
 and a tiny stream of blood followed simultaneously. A mo- 
 ment after, the door burst open, and there was presented the 
 apparition of a giant, crowned with a shock of that fiery red 
 hair indicative of a temper at once sanguinary and irascible. 
 Hardly deigning to bestow a look on the inmates, he came 
 directly to the point. " Whar's the chap that hurt my wife ? " 
 
 Our David, himself a man of powerful frame and dauntless 
 courage, satisfied from the passion flaming on the visage of 
 Goliath that the fellow meant mischief, thought it better to 
 overcome him by a ruse than by a sling. Pointing to another 
 
102 
 
 WHY OID SHE DO IT? 
 
 doer on the side of the room, he quietly answered, " A ser- 
 vant just stepped out'. 'He niay be the person you are looking 
 for." 
 
 The giant stalked across the parlor, and, to the relief of the 
 occupants, disappeared. It so happened, however, that on 
 emerging into the hall he espied a servant turning a corner in 
 the rear. Taking it for granted that this was the " chap who 
 hurt his wife," he followed with huge strides the unsuspect- 
 ing victim of misplaced 
 
 "t/A 
 
 It' 
 
 confidence, and with 
 his massive fist deliv- 
 ered a blow that might 
 have felled an ox. As 
 the sequel, a late im- 
 migrant from Hibernia 
 measured his full length 
 upon the floor, a vica- 
 rious sacrifice for the 
 offense of another. 
 
 When quiet was re- 
 stored, the prisoner re- 
 quested the husband, 
 who continued to hang 
 over her, watching ev- 
 ery movement with the 
 devotion of a lover, to 
 leave her alone with the 
 special agent ; and he, thinking that she intended to make 
 further disclosures, joined in the request. Both sat in silence 
 a few minutes, the officer supposing that she was trying to col- 
 lect her scattered thoughts. All at once he noticed a peculiar 
 movement of the right hand over the left breast, accompa- 
 nied by a convulsive contraction of the face, caused appar- 
 ently by a twinge of pain. Divining the purpose of the 
 wretched woman, he grasped her hand, and drawing it away, 
 encountered the gleam of steel. With a long, dirk-shaped 
 
 " With a long, dirk shaped needle, she was try- 
 ing to pierce her heart." 
 
DETERMINED UPON SELF-DESTRUCTION. IO3 
 
 needle she was trying to pierce her heart, and had partially 
 succeeded, for blood followed the withdrawal of the instrument. 
 
 The others were recalled and a surgeon sent for. It was 
 found that the needle had penetrated three-fourths of an inch, 
 but slightly missing the heart. During the rest of the night 
 a vigilant guard was kept over the prisoner, the agony of the 
 stricken husband touching the sympathies of the watchers not 
 less than the misery of the wife. He refused to lie down or 
 take rest, but passed the weary hours in pacing the room 
 and adjacent corridor, wringing his hands, and ejaculating, 
 fr Faith, Faith, my old girl my dear old girl, why did you 
 do this? You didn't know what you were doing no, no, I 
 know you didn't. Forty years we have been together, and 
 this is our first sorrow. Thank God, we have no children to 
 suffer with us." 
 
 After the stormy and afflictive scenes of the day but few 
 fitful snatches of sleep visited the eyelids of the agent during 
 the night. It is always painful to an officer to be instrumen- 
 tal in exposing crime where the suffering falls with equal 
 weight upon the innocent and upon the guilty. He has, how- 
 ever, no choice or alternative. As Justice, in her stern and 
 inflexible decrees, regards not age, or sex, or station, neither 
 can the servants commissioned to obey her behests. Respon- 
 sibility for the suffering is not theirs, nor would any right- 
 minded person, where proper consideration has been shown 
 for the feelings of others, hold them in the slightest degree of 
 censure. 
 
 " So may you blame some fair and crystal river, 
 For that some melancholic, distracted man 
 Hath drowned himself in't." 
 
 The next morning .the party took the early train for the 
 county-seat, the prisoner apparently calm and imperturbable. 
 Soon after the cars moved out of the depot, rising from her 
 seat, she snatched the hat from her head, and tore it into 
 shreds. Her shawl she trampled under foot, and seizing her 
 
104 
 
 WHY DID SHE DO ITT 
 
 dress with both hands, by a frantic effort nearly succeeded in 
 disrobing herself. Among the passengers consternation fol- 
 lowed this wild outburst of passion. By gentle firmness and 
 mild persuasion the special agent, who had now acquired 
 more control over the prisoner than any one else, soothed 
 her into tranquillity, when the ladies in the coach, many of 
 them friends of long standing, kindly came forward, and 
 furnished the needful articles of apparel to render her again 
 presentable. After this she passed into a condition of com- 
 
 ' Kising from her seat, she snatched the hat from her head, and tore 
 it into shreds.' 1 
 
 plete quietude and passivity, apparently resigned for what- 
 ever fate might have in store. Thenceforward to the end 
 of the trial she continued perfectly calm, giving no further 
 trouble. 
 
 On arriving at their destination, the officers found that the 
 United States commissioner was absent. They accordingly 
 proceeded on to one of the large interior towns of the state, 
 
"THE HUSBAND, so TENDER AND TRUE." 
 
 IO S 
 
 where the sessions of the district court are held at stated in- 
 tervals. 
 
 Within a couple of weeks the trial took place. Nearly all 
 the influential people from the county of the Dunstons were 
 present to plead for mercy in behalf of a beloved neighbor, 
 
 \ 
 
 " The husband, so tender, and true, and faithful, that he would willingly have 
 bared his own heart to the shaft to spare that of the wife, stood at her side to 
 support her trembling form." 
 
 who had sinned, as they believed, from some lack of men- 
 tal equilibrium hitherto unsuspected. So effective were these 
 appeals, supported as they were by the ardent efforts of the 
 officer who brought the crimes to light, and who in the present 
 undertaking had the hearty concurrence of the postmaster- 
 
JO6 WHY DID SHE DO IT? 
 
 general, to whom the facts had been communicated, that the 
 prisoner was permitted to plead guilty to a minor count in 
 the indictment, involving a slight punishment only. The re- 
 maining counts were quashed. 
 
 The husband, so tender, and true, and faithful, that he 
 would willingly have bared his own heart to the shaft to 
 spare that of the wife, stood at her side to support her trem- 
 bling form, as she rose to receive the sentence of the court, 
 a sight which so affected the judge, the jury, and the 
 audience, that there was scarcely a dry eye in all that vast 
 concourse. 
 
 In the most feeling manner the judge addressed the pris- 
 oner, expressing profound sorrow that one in her position 
 should be brought to such humiliation. He closed in sub- 
 stance thus : " I am glad to witness the devotion of your good 
 husband, who stands by you unfalteringly in this dark hour. 
 The cross is yours, the crown is his. If I had the power, 
 I would open the doors of this court-room, and say, f Go in 
 peace ; ' but the law is above me, and I am its humble instru- 
 ment. The court sentences you to pay a fine of five hundred 
 dollars, and to imprisonment for ten days." 
 
 Had it been allowable, Mr. Dunston would have shared the 
 cell with his wife. As it was, he attended her as closely as 
 the rules of the jail would permit. Meanwhile the prisoner 
 beguiled the hours by knitting incessantly. 
 
 No motive ever appeared for these extraordinary robberies. 
 When mental laws are better understood, perhaps philosophy 
 will be able to explain the mystery. 
 
OWARD the close of Feb- 
 ruary, several years ago, the 
 cars left one of our special 
 agents, shortly after night- 
 fall, at a wayside station, 
 not far from the foot of the 
 mountain ranges of Geor- 
 gia. The railroad extended 
 but lew miles beyond, and 
 was still in process of con- 
 struction. As yet a clear- 
 ing had hardly been made 
 in the dense forests which 
 stretched away in all direc- 
 tions, even for the frail 
 shelter that served as a 
 depot. The objective point 
 of the officer was a village 
 ten or eleven miles distant ; 
 
 The broken hearted wile was left day after . 
 
 day to the solitary companionship of sad and, until hlS hopes Were 
 thoughts and gloomy forebodings." sudde hly dashed by the Sta- 
 
 tion agent, he supposed there would be no difficulty in pro- 
 ceeding on to his destination the same evening. He was in- 
 formed, however, that the mail left in the morning, and that 
 there was no chance for a passenger by the night train to 
 reacft town the same day, unless he had previously arranged 
 
io8 
 
 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 to have a conveyance sent over expressly to meet him. He 
 received, moreover, the somewhat depressing information that 
 there was no habitation in the neighborhood where a stranger 
 could obtain lodging. The station-agent lived several miles 
 away, his family were sick, and he had no horse. The rum- 
 ble of the departing train had already died away in the dis- 
 tance, and the depot-master was about to close the shanty for 
 the night, when a wrinkled but cheery face appeared at the 
 
 " Mounting the ox- wagon with half a dozen bright-faced children, they rode 
 for an hour through the woods." 
 
 door, at the sight of which the stranger felt instinctively that 
 the kindly old man would never turn a fellow-being away. 
 Without waiting for persuasion or argument, he freely ex- 
 tended the hospitalities of his home. Mounting the ox-wagon 
 with half a dozen bright-faced children, who kept their father 
 company, they rode for an hour through the woods, in the 
 light of the bright full moon, till they reached the plain but 
 
A HARDENED VILLAIN. 
 
 happy abode of the warm-hearted farmer. Huge logs, blazing 
 on the hearth, lit up the family room, recalling the primitive 
 days when whole households nestled on wintry nights in the 
 corners of the capacious fire-places. 
 
 Early the next morning a couple of mules, saddled and 
 bridled, were brought to the door, and our chance acquaint- 
 ance piloted the officer to town. He was chatty and commu- 
 nicative, and, in a gentle, undemonstrative way, seemed rather 
 piqued that his confidences were not returned with equal 
 freedom. 
 
 The village post-office was kept by the widow of the late 
 postmaster, the family comprising herself and a daughter of 
 sixteen. Unfortunately for her reputation and happiness, the 
 mother had by degrees come to intrust its management to a 
 great extent to a desperado whom nearly every one in the 
 community both hated and feared. Born of an honorable 
 ancestry, he had wasted his youth in dissipation, squandered 
 his patrimony, wronged the younger members of the family 
 out of their rightful inheritance, and was commonly suspected 
 of having committed still darker crimes for the purpose of 
 hiding his guilt. A year before he married a beautiful girl, 
 only to treat her, and the infant she bore, with brutal neglect. 
 Ere the honeymoon had passed, the broken-hearted wife was 
 left, day after day, to the solitary companionship of sad 
 thoughts and gloomy forebodings, while the husband became 
 more deeply infatuated with the surroundings of the post- 
 office. Alone she watched till late into night for steps that 
 did not come. For the bride of twelve months, crushed 
 by crueltv and withered by neglect, life was robbed of its 
 joys, and the future held in store nothing brighter than the 
 grave. 
 
 Although greatly incensed at the scandalous misconduct of 
 the man who seemed to have acquired a complete and fatal 
 mastery over the postmaster, and through whose hands all 
 their correspondence had to pass, if pass it might, the public 
 made but feeble efforts to throw off the load, having settled 
 
IIO A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 into the sullen but mistaken belief that through the indiffer- 
 ence of the government to the character of officials, their 
 wrongs were without remedy. In answer to an inquiry from 
 the department regarding a rifled registered letter received 
 there for delivery from a town in Virginia, the clerk, deviat- 
 ing from the customary routine, at great length attempted to 
 account for complaints which he surmised might be pour- 
 ing in upon the postmaster-general, on the theory that the 
 people, through continued disloyalty, omitted no opportunity 
 to make unjust reflections upon the friends of the Union, 
 begging that this fact might be considered in estimating the 
 value of popular murmurs. 
 
 As it was necessary to have his co-operation, the agent made 
 known his business to the contractor who carried the mails to 
 the depot, and who also kept the village hotel. This gentle- 
 man imparted the information that certain individuals in the 
 community were suffering fearfully from depredations on the 
 mails, and mentioned numerous instances to substantiate the 
 statement. Out of the multitude of losses only three had been 
 reported to the proper officials, showing how neglectful suf- 
 ferers are of the duty, owed alike to themselves and to others, 
 of promptly notifying the department of such troubles, that 
 the needful steps may be taken to correct them, by bringing 
 the offenders to punishment. Here was a "bonanza" of petty 
 thievery the operations of which were carried on without 
 molestation simply because the parties most deeply interested 
 neglected to communicate the facts. Not being omniscient, 
 the government cannot well correct evils of which it has no 
 knowledge, though often blamed for not doing so. 
 
 A decoy, sufficiently distended with greenbacks to betray 
 its probable value, and directed to Louisville, Ky., to a some- 
 what questionable -absorbent of the funds of the gullible, was 
 dropped, in the afternoon, into the letter-box at the post-office. 
 It should have left early the next morning, but a careful 
 search of the mail-pouch failed to discover it. Though it is 
 always a matter of grave doubt when it is best to begin the 
 
A DEJECTED BRIDEGROOM. Ill 
 
 hunt for a letter that has thus mysteriously disappeared, the 
 agent concluded to delay another day. If the contents had 
 been actually stolen, there seemed to be no feasible mode of 
 reaching the fact indirectly without exciting suspicion. 
 
 As several people in the village knew him by sight, he was 
 obliged to remain in-doors, content with such entertainment as 
 a rural hotel afforded. The tedium was relieved in a measure 
 by the plaintive garrulity of a countryman from a distant part 
 of the state, who seemed to experience great comfort in find- 
 ing a patient listener into whose ear he could pour the tale of 
 his infelicities. More than seventy years had passed over his 
 head, leaving few wrinkles to tell the story of toil and hard- 
 ship. Yet he had no associates about the inn, and his ener- 
 gies were unnerved by deep despondency. The officer invited 
 him to his room to share the comforts of an open fire-place, 
 where the genial blaze soon thawed out his confidences. 
 
 "I tell you what, stranger, what mout I call your name? 
 
 I reckon my wife my second wife I'm speaking of now 
 
 is the queerest woman you ever seen or heerd tell on." 
 " How so, my good friend, what is the matter? " 
 
 " My first wife w r as jest as different as she could be. A 
 good woman a right good woman she was. We lived to- 
 gether over thirty years, she was the mother of eight chil- 
 dren, and in all that time I never had to smack her chops 
 once. She never spoke a cross word, and allers did jest as I 
 told her." 
 
 " Blessed woman ! She passed on to a happier existence 
 did she?" 
 
 " Yes ; she died, and the old house was powerful lonely. 
 You see, stranger, my gals had growd up and got married, 
 and I was left by myself sorter. The darter of a neighbor of 
 mine a mighty purty gal she was, too peared to take a 
 great fancy to me, and came gallivantin' round, so sweet that 
 honey wouldn't melt in her mouth. Wall, I kinder took a 
 likin' to her ; and things was so out o' jint about home that we 
 struck up a match right off." 
 
112 
 
 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 " Hope you did not have any trouble, neighbor." 
 "Trouble, stranger! nothin' but trouble. That woman 
 knew I had a big plantation, and she korted me 'cause I'se 
 rich. Poor gal, she was ; hadn't nothin' to speak of herself 
 Proud as thunder Began to raise the ' Old Scratch ' right 
 off Wanted a bran new kerridge, and the best horses in the 
 county Couldn't get dresses enough, nor nice enough 
 Couldn't stand it, I couldn't got mad, I did. Had a time 
 we did right along." 
 
 " Quarrel, stranger ! Why, I whipped that woman every day, reglar." 
 
 " You did not quarrel ? " 
 
 w Quarrel, stranger ! Why, I whipped that woman every 
 day, reg'lar. Had to. No livin' without. I hated to ; but 
 what else could a man do, now?" 
 
 " Did you ever try kindness ? " 
 
 " Yes. About a year ago I made up my mind never to 
 strike her again, no matter how bad she acted ; and I never 
 did, stranger. Sometimes she made me powerful mad, but I 
 allers kept my hands off." 
 
HOME HAS NO CHARMS. 
 
 * Under the new treatment, didn't she behave better? " 
 
 "Better! There's no better about that woman. Soon as 
 the whippings stopped, the devil in her came out worse than 
 ever. Nothin' in the wide univarse but a good floggin' every 
 day could keep her under ; but arter makin' up my mind, I 
 wasn't goin' to whip her again even to save her." 
 
 "So you thought you would leave her a while, and so wan- 
 dered hither ?" 
 
 " Not exactly. She ran away from me. Six weeks ago I 
 came home one cold night : the fire was all out, and she was 
 gone. As I got my supper alone, I felt powerful sad ; I have 
 felt so ever since can't throw it off. You know arter a man 
 gets kinder wonted to a woman, some way he don't know 
 how to get along without her. Never thought I should miss 
 her so." 
 
 " It is a hard case indeed. What did you do about it? " 
 
 "The next day I rode over to her father's, but she wasn't 
 thar. I went on to her brother's, and she wouldn't see me. I 
 told him to offer her everything if she would come back. It 
 didn't do no good. Couldn't move her an inch." 
 
 " And you went back without her ? " 
 
 "Without her, yes, all by myself. The old place was so 
 dismal all alone that I couldn't stay there. Thought I 
 would go off a long ways. Mebbe, when she heerd I was 
 gone, she mout feel different, and come back." 
 
 " How much further do you propose to travel ? " 
 
 "Don't know; don't much care. For me the bottom has 
 sorter dropt out o' things. Don't matter much what comes o' 
 me now." 
 
 "You are quite a distance from home now, my friend, and 
 have travelled over some rough country." 
 
 "That's so, stranger. I never had an idee before that the 
 world was so big a place. Wonder if it reaches as far the 
 other way from my plantation as it does this?" 
 
 As well as he could, the special agent tried to comfort the 
 old man, and, as his manner seemed to solicit counsel, advised 
 8 
 
114 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 him to return home and try to win back his wife by gentle- 
 ness and affection. He appeared to recognize the propriety 
 of the suggestions, and promised to act upon them. Circum- 
 stances never threw him in the way of learning how the pol- 
 icy of conciliation succeeded. 
 
 The next morning the outgoing mail was again examined, 
 but the letter for Louisville was not to be found. Warrants 
 were quietly procured for the search of the premises and the 
 arrest of the suspected parties. It so happened that the clerk 
 had gone out for an early hunt ; and the sheriff of the county, 
 who took a deep interest in capturing the marauders, was 
 directed to be on the outlook for his return, and to take him 
 in custody before he had an opportunity to communicate with 
 any one. In company with the contractor the agent pro- 
 ceeded to the post-office to learn what could be discovered 
 there. 
 
 The postmaster, a woman of perhaps thirty-eight or forty, 
 still retained many traces of personal beauty. Gentle in man- 
 ner, correct and expressive in conversation, and modest in 
 deportment, she would have passed among strangers as 
 a lady of character and accomplishments. By previous 
 arrangement the contractor planted himself in such a posi- 
 tion that neither of the women could leave the room, as, if a 
 robbery had been committed, it would take but a moment to 
 destroy every trace of it, while in examinations of this kind 
 every point must be guarded. 
 
 A most painful duty, but one that could not be shirked, now 
 devolved upon them. About woman, as woman, hovers a 
 sanctity which man involuntarily respects. He finds his de- 
 light in rendering her homage, and in bearing, so far as may 
 be, her burdens. Except among the outcasts of society, 
 whither post-officials are seldom required to go, the foot- 
 marks of crime happily lead but rarely back to a female. 
 Sex, however, offers no immunity for guilt. If woman, for- 
 getful of her high prerogatives, violates the law, neither it 
 nor its officers can discriminate in her favor. For the moment 
 
A CLUE DISCOVERED. 115 
 
 they are compelled to repress habitual sympathies, and to rec- 
 ognize nothing but the stern exactions of justice. 
 
 After examining under some pretext all the usual recepta- 
 cles for mail matter without discovering the lost missive, the 
 object of the visit was plainly stated. Both mother and 
 daughter protested they had no knowledge of the letter. 
 Tears flowed plentifully, but dropped on hearts of oak. At 
 length a painful and exhaustive search, prolonged for nearly 
 two wearisome hours, was rewarded with success. Under a 
 large box, where it could not have been placed except by 
 design, the letter was found. It bore the post-mark of the 
 office, and, after much deliberation, had evidently been laid 
 aside for future dissection. It was probably put there by the 
 mother for concealment from her co-partner, the clerk, on the 
 ground that he was not dividing the spoils squarely. 
 
 It would have suited the parties engaged in the hunt much 
 better to have discovered the money on the person of the man, 
 but there was no alternative save to accept things as they were 
 found. While the fact of embezzlement was indisputable, it 
 was clearly impossible to prove which of the three committed 
 the act, as either one might have done it, and without the 
 knowledge of the others. It was the general belief that 
 the desperado employed as clerk was chiefly responsible for 
 the thefts that for a year or more had annoyed incessantly an 
 uncomplaining public, and a few leading citizens were exceed- 
 ingly anxious to have the affair so managed as to induce the 
 postmaster to make a full disclosure of all she knew. As the 
 woman still professed entire ignorance of any criminal acts in 
 connection with the office, a change of resolution on her part 
 could only be effected by tact and time. As a preliminary 
 move, she was accordingly informed that, being the custodian 
 of the mails, she was accountable in a measure for the robber- 
 ies, and must submit to a legal investigation. 
 
 A venerable justice of the peace, called upon to sign the 
 papers and to act as committing magistrate, stood ready, as 
 usual in such cases, to follow the suggestions of the special 
 
Il6 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 agent. Not a person in the place could be induced to go upon 
 a bond for her appearance. In the extremity of her need the 
 poor woman stood alone without friend or counselor, the long 
 suppressed disgust and wrath of the public culminating in a 
 desire to rid the village forever, if possible, of the partners in 
 crime. Not a dollar would any one risk for her liberty. If 
 secret commiseration was felt by any one in the community, 
 it found no expression. 
 
 A stranger in the town, and unfamiliar with the associations 
 which brought down upon her devoted head the detestation of 
 the neighborhood, the sympathies of the officer in her behalf 
 were strongly aroused. Since the evidence in possession of 
 the government fell far short of the ample and definite legal 
 proof required for conviction in court, he did not feel justified 
 in imposing any unnecessary hardship upon a defenceless 
 woman already tortured by the pangs of awakening con- 
 science, and crushed by the sudden collapse of all her hopes, 
 however far she might have strayed from the path of recti- 
 tude. After due consideration, the magistrate accordingly 
 accepted her personal recognizance in the sum of five hun- 
 dred dollars to answer for trial at the next term of the United 
 States Court. Of course the bond being a mere form, left the 
 prosecution to depend wholly upon her good faith. 
 
 Meanwhile the clerk returned from the hunt, and, having 
 no opportunity to communicate with his late confederate, was 
 as irrepressible as an overcharge of electricity struggling to 
 join its opposite. Nearly six feet tall, with the frame of a 
 Hercules, a magnificent physique, and a face rather handsome 
 in superficial expression, his bodily perfection only brought 
 out more conspicuously his mental and moral deformities. 
 With an eye cruel but irresolute, and a countenance in which' 
 the effeminacy produced by early indulgence had been hard- 
 ened into desperation by evil thoughts and wicked deeds, his 
 purposes evidently vibrated between malignity and cowardice. 
 A single searching look sufficed to convince even a stranger 
 that he was an assassin by instinct, ready on provocation to 
 
MURDER IN HIS HEART. 
 
 117 
 
 stab in the dark, or to fire from an ambush. In the gloomy 
 recesses of his heart, brutality and fear struggled for mastery, 
 the dread of retribu- 
 tion being the chief, 
 if not the only force 
 that withheld him 
 from giving full li- 
 cense to his ferocious 
 impulses. 
 
 In the evening the 
 special agent met two 
 or three gentlemen of 
 the place, who had 
 in various ways been 
 drawn into the inves- 
 tigation, to take an 
 inventory of the 
 stamps and other 
 property belonging to 
 the government, with 
 the view of placing 
 the office in the cus- 
 tody of a reputable party till a new postmaster could be com- 
 missioned. The bond of the incumbent was worthless, her 
 confederate being the principal surety. She expressed great 
 anxiety to get rid of a responsibility that had led through con- 
 stant troubles and vexations to what seemed at last her irre- 
 trievable ruin. 
 
 The office was kept in the front room of a small house con- 
 taining two or three poorly furnished apartments, which served 
 also as the dwelling of the postmaster and her daughter. A 
 door and window opened upon a piazza, the public receiving 
 their mails through the window. While the group were at 
 work taking an account of stock, the clerk, maddened with 
 liquor and frenzied with passion, crept stealthily on to the 
 piazza, armed with a double-barreled gun. He pressed 
 
 The Desperado. 
 
nS 
 
 A DESPERADO ROUTED, 
 
 against the thin partition-wall, so that his subdued, irregular 
 breathing and muffled movements could be heard within. A 
 
 " The clerk, maddened with liiuor and frenzied with passion, crept stealthily on 
 to the piazza, armed with a double barreled gun." 
 
 light curtain concealed the persons in the room from the evil 
 eye peering through the window. A drunken vagabond, 
 though capable of doing little good, carries in his hand a ter- 
 rible capacity for mischief. A shot prompted by frenzy snuffs 
 out an existence just as effectually as a cannon-ball or an 
 earthquake. Yet, while not boastful of courage, the special 
 agent experienced not a particle of fear. With a certain clair- 
 voyant insight, vague, ill-defined, shadowy, but firmly trusted, 
 he felt assured that the black-hearted wretch, with rage and 
 desperation goading him to madness, was too great a coward 
 to shoot except from an ambush. Murder black as midnight 
 fired his heart, but perhaps a dozen hidden eyes swept that 
 piazza. The party kept on with their work, and after a while 
 
RECKLESS SHOOTING. 
 
 the desperado stole away. In a few minutes a gun was heard 
 on the public square, followed at intervals by another and an- 
 other till late into the dead hours of night. 
 
 The reader may ask why an armed ruffian was permitted 
 without hinderance to patrol the streets of the village, dis- 
 turbing the peace and terrifying the timorous. The question 
 is more easily put than answered. The sheriff, an officer of 
 courage and determination, appeared rather reluctant to 
 grapple the problem, while others, however much incensed at 
 the latest outbreak of the diabolism that had long held them 
 in dread, found a ready excuse for inaction in the plea that as 
 private citizens, not specially charged with the preservation 
 of order, they could not be expected to repress the dis- 
 turbance. 
 
 By the dangerous toleration extended to cut-throats, the 
 South has been greatly, and in a measure unjustly, scandal- 
 ized in the eyes of the civilized world. An overwhelming 
 majority of her people in the rural districts, which are sup- 
 posed to be the hotbeds of turbulence and disorder, are 
 peaceful, law-abiding, and humane. Behind the North in 
 education, and in the spirit of aggressive benevolence that 
 finds expression in missionary enterprises abroad, and in the 
 establishment of manifold institutions of charity at home, the 
 people of the South to a much greater degree rest content to 
 do good as it comes in their way, being passive rather than 
 active in efforts for the advancement of society. Life in its 
 varied phases is much more isolated and individual, with far 
 less tendency to gregariousness and co-operation. Hence, 
 instead of pouncing collectively upon desperadoes through 
 the arm of the law, upheld and strengthened by a healthy 
 public sentiment, they too often stand aloof, venting their 
 wrath in secret and harmless maledictions. Many a ruffian, 
 stained with the blood of repeated murders, walks unpunished 
 in the arena of his crimes, a prolonged scourge and terror to 
 the neighborhood. The courage that can storm a battery 
 without a tremor relaxes fearfully in the presence of bravo 
 
I2O A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 and pistols. So long as such lawlessness and violence are 
 permitted to exist, the communities that endure them will 
 suffer more in reputation from what they neglect than from 
 what they do from the sin of omission than from the sin of 
 commission. The evil, aggravated by the radical transition 
 through which society was passing, will, it is to be hoped, 
 rapidly disappear with the growth of population, the diffusion 
 of intelligence, and, under more liberal institutions, with the 
 healing operations of time. 
 
 The sheriff, and the gentleman placed in temporary charge 
 of the office, were urged to treat the deposed postmaster with 
 particular kindness and attention, with the view of so far win- 
 ning her confidence as to elicit a full statement of the truth. 
 The special agent entertained also the higher hope that, 
 feeling she was not altogether an outcast in the world, others 
 sharing a common humanity stood ready to stretch out to her 
 across the dark abyss a hand of help and sympathy, she 
 might be drawn back to the better life whence her erring feet 
 had strayed. In the detection of crime, the collapse which 
 threatens ruin, overwhelming and irretrievable, to the wrong- 
 doer, may be the means of reclaiming him to virtue and use- 
 fulness. 
 
 Under the influence, partly of shame and partly of the fur- 
 tive persuasions of the man who had wronged her so deeply, 
 she maintained for several weeks an attitude of silence or 
 denial. Meanwhile the court term was fast approaching, and 
 the late clerk, unable longer to bear the suspense, 
 
 " Folded his tent like an Arab, and silently stole away.** 
 
 On the assembling of the grand jury, the facts were laid 
 before them, and they found a true bill against the woman. 
 This step was taken with the full concurrence of the United 
 States district attorney, not with the view of bringing her to 
 trial, but to induce a confession. During the interim, the 
 policy of kindness had been pursued assiduously and with 
 success. Moreover, the flight of her confederate removed 
 
IN HIS TOILS. ' 121 
 
 the terror that had paralyzed her resolution, and held her in 
 bondage to continual fear. She began to see that the path 
 of truth was the easiest to tread, and that those who were 
 exhorting her to candor and truthfulness were really her best 
 friends. 
 
 A few days later the special agent was not at all surprised 
 to receive a telegram saying that she wished to meet him in 
 Atlanta, and that she had determined to make a complete 
 disclosure of the facts. 
 
 At the appointed time she appeared promptly, with many 
 tears and deep humiliation telling the story of her com- 
 pact with the fugitive, and of the crimes and miseries which 
 ensued. During the period that her late husband was post- 
 master, the public had no ground for complaint, the work 
 of the office having been performed promptly and honestly. 
 At his death she applied for the appointment, and it was given 
 to her. For a while every thing moved on well, but in an 
 evil moment she accepted the clerical aid of the man whose 
 personal beauty and desperate fortunes seemed to fascinate 
 her, and as the arch Tempter blasted the happiness of Eden, 
 the wily scoundrel destroyed her peace, tyrannized over her 
 actions, and having committed her to his villanous policy, 
 continued to hold her in subjection by force of superior will. 
 He led the way to robbery by gradual ascent, beginning with 
 opening letters of friendship for the purpose of prying into 
 the personal and domestic secrets of the neighborhood. At 
 this period he was particularly attracted to the correspondence 
 of absent lovers, there being one or two spinsters whose 
 occasional outbursts of adolescent tenderness threw him into 
 convulsions of merriment. By constant practice he soon 
 acquired great dexterity in unsealing letters, and took no little 
 pride in the accomplishment. Facilis dccensus Averni. 
 Jordan may be a hard road to travel, but smooth is the slide 
 to perdition. It is but a step from stealing the secrets of oth- 
 ers to stealing their money. He soon proposed to the post- 
 master a regular and systematic plan of robbery, to be 
 
122 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 accompanied by an equitable division of the profits. He was 
 to do the work, and the two were to share the plunder equally. 
 At first she trembled at the naked proposition, skillfully as 
 the way had been prepared for it, but so completely was she 
 enveloped in the toils of the tempter, that, after a brief period 
 of feeble hesitation, with closed eyes she plunged madly into 
 the vortex. 
 
 Disregarding the code of honor supposed to prevail among 
 thieves, while robbing the public he defrauded his partner, 
 pocketing all the booty, and holding, as a suspended banker, 
 the assets of the concern, ready to receive deposits, but not 
 to honor checks. On a single occasion he disgorged fifty 
 dollars to meet a draft from the department. Out of the hun- 
 dreds stolen, this was the only money paid over to her. He 
 took great pride in his skill in the art of humbug, and, had it 
 not been for the multiplicity of the losses and the bad char- 
 acter of the operator, might long have deceived the credulous 
 by his jugglery. A single instance will illustrate his style. 
 A farmer, living several miles in the country, was looking for 
 a valuable letter from Virginia, and made one or two inquiries 
 at the office in regard to it. The clerk had a spite against 
 the gentleman, and as he allowed personal feelings to influ- 
 ence him considerably in the selection of victims, concluded 
 that a fine opportunity was now presented, both for replenish- 
 ing his exchequer and for taking a few dollars' worth of 
 revenge. The expected missive at length arrived, in the 
 shape of a registered letter, which was at once dexterously 
 slipped out of sight under the table to await future manip- 
 ulation. At night it was opened, rifled, and resealed. On 
 the arrival of the mail the following day, the end of the 
 package envelope, which was so placed as to appear to have 
 been emptied out of the bag, was cut off a second time, and 
 the unfortunate letter ostentatiously displayed to the crowd 
 around the window, to attract attention to its mutilated ap- 
 pearance. Thus the evidence of half a dozen disinterested 
 witnesses was extemporized to divert suspicion from the 
 actual criminal. 
 
CRIMINAL CURIOSITY. 
 
 123 
 
 The daughter had not been let into the secret of the com- 
 pact, and the confederates had striven to keep the thefts from 
 her knowledge. She had seen the clerk, however, open 
 letters from motives of curiosity, and had often heard the 
 contents discussed. 
 
 The grand jury, after listening to the statements of mother 
 and daughter, corroborated as they were by collateral evi- 
 dence, did not hesitate to indict the late clerk. 
 
 " She had seen the clerk open letters, and had often heard the contents 
 
 discussed." 
 
 It now devolved upon the officers of the government to 
 discover the asylum of the fugitive, and to bring him back 
 for trial. Broad as the country is, it is not big enough to 
 hide a criminal when diligently pursued. Everywhere the 
 light of Heaven streams in to reveal the brand upon the brow 
 of the malefactor. The "damned spot" will not "out." All 
 the perfume in Arabia will not sweeten the tainted hand. 
 
124 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 Through the exertions of the sheriff of the county the 
 officers of the government soon learned that friends of the 
 absentee, living in a precinct ten or twelve miles distant from 
 the scene of the robberies, were communicating quite frequently 
 with one "John Jones," of Nashville, Tennessee. Jones re- 
 quired money and clothing, which were duly forwarded. A 
 great many good people have had correspondents at Nashville, 
 Tennessee, without attracting attention or arousing suspicion 
 thereby. Not so in this instance. Plain farmers tilling the 
 earth amid the graves of their sires, and seldom venturing 
 beyond the shadows of their native hills, are not suddenly so 
 dra\vn to a new and distant friend as to part with hard-earned 
 substance to relieve his needs. Besides, running back for 
 several generations, the name of the correspondent did not 
 suggest the tie of consanguinity. Unconnected with his ben- 
 efactors by business or blood, who could he be ? The clue 
 pointed unerringly to the man they were after. 
 
 The original John Jones, as every one knows, is a gentle- 
 man of eminent respectability, proud of the family escutcheon, 
 and super-sensitive in regard to any taint, hpw r ever slight, that 
 might befall the ancestral cognomen. He would never forgive 
 the government if it failed to apprehend the miscreant who 
 crowded his other offences by filching this illustrious name to 
 masquerade in before the world. 
 
 The United States chief deputy-marshal for the northern 
 district of Georgia sent a warrant for the arrest of "Jones," 
 with a full description of his appearance, to the United States 
 marshal at Nashville, requesting immediate action. That offi- 
 cer telegraphed back that a person answering to the description 
 had been in Nashville, but had just left for Kansas City. The 
 presumptions were that he was "on the fly," but would remain 
 long enough to receive letters and an express package to be 
 forwarded from his late haunt. Accordingly the same partic- 
 ulars were telegraphed to the United States marshal at Kansas 
 City with a similar request. The despatch reached its desti- 
 nation a few minutes in advance of the distinguished stranger, 
 
A GOOD ACTOR. 
 
 125 
 
 who in less than half an hour after its receipt alighted from the 
 train. The officer addressed him cordially, calling him by 
 name. "Why! how are you, old fellow? I am glad to see 
 you," said he ; " in fact, I came down to the depot on purpose 
 to meet you, but hardly expected you on this run." 
 
 "There must be some mistake here," replied the dust-stained 
 traveler, with a look of ill-concealed apprehension. "I am 
 John Jones, of Nashville, Tennessee, and a stranger to your 
 acquaintance." 
 
 "John Jones, of Nashville, Tennessee ! How long since?" 
 ejaculated the marshal, with a slight accent of derision. 
 
 "Do you mean to insult me, sir?" replied the fugitive, with 
 assumed severity. " This joke, if you mean it for a joke, 
 has been pushed far enough already. I am not a man to be 
 trifled with, as you may find to your sorrow." 
 
 "You would make a pretty fair actor," answered the imper- 
 turbable officer. "You talk very well, too ; but I haven't time 
 to listen to any more of that sort just now. I know all about 
 you, and what you have done. I am United States marshal, 
 and you are my prisoner. I take it you do not care to be the 
 hero of a street scene. Give up like a gentleman, and you 
 shall be treated accordingly." 
 
 For a brief interval the captive attempted to play the role 
 of injured and indignant innocence ; but, finding the game 
 useless, acknowledged that he was beaten, and admitted his 
 identity. So accurate was the description that the marshal 
 pronounced it equal to a photograph. That night the fugitive 
 started homeward with an iron bracelet on his wrist. 
 
 On various pretexts the trial was postponed from term to 
 term till two and a half years had elapsed from the finding of 
 the indictment. It was then discovered that the indictment 
 was defective, but it was too late to go before another grand 
 jury and procure a substitute, as such action was barred by 
 the statute of limitations. After a partial introduction of the 
 evidence, the prosecution broke down on purely technical 
 grounds, having no relation whatever to the guilt or inno- 
 
126 A DESPERADO ROUTED. 
 
 cence of the accused. Accordingly, through the " law's de- 
 lay," and not through lack of proof, the prisoner managed to 
 escape. After all, the real punishment does not depend on 
 the verdict of a jury or the length of an imprisonment. Ret- 
 ribution, inevitable, far-reaching, is an integral part of every 
 crime. No earthly decree or failure can annul God's eternal 
 law, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." 
 
'SCALON, a quiet and 
 orderly village of 
 about five thousand 
 inhabitants, is located 
 on one of the many rail- 
 roads that radiate from 
 Chicago. It was original- 
 ly laid out as a university 
 town by prominent mem- 
 bers of a powerful religious 
 denomination ; and by spe- 
 cial charter the sale of liq- 
 uor within the corporate 
 limits was for ever prohib- 
 ited. In addition to the uni- 
 versity, other institutions of 
 learning have since been 
 erected under the patron- 
 age of the wealthy; and 
 the citizens take great pride 
 in the education, culture, 
 and morality which gener- 
 ally prevail. From time to time reports of lost letters, mailed 
 to and from Ascalon, reached Mr. U. R. Hawley, special 
 agent at Chicago ; but these were hardly frequent enough to 
 discredit the management of the post-office, as a certain per- 
 centage of mistakes and miscarriages is proved by long expe- 
 
 The Teller declines to accept the bill. 
 
128 
 
 SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 rience to occur through the carelessness of writers. Thus 
 matters ran on till at length a decisive case fixed the respon- 
 sibility at that place. A letter directed to a contractor tempo- 
 rarily employed in Ascalon was handed at the train in Chicago 
 to a postal clerk whose route supplied the town. It did not 
 reach its destination. The matter was reported for investi- 
 gation. 
 
 If not mislaid, the letter must have been stolen either by the 
 postal clerk or in the Ascalon office ; and for reasons which 
 seemed sufficient, the special agent concluded that the depre- 
 dation was not committed on the railroad. 
 
 Virgil Swayne, a thin, 
 sickly man, about thirty- 
 two years old, of nervous 
 and excitable temperament, 
 was postmaster. Anxious 
 to please the public and to 
 be reputed efficient, he was 
 thrown into a fever of per- 
 turbation by complaints or 
 adverse criticism. 
 
 At the time referred to, 
 Swayne was assisted by two 
 clerks : one a young lady 
 of irreproachable charac- 
 ter, who for quite a period 
 had been detained at home 
 by severe illness, and the 
 other a young man of twen- 
 ty-six, known as Rodney 
 Powell. 
 
 Powell was an orphan, and had lived in Ascalon from boy- 
 hood, having been reared in the family of an estimable gen- 
 tleman where he was surrounded by the best of influences. 
 So far as externals went, he was such a youth as decorous 
 and devout maidens like to hold up to boisterous, irrepres- 
 
 Virgil Swayne. 
 
A PIOUS PILFERER. 
 
 I2 9 
 
 sible, mischievous nephews as a model for imitation. A 
 member of the church and teacher in the Sunday school, he 
 had no evil associations or questionable habits. He did not 
 drink under any circumstances of temptation, or use tobacco. 
 Industrious and economical, he saved each month something 
 from his salary, which was gradually transformed into town- 
 lots in the suburbs, where land could be bought at low figures 
 and held with confidence for a rise. He kept a bank account, 
 carefully depositing his monthly gains till the aggregate be- 
 came sufficiently large to be withdrawn for investment. 
 
 In physique Powell was tall, slender, and cadaverous, a 
 candidate evidently for early translation to a better sphere. 
 About a year prior to the occurrences to be narrated, he had 
 married a beautiful and interesting girl from Wisconsin, and 
 after twelve months of happiness she had returned home to 
 visit her parents. The prospects of the young couple looked 
 as bright as a May morning. 
 
 One vice, however, tainted the life of Rodney Powell, and 
 slowly but surely the poison permeated his moral nature. It 
 was avarice, hidden from the public, and perhaps from the 
 victim, under the name of economy. 
 
 When the office at Ascalon came under surveillance, in 
 view of the excellent reputation of both the postmaster and 
 the assistant, suspicion might fall upon one as readily as upon 
 the other ; but quiet inquiry developed the fact that the cur- 
 rent savings of Powell were larger than the severest economy 
 could explain on the theory that the increasing accumulations 
 were honestly derived. 
 
 A letter was prepared for the purpose of testing the hon- 
 esty of the assistant. It contained a counterfeit twenty-dollar 
 bill and two genuine one-dollar bills, so marked that all 
 could be readily identified. The special agent took due 
 care to see it placed in the package for Ascalon. The letter 
 was so directed that while it would offer no temptation to an 
 honest man, it would be very likely to stimulate into activity 
 the propensities of a thief. 
 9 
 
130 
 
 SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 The next day the officer, avoiding the post-office himself, 
 sent a shrewd, experienced, clear-headed man to inquire for 
 the missive. Waiting till Powell was left alone in the tem- 
 porary absence of the postmaster, the messenger walked up 
 to the delivery-window, and asked if there was anything for 
 "Abraham Klingman." 
 
 " No," stammered the assist- 
 ant, running through a pack- 
 age with tremulous hands, 
 and turning as white as a 
 sheet, "there is nothing for 
 you." 
 
 "Look again," urged the 
 lynx-eyed messenger. " I 
 have notice that a very im- 
 portant communication was 
 mailed to me yesterday 
 from Chicago. It must be 
 here." 
 
 Once more the clerk, 
 half unconsciously, looked 
 through the bundle, and re- 
 peated the denial. 
 
 As the stranger turned 
 away with a look of as- 
 sumed disappointment, the 
 young man remarked, in 
 explanation of the mystery, "There is another Ascalon clear 
 out west. Perhaps your letter has gone there through mis- 
 take." 
 
 Unwittingly the moth had fluttered into the flame ; the sug- 
 gestion, under the circumstances, being equivalent, morally, to 
 a confession. When the interview was reported to the special 
 agent, he knew that Powell was a thief. Having, however, 
 been detained the day before by an unexpected summons to 
 attend court, he had been prevented from following the letter 
 
 again,' urged the lynx-eyed 
 messenger." 
 
SWAYNE PUT UPON THE WATCH. 13! 
 
 as closely as he otherwise would, and hence decided, on the 
 ground of prudence, to try another test. Perhaps the con- 
 tents were already spent. If so, the legal evidence was gone, 
 and against the unsullied reputation of the assistant nothing 
 short of the most conclusive proof would avail. 
 
 One great point had been gained. The character of Rod- 
 ney Powell, heretofore concealed under professions of piety, 
 was now thoroughly understood by one man at least. 
 In the absence of all small vices, he was afflicted with an 
 inordinate love of money, and lacked the strength of will to 
 resist temptation. The wretch who steals once, will steal 
 again. It seemed better to sacrifice the venture already lost, 
 and postpone the crisis a few days, rather than to hazard 
 the success of the case on an arrest that might prove pre- 
 mature. 
 
 The agent returned to Chicago, and delayed further pro- 
 ceedings for a week or two, to permit the clerk to recover from 
 his late fright. In the second move on the works of the 
 young man, he decided to take the postmaster into his con- 
 fidence, as his co-operation was important, though apprehen- 
 sive that his excitability would expose the plan of operations 
 to the thief. Swayne was instructed to show no signs of un- 
 easiness, and not to notice the movements of the assistant 
 while both were employed in the office together, but to keep 
 a vigilant lookout for certain letters when left alone, and, if 
 either one should be missed, to telegraph the fact immediately 
 to the special agent in Chicago. Several decoys were pre- 
 pared with the full knowledge of the postmaster, and in due 
 course of mail thrown into Ascalon. Some of them received 
 honorable treatment. One, which should have been returned 
 to the railway post-office as missent, was carefully laid aside 
 in an unused pigeon-hole. The appearance of the missive 
 suggested a plethora of greenbacks, yet the wary thief evi- 
 dently surmised that it might possibly contain a charge of 
 postal dynamite. At all events, it was handled very daintily. 
 
 Diligent but quiet search was meanwhile made for the 
 
132 SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 stolen money. The twenty-dollar counterfeit note was so 
 well executed that none but experts would be likely to dis- 
 trust its genuineness. It was soon ascertained that the day 
 after the arrival of the first decoy, Powell made a deposit 
 in bank. The teller remembered that among the bills was 
 one of twenty dollars on the Oneida County Bank, which 
 he declined to pass to the credit of the customer without 
 further examination. At his suggestion, Powell put a private 
 mark on the bill, and the teller subsequently submitted it in 
 person to the cashier of the Merchants National Bank of 
 Chicago, who pronounced it a counterfeit. It was afterwards 
 returned to Powell. Though the circumstances did not 
 absolutely identify this as one of the stolen notes, there could 
 be no reasonable doubt of the fact. 
 
 Unaccustomed to watch rogues, Swayne soon found the 
 tortures of the situation unbearable. The anxiety which he 
 tried to conceal became only the more conspicuous from the 
 effort. Postmaster and clerk furtively shot strange glances 
 at each other, while a barrier of coolness and mistrust in- 
 sensibly arose to separate the two friends. Without a word 
 spoken to justify or explain the changed attitude of affairs, 
 both manifested a conscious expectation that a catastrophe of 
 some kind was impending. Nerves weak at best gave way 
 under the strain. Worn out by solicitude and sleeplessness, 
 Swayne left one afternoon precipitately for Chicago to con- 
 sult the special agent, taking the test letter along, and ex- 
 pressing the conviction that Powell was afraid to steal it. 
 The conclusion, so confidently expressed, proved to be entirely 
 erroneous. 
 
 After the departure of the postmaster, the clerk went to the 
 case for the purpose of confiscating the estray, but it had 
 disappeared. Conscience and fear at once sounded an 
 alarm. Recollections of the unexpected inquiries from 
 "Abraham Klingman," reinforced by numerous evidences 
 of distrust on the part of the postmaster, formerly so artless 
 and confiding, led the thief to surmise that his criminality 
 
NO SECURITY IN FLIGHT. 133 
 
 was suspected if not discovered. A new resolution was soon 
 formed with the view of escaping, if possible, from the im- 
 pending crash. Without disclosing his purpose to anyone, 
 Powell proceeded to draw his balance from bank, and left by 
 the midnight train. On arriving at the office the next morn- 
 ing, Swayne found the doors closed, and on further inquiry 
 learned that the exemplary youth whose business it was to 
 put the place in order, had incontinently fled. 
 
 The special agent was at once informed of the latest de- 
 velopments, when he proceeded to modify the plan of cam- 
 paign to meet the somewhat unexpected emergency. 
 
 That Powell still retained the counterfeit in his possession 
 or under his control was exceedingly probable, as he would 
 be afraid to pass a bill of such size, and hence so easily 
 followed, in a community where its true character had 
 been pronounced at the bank, and as he would not be 
 likely to destroy an imitation that so closely resembled the 
 genuine. 
 
 Conjecturing that the fugitive would rejoin his wife, 
 Mr. Hawley communicated with Mr. Horatio Belden, post- 
 master at Wartrace, the residence of her parents, inquiring 
 whether Powell was there. An affirmative reply was re- 
 turned. No time was to be lost. Since the thief had 
 permanently severed his connections with the Ascalon office, 
 the only remaining chance of detection was through the re- 
 covery of the counterfeit, and bank-bills are proverbially 
 slippery. 
 
 Hurriedly taking the train, Mr. Hawley reached Wartrace 
 about the middle of the afternoon. After looking over the 
 field, he decided to charge Powell with being a counterfeiter, 
 and, in carrying, out the scheme, to assume the character of 
 an agent of the treasury department. It was now late in the 
 day, and the execution of his plan was postponed till the next 
 morning. 
 
 After breakfast, the sheriff of the county, whose aid had 
 been secured, repaired, to the house where Powell stopped, 
 
SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 and took him to the hotel. On the way he was informed 
 that an officer of the treasury wished to see him. Entirely 
 thrown off the scent, he went without fear or hesitation, 
 rather curious to learn what use a representative of that branch 
 of the government could have for him. 
 
 The two met for the first time in the private room of Mr. 
 Hawley, the late clerk quiet and expectant, little dreaming of 
 the serious import of the interview, and the officer of the law 
 
 " You are a dealer in counterfeit money.** 
 
 determined, if possible, to compel the thief to disclose the 
 evidence which would convict him in a court of justice. 
 As the young man entered, the occupant of the room 
 brusquely accosted him, "You are Rodney Powell, I be- 
 lieve." 
 
 "I am, sir." 
 
 "You are a dealer in counterfeit money." 
 
DEALING IN COUNTERFEIT MONEY. 135 
 
 " No, sir, I am not." 
 
 Both were standing, the officer harsh and stern, the crimi- 
 nal pale, faltering, and cadaverous. So great was his sur- 
 prise at the suddenness of the onset, that he could hardly 
 articulate from nervousness and timidity. 
 
 Agent. "You have been a clerk in a post-office, and have 
 been fool enough to be duped by the circulars advertising 
 counterfeit money." 
 
 Clerk. "No, sir. I never saw any such circulars." 
 
 Agent. " Where did you get your counterfeit money? " 
 
 Clerk. " I never had a counterfeit bill in my life. I will 
 show you my pocket-book," taking it out. 
 
 With one sharp look at the contents the agent waived it 
 away contemptuously, saying, "I don't care anything about 
 your pocket-book. I don't suppose you carry your stock 
 there. I want to know where your counterfeit money comes 
 from." 
 
 Clerk. " I never had any." 
 
 Agent. "Didn't you try to pass a counterfeit twenty at 
 Hamilton's Bank." 
 
 Clerk. " Well, that is the only one I ever had." 
 
 Agent. "That one is enough to send you to the peni- 
 tentiary. Where did you afterwards pass the bill? " 
 
 Clerk. " I have not passed it." 
 
 Agent. " You have not destroyed it? " 
 
 Clerk. "No, sir." 
 
 Agent. "What have you done with it, then?" 
 
 Clerk. "I gave it to my wife." 
 
 Agent. " Did you give her any other money at the same 
 time?" 
 
 Clerk. "Yes, sir." 
 
 Agent. " Was it genuine or counterfeit? " 
 
 Clerk. " It was genuine." 
 
 Agent. "Did you tell her that this twenty was counter- 
 feit?" 
 
 Clerk. "No, sir." 
 
136 SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 Agent. "You cowardly scoundrel, you gave it to her, an 
 innocent woman, to put in circulation because you lacked the 
 courage. Didn't you expect that she would pass it? " 
 
 Clerk. " I don't know that I did." 
 
 Agent. ff On that point, then, it seems that I am better 
 informed than you, for I do. You may as well prepare at 
 once to go with me to the capital of the state, to stand trial 
 for knowingly passing counterfeit money in violation of law." 
 
 Clerk. " I guess my wife still has the bill, and that I can 
 get it for you." 
 
 Agent. " I do not believe any such thing. You gave it to 
 her, intending that she should pay it to some unsuspecting 
 merchant or creditor, and she has innocently done so. Still, 
 I should like to know into whose hands it went, for it is too 
 dangerous a counterfeit to be left in circulation. If found, you 
 will be compelled to redeem the bill. Yet one might as well 
 hunt for a needle in a hay-stack as look for it." 
 
 Clerk. " I am confident the bill can be found. Let me go 
 home, and I think I can soon return with it." 
 
 Agent. " You can not go alone, as you are now in custody, 
 but I will accompany you to give you every chance possible." 
 
 The unexpected accusation, vigorously followed up by the 
 special agent, had thoroughly cowed the thief, who was weak 
 and timid at best. Believing that the production of the coun- 
 terfeit would satisfy the officer and end the investigation, he 
 was exceedingly anxious to recover the note. The two 
 started for Powell's house, about a mile off. As they passed 
 the post-office, the special agent made an excuse to stop, and 
 desiring the presence of a witness, invited Mr. Belden, the 
 postmaster, to accompany them. He acceded readily to the 
 request, having previously been informed that his services 
 might be needed ; and the three proceeded on together. 
 
 Mrs. Powell, a pure and lovable woman, eminently wor- 
 thy of a better husband and happier fate, was up-stairs, con- 
 fined to her room by sickness. So long as the guilty man 
 remained in ignorance of the ulterior object of the mission, 
 
CONTEMPTIBLE MEANNESS. 137 
 
 there was no danger that he would attempt either to escape 
 or to destroy the bill. Indeed, so eager was he to produce 
 the counterfeit, that his thoughts and energies were swallowed 
 up in the effort. Powell soon returned from the sick-chamber 
 paler even than before, and remarked, dejectedly, " She has 
 passed the bill." 
 
 Agent. " I knew it. You gave it to her for that very pur- 
 pose. Enough of this nonsense. Come with me ; we have 
 wasted too much time already. Whom did she pay it to?" 
 
 Clerk. "To Doctor Sevier." 
 
 Agent. "What for?" 
 
 Clerk. "Medical attendance." 
 
 Agent. "What did the medical bill amount to?" 
 
 Clerk. "Ten dollars." 
 
 Agent. "Did the doctor give back the change?" 
 
 Clerk. "Yes, sir." 
 
 Agent. "What did I tell you at the outset? Yet you had 
 the effrontery to stand up and say that you had not passed 
 counterfeit money ! It was incomparably worse to commit 
 the crime through the agency of a poor sick woman, who 
 trusted implicitly in your integrity, than to have gone forth 
 boldly among men to do the same thing in person. The 
 indirection adds a hundred-fold to the cowardice and baseness 
 of the act." 
 
 Clerk. "Allow me the chance, and I will hunt up and 
 redeem the bill." 
 
 Agent. " Nonsense. It may have gone through a dozen 
 hands before now." 
 
 Clerk (imploringly). "Still, you will permit me to try, 
 will you not ? " 
 
 Agent. "Yes, you can try. That counterfeit must not be 
 left in circulation." 
 
 Powell now fully believed that the only escape from the 
 penitentiary was through the discovery and redemption of the 
 missing note. Perhaps even that would prove insufficient. 
 His eagerness to see Doctor Sevier was intense, the officer 
 
138 SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 meanwhile saying but little, and that little of a discouraging 
 tendency. 
 
 On their way back, the party called at the office of Doctor 
 Sevier, but he happened to be absent in the country on pro- 
 fessional business. Mr. Belden suggested that they should 
 wait at the post-office ; and thither they accordingly repaired, 
 having left a request for the doctor to follow immediately on 
 his return. 
 
 In the course of an hour, or an hour and a half, the doctor 
 entered the rear room at the post-office. A man of heavy 
 frame and clear conscience, a physician of skill and of ex- 
 tensive practice, he wore the look of a solid country gentle- 
 man, at peace with himself and with all the world. The con- 
 versation between the several persons grouped around the table 
 was brief and pointed. On one side stood Powell, pale and 
 anxious; then Belden, a little nervous, in view of the ap- 
 proaching crisis ; next the doctor, somewhat surprised at the 
 unusual summons, but perfectly calm ; and last, the special 
 agent, steadily pursuing the plan of operations which was 
 now drawing to a successful close. 
 
 The officer broke the silence by inquiring, " Doctor Sevier, 
 did Mrs. Powell pay you a twenty-dollar note a short time 
 ago?" 
 
 Doctor. " I believe she did." 
 
 Agent. "Your bill for services was ten dollars, if I am 
 correctly informed ? " 
 
 Doctor. "Yes." 
 
 Agent. " You returned the change to Mrs. Powell." 
 
 Doctor. "Yes." 
 
 Agent. "That twenty is a counterfeit." 
 
 Doctor. " Is it possible ? " 
 
 Agent. "Yes, doctor, it is a fact. I am particularly 
 anxious to secure that bill. Have you got it still?" 
 
 Doctor. " I don't know. I have lately been saving money 
 to pay taxes with, and may have it yet." 
 
 Doctor Sevier drew forth a well-stuffed pocket-book, sug- 
 
POWELL A PRISONER. 
 
 139 
 
 gestive of a large practice and good customers. Taking 
 therefrom a roll of bills, he spread them out deliberately on 
 the table, and began to search for the counterfeit. All eyes 
 were riveted on the package. As the portion below the fold 
 grew thinner, the countenance of the young man fell. What 
 if the doctor had parted with it? The frowning walls of 
 a prison again loomed ominously on his mental horizon. 
 As the doctor turned further, he came to a twenty. The 
 
 '* I will tell you where you got it. You stole it from a letter." 
 
 special agent quickly placed the tip of his index finger on the 
 bill. He was an old acquaintance, and perfectly familiar 
 with its features. With slight emphasis, he remarked, 
 "There is the bill." 
 
 The doctor drew it forth and handed it to Powell, who 
 also at once recognized the lineaments that he had had 
 occasion to study so closely. With an air of great relief, 
 he exclaimed, "Yes, this is the identical bill." 
 
I4O SELF-CONVICTED. 
 
 The turn of the special agent had now come. Taking the 
 fateful piece of paper, and pointing to some writing on one 
 corner, he inquired, "Is not that the mark made by you in 
 Hamilton's Bank?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied Powell. 
 
 "And there is my mark," thundered the special agent, 
 pointing to three initials, in fine characters, on the reverse 
 side. "Now, let me ask, where did you get that bill?" 
 
 Clerk. " At Ascalon." 
 
 Agent. " From whom ? " 
 
 Clerk. " I do not remember." 
 
 Agent. " Do you receive so many twenty-dollar bills that 
 you can not remember from whom you took this one ? " 
 
 Clerk. " I don't remember." 
 
 Agent. " Did Virgil S wayne give it to you ? " 
 
 Clerk. "No, sir." 
 
 Agent. " I will tell you where you got it. You stole it 
 from a letter addressed to Abraham Klingman. What did 
 you do with the two one-dollar notes enclosed in the same 
 letter?" 
 
 Clerk. " I spent them in Ascalon." 
 
 And thus the poor wretch, after many falsehoods, seeing 
 that further resistance was useless, threw up the sponge, and 
 admitted his guilt. With the last words, he sank down on 
 the lounge, a self-convicted thief. 
 
 On the next train, the avaricious clerk left for Chicago, a 
 prisoner. When arraigned at the bar of justice, he pleaded 
 guilty, and was duly sentenced to the penitentiary. 
 
PON the outskirts of Dover, 
 an unpretentious village in 
 the State of Texas, there 
 stood, in the year 1870, an 
 old and rather dilapidated 
 frame house, in the shape 
 of an L, the front facing 
 the north, and located about 
 fifty yards from the high- 
 way. It consisted of a 
 single story, and contained 
 three small rooms, all, of 
 course, on the first floor. 
 This was the abode of the 
 widow Nathan and her three 
 daughters. 
 
 The family emigrated to 
 Dover about the year 1850. 
 The husband and father was 
 duly installed as the village 
 blacksmith, and though work poured into his shop in abun- 
 dance, to comfort and peace he was a stranger. Poor man ! 
 He knew how to soften and bend iron, but could make no 
 impression, either by remonstrance or kindness, upon the hard 
 and ferocious spirit of his wife. Driven to despair by the 
 
 The Home of the Nathans. 
 
142 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 venom of her manner and tongue, he sought oblivion in drink, 
 and was at length turned out of doors to die forsaken and 
 broken-hearted. 
 
 The widow was left with five children, two sons and three 
 daughters. The elder boy became a teamster in the federal 
 army, and died near the close of the war. The younger mur- 
 dered a neighbor for speaking disparagingly of his sister, and, 
 to avoid the halter of Judge Lynch, vanished in the night. 
 For many years the family had a hard struggle to exist ; but 
 neither privations nor sufferings subdued the obdurate heart 
 of Mrs. Nathan. The household led a secluded, isolated 
 life, for the community regarded them with suspicion and 
 dread. 
 
 As might be inferred, Mrs. Nathan wasted little sympathy 
 on neighbors who treated her with so much coldness and con- 
 tempt. She exulted in the final triumph of the Union arms, 
 for defeat brought humiliation to those who had trampled on 
 her pride. 
 
 In due time a detachment of federal troops was sent to Dover, 
 to preserve the peace and superintend the affairs of the freed- 
 men. The lieutenant in command soon made the acquaint- 
 ance of the Nathans, becoming interested in their welfare on 
 account of their professed loyalty to the government. While 
 he was stationed here the postmaster resigned, and through 
 the influence of the lieutenant, Miss Eleanore, the eldest of the 
 Nathan sisters, was appointed to fill the place. 
 
 A most extraordinary change was soon visible in the condi- 
 tion of the family. Abundance succeeded want, the tokens 
 of outward prosperity multiplying as the months rolled swiftly 
 by. Old debts were paid, homespun dresses discarded for 
 silks, and the varied paraphernalia of modern luxury rapidly 
 added to the hitherto scant wardrobes of the ladies. People, 
 seeing the sudden transformation, wondered how an annual 
 salary of four hundred dollars could be made to go so far. 
 Ere long, evil whisperings were heard. Many did not hesitate 
 to say that there was something wrong in the post-office, yet 
 
UNWARRANTABLE EXTRAVAGANCE. 
 
 few of the good citizens of Dover had reason to complain, for, 
 if light fingers were busy with the mails, letters belonging to 
 that immediate locality were rarely disturbed. The counties 
 beyond, whose correspondence passed through Dover, were 
 not so fortunate ; but the sufferers seldom reported their trou- 
 bles to the department, from an erroneous belief that no atten- 
 tion would be paid to the matter. Thus affairs went on for 
 two years and a half, till August, 1870 ; the current expenses 
 of the Nathans far exceeding the legitimate income from the 
 office. Meanwhile occasional efforts were made to secure the 
 removal of Miss Eleanore, but the lieutenant was always ap- 
 pealed to, and, wherever he was, uniformly responded with a 
 strong indorsement of the postmaster. She also wrote frequent 
 letters of appeal to the appointing power, and, with the aid of 
 her military friend, managed to retain the place in defiance of 
 public protests. 
 
 As the summer of 1870 advanced, the pecuniary wants of 
 the Nathans outgrew the ordinary sources of supply. Having 
 long levied toll upon correspondence with impunity, the fami- 
 ly had learned to look upon valuable letters passing through 
 the office as a part of its perquisites ; but ordinary letters now 
 ceased to yield sufficient revenue to keep them afloat. 
 
 In August, a registered package containing over seven 
 hundred dollars in money-order funds, mailed at Daleville, 
 Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri, was rifled on the way. The 
 case was referred by the department to Colonel Frederick W. 
 Schaurte, special agent at St. Louis, for investigation, who, 
 in October, passed over the entire route, traveling nine days 
 by stage to reach his destination. With the aid of other data 
 in his possession, Colonel Schaurte became convinced that the 
 robbery was perpetrated at Dover, the focal point toward 
 which a mass of evidence pointed. In that neighborhood he 
 assumed the character of an officer from Missouri, in pursuit 
 of a thief who was supposed to have fled to Texas with a 
 large amount of money, a description of which he had. This 
 gave him an excuse for examining the currency in the stores 
 
144 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 and other places of business, but not one of the missing bills 
 could he find. 
 
 Between the time of the robbery and of the arrival of the 
 special agent, Miss Eleanore had been removed from office, 
 and the new appointee had taken possession. During the 
 period of her incumbency the entire family had free access to 
 the mails, and either one might have committed the depreda- 
 tions, though the hardened character of the mother afforded 
 sufficient ground for the belief that she instigated the crimes, 
 and took the lead in their execution. However, as they no 
 longer enjoyed the privilege of manipulating the letters of 
 other people, the ordinary methods employed by special agents 
 could not be followed. Accordingly the officer seemed to be 
 driven to the alternative of either finding a portion of the 
 stolen money and tracing it back to the thief, or of securing a 
 quasi reinstatement of the late postmaster, so that an oppor- 
 tunity might be given to apply the usual tests to determine the 
 question of honesty. The hunt for the lost bills, though 
 thorough, proved unavailing, the notes, if paid out, having 
 disappeared from the circulation of the neighborhood. With 
 great reluctance, in view of the unpopularity of the step, the 
 special agent arranged with the new appointee to employ the 
 suspected parties temporarily as clerks, and to have the con- 
 tents of certain letters examined after passing from their cus- 
 tody. Having laid out the plan of campaign, and given ex- 
 plicit instructions to the actual postmaster who was charged 
 with its execution, he left the state, hoping soon to be informed 
 of the complete success of the scheme. 
 
 The postmaster, however, proved entirely incompetent to 
 manage a matter of so much delicacy, and, listening to the 
 well-grounded remonstrances of the neighborhood, shortly 
 resumed entire control of the office, abandoning in despair the 
 unfamiliar and unpleasant functions of the detective. 
 
 In December of the same year, Colonel Schaurte was called 
 to Arkansas to investigate certain losses, and having completed 
 the work, decided to push on into Texas. The railroads 
 
A HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL. 
 
 which have since made the northern part of the state easily 
 accessible, were then barely more than projected. A journey 
 in winter of several hundred miles by stage, through the deep, 
 black, tenacious mud of that region, was a trial to test to the 
 utmost the physical endurance of the strongest. The coaches 
 were very uncomfortable, and often became so deeply mired 
 that the passengers were compelled to pry out the wheels with 
 
 " The passengers were compelled to pry out the wheels with fence rails." 
 
 fence-rails, and to walk over the worst parts of the way to 
 relieve the horses of the load. 
 
 Despite the hardships of the journey, the unexplained rob- 
 beries at Dover weighed so heavily on the mind of the officer 
 that he could not consent to return home without one more 
 effort to develop the mystery. Leaving Little Rock on the 
 9th, he reached his destination, worn out in body and mind, 
 after ten days of continuous travel. 
 10 
 
146 
 
 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 Manifestly, success could 
 only be achieved through a 
 lucky combination of stratagem 
 and bluff. For a day or two 
 the officer hovered between 
 Dover and Daleville, throw- 
 ing out hints and innuendoes 
 intended for the ears of the 
 Nathan family, and to excite 
 apprehensions that some ill- 
 defined but terrible disaster 
 was about to fall like a thun- 
 derbolt upon the doomed house- 
 hold. 
 
 Calling upon Judge Lynch, 
 one of the oldest and most fa- 
 mous members of the Texan 
 judiciary, he procured warrants 
 for the arrest of Mrs. Nathan 
 and of Miss Eleanore, late 
 postmaster. Thus equipped, 
 he determined to proceed to 
 the house alone, and, if possi- 
 ble, to frighten the guilty par- 
 ties into a full confession. The 
 mission was one of danger as 
 well as delicacy. 
 
 It was a dark, stormy night, 
 late in December. The rain- 
 drops, driven by a strong north- 
 easterly wind, penetrated like 
 hail. Threading his way 
 through the unlighted street of 
 the village, and along the des- 
 olate and deserted highway, 
 the officer sought the residence 
 
WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT? 
 
 of the Nathans. For ten weary days he had traveled to get 
 there ; and now, as the crisis approached, the case seemed 
 utterly hopeless. The mother challenged investigation, defy- 
 ing accusers of every name and station to do their worst. 
 Cool, calculating, and cruel, was she likely to be terrified into 
 a paroxysm of momentary weakness? As the special agent 
 stepped into the path leading up to the door, is it strange that 
 he mentally inquired why he had consented to journey so far 
 and suffer so much on a fool's errand? So remote and des- 
 perate seemed the chances of success, so near the pain and 
 peril, that one less resolute would have turned back even from 
 the threshold. He knew that in the coming struggle for mas- 
 tery he was to encounter a vindictive, implacable, remorseless 
 termagant, who would not hesitate to commit murder if in the 
 frenzy of the moment she conceived that the blood of an 
 adversary would contribute to her safety. 
 
 Having scraped the mud from his boots, he knocked at the 
 door, and was admitted by one of the younger daughters. 
 Somewhat to his surprise he was received with a great show 
 of affability, and invited to a seat in the family circle around 
 the open hearth. The mother, then about fifty years of age, 
 was rather above the medium height, strongly built, with 
 muscles and sinews like an athlete, with dark, fierce, restless 
 eyes, thin, compressed lips, and a countenance that could 
 readily flame into passion, but never melt into tenderness 
 a veritable Lady Macbeth in low life. Miss Eleanore was 
 perhaps twenty-three, slender in form, and rather comely in 
 feature. The other daughters, aged respectively eighteen and 
 sixteen, were fair specimens of uncultivated frontier beauty. 
 
 The officer knew that the family hated him most cordially, 
 and, what was of more importance on the present occasion, he 
 had good reason to believe that they feared him also. 
 
 The evening was considerably advanced when he arrived. 
 Accepting the proffered chair, he regarded the mother and 
 eldest daughter with a serious, melancholy look, as if he 
 would like to evade a painful duty, but could not. From 
 
148 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 commonplaces the conversation was gradually directed to 
 ordinary mail matters, and thence by easy stages to the de- 
 tection and punishment of post-office thieves. Going into 
 minute details, the special agent related the incidents of a 
 robbery, and step by step showed how the damning proofs 
 of guilt were wound around the criminal like the coils of an 
 anaconda till escape became impossible. In due time the 
 wretch was arraigned for trial, when the whole story was 
 brought out before the jury and the people of the vicinage. 
 Alone, in a conspicuous box, with hundreds of eager eyes 
 fixed on him, stood the prisoner, with no one near to drop a 
 word of sympathy or look of pity. The crimes proved in 
 open court lay like an impassable gulf between that unhappy 
 man and the associates of a lifetime. 
 
 Having heard the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of 
 "guilty," and the judge sentenced the robber to a term of ten 
 years in the penitentiary. Then the lonely horrors, the sun- 
 less gloom of the prison, were described. Ten years in such 
 a place ! Who but a hardened brute could endure it and 
 survive ? 
 
 As the narrative ran on, the circle around the hearth grew 
 narrower, the women edging their chairs together as if safety 
 might be promoted by closer companionship. Meanwhile the 
 rain continued to beat against the window-panes, and the winds 
 to howl around the house-corners. Amid the variety of dis- 
 mal sounds, the limbs of an ancient shade-tree, rubbed by the 
 gale against the side of the building, made a heavy, grating 
 noise that impressed the visitor with the feeling that the place 
 itself, as a punishment for the misdeeds of its occupants, was 
 haunted and accursed. 
 
 After the story came to an end, Mrs. Nathan nervously 
 ordered the two younger girls into the next room to bed. Pos- 
 sibly they knew nothing of the irregular practices carried on 
 in the post-office, and the mother wished to keep them in igno- 
 rance. The agitated manner of Mrs. Nathan and of Miss 
 Eleanore indicated that the arrows from the quiver of the 
 
officer had struck upon vulnerable material, causing terror, 
 if not rousing to energy the stings of conscience that had long 
 lain dormant. 
 
 From the character of the complaints the special agent was 
 able to form a pretty correct theory of the manner in which 
 the depredations began in the office at Dover, and of how -they 
 afterwards continued to multiply and expand. Familiarity 
 with the mental operations and moral decline of the dishon- 
 est who actually yield to thieving propensities, also enabled 
 him to comprehend the processes of thought and the stages of 
 feeling through which the principal actors had successively 
 passed. 
 
 When quiet was restored, the special agent proceeded to 
 outline the incidents of another case, supposed to have hap- 
 pened some time before in the western part of Arkansas. In 
 this instance, the postmaster was a young lady loyally devoted 
 to the Union, but impoverished by the war, with a mother and 
 several sisters dependent upon her exertions for support. At 
 heart the poor girl was honest and honorable, fully intending 
 to do right, but the salary of the office was so small, and the 
 needs of the family so great, that in a moment of supreme 
 temptation she broke open and rifled a letter passing through 
 her hands. The contents, however, brought no permanent 
 relief, and, having once sinned, though with great reluctance 
 and pain, she was soon induced to repeat the act. Other rob- 
 beries followed in quick succession, till the clamors of the 
 public reached the department, when the narrator was in- 
 structed to investigate the losses. On reaching the scene of 
 action, he found that the unhappy girl was indeed guilty, for 
 he soon came into possession of overwhelming proofs of the 
 fact. Here it was that a most distressing dilemma was pre- 
 sented to him. As a faithful officer of the government, it was 
 his duty to bring the offender to punishment; as a man, with 
 a heart full of compassion for the erring and penitent, he 
 shrunk from the responsibility of laying the heavy hand of 
 the law upon an inexperienced girl who had strayed from the 
 
I5O A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 path of rectitude not from badness of nature, but in a mistaken 
 effort to provide food and clothing for the helpless. 
 
 "And what did you do with her?" inquired Miss Eleanore, 
 with palpitating eagerness, interrupting the narrative of which 
 but a brief outline is here given. 
 
 "When brought to realize the enormity of her offense," 
 answered the officer, " she did all that a penitent sinner could 
 confessed the facts and restored the money still remaining 
 in her possession. In view of the apparent, and I have no 
 doubt real sincerity of her repentance, and of the restitution 
 of the stolen property, I did not molest her freedom, but dis- 
 missed the charges with the simple injunction to the offender 
 to go and sin no more. Perhaps I did wrong ; perhaps I 
 stretched the privileges of my office too far. It may be I had 
 no right to save from prison a helpless girl. If I made a mis- 
 take, however, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I erred 
 in a conscientious endeavor under difficult circumstances to act 
 for the best." 
 
 Meanwhile Mrs. Nathan had risen from her seat, and, with 
 arms folded behind her back after the manner of men, was 
 slowly pacing the room, trying either to find transient forget- 
 fulness in motion, or to sharpen her perceptions by muscular 
 exercise. Another turn brought her directly in front of the 
 special agent, and, looking into his eye with a searching gaze, 
 she inquired, in a voice that betrayed the utmost anxiety, 
 "What does all this mean? For God's sake, tell me what you 
 intend to do ! I have heard a good many things during the 
 past few days, and want to know the worst. Nothing can be 
 harder to bear than this suspense." 
 
 In solemn tones, trembling with assumed emotion, the spe- 
 cial agent replied, " Rest assured, madam, I shall aim to make 
 your burden as light as possible, and to spare you from trouble 
 and humiliation so far as my obligations to the government will 
 permit. Still, be my individual feelings what they may, as an 
 officer I must do my duty." 
 
 "Tell me all at once," she exclaimed, clasping her hands 
 
A FORMIDABLE DOCUMENT. 
 
 so firmly together that the blood was driven from the fingers ; 
 tell me all!" 
 
 "Madam," replied he, "it is a power higher than I that 
 speaks. A warrant for the arrest of you and Miss Eleanore 
 arrived to-day, and I am charged with its execution." 
 
 While speaking, he drew the parchment from his pocket, 
 and deliberately unfolded it. The document looked more like 
 
 Mrs. Nathan, with arms folded behind her back, was slowly pacing the 
 
 room." 
 
 a death-warrant than anything else, for Judge Lynch had 
 thrown into its preparation the concentrated ingenuity ac- 
 quired during many years of practice. In prominent charac- 
 ters on the sheet were enrolled the names of the accused with 
 the charges against them. 
 
 The sight was too much even for the firm nerves of Mrs. 
 Nathan. With a look of horror and despair she turned away, 
 and threw herself into a chair. Miss Eleanore was less 
 
152 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 powerfully affected, tears trickling down silently over features 
 otherwise immovable. The moment seemed opportune for the 
 final and decisive move in the game. 
 
 Gently taking the hand of the girl, the officer continued : 
 "Miss Eleanore, if you will confide in me implicitly, I can 
 save both you and your mother. Heaven knows I do not 
 wish to be instrumental in sending ladies to prison. From 
 the bottom of my heart, I desire to see such a calamity to 
 you, to her, to your innocent sisters, averted. Restore the 
 money, and no harm shall come near this household." 
 
 "Do you really mean it?" inquired she, imploringly. 
 
 "I do," he answered. "My word is pledged, and my word 
 is sacred." 
 
 A sudden but resistless impulse seemed to seize the young 
 woman. Without casting a glance toward the mother, or 
 pausing to deliberate, she went to a. home-made lounge or 
 settee standing in one corner of the room, and lifting the 
 moss-stuffed cushion, drew forth a package of bills, which 
 she placed in the hand of the special agent, saying, "This 
 is all I have left, and nearly all that I have ever taken from 
 the mails. I alone am responsible. Mother had nothing 
 to do with it. I know I acted very wrong, but I did it to 
 obtain money to pay lawyers for defending brother Ned. 
 Now, Colonel Schaurte, you will keep your promise not to 
 arrest us, won't you?" 
 
 "Miss Eleanore," replied the officer, taking the roll of 
 bills, "my word shall be sacredly kept to the letter. Give 
 yourself no uneasiness. You are a woman. You have con- 
 fessed and made restitution under pledge of safety. If I err in 
 letting you off* so lightly, that mistake shall be my only one." 
 
 " May God bless you for your goodness ! " exclaimed the 
 poor girl, as the heavy load of apprehension rolled from her 
 shoulders. "I shall always remember with gratitude your 
 kindness." 
 
 While this important scene was taking place, Mrs. Nathan 
 sat speechless and immovable, but her apparent apathy was 
 
AN ENRAGED FEMALE. 
 
 like the treacherous calm that sometimes precedes and her- 
 alds the tropical cyclone. Without a word, she rose and left 
 the room. It was now about twelve o'clock, 
 
 " The very witching time of night 
 When churchyards yawn, and Hell itself breathes out 
 Contagion to this world." 
 
 In a few minutes she returned, pale but determined. Her 
 small black eye seemed to emit venom like the eye of an 
 
 Her small black eye seemed to emit venom like the eye of an enraged 
 rattlesnake." 
 
 enraged rattlesnake. Her lips were tightly compressed, 
 with flecks of froth exuding from the corners. In her hand 
 she grasped a pistol. Striding toward the officer and raising 
 the weapon, she hissed through her clenched teeth, "You 
 have betrayed us, base wretch, and shall never leave this 
 house alive I " 
 
154 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 "Then," replied he, springing to his feet, "we will die 
 together." 
 
 In his pocket the officer had two trusty derringers, but as 
 he was about to draw one, he could not forget that his 
 antagonist, though a devil, was still a woman. 
 
 Quick as thought, Miss Eleanore threw herself in front of 
 the infuriated hag, and in tremulous tones seemed able only 
 to articulate the words, "Mother, O mother!" Frenzied to 
 the point of madness, however, the unnatural parent, with the 
 strength of a giant, thrust aside her child. The officer strove to 
 look cool and collected, and, if measurably successful, could 
 not but admit that the muscles of the face did more than jus- 
 tice to the feelings of the heart. 
 
 At this perilous crisis, three low, distinct, solemn raps 
 were heard at the door. Who stood outside in the pelting 
 storm, friend or foe? Each one in the room listened in 
 dread. It flashed across the mind of the special agent that 
 Ned had returned home for a stealthy visit, his hands reek- 
 ing with gore, and ready for further bloodshed to avenge 
 the real or fancied wrongs of the family. Much more 
 palpable was the alarm of Mrs. Nathan, for the pistol 
 dropped from her terror-stricken hand. With her foot the 
 daughter pushed the weapon aside, and it was seen by the 
 visitor no more. 
 
 It required a repetition of the raps to break the spell. 
 Summoning all his courage, the officer stepped to the door, 
 feeling that between two fires very likely his last hour had 
 come. Opening it slightly, he peered into the gloom, but at 
 first could see nothing, so blinding was the wind and rain. 
 Then in the dim light from the aperture a muffled figure 
 was obscurely outlined. " Thank God that you still live ! " 
 whispered the dreaded visitant. w I was sure you were mur- 
 dered. Come away, or she will kill you. You don't know 
 that woman." 
 
 It was the familiar voice of Tom Brent, the postmaster. 
 
155 
 
 Alarmed at the failure of the officer to return, the faithful 
 friend had come to render aid, if aid could now be of avail. 
 The reaction from fear transported the special agent to the 
 highest altitude of courage and determination. Alone he felt 
 
 equal to the task of subduing 
 a spirit that nothing hitherto 
 had been able to break. With 
 the confession of the post- 
 master secured, and a goodly 
 portion of the stolen money in 
 his possession, he might have 
 left the accursed place, con- 
 scious that the difficult under- 
 taking had been fully accom- 
 plished. But he was not 
 satisfied to retreat under fire. 
 The guns of the enemy must 
 first be spiked. 
 
 In pursuance of this reso- 
 lution, he said, in a low tone, 
 "My dear Brent, go back to 
 your office, and wait till I 
 come. My work here must 
 not be spoiled." 
 
 Closing the door, he re- 
 turned to the side of the two women near the fire-place, 
 whom he endeavored to soothe into tranquillity. " Do not be 
 alarmed, Mrs. Nathan," he said; "I will not allow anyone 
 to hurt you, or suffer you to be arrested. The parties out- 
 side are only Masons, brother knights, who will attempt 
 nothing except by my direction. Miss Eleanore has trusted 
 to my word of honor, and shall never have occasion to 
 regret it. This is the badge of our order," exhibiting a Mal- 
 tese cross with skull and crossbones. 
 
 At this point Mrs. Nathan broke down completely, and 
 
 Thank God that you still live ! ' whis- 
 pered the dreaded visitant." 
 
A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 eyes long unused to tears began to weep. Either from con- 
 trition or policy, she strove to conciliate the man whom a 
 few minutes before she had tried to shoot. " Colonel 
 Schaurte," she said, W I owe you ten thousand apologies. 
 Do forgive me. I did not know what I was about. I believe 
 
 now you are the best friend 
 we have on earth." She then 
 sought advice in regard to 
 family affairs, and among the 
 rest, in reference to the pro- 
 spective marriage of Miss 
 Eleanore. From the freedom 
 of the conference one would 
 have inferred that the little 
 group were life-long friends. 
 
 About two o'clock he bade 
 adieu to the penitent and 
 grateful women, hastening as 
 fast as the storm and mud 
 would permit to the post-of- 
 fice, where the faithful friend, 
 Tom Brent, was still waiting 
 in a state of tremulous appre- 
 hension. The package of 
 bills was unrolled, and was 
 found to contain nearly one 
 thousand dollars. By the 
 numbers and other marks, 
 many of them were identified 
 
 as the bills forwarded in the money-order remittance from 
 Daleville to St. Louis the previous August, and rifled on 
 the way. 
 
 Early the next morning he rode over to Daleville to acquaint 
 Mr. Henry Smith, the postmaster, with the happy result of 
 the investigation. The old gentleman, then about seventy- 
 
 " The special agent listened with appar- 
 ent interest to the doleful doggerel." 
 
IT ENDS WITH A WEDDING. 
 
 five years of age, seemed to take very little interest in the 
 matter, and, instead of complimenting the officer on his ex- 
 ploit, drew forth an original manuscript poem of a hundred 
 pages or less, which he proceeded, in a low, monotonous tone, 
 to read aloud. More considerate than the rhymester, the 
 special agent listened with apparent interest to the doleful 
 doggerel, till the entrance of a daughter, who appreciated 
 the weakness of her father, put an end to the affliction. 
 
 " With a sly twinkle of the eye, he congratulated the bridegroom upon his 
 
 good fortune." 
 
 On his way home, the special agent remained at Dover 
 over night to attend, by special invitation, the wedding of 
 Miss Eleanore. The guests were few and select. With a 
 sly twinkle of the eye, he congratulated the bridegroom upon 
 his good fortune in securing so amiable a wife, and so high- 
 
158 A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. 
 
 toned a mother-in-law. At midnight he left, standing high 
 in the good graces of the family. 
 
 As the postmaster confessed, and restored the stolen prop- 
 erty under pledge of protection, no further action was taken 
 in the case. 
 
//, 
 
 THERTON, a quiet, aristo- 
 cratic village, in the valley 
 of the Hudson, is a fair type 
 of not a few towns in the 
 older states, that, in the race 
 for population and wealth, 
 have been outstripped by 
 younger rivals. Founded 
 prior to the Revolution, it 
 had grown into a thriving 
 settlement while the savage 
 still roamed in undisturbed 
 possession upon the sites 
 where cities have since 
 sprung up and become fa- 
 mous. From a tranquil eddy 
 on the border of the stream 
 the inhabitants watch the 
 seething currents of life and 
 traffic as they surge by, 
 thankful that they are not 
 themselves in the distracting turmoil. 
 
 Except in the character of the people, there is no reason 
 why Atherton should not have maintained the start won at the 
 outset of the race. Advantages of location as well as priority 
 of settlement gave promise of a prosperous career. During 
 the critical period of growth, however, the leading citizens, 
 
 Paul Atherton. 
 
l6o A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 instead of inviting, repelled enterprise. When the pioneers 
 were laying out one of the first railroads of the system that 
 has since been so extended as to bring into one neighborhood 
 the entire breadth of the continent, the Athertonians, regard- 
 ing as a nuisance the whistle of the locomotive and the rum- 
 ble of trains, gave the project no encouragement, thereby 
 permitting a great iron artery to be located just near enough 
 to absorb their life-blood, without imparting any nutriment in 
 return. Similar indifference was shown to early attempts to 
 introduce manufactures, from apprehension that the repose of 
 the town would be disturbed, and the morals of the youth cor- 
 rupted, by the operatives in the mills. 
 
 The principal street extended a mile and a half, and was 
 lined on each side with substantial residences, built mostly of 
 brick, trimmed with blue stone. The inclosures were capa- 
 cious, and profusely shaded with choice trees and shrubbery. 
 Yet on the main avenue hardly a new structure had gone up 
 within a quarter of a century. A stranger could see at a 
 glance that these homes were reared for permanence by 
 wealthy owners, at a period when every man's house was 
 his castle. Occasionally a dilapidated family, rooted to the 
 soil, had been forced by stress of adversity to allow the 
 yards and fences to go to waste ; but in such cases the hon- 
 est old dwellings lasted much better than the blood. In a 
 number of the gardens there can still be seen the old-fash- 
 ioned sun-dial, long antedating the era of the once ubiqui- 
 tous clock-peddler. 
 
 Any description would be sadly imperfect that omitted ref- 
 erence to the churches. Solid, square, modest in appoint- 
 ments, and boasting neither tall spires nor stained windows, 
 they stand to-day as they stood in the days of the patroons, 
 resisting innovation, and offering, as they have long done, 
 the only retreats where patrician and plebeian can meet on 
 common ground, in the presence of a common God. 
 
 The germ of this unique development was outlined at the 
 first meeting of the original settlers. It was then voted that 
 
AN ABODE OF PEACE. l6l 
 
 Abraham Atherton and his heirs forever should be a commit- 
 tee of the village, with a power equal to each of the four 
 annually chosen by the people. In due time the Revolution, 
 with its charter of equal rights, demolished all such privi- 
 leges, but in this instance the spirit of the usage long sur- 
 vived its fall. Thus, for half a century previous to the inci- 
 dents about to be narrated, the village had led a slumberous 
 and monumental existence, an antique link in the chain con- 
 necting the present with the past. 
 
 As might be inferred from the exclusive habits of the peo- 
 ple, intelligence and morality largely predominated ; for vice, 
 gregarious in its tendencies, makes slow headway where 
 conservatism is the fashion. An unusually large proportion 
 enjoyed incomes sufficiently abundant to raise the recipients 
 above the necessities of toil and the perplexities of traffic. 
 The schools were good, the churches well attended, and a 
 branch of the Young Men's Christian Association furnished 
 the principal exhibitions for the entertainment of the youth. 
 No glittering or meretricious temptations were thrown in the 
 way of the rising generation to lure them to evil. Such in- 
 cidents of our progressive civilization as " defalcations " or 
 " embezzlements " modern terms invented to veneer the 
 hideousness of what is called robbery or theft in the case of 
 the low and the friendless were unknown, and as far back 
 as memory ran, not an arrest of an Athertonian had been 
 made for an offense enumerated in the calendar of crimes. 
 
 In one respect Atherton was fully abreast of its most enter- 
 prising neighbors, and far in advance of the average village 
 of similar size. Too often, at the period of which we write, 
 post-offices were located in dirt-begrimed rookeries, whither 
 the loafers of the place resorted to smoke, gossip, and tell 
 stories, the doors being practically closed against ladies by 
 the vileness of the surroundings. Not so here. Though 
 sharing the prevalent air of repose, the office was provided 
 with all the modern improvements for the convenient dispatch 
 of business, and was a model of neatness and order. The 
 ii 
 
l62 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 public were proud of the institution, and had an abiding faith 
 in its good management. 
 
 Thus affairs had gone on for many years without a ripple of 
 trouble or distrust to ruffle the placid surface. At rare inter- 
 vals letters to distant points would be reported as lost or de- 
 layed ; but the facts were uniformly explained, without calling 
 in question the carefulness or honest} r of the home-office. But 
 maladies requiring treatment from the agents of the depart- 
 ment sometimes break out where least expected. All at once, 
 merchants and capitalists, whose life-long experience had 
 caused them to place implicit trust in the security of the mails, 
 began to suffer from the depredations of a thief. Remittances 
 carefully deposited in the box at the post-office .were never 
 heard of afterwards, though in nearly every instance the letters 
 reached the persons addressed in apparently good condition. 
 Expected acknowledgments failed to come to hand, but in 
 their place came reminders that the writers had forgotten the 
 inclosures. Correspondence of no pecuniary value, or con^ 
 taining checks, uniformly reached their destination, but moneys 
 were ruthlessly confiscated. In the opinion of the sufferers, 
 the daring robber who had laid an embargo on their mails 
 was credited with a sort of clairvoyant faculty for discerning 
 bank-notes, even when buried beneath triple folds of paper; 
 else why should inclosures of every other kind pass unmolest- 
 ed? The thefts that began in driblets increased in frequency, 
 till the annoyance became intolerable'. Different parties com- 
 plained to the postmaster, and finding no relief, explained 
 their grievances to the department at Washington. Some 
 hinted confidentially where the trouble would probably be 
 found, but in no instance did suspicion, like an oft-praised 
 form of charity, begin at home. The various papers were 
 duly referred to special agent B. K. Sharretts, of New York 
 city, who was deputed to visit the locality, look over the 
 ground, and draw his own conclusions. 
 
 Within a few years, besides building a street railway to 
 Ilium, several of the capitalists of Atherton had so far yielded 
 
WHO CAN BE THE THIEF? 163 
 
 to the spirit of progress as to invest a portion of their wealth 
 in the establishment of local manufactories. The complaints 
 made to Washington emanated principally from two of these 
 concerns, each of which had frequent occasion to send money 
 by mail. Rifled letters went through apparently intact, but 
 contained no trace of the remittances referred to in the text. 
 At first the discrepancies were attributed to carelessness, 
 charges and countercharges passing between correspondents 
 with a freedom that, in some instances, reached the verge of 
 acerbity. As the trouble continued to grow, however, after 
 the parties most deeply interested had been put upon their 
 guard, the losers settled down into the conviction that some 
 outside barbarian, posted along the approaches to Atherton, 
 was perpetrating these deeds of direful note. ' 
 
 A striking peculiarity of the depredations early struck the 
 attention of the agent. Aside from the two manufacturers re- 
 ferred to, very few of the residents had met with any trouble, 
 and these belonged to the class who keep matters to them- 
 selves, and are constitutionally averse to making mention of 
 their wrongs. Notwithstanding the embargo, the public gen- 
 erally could still remit money with perfect security, their letters 
 never being disturbed. 
 
 In running down mail thieves, a skillful agent proceeds 
 successively to locate the office where the robberies occur, to 
 "spot" the offender, and, after the accomplishment of these 
 preliminaries, to so conduct the subsequent investigation as to 
 secure undoubted legal evidence of the guilt of the criminal. 
 The first step in the series required no study. Mails to and 
 from Atherton, at that time, all passed through the neighbor- 
 ing city of Ilium. From the latter place the rifled letters 
 diverged to every point of the compass, so that only two 
 offices handled any considerable part of them, and in one of 
 the two the thief must accordingly be sought. But Ilium 
 also distributed the mails for a wide extent of country, and 
 throughout the entire circuit no community, except Atherton, 
 experienced any losses. The inference, then, was irresistible 
 
164 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 that the author of the trouble must be looked for there. If 
 located at Ilium, with a hundred offices to operate on, he 
 would be a most extraordinary thief to confine his attentions to 
 one. 
 
 At this stage of the investigation the case, from its apparent 
 simplicity, promised to yield readily to the common remedies. 
 Making Ilium a point d'appui, the officer visited Atherton 
 incognito > carefully surveying the office and its environs, and 
 
 41 The officer mailed a number of letters that to an ordinary thief would have 
 proved as irresistibly attractive as fat chickens to a hungry hawk." 
 
 mailing a number of letters that to the ordinary thief would 
 have proved as irresistibly attractive as fat chickens to a 
 hungry hawk. He returned to Ilium in time to intercept the 
 pouch from Atherton only to find the decoys all present and 
 intact. For a number of successive days the experiment was 
 repeated with similar results. At this slow rate of progress 
 the inquiry speedily grew monotonous and wearisome. Where 
 the agent expected to catch a gudgeon at the first drop of the 
 
OPERATING INCOGNITO. 165 
 
 line, he found instead a crafty old fish that obstinately refused 
 to bite. Might it not be that an outsider, having no legit- 
 imate business within the counter, perpetrated the thefts ? 
 Employes, often careless and confiding, are liable to be im- 
 posed upon, to the great injury of the public, by cunning 
 rascals, who cultivhte their acquaintance for the express pur- 
 pose of gaining opportunities to steal. These are more diffi- 
 cult to detect, because their operations are more irregular 
 and capricious. Other questions, that could not be answered 
 satisfactorily without an intimate knowledge of the inner work- 
 ings of the office, required solution as a preliminary to final 
 success. 
 
 Meanwhile, as the agent was operating incognito, the dan- 
 ger of exposure daily increased. Should it leak out that a 
 strange United States official was lurking in the vicinity 
 without making himself known, the thief, ever on the alert 
 to scent the approach of danger, would at once take the 
 alarm, and, declining all further opportunities to steal, would, 
 as a matter of policy, become for the nonce scrupulously 
 exact. He accordingly determined to adopt a bold line of 
 action, and one which requires for successful development 
 rare self-possession, tact, and readiness of invention. This 
 was no less than to proceed openly to the office, in true offi- 
 cial character. One morning, therefore, he dropped in upon 
 the postmaster in the most informal manner, and having ex- 
 hibited his credentials, remarked, in tones loud enough to be 
 heard by the employes, that he was on a visit to the locality 
 for the purpose of ascertaining the status of a mail contrac- 
 tor residing in the neighborhood, who, at the late lettings, 
 had been the successful bidder on several stage routes in 
 adjacent states. The department was naturally anxious to 
 learn whether he could give the requisite bonds, and other- 
 wise fulfill his engagements. Not a word was uttered by 
 either one in regard to local troubles, or a whisper breathed 
 in reference to missing letters. 
 
 The postmaster, a fine old gentleman, evidently well along 
 
l66 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 in the sixties, wore an expression of guileless honesty that 
 lifted him far above the range of distrust. It was apparent 
 from his face and bearing that he was not a person either to 
 do wrong himself or to suspect evil in others. Thus a glance 
 served to eliminate from the investigation the chief of the es- 
 tablishment. Close watching and adroit inquiries soon satis- 
 fied the agent that no outsider did the stealing. The thief, 
 whoever he might be, lived, moved, and had his being within 
 the limits of the inclosure. How he was to be discovered 
 was the one question now to be considered. 
 
 There were but two clerks in the office : a young gentle- 
 man of great reputed ability and elevation of character, Mr. 
 Paul Atherton, and a boy called w Scrappy," whose name, 
 however, was entered on the baptismal register as Sandy 
 Scrapps. Paul was a lineal descendant of Abraham, the 
 colonial magistrate who founded the village ; and to him, by 
 right of seniority, and as the heir of a locally illustrious name, 
 the agent first directed his attention. About twenty-four years 
 of age, tall and erect, with raven hair and piercing black eyes, 
 young. Atherton presented a striking, and to the casual ob- 
 server a prepossessing exterior. A white necktie, superadded 
 to immaculate linen and clothes of irreproachable cut, strong- 
 ly suggested the divinity student as the character which he 
 inclined to affect. Enjoying a spotless reputation, he was 
 foremost in conspicuous charities, and especially in the vari- 
 ous enterprises undertaken for the regeneration of a " lost and 
 ruined world." As a deacon in a leading church, secretary 
 of the Young Men's Christian Association, and director of a 
 semi-weekly prayer-meeting, he won golden opinions from 
 the religious element, which regarded him as a paragon of 
 piety. Recalling the maxim, "Whom the gods love die 
 young," as illustrated in Sunday-school books by the early 
 translation of good little saints, and observing, too, a wan, 
 weary look on the face of the favorite, caused, doubtless, by 
 midnight vigils at the foot of the throne, the spinsters of the 
 congregation expressed to each other vague apprehensions 
 
that Paul, too pure and spiritual for earth, would not be per- 
 mitted to tarry long among them. 
 
 Such was the character borne by the assistant postmaster in 
 the community, and as such was he known to the agent ori 
 the morning of the first call at the office. After subjecting 
 him to close but guarded scrutiny, however, the observer 
 became impressed that the popular estimate was strangely 
 false. The rhyme of Tom Brown came to mind as some- 
 how pertinent to the case. 
 
 " I do not love thee, Doctor Fell, 
 The reason why I cannot tell ; 
 But this alone I know full well, 
 I do not love thee, Doctor Fell." 
 
 The countenance of Paul lacked the transparency and open- 
 ness of ingenuous youth. A broad scar on the right cheek 
 had a queer trick of turning deep crimson under the flush of 
 excitement, while the rest of the face remained unchanged. 
 His eye wandered uneasily as if accustomed to watch for pit- 
 falls, and occasionally shot forth a gleam of apprehension and 
 unrest, that, combined with the fitful blaze of the scar, recalled 
 Dante's legend of the chained devil, waiting for his fetters to 
 break, that he might lead to ruin everything, whether damned 
 or sacred, that fell in his way. 
 
 Scrappy, the other clerk, produced a very different impres- 
 sion on the mind of the observer. A round, plump form gave 
 abundant proof of an easy conscience and good digestion, 
 while a broad, mirthful, good-natured face, illumined by a 
 clear, steady eye, afforded the strongest kind of internal evi- 
 dence that his feet had never learned to stray from the path 
 of rectitude. 
 
 Having ruled out of the investigation both the postmaster 
 and Scrappy as unquestionably honest, the agent determined 
 to cultivate a more intimate acquaintance with Mr. Paul 
 Atherton, and to become familiar with his habits and pecu- 
 liarities. 
 
 In part pursuance of the plan he called at the office every 
 
l68 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 morning, and soon succeeded in impressing the postmaster 
 and the clerks with the belief that he was a harmless bore. 
 They might wonder occasionally what kept him so long in 
 the locality, but, supposing that the special service offered an 
 asylum for the support of more or less decayed politicians, 
 naturally inferred that he belonged to the supernumeraries 
 who went about on light jobs for the department, as a cover 
 for more familiar and congenial work. Paul frequently joined 
 in the conversation with a subdued though manifest air of 
 
 ' But the gentleman declined to lend the slightest assistance." 
 
 condescension and patronage. Clearly he anticipated no 
 danger from this quarter. On his part the agent was partic- 
 ularly careful to say or do nothing to excite apprehension. 
 
 Meanwhile test letters continued to pass through the office 
 undisturbed, though the losses of the original sufferers showed 
 no signs of abatement. It is the business of a detective, by 
 studying the work of a thief, to learn his methods, to pene- 
 trate as it were into his inner consciousness, with a view of 
 
THE CLERK. 169 
 
 discovering the theories on which he acts. In the present 
 troubles it had now become tolerably clear that the depreda- 
 tor confined his operations to a few prominent establishments. 
 The agent accordingly solicited, in confidence, the co-opera- 
 tion of the chief of one of the principal houses, which the 
 robber had honored with his attentions ; but the gentleman 
 peremptorily declined to lend the slightest assistance, resent- 
 ing the implied imputation upon the fair fame of the Atherton 
 office, and suggesting courteously, though with sufficient plain- 
 ness to be intelligible, that this was no place for "putting up a 
 job " on the innocent. Nothing remained but to fight the 
 battle alone, with a still unshaken faith that in some way Jus- 
 tice would aid her servant to the accomplishment of her ends. 
 
 Several mornings the detective observed on the features of 
 Paul a wan, sleepy, dissipated look, such as a bacchanalian 
 wears after a night-long debauch. The appearance differed 
 entirely from the symptoms of disease. As there is no effect 
 without a cause, he proceeded to investigate the origin of the 
 phenomenon. 
 
 Returning from Ilium after dark, to shadow the movements 
 of the clerk, the detective found that he boarded at the house 
 of an uncle, and went to bed with remarkable punctuality at 
 precisely nine o'clock. If out for the evening, he returned 
 home shortly before the appointed hour, and as the church- 
 clock struck nine, a light appeared in one of the front cham- 
 bers, and was uniformly extinguished after the lapse of a 
 few minutes, when darkness reigned throughout the house. 
 Night after night the agent took a stand under a convenient 
 tree diagonally opposite, and night after night the same routine 
 was repeated. Perplexed but not discouraged, he resolved to 
 persevere. The puzzle of the jaded and haggard countenance 
 acquired a positive fascination, haunting his thoughts, and 
 even intruding on his dreams. As the mystery deepened, an 
 important discovery rewarded the fidelity of the officer. 
 
 On a cold, drizzly, disagreeable night, having finished the 
 customary vigil and witnessed the extinguishment of the light 
 
170 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 in the chamber of the clerk, supposing that the curtain had 
 dropped finally on the operations of the day, the agent emerged 
 from the " coigne of vantage " beside the tree-trunk. Wet and 
 chilled, he decided to warm by the fire of an acquaintance in- 
 stead of returning directly to Ilium as usual. The friend was 
 in excellent humor, and the coals glowing in the open grate 
 never looked more cheery. Between choice Havanas and 
 pleasant conversation the hours slipped by unnoted. Very 
 late he rose to go, and taking a street-car, was soon lost in 
 somnolent reverie. About midway on the road, the car was 
 
 III 
 
 -~^Tx2- 
 
 "The broad collar of an overcoat concealed his cheeks, while his forehead 
 and eyes were buried under the ample brim of a slouched hat." 
 
 detained eight or ten minutes by some obstruction. Mean- 
 while an up car came to a halt exactly opposite, so that the 
 windows of the two were nearly vis-a-vis. 
 
 Aroused by the incident, the officer mechanically glanced at 
 the interior of the vehicle, and noticed that there were three 
 passengers, two ladies and a gentleman, the latter seemingly 
 
THE ASTHMATIC OLD MAN. 
 
 in delicate health, for he was carefully muffled to the chin. 
 As nothing in the appearance of either invited further atten- 
 tion, he was about to resume his nap, when the gentleman rose 
 up and walked to the door. His gait and manner awakened 
 into full activity the faculties of the detective. Where and 
 when had he seen the man before ? The form and step of the 
 stranger suggested something familiar and disagreeable, but 
 for a moment the train of mental associations refused to con- 
 nect the person with the name. Meanwhile the muffled figure 
 walked out upon the platform, and straining forward to dis- 
 cover the cause of the delay, came under the full glare of an 
 adjacent lamp. The light fell on a pale complexion, re- 
 lieved on the right cheek by a spot of bright crimson. There 
 could be no mistake : it was Paul Atherton, cunningly dis- 
 guised, but at length discovered in a new r61e, the character 
 and scope of which were soon to be developed. 
 
 When the up car started, it had received an accession to the 
 list of passengers in the shape of an old gentleman, rather 
 round of form, but apparently feeble in health. The broad 
 collar of an overcoat concealed his cheeks, while his forehead 
 and eyes were buried under the ample brim of a slouched hat. 
 An occasional wheeze, alternating with a cough, fully justi- 
 fied the precautions taken by the invalid for the protection of 
 throat and lungs against the raw night air. The occupants, 
 however, took little notice of the asthmatic or of each other. 
 Paul was too much self-absorbed either to pity the infirmities 
 or to consciously observe the presence of a poor stranger. By 
 the next morning very likely, the episode had passed wholly 
 from his mind. 
 
 When the car reached the home of Mr. Atherton, that 
 worthy alighted, and a short distance beyond, the old gentle- 
 man of the pulmonic affection did the same. It would have 
 astonished his traveling companions to see what a curative 
 effect the open air, and particularly the darkness exerted over 
 the malady. Returning to the customary outlook, he saw 
 Paul, in the dim light from a distant street-lamp, stealthily 
 
172 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 advance up the walk, and pull off his boots on the stoop. 
 The door was then cautiously opened by means of a night- 
 key, and the figure disappeared. 
 
 The agent returned to Ilium with a light heart, and slept 
 soundly. After many days of patient effort, he at length 
 grasped a clue, which confirmed his suspicions in reference 
 to the real author of the robberies, and which would probably 
 soon lead to more mate- 
 rial discoveries. 
 
 The next morning he 
 called, as had become 
 his habit, at the Ather- 
 ton post-office, and 
 again noticed the hag- 
 gard look of the gentle- 
 manly assistant ; but the 
 hieroglyphics stamped 
 upon the face of the 
 debauchee were no lon- 
 ger unintelligible. More 
 clearly than ever before 
 the keen eye of the de- 
 tective saw what havoc 
 dissipation was making 
 with the health of the 
 youth. Already his 
 temples were furrowed 
 
 by lines indicative of premature decay. After exchanging 
 the compliments of the day, the clerk inquired, in a slightly 
 supercilious tone, " By the way, Mr. S , how are you getting 
 on with that mail-contractor ? Don't you fellows from Wash- 
 ington drive rather slow coaches ? " 
 
 " A great deal better than at first," answered the agent. " I 
 enjoy the country about here hugely, and what is the use of 
 hurrying ? Believe I have gotten about to the bottom of the 
 
 'The door was then cautiously opened, and 
 the figure disappeared." 
 
QUEER PROCEEDINGS, 
 
 173 
 
 The best of 
 
 thing, though, and shall have to leave soon, 
 friends must part, you know." 
 
 "We shall be sorry to spare you," said Paul, with a slight 
 smack of irony. 
 
 That evening the detective left Ilium much later than usual, 
 not caring to witness a repetition of the preliminary farce. It 
 was past nine o'clock, and the light was extinguished in the 
 front chamber when he reached the house of the deacon. He 
 
 'By the way, Mr. S , how are you getting on with that mail contractor? 
 Don't you fellows from "Washington cirivo rather slow coaches ? " 
 
 was compelled to wait so long, however, before discovering 
 signs of animation, that he was about to depart, under the im- 
 pression that the nocturnal expeditions of the inmate took place 
 irregularly, and that this was one of the nights devoted to rest. 
 While deliberating on the propriety of bringing the vigil to a 
 close, the sash of the chamber-window was cautiously raised. 
 At first the head, and then half the body of the occupant pro- 
 truded through the aperture. He seemed to peer forth into 
 
174 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 the darkness, looking up and down the street, 
 sough of the trees, all was silent and deserted, 
 he do? 
 
 "Through the green forest arch 
 The wild winds in their march 
 
 Sigh and complain ; 
 The torrent on the hill 
 Moans to the midnight chill, 
 
 In vain, in vain ! " 
 
 Except the 
 What will 
 
 " The youth lowered something by a string, closed the sash, and shortly 
 after emerged from the front door." 
 
 The youth lowered something by a string, closed the sash, 
 and shortly after emerged from the front door. Stepping to 
 one side, he picked up the package, which proved to be a 
 
PAUL IN QUESTIONABLE COMPANY, 
 
 pair of boots, and drew them on. He then hurried to the car. 
 Meantime the detective, disguised so completely that his most 
 intimate friend could have no suspicion of his identity, secured 
 a place on the platform with the driver. On reaching Ilium, 
 Paul alighted at a cross street running into a neighborhood 
 that had a weak reputation for morality, and after walking 
 
 ^ r -r? 
 
 'J 
 
 " The asthmatic old gentleman of the previous night, now transformed 
 into a somewhat dilapidated inebriate, followed closely." 
 
 two or three blocks, turned into a saloon. A few yards behind, 
 unseen and unsuspected, followed the agent of the depart- 
 ment. 
 
 The ante-room of the establishment, fitted up with mirrors 
 and an elaborate display of cut glass, was' used as a bar. 
 
176 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 Paul, barely nodding to the proprietor, passed on into the 
 brilliantly lighted apartment beyond, one of the bucks greet- 
 ing him with the salutation, "How goes it, dominie?" Re- 
 turning a reply in kind, the new-comer took off his coat, and 
 was soon engaged in the mysteries of french carom. 
 
 The asthmatic old gentleman of the previous night, now 
 transformed into a somewhat dilapidated inebriate, followed 
 so closely as to hear the salutations extended to the assistant 
 
 " The new arrival staggered into the billiard-parlor, and tumbled Into a 
 seat in close proximity to the table upon which Paul was playing." 
 
 postmaster. Passing through the bar-room unchallenged, 
 though conscious that an evil eye, turned sharply upon his 
 seedy habiliments, was taking a hasty and by no means com- 
 plimentary inventory of his visible assets, with the view of 
 divining the probable value of his purse, the new arrival stag- 
 gered into the billiard-parlor, and tumbled into a seat in close 
 proximity to the table upon which Paul was playing. A 
 drunkard so far -advanced on the road to ruin, was a novel 
 
THE POWER OF MONEY. 177 
 
 sight in those gayly decorated apartments. Many started here 
 on the downward career, but, with the loss of youth, and 
 money and decorous dress, they descended to lower resorts 
 to make room for fresh recruits destined in turn to run the same 
 round. 
 
 The proprietor entered with the evident intention of ejecting 
 the seedy stranger as a loafer who had lost his bearings. At 
 this juncture the supposed inebriate dexterously displayed a 
 roll of greenbacks, with the figures on a bill of large denom- 
 ination purposely arranged to catch the eye. The mollifying 
 effects of the vision were instantly apparent. The acerbity on 
 the countenance of Cerberus dissolved in a gracious smile, 
 and, with a courteous nod, he passed on. 
 
 Unnoticed by the gay company, the tatterdemalion found in 
 Mr. Paul Atherton a subject for absorbing study. Compelled 
 as he often was by the exigencies of business to track crim- 
 inals through the dens of iniquity, he was now shocked on 
 listening to the profanity, mingled with obscene jests, that 
 streamed from the lips of the imagined exemplar of virtue. 
 Not content with ordinary oaths, the youth soared upward to 
 the most audacious heights of blasphemy. 
 
 " Swinish gluttony 
 
 Ne'er looks to heaven amidst his gorgeous feast, 
 But with besotted, base ingratitude 
 Crams, and blasphemes his feeder." 
 
 On the circle where the moral status of individuals is regis- 
 tered, an arc of infinite length seems to separate the leader 
 of the prayer-meeting from the habitue of the gambling-den, 
 but Atherton cleared the distance at a leap. Yet in neither 
 place was he at home. His manner was constrained, and his 
 oaths unnatural. In which situation did the neophyte in de- 
 bauchery act the more hideous part, when with uplifted hands 
 he invoked the Creator in the presence of the congregation, 
 or when he plunged into riotous revelry ? King Richard an- 
 swers the question, 
 12 
 
178 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 "And thus I clothe mj naked villany 
 With old odd ends, stol'n out of Holy Writ, 
 And seem a saint when most I flay the devil" 
 
 Happily, hypocrisy does not often take such odious shape. 
 
 It would not be agreeable to the writer, or profitable to the 
 reader, to go more fully into the particulars of the midnight 
 orgy, except to mention a circumstance which has a most 
 important bearing upon the fate of the leading character. 
 After playing a few games of billiards and taking several 
 glasses at the expense of his companions, Paul called for 
 " drinks for the crowd," and tendered in payment a five-dollar 
 bill. Not to be outdone in generosity, the ragamuffin ordered 
 a "bot'l best wine," handing the bar-tender a twenty-dollar 
 greenback. The concocter of poisons examined carefully the 
 beautiful specimen of engraving, as if silently questioning the 
 genuineness of the article. The scrutiny, however, appeared 
 to be satisfactory, for he returned fifteen dollars in change, 
 including the identical bill just paid to him by Atherton. 
 What was the astonishment, not to say delight, of the detec- 
 tive to recognize the familiar outlines of a note which he had 
 placed in a decoy two days before, and which had already 
 been the silent instrument for trapping more than one mail- 
 robber ! It was difficult to repress his excitement. He fon- 
 dled the treasure as a mother would a lost child, and, when 
 fully satisfied that there could be no mistake, deposited the 
 precious scrap of evidence in a safe pocket. 
 
 Till that moment, though the letter was in his coat, the 
 detective did not know it had been rifled. This singular in- 
 stance of neglect to watch closely the ventures sent forth to test 
 the honesty of the assistant postmaster can be easily explained. 
 Having failed with every decoy, he was about ready to aban- 
 don the system in disgust for some new method, when he mi t 
 Paul on the street-car. The next morning, as the confiden- 
 tial clerk at Ilium handed him the last lot which had been 
 duly intercepted, and which on close examination of the exte- 
 rior bore no mark of treacherous handling, the agent, pre- 
 
AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY. 
 
 179 
 
 occupied with the discovery of the previous night, slipped the 
 package into a side-pocket unopened. The discovery was the 
 more startling because entirely unexpected. 
 
 During the rest of the evening the detective watched the 
 various proceedings with the satisfaction of a hunter who, 
 after a long and troublesome chase, holds the game so com- 
 pletely in his power that he can bring it to the ground at any 
 moment. 
 
 " Not to be outdone, the ragamuffin ordered a ' botl best wine. 9 " 
 
 It was long past midnight when the company broke up. 
 Finally, adieux were exchanged, and the revelers prepared to 
 disperse. As Paul pushed by the toper, he gave as parting 
 salute, " Come, old shoojer, mizzle ; " and the party addressed, 
 wonderfully clear-headed and sober, considering his unprom- 
 ising aspect, w mizzled." 
 
 On repairing to the post-office the next morning, the detective 
 found Paul alone. Instead of replying to the customary greeting 
 of the clerk, he entered the room without the slightest sign of 
 
l8o A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 recognition, and, taking a seat near by, fastened upon him 
 his searching, black eye. Without a word he maintained the 
 steady and terrific glare for several minutes in conformity with 
 a plan of action predetermined with the view of paving the 
 way for the final catastrophe, as surgeons by a course of pre- 
 liminary medication prepare the systems of patients to meet 
 the shock of capital operations. 
 
 The quick, alternating flashes of scarlet and white in the 
 scar upon the cheek, showed that the guilty heart was throb- 
 bing with unwonted violence. Chilled to the marrow by that 
 freezing stare, the clerk could bear the torture no longer. 
 With half averted face, he advanced a step or two, and 
 tremblingly inquired, "What, in the name of God, is the 
 matter?" 
 
 Adding, if possible, a still deeper intensity to the earnest- 
 ness of his look, and, raising his hand solemnly, the officer 
 replied, "You are a bad man, Paul Atherton, and you know 
 that I know it." 
 
 "A bad man!" rejoined the clerk. "You talk in riddles ; 
 I do not comprehend you ; I cannot tell what you mean." 
 
 "You are a deceiver a thief! You are leading a double 
 life. I have tracked you through all your crooked paths and 
 wicked courses. I have followed you into the bar-room and 
 into the gambling-hell. I have listened in astonishment and 
 horror to your oaths and obscenity. What is more, I have in 
 my pocket at this moment money stolen by you from the mails. 
 Your brazen hypocrisy is the most damning sin of all." 
 
 The clerk attempted to bristle with righteous indignation, 
 but failed lamentably. Still, with a faint assumption of self- 
 assurance, he answered, "It is false! You are cruelly slan- 
 dering a Christian gentleman." 
 
 Not wishing to extemporize a scene in so public a place, the 
 agent invited Paul to step across the way to a private room in 
 the hotel, leaving the postmaster, who had just entered, in 
 charge of the office. The walk in the fresh air seemed to 
 revive temporarily the courage of the accused, for, on reach- 
 
PAUL TRIES THE BLUFF GAME, 
 
 181 
 
 ing the apartment, he broke out, loudly and defiantly, w Who- 
 ever says I am a thief tells an infernal lie ! " 
 
 "I say you are a thief!" replied the officer, in a voice of 
 thunder. "I repeat it, and am prepared to substantiate the 
 charge." 
 
 Instantly changing his whole demeanor, the clerk implor- 
 ingly said, " Please do not speak so loudly." 
 
 "Suit yourself," answered the imperturbable man, who held 
 
 " 'I say you are a thief! ' replied the officer, in a voice of thunder." 
 
 the writhing victim in a gripe of steel. " I am equally ready 
 to talk in thunder tones or in whispers." He saw already that 
 the outworks of the enemy were carried, and that a few more 
 vigorous blows would demolish the innermost defences. 
 
 The two took seats, when the detective, carefully watching 
 the effect, threw out such hints as he thought advisable to 
 show the misguided youth the extensive and thorough knowl- 
 edge he possessed of the habits and practices of this particular 
 specimen of the " Christian gentleman." Definitely as the 
 
l82 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 facts were pressed home, the clerk continued to protest his 
 innocence, though with gradually weakening emphasis. 
 
 "Well, then," said the officer, "if you are determined to 
 persist in your chosen policy of falsehood and hypocrisy, 
 you must go with me to Ilium to answer before a United 
 States commissioner. You will then pass out of my hands 
 into the custody of the marshal, and will have no further 
 opportunity to ease your conscience or improve your sad con- 
 dition by communicating the truth to me. I shall wash my 
 hands of you except as witness and prosecutor." 
 
 "I have nothing to confess," replied the dissembler; "my 
 heart is pure, my record clean." 
 
 "Come, then," said the agent; "it is needless to waste 
 further time here." 
 
 They entered a street-car, and in a few minutes were on the 
 way to Ilium. 
 
 We must now go back a little in our narrative. A short 
 time before, a registered letter from Philadelphia, Pennsylva- 
 nia, containing fifty-five dollars, and addressed to a wealthy 
 lady of Atherton, failed to reach her. The return letter- 
 receipt was sent back to the remitter, bearing the forged 
 signature of the person to whom it should have been de- 
 livered. Not receiving the money at the appointed time, 
 she wrote to her correspondent, and learned by return 
 mail of the loss and the forgery. She sent the papers to the 
 department, and requested to have the matter investigated, 
 little dreaming how near home the blow would fall. The 
 case was promptly forwarded to Mr. Sharretts, and had now 
 been in his hands a couple of days. During the interval he 
 had studied the forged signature with the closest attention, 
 and, although the writing was cleverly disguised, he rec- 
 ognized the characteristic chirography of Paul Atherton. 
 
 When half-way to Ilium, after various conversations with 
 the prisoner, the detective, for the first time in the excitement 
 attendant on the arrest, recalling to mind the possession of 
 the forged receipt, drew it deliberately from his pocket, and 
 
A CONFESSION AT LAST. 183 
 
 continued, "You have denied stealing letters from the mail. 
 Do you dare, sir, to deny signing that paper?" At the same 
 time he spread it out ominously before him. 
 
 The self-convicted wretch writhed and wilted as if the dread 
 vision had suddenly converted his vertebral column from bone 
 to jelly. Partially recovering from the shock, he remarked 
 with the softness of childhood, " Let us get out." 
 
 On the bare roadside the signal-bell was rung, and the 
 
 ' I am guilty, O God, how guilty ; let me die here ! " 
 
 two alighted. As the car passed from sight around the next 
 curve, the assistant postmaster dropped on his knees. With 
 clasped hands and upturned eyes he ejaculated, as if from a 
 broken heart, "I am guilty, O God, how guilty; let me die 
 here ! " 
 
 The agony of the conscience-stricken youth was terrible to 
 witness. Tears from fountains long parched chased each 
 other down his cheeks, while the scar flashed and flickered 
 
184 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 like the coruscations of northern lights. At length the special 
 agent raised the crushed and helpless form from the ground. 
 Having, after a long struggle, won the victory, at the 
 moment alike of sadness and of triumph, he gave way 
 himself to the weakness of our common humanity. Pro- 
 fessionally, the officer could hardly fail to experience satis- 
 faction at bringing the obstinately contested investigation to 
 a successful close, yet at the same time he was deeply 
 touched at the ruin which shattered like a thunderbolt the 
 happiness and the hopes of a life that opened with fairest 
 promise under brightest skies. 
 
 From that moment the manner of Paul Atherton was 
 entirely changed. The mask of hypocrisy and falsehood 
 dropped off, never, we may trust, to be resumed. Sorrow 
 for the crimes committed weighed upon the contrite heart 
 far more heavily than the disgrace of exposure. Evasions 
 and concealments were at an end. The light and the voice 
 from heaven hardly wrought a greater change in the aims 
 of Saul of Tarsus, than the inward revelations of that hour 
 effected in the conduct of Paul Atherton. Thenceforward he 
 told the simple truth, declining to palliate in the least the 
 enormity of his offenses, or to profit by the willing prevari- 
 cations of others. 
 
 The next car took them home, and they returned in full 
 concord to the private room in the hotel, which they had 
 lately left amid vehement criminations and no less vehement 
 denials. No sooner were they seated, than the penitent thief 
 proceeded to detail minutely the causes and circumstances 
 of his fall. Painful as the story was, he found obvious re- 
 lief in the recital. The tale, in brief, ran thus : 
 
 "I commenced stealing about two years ago. What you 
 saw the other night at Ilium will suggest the character of 
 the temptations that first led me astray. In an evil hour I 
 fell in with bad company, and almost before suspecting the 
 danger, was, by my own weakness and folly, hurled down 
 the abyss. The strange scenes to which I was now intro- 
 
THE TORTURES OF REMORSE. 
 
 """:':' "i''"' " ' 
 
 duced fascinated while they appalled me. In moments of 
 calm reflection I was horrified at my wickedness, and many 
 times I have wondered at the forbearance of God in not 
 striking me dead for my sins. Among my neighbors, as 
 you know. I kept up a hollow show of piety, but the mock- 
 ery seemed like the grinning skeleton of my former self, and 
 sometimes almost drove me mad. 
 
 " Bad company brought ex- 
 pensive habits. The demands 
 on my purse were incessant 
 and pressing. With the ex- 
 haustion of resources came 
 the temptation to rob. For 
 some weeks I resisted ; but at 
 length, driven to desperation 
 by the pressure for money, 
 with trembling hands and 
 throbbing pulse I broke the 
 seal of a letter that did not 
 belong to me ! It was a 
 moment of terror. Even the pictures on the wall appeared 
 to frown upon me with indignant scorn. When I sallied 
 forth to find relief from the stings of conscience in the bustle 
 of the street, I seemed to read my sentence in the looks of 
 every person that I met. Trees pointed at me. Clouds 
 scowled upon me. Man and nature joined in pronouncing 
 sentence of condemnation, none the less dreadful because 
 rendered in silence. I sought forgetfulness by plunging 
 into wilder dissipations. Vain search ! Increasing necessi- 
 ties drove me to frequent robberies. Sometimes I resolved 
 to break away from evil company and to give up my wicked 
 practices, but a power that I could not resist urged me on. 
 Yet this show of pleasure has brought me nothing but 
 pain. Tongue cannot tell the prolonged agony of the last 
 two years. At this moment, with exposure, disgrace, and 
 imprisonment before me, I feel easier than I have felt before 
 
 Paul opening letters. 
 
i86 
 
 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 since the commission of that first crime. The suspense is 
 over, the crisis past. I know where I stand, even if shackles 
 bind my feet." 
 
 Meantime, the penitent had risen from his seat, and, pacing 
 up and down the room with arms folded behind his back, 
 gave utterance to his impassioned feelings. The officer 
 listened with earnest sympathy, well knowing that the frank- 
 ness of the confession and the sincerity of the contrition 
 offered the best assurance that a character even so sadly 
 blackened as this might yet be redeemed. As the young 
 man grew gradually calmer, the genuine esprit de corps 
 resumed sway over the thoughts of the detective. There 
 were singular features connected with the robberies which 
 he wished to have explained, and no time seemed likely to be 
 more favorable than the present for pressing the inquiry. He 
 accordingly interpolated a remark with the view of turning 
 the confession from generals to particulars. "Paul, I rejoice 
 that you have spoken the truth. When a criminal does that 
 in the right spirit, he is already half reclaimed. If you are 
 willing to respond, I should like to ask a few questions." 
 
 "Go on. Ask me anything," replied the clerk; "to the 
 best of my ability, I will answer truthfully." 
 
 "I have sent scores of decoys through the office here," 
 resumed the detective, "and you never molested but one. I 
 thought no confirmed thief could withstand the temptation. 
 How and why did you avoid them ? " 
 
 "That question is easily answered, sir. I confined my 
 depredations exclusively to a few persons or firms, never 
 deviating from the rule except in two or three instances. No 
 matter what other parties might inclose, their letters passed 
 through untouched. In the selection of victims I was gov- 
 erned by two considerations. I picked out those who re- 
 mitted a good deal of money by mail, and who I knew would 
 not be likely to make much fuss about losses." 
 
 "Why, then, did you open my letter addressed to Mr. 
 Blank, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania?" 
 
HOW THE THEFTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. 187 
 
 "The handwriting deceived me. I thought it was from 
 Mr. Allen, and was the more easily led astray as I happened 
 to know that his occasional correspondent, Mr. Blank, was at 
 the time in Pottsville. After resealing and sending it for- 
 ward, I had a presentiment of trouble from that letter felt 
 that I had made a mistake, and was relieved when the five- 
 dollar note passed out of my possession." 
 
 "Then you never molested letters addressed in an unfa- 
 miliar hand?" 
 
 "No, never. You see I have lived here all my life, and 
 have been in the post-office for many years. I know all the 
 people, and am pretty well acquainted with their business and 
 their habits. I thought I was safe beyond the possibility of 
 detection." 
 
 " When and where did you find opportunity for doing this 
 peculiar work ? " 
 
 " I took the letters home with me at night, and opened them 
 in my room. I became very skillful at it, seldom leaving the 
 slightest trace of the job. After abstracting the money, I 
 returned the rest of the inclosure, and carefully resealing the 
 envelope, sent it forward the next morning. When, as some- 
 times happened, I mutilated an envelope in the process, I 
 destroyed it." 
 
 " How about the forged return registered-letter receipt? " 
 
 "Well, that was one of the exceptional cases alluded to. 
 When the letter came, I was in terrible straits for money, and, 
 believing that Mrs. L. would make no serious complaint, in a 
 moment of madness, I resolved to steal the contents. As the 
 package was known to have reached our office, the forgery 
 followed as a necessity." 
 
 "Paul, how much money do you suppose you have taken 
 during the entire period covered by these depredations ? " 
 
 " That is a hard question to answer. I have kept no ac- 
 count, but I must have taken hundreds of dollars, and now I 
 am penniless. My vices have stripped me of everything, 
 home, reputation, friends, liberty. That I should survive the 
 
l88 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 wreck of all that makes life worth having ! When I first took 
 money from letters, it seemed as though every one I met 
 looked upon me with suspicion. Companionship with the 
 good and pure was a positive torture, and to drown remorse 
 was almost my only thought. Once in the whirlpool of dis- 
 sipation, demands for money constantly increased. I could 
 not stop. Fearful of detection, yet powerless to withdraw 
 from my disreputable course, I plunged madly on, hoping 
 against hope, taking only those precautions against discovery 
 which at first occurred to me, until now I find myself a 
 wretched criminal, with nothing to look forward to but prison- 
 walls and life-long shame. O, my God, my God ! why am I 
 brought to this?" 
 
 Feeling that the wretched youth had suffered enough for 
 one day, the special agent, with the view of diverting his 
 thoughts from the remorseful channel into which they had 
 drifted, inquired about the midnight performance in the cham- 
 ber-window. "What was your object in lowering your boots 
 by a string ? " 
 
 "O," answered the clerk, with a feeble smile, "I always 
 did that, going through the hall in my stockings. Then, in 
 case I happened to meet any one in the passage, I could say, 
 f I heard a noise at the door, and was going down to see what 
 was the matter.' " 
 
 "With a pair of boots in one's hand, that explanation 
 would hardly pass muster." 
 
 In this vein the conversation continued till the officer 
 learned the history of the robberies. The postmaster was 
 then sent for, and made acquainted with the facts. He, in 
 common with the rest of the community, was astonished be- 
 yond measure at the developments. Many would have ques- 
 tioned the statements of a detective, but Paul Atherton man- 
 fully refused to profit by the kind incredulity of the public. 
 Although numerous friends tried to interpose in his behalf, 
 not many days after, the trial took place. The scene in the 
 court-room was one of peculiar solemnity. Relatives and 
 
STATE PRISON FOR TEN YEARS. 
 
 189 
 
 friends were there to encourage and uphold one in whom 
 they had so implicitly trusted for many years. Willingly 
 would the good Athertonians have made up the losses, could 
 the fair name of their beloved town have been shielded from 
 the taint. Even the good, conscientious lady, who lost the 
 fifty-five dollars, wanted to testify that her memory was very 
 
 " Guilty, or not guilty P " " GuUty, very guilty." 
 
 poor ; that she might have received the money, and might 
 have signed the receipt. To all such suggestions, however, 
 the prisoner turned a deaf ear. When arraigned at the bar 
 of justice, he declined to be defended, and, in answer to the 
 question, "Guilty, or not guilty?" responded, humbly but 
 
19 A FALLEN STAR. 
 
 firmly, "Guilty, very guilty." Ah, that was a noble triumph 
 for you, Paul Atherton, when, in the face of humiliation and 
 imprisonment, you resolved to cling to the truth for the sake 
 of the truth. Gyves do not cut so deeply as falsehood. All 
 possibilities of future usefulness, honor, and character await 
 even the convict who builds anew upon the bed-rock of truth. 
 Paul was sentenced to a term, of ten years' imprisonment ; 
 but, after the lapse of about two years, was pardoned by the 
 President for good behavior. 
 

 
 N the month of October, 
 1871, special agent John B. 
 Furay, under instructions 
 from the superintendent of 
 the Money Order Bureau, 
 visited a small office in an 
 outlying settlement of Col- 
 orado, and, after a hard 
 struggle, collected from an 
 impecunious postmaster and 
 his sureties about two thou- 
 sand dollars of government 
 funds, which had been im- 
 properly withheld for private 
 use. Loaded with nearly all 
 the money in the place, he 
 took the stage across the 
 mountains in a fearful snow- 
 storm, reaching Denver on 
 
 "In suddenness and fury, the storm sur- . ^ , _, . 
 
 passed the tropical cyclone." the 2Oth. 1 hat night, Judge 
 
 H. P. Bennett, a prominent 
 
 citizen of the territory, gave him the details of a case in 
 which he took a deep personal interest, and which he was 
 very anxious to have him investigate. On the evening of 
 July 2ist, a burglar entered the post-office at Fair Play, Col- 
 
KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 orado, and took a registered package containing sixty-six 
 ounces of gold dust and a quantity of currency, valued in all 
 at twelve hundred and sixty dollars. 
 
 The papers relating to the case were in the hands of special 
 agent Dramful, who had visited Fair Play on the business, as 
 had also one or two professional detectives employed by the 
 owners of the stolen property. All concluded that the crime 
 must have been committed "by one of three men, but which 
 one there was nothing to show." This inconsequential deduc- 
 tion proved extremely unsatisfactory to the sufferers. Both 
 on personal grounds and as a matter of public policy, they 
 desired to have the matter sifted to the bottom. If the per- 
 petrator of so aggravated a crime was permitted to escape 
 undetected and unpunished, great encouragement would be 
 given to the repetition of similar outrages, and the use of the 
 mails for the transmission of valuables, so vital to the pros- 
 perity of the frontier, must come to an end. 
 
 An official of the department from Washington, who hap- 
 pened to be in Denver, joined Judge Bennett in urging Mr. 
 Furay to go to Fair Play to see if the cloud overhanging the 
 facts of the burglary was really so thick that no ray of light 
 could penetrate the gloom. Other hope of discovery had 
 failed. Dramful did not possess the ability to work the case 
 to a successful issue. Besides, he was then in New Mexico, 
 "bucking" at Spanish monte, and taking an occasional drink 
 at odd intervals between the half hours. What was still 
 worse, in view of the present emergency, he had the papers 
 with him, thus compelling Mr. Furay, if he undertook the 
 task, to gather up the threads of evidence anew. Yet, not- 
 withstanding the complication of difficulties, a sense of duty 
 impelled him onward with such force that he did not feel at 
 liberty to decline. 
 
 About twenty inches of snow then lay upon the ground, 
 and a storm was prevailing. It was ninety-five miles over 
 the mountains to Fair Play. For three weeks the agent had 
 not heard a word from the mother of his children, and not 
 
GOLD DUST AND CURRENCY. 193 
 
 expecting to be so long absent, was running low in cash. 
 Then, too, the chances were that Dramful and the detectives, 
 besides making no original discoveries, had actually ruined the 
 case. Judge Bennett, however, volunteered to remedy the 
 least of the difficulties, loaning the officer fifty dollars, and, 
 what proved much more valuable in the end, a heavy over- 
 coat. The next morning at six that worthy gentleman bade 
 him a hearty Godspeed as he set forth incognito on the doubt- 
 ful expedition. 
 
 After traveling all day and all night, the hack drove into 
 Fair Play about daybreak the next morning. Having slept a 
 couple of hours and taken breakfast, the detective began to 
 move cautiously about town, and soon learned the superficial 
 facts connected with the burglary and the subsequent investi- 
 gations, which were already well known throughout that 
 region. 
 
 The stolen package was mailed at Oro City a mining 
 settlement about thirty miles west of Fair Play, on the oppo- 
 site side of Mount Lincoln, the "divide" of the Arkansas and 
 Platte rivers lying between. It reached Fair Play on the 
 afternoon of July 2ist, and was duly delivered at the post- 
 office, then kept in the store of Mr. A. M. Jaynes, who, 
 though merely a deputy, had entire charge of the business. 
 Wells, Fargo & Co. occupied a room in the same building, 
 Mr. William H. Beery being their agent. Some time before 
 Mr. Jaynes had employed as clerk a young man named Perry, 
 whose subsequent relations with the deputy continued to be 
 intimate, though on his frequent visits he never presumed to 
 handle the mails. 
 
 On the 2ist the carrier rode up at the usual hour, and, as 
 often happened during the active months for mining, brought 
 among the registers one w gold package " addressed to the 
 postmaster at Denver. It was dated Oro City, July 2Oth, and 
 numbered "8." While Jaynes was distributing the contents 
 of the pouch, Beery, as was his custom, walked around be- 
 hind the cases, and inquired if there was anything for him. 
 13 
 
194 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 A letter was handed to him, when he turned to withdraw. In 
 passing a table which stood behind the deputy, who was very 
 busy at the moment, and did not look around at the question, 
 Beery remarked, interrogatively, " Hello ! another gold pack- 
 age from Oro to-day ? " 
 
 "Yes," replied Jaynes, without stopping, "and a big one, 
 too." 
 
 Beery walked away to another part of the building, and 
 nothing more was said. 
 
 Having at the proper time entered a description of the pack- 
 age on the transit-sheet, the deputy laid it with the others on 
 a little shelf under the delivery wicket, as was his habit. 
 Beery went out soon after, to make preparations for an enter- 
 tainment to be given at his house that evening. Among the 
 invited guests were Jaynes and Perry. At dusk, the deputy- 
 postmaster, having donned holiday attire and locked the store, 
 sauntered over to the shop of his friend Perry, whence they 
 proceeded together to the house of the host. The company 
 dropped in one by one, and were soon engrossed with the fes- 
 tivities of the occasion. 
 
 As supper was about to be announced, Beery suddenly re- 
 membered that the fruit had been forgotten. Explaining the 
 situation to one or two of the party, he took a basket and hur- 
 ried out, going by the post-office and two other stores, to a 
 small stand on the outskirts, where the needful purchases 
 were made. It appeared from the statement of the shop- 
 keeper that he was in great haste, as "the company were 
 waiting." The entire absence of the host barely exceeded 
 ten minutes. 
 
 After an agreeable evening, the gathering broke up about 
 half past ten o'clock. Being single, Jaynes slept at the store, 
 and thither he now returned. As the carrier started early in 
 the morning, he habitually made up the outgoing mail the 
 evening before ; and this customary duty he proceeded to per- 
 form by the light of a candle. Having assorted and tied up 
 the ordinary letters, and made out bills from the transit-sheet 
 
" NO. 8 FROM ORO CITY." 
 
 for the registered matter, he discovered, on comparing the 
 packages with the record, that No. 8 from Oro City was gone. 
 Looking around, he observed for the first time, as he claimed, 
 that the window on the east side of the store was partially 
 raised. For a few minutes he hunted for the package alone, 
 and failing to find it, ran in evident alarm to the house of 
 Beery to seek his advice and assistance. 
 
 Beery returned to the store with the deputy, and in a short 
 time half the village were there, for the news spread like 
 fire on a prairie. The facts so far as narrated came out at 
 once, and earnest discussions were held that night in refer- 
 ence to the probable burglar. The next morning the excite- 
 ment was at fever heat, the community being split into three 
 factions, which believed respectively in the guilt of Jaynes, 
 Beery, and Perry, with the preponderance of suspicion 
 greatly against Jaynes, on the ground chiefly that he had 
 much greater facilities than the others for the commission of 
 the crime. 
 
 Word was sent to the postmaster at Oro City, who was also 
 a local capitalist and the remitter of the principal part of the 
 stolen gold. He came at once, arriving on Sunday, and, 
 after examining the field, concluded that the deputy was the 
 thief, and expressed his convictions with no little earnestness 
 and emphasis. 
 
 Aggressive proceedings were begun by Jaynes, who swore 
 out a search-warrant against Beery on Monday morning. In 
 exploring his premises, the officer found in the stable a piece 
 of cotton twine and a scrap of the New York Tribune, each 
 having fragments of wax adhering to them, and both having 
 obviously been torn from the stolen package. Thereupon the 
 adherents of Beery contended that the discovery proved noth- 
 ing, as Jaynes undoubtedly placed the wrappings there before 
 procuring the warrant, for the purpose of misleading the pub- 
 lic by implicating an innocent party. 
 
 Not to be outdone in zeal, Beery also swore out a similar 
 warrant against Jaynes ; and the sheriff, with a posse includ- 
 
196 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 ing both Beery and Perry, proceeded to the post-office building 
 to search the premises. Before beginning the work, Beery 
 proposed that the party should severally examine the clothing 
 of each other, to preclude the possibility of repeating the trick 
 which he claimed had been tried against him. This was 
 accordingly done. While several of the party explored the 
 rooms above, Beery, Perry, and the sheriff searched the 
 cellar, Beery, with coat off, going down first through a small 
 trap-door in the middle of the floor. The place was dark and 
 dingy, full of boxes and other trash. After the hunt had con- 
 tinued perhaps half an hour, the sheriff found in a barrel, 
 partly filled with old iron, registered package envelope No. 8, 
 somewhat crumpled, and lying loose on top of the other con- 
 tents. The explorers returned to upper daylight to exhibit 
 the trophy in triumph. A scene of excitement followed that 
 can only be witnessed in a small mining town on the 
 frontier. 
 
 Other business was dropped to discuss the robbery, and the 
 prospect looked black for Jaynes, though a few still persisted 
 in the belief that he was innocent, alleging, on general prin- 
 ciples, that Beery was the real criminal. Some maintained 
 that Perry was the man, and that he had the package on his 
 person on descending into the cellar ; but the previous search 
 to which the three were subjected presented a grave obstacle 
 to the acceptance of that theory. The more the subject was 
 agitated the darker it became. 
 
 Another circumstance damaged the cause of Jaynes. The 
 sash of the side window, through which the burglarious entry 
 was obviously made, would only open to the extent of six and 
 three-eighths inches. It was stoutly maintained that neither 
 Beery nor Perry could crawl through so small an aperture, 
 yet the dust was swept from the sill in a way to indicate that 
 some one had struggled hard to effect a passage. On the 
 other hand, why was it necessary for the deputy, who had a 
 key to the office, to make so violent an effort to gain admission 
 through the window, when a little manipulation of the dust 
 
PICKING UP LOST CLUES. 
 
 I 9 7 
 
 with a handkerchief would evidently have served his purpose 
 equally well? 
 
 The facts above narrated, variously toned to suit the prefer- 
 ences or prejudices of different individuals, were known to 
 every one. Neither Dramful nor the detectives made any 
 addition whatever to the stock of information already in the 
 hands of the public. At the time they were there, expectation 
 was on tiptoe, and matters were ripe for a grand denouement. 
 
 " The sheriff found in a barrel, partly filled with old iron, registered package 
 
 envelope Wo. 8." 
 
 Four months had since elapsed, and, from the standpoint of a 
 detective, the case had passed beyond the stage of healthy 
 development into a most unwholesome staleness. 
 
 Between eight o'clock, A. M., and noon of Saturday, 
 October 28th, Mr. Furay had quietly imbibed all that the 
 public, or any one except the actual criminal, knew about the 
 burglary. Beery was out of town, on a visit to his w ranch, " 
 
IpO KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 ten or twelve miles distant. Perry was also away hunting up 
 cattle. 
 
 Before taking any decisive steps, the detective needed 
 precise information respecting the contents of the package. 
 w Gold dust " was altogether too indefinite a description to 
 meet the necessities of the crisis, as there are different 
 grades and qualities of the ore, and a mistake in referring 
 to them might prove fatal to success. Since the original 
 papers were far away in the hands of Dramful, the only 
 feasible method of learning the details appeared to be by 
 conferring with the remitters at Oro City. A trip across the 
 mountain would also enable the agent to preserve his in- 
 cognito till the return of two of the principal characters to 
 be interviewed. 
 
 He accordingly went out a mile from the village, and hiring 
 a horse, started over the "divide" across the base of Mount 
 Lincoln for Oro City, following a bridle-path only intended 
 for a summer trail, and telling no one his destination. Rely- 
 ing upon his long experience in the Rocky Mountains, he 
 took the most direct, though the most obscure route. Ha 
 encountered, however, an unexpected obstacle. Gradually 
 the clouds, not threatening at first, grew thicker and blacker, 
 till late in the afternoon it began to snow. The altitude of 
 the trail is about eleven thousand five hundred feet, Mount 
 Lincoln, one of the loftiest, if not the loftiest elevation on 
 the continent, towering several thousand feet above. It is 
 several hundred feet higher than Fremont's Peak, and, like 
 Fremont's Peak, rests upon a very high table-land, the sur- 
 face of which is badly broken by ravines and gulches 
 running down the mountain sides, and hence directly across 
 the path of the traveler. 
 
 In suddenness and fury the storm surpassed the tropical 
 cyclone. The wind rose to a hurricane, while the whole 
 atmosphere, above, beneath, around, everywhere, seemed 
 to be loaded with snow. Within half an hour from the fall 
 of the first flake, though not yet sundown, absolute darkness 
 
A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 199 
 
 fell upon the mountains, so impenetrable even to light was 
 the overhanging curtain. The wind blew in no particular di- 
 rection, but at the same moment seemed to come from all quar- 
 ters, the solitary human being battling there with the elements 
 appearing to stand always at the focal point of the conflict. 
 
 With the extinguishment of light, he instantly lost the 
 points of compass. When suddenly overtaken by appalling 
 dangers, for which the mind has had no time to prepare, the 
 lost traveler yields to an uncontrollable impulse to drift 
 about ; and so did our friend, although well aware that no 
 course could be more perilous, as the trail wound along 
 the edges of terrific chasms and precipices, down which he 
 was liable to plunge at any instant. Within a radius of 
 miles there was hardly a square rod of level ground. 
 
 For the first hour the aimless wanderer did not wholly de- 
 spair that "the cloud would pass off the mountains," and leave 
 daylight enough for the selection of a camping-place. The 
 thermometer was already below zero, and during the night 
 would fall much lower. With the exception of the heavy 
 overcoat loaned by Judge Bennett of Denver, he was thinly 
 clad in a light fall suit. Besides, he was in the worst possible 
 physical condition for meeting such a trial, having for a 
 week or more traveled almost continuously night and day, 
 a part of the time over mountain roads in rough vehicles, 
 catching hasty naps of sleep at odd intervals as opportunities 
 arose. He had eaten a light dinner in great haste, but no 
 supper, and the prospects for finding one that night were 
 momentarily growing less. 
 
 The storm, however, did not break away, but if possible 
 increased in violence. A gust of unusual fierceness tore 
 off his hat, and the darkness deepened till it became almost 
 palpable. The rarefied air tended still further to depress the 
 vital forces. So suddenly and overwhelming did dangers 
 close around the bewildered man, that for a brief but terrible 
 interval he lost courage, and was almost ready to yield to 
 the promptings of despair. Death seemed inevitable. Why 
 
2OO KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 delay the crisis, he asked himself, merely to add a few hours 
 of dreadful torture to the broken span ? He wished the last 
 agony well over, and, laying his hand on his revolver, hesi- 
 tated a moment on the brink of self-destruction, thoughts 
 dancing in wild chaos, and reason tottering on her throne. 
 Then came the blessed vision of wife and children, radiant 
 with a heavenly aureola, loving, dependent, linked by the 
 bonds of fate to a common destiny. The cloud of despair 
 rolled off. Those faces, transfigured with celestial light, 
 brought hope and courage, and power to endure. 
 
 Tying the lariat around the neck of the shivering horse, 
 and buckling the reins inside the throat-latch, so that "if 
 anything did happen," the poor animal might have a chance 
 of reaching home, the lost traveler took up the line of 
 march for the night in a circle around the horse about ten 
 feet in diameter. 
 
 Language is powerless to describe the fury of the storm. 
 The winds shrieked, and the fine snow penetrated like 
 needles, freezing to hair, beard, and eyelids when moist- 
 ened by the breath. The poor object upon whom nature 
 was hurling her stupendous forces, was conscious of pass- 
 ing through a process of rapid transformation into a min- 
 iature iceberg, but he no longer required the use of eyes 
 and mouth, and no spectators were near to laugh at his weird 
 appearance. 
 
 Around, around, around he walked, through the hours that 
 seemed to lengthen into ages, as if repeating, on a narrow 
 platform, the fulfillment of the curse that rests upon the 
 Wandering Jew. With the first refluent wave of courage, 
 succeeding the temporary fit of despair, his spirits mounted 
 up to exultation, but toward morning the unnatural fever 
 died out. He grew weary, drowsy, and at moments irreso- 
 lute. He felt an almost irresistible inclination to lie down, 
 but reason warned him that if he once yielded to the im- 
 pulse he would never rise again. 
 
 By aid of matches he tried to examine the dial of his 
 
ALMOST AT DEATH g DOOR. 
 
 201 
 
 watch, but through any screen he could make of his over- 
 coat, the wind blew with such violence that the light could 
 not live an instant. The attempt, however, diverted the 
 mind, broke up the monotony of plodding around that end- 
 less circle, and seemed to renew the waning stock of vitality. 
 After another interval of weary walking, he paused a 
 moment to pet the horse, the act of companionship diverting 
 
 u Around, around, around he walked, through the hours that seemed to lengthen 
 
 into ages." 
 
 his thoughts from his own sufferings, and rendering the 
 hardships of the situation much more bearable. 
 
 The experience of man acquaints him with nothing else so 
 wonderful as his own soul, nothing with such unfathomable 
 depths of resource and power. Here was a being alone, 
 lost, enveloped in utter darkness, hungry, exhausted, almost 
 deafened by the savage bowlings of the tempest, who, in 
 obedience to the voice of an inward monitor, a dual self, 
 
202 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 struggled heroically to keep the mind active and the feet 
 moving as the only means of resisting successfully the 
 deadly approaches of fatigue and cold. 
 
 Toward morning, however, stiffened by frost and en- 
 feebled by the pressure of cumulative hardships, he began 
 to think very earnestly, after the manner of a business man, 
 of the credit and debit sides of his account in the " Book of 
 Life." While remembering no particular acts of depravity, 
 still, on footing up the columns impartially, as one must under 
 such circumstances, somehow a heavy balance appeared on 
 the wrong side of the ledger. Making a rough estimate 
 of the amount past due, he made a number of excellent reso- 
 lutions, promising mentally that if spared to retrieve the 
 past, when confronted again by the grim angel of Death, 
 he would be prepared to render a better account of his stew- 
 ardship. 
 
 At last the almost interminable night wore away, and a 
 faint light began to overspread the waste. The wind, too, 
 instead of blowing in fitful, eddying, terrific gusts, moderated 
 in violence, and came more steadily from one direction. The 
 phenomena of the previous night were explained by the 
 configuration of the country. The traveler had taken a 
 position on the ,lee of a small conical peak, by which the 
 furious currents of air were deflected, so that they came 
 simultaneously around both sides. Then they seemed, also, 
 to bend down over the top with a sort of licking action, 
 similar to that exhibited by the flames of a large fire when 
 pressed down by a violent storm, or similar, on a smaller 
 scale, to the quick retreating movement of the tongues of 
 some animals. 
 
 In such storms the snow-fall is very great, and, being very 
 dry, the force of the wind destroys the original formation 
 of the flakes, breaking them into atoms as fine as mist, which 
 increases their volume, and fills the air so completely as to 
 render breathing difficult. The particles at length find lodg- 
 ment only in the deepest gorges. 
 
AN INCREDULOUS MINER. 203 
 
 The more uniform movement observed in the blowing of 
 the wind was caused by a change in its direction, which was 
 accepted as a good omen ; and as such it proved, for not long 
 after the circular disk of the sun was dimly outlined through 
 the mists. And what a scene of weird desolation it revealed ! 
 
 "Through the drifts the snowy clifts, 
 
 Did send a dismal sheen, 
 Nor shapes of men, nor beast we ken, 
 The ice was all between." 
 
 Courage returned to the heart of the wanderer. His great 
 anxiety now \vas to get out of the range as soon as possible. 
 Finally, after a long hunt, he found a trail, and following it 
 down the mountain with great difficulty, in the course of an 
 hour saw a smoke. It was a moment of devout thanksgiving. 
 Directing his horse thitherward, he soon reached the cabin of 
 a miner, where he obtained such fare as the lonely adventurer 
 had, seasoned by a cup of good strong coffee. 
 
 The miner could not at first believe the story of the pre- 
 vious night. Eying the gentleman from head to foot with a 
 look of incredulity and wonder, as the barbarians of Melita 
 gazed on Paul when the viper dropped harmless from his 
 hand, he observed, in the homely and inelegant but expres- 
 sive words that make up the limited vocabulary of the region, 
 "Wall, stranger, you must have had a h 11 of a time on the 
 mountains." 
 
 " On the contrary," replied the new-comer, " I consider that, 
 from a religious point of view, I have had a heavenly time. 
 I have reformed ; have dropped ' cus words ' ; am going to 
 walk as straight as a bee-line. Nothing like sweet self- 
 communion, all alone in a snow-storm, twelve thousand feet 
 on the way to the skies, for helping a poor sinner to see the 
 error of his ways." 
 
 "Shouldn't wonder if that's so," replied the host; "s'pose 
 't '11 stick ? " His manner indicated that he did not have 
 much faith in the permanence of the conversion. Perhaps 
 he had in mind a notable instance of repentance under stress 
 
204 
 
 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 of adversity; but if so, he certainly made a great mistake in 
 applying the precedent. 
 
 "The devil was sick, the devil a monk would be : 
 The devil was well, the devil a monk was he." 
 
 "I believe, after all," resumed the officer, taking a final 
 draught of coffee, which restored his habitual flow of spirits, 
 
 "I have reformed have dropped ' cus words' am going to walk as straight 
 
 as a bee-line." 
 
 "I am more needed below than above, and if you will put me 
 on the trail to Fair Play, I will give up all ambition to ascend 
 higher at present." 
 
 The miner cheerfully complied with the request, and about 
 four o'clock in the afternoon the officer came in sight of the 
 little town, feeling much braver and happier than twelve 
 hours before. Having eaten a light supper, he at once went 
 to bed. No one in the village had missed him, or had the 
 
FALLING BACK ON THE GRAND BOUNCE. 
 
 205 
 
 slightest idea of the nature or direction of the late journey, as 
 he set forth ostensibly to visit a ranch on the Platte. 
 
 At an early hour the next morning he was up, completely 
 refreshed by the long sleep, and began, with some doubts and 
 misgivings, to lay out a plan of campaign. Most detectives, 
 similarly situated, would probably have abandoned the case 
 on the plea that it was too old, and that the facts were too 
 
 " Taking a seat on the back of a chair, and eying the poor fellow with a cold, 
 
 deeply buried to be worked to a successful conclusion. The 
 truth was known only to the criminal who committed the bur- 
 glary, and if ever brought to light, it must come through his 
 admissions. Obviously, one could learn nothing of value by 
 " mousing around and playing wise." He accordingly decided 
 to come out of cover at once, and to fall back on his pet ex- 
 pedient in like perplexities, the " grand bounce." Exactly 
 what the " grand bounce " is the reader must infer from the 
 
2O6 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 facts, as the phrase, belonging to Mr. Furay by right of dis- 
 covery, has never been defined. 
 
 He began operations by a call at the post-office. Mr. 
 Jaynes was in and alone. The special agent introduced him- 
 self by exhibiting his commission, and requested the young 
 man to sit down for a short interview. For a long time, the 
 deputy had been the central object of suspicion, and a painful 
 consciousness that many distrustful eyes followed his daily 
 movements rendered him uneasy and nervous. However, 
 he gave a detailed account of all the circumstances connected 
 with the robbery which were known to the public. Taking a 
 seat on the back of a chair, and eying the poor fellow with 
 a cold, fixed, piercing stare, the detective scarcely spoke, 
 when he did, taking care to so modulate the tones of his voice 
 as to indicate a confidence widely at variance with the incre- 
 dulity expressed on his features. The effect of thus com- 
 bining, in a manner, the characters of prosecutor and advo- 
 cate, deepened the confusion of the deputy. Utterly unable 
 to divine the opinion or purpose of his interrogator, he lost 
 self-control, and shook with a degree of violence that would 
 have rendered the longer retention of a guilty secret im- 
 possible. 
 
 The officer soon became satisfied that the agitation of the 
 youth arose in part from native timidity, and in part from un- 
 certainty in regard to the attitude of the interviewer, who 
 studiously concealed his thoughts, with the view of making a 
 more thorough application of the "sweating process." With- 
 out uttering an unkind word, he assumed an air of severity 
 which alone served to overwhelm the youth, as it ordinarily 
 does a timid, inexperienced person, whether guilty or not ; 
 but the trepidation in this case obviously had no connection 
 with the alarm sounded by a troubled conscience. When the 
 story was finished, the detective, fully convinced of the inno- 
 cence of Jaynes, rounded to gracefully, and left him in excel- 
 lent humor. 
 
 The shop of Mr. Perry lay next in order on the voyage of 
 
FEELING HIS WAY. 2O7 
 
 discovery. He was about twenty-seven years old, tall, slim, 
 supple, nervous in temperament, and combative in disposition, 
 evidently not a person to submit tamely to impertinent inter- 
 ference, or brook language which might strike him as inso- 
 lent. To reach under such a character requires care and 
 tact, as a single imprudent word may so rouse latent antag- 
 onisms as to throw him in an instant into an attitude of defi- 
 ance fatal to further progress with the case. 
 
 The detective accordingly approached him very courteously, 
 and explained in general terms the object of his visit. Said 
 he, w I am advised that you may possibly be possessed of val- 
 uable information, and hence have taken the liberty of calling 
 on you." 
 
 " Come into the back room," replied the young man, cor- 
 dially. 
 
 Thither they repaired and took seats beside each other, the 
 officer meanwhile measuring his new acquaintance in point 
 of calibre and force. He had penetrated to the marrow of 
 Jaynes through his timidity, the retreating chin, and mild, 
 unsteady eye of the young man clearly indicating his most 
 vulnerable point. Perry was made of different stuff, and it 
 was necessary to employ different means to reach the secrets 
 of his heart. With him the detective aimed to convey the 
 impression that, while positive, courteous, and just, he was 
 also as keen as a Damascene blade, with the view of inspiring 
 fear without arousing combativeness. 
 
 An idea prevails quite generally that government detectives, 
 as a class, possess almost supernatural insight and acumen, 
 and it is exceedingly difficult for a novice in crime to conceal 
 his dread when brought for the first time face to face with a 
 man supposed to be gifted with the faculty of divining the 
 secrets of the soul. The general fact may often be turned to 
 excellent account, where there is a sufficient basis of merit in 
 an officer to lend a color of truth to the assumption. But 
 under all circumstances it is needful that he should keep con- 
 stantly on the alert, as a single blunder may betray the hoof 
 
2O8 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 of the ass under the skin of the lion, when the spell is broken 
 and the culprit rises to the mastery of the situation. A few 
 men in the various departments of the government the rare 
 exceptions that relieve the waste of hundreds of costly and 
 barren experiments possess this gift of divination to a de- 
 gree that may well appall the criminal, but officers so endowed 
 may safely be reckoned among the most uncommon products 
 of nature. 
 
 At the request of the special agent, Perry proceeded to 
 relate the facts of the burglary, and, though a little restless 
 under the searching scrutiny of the interviewer, he told the 
 story with a simplicity and ingenuousness indicative of truth. 
 Seeing that no dark secret lurked in the background, the offi- 
 cer left him in good humor, hardly conscious that the visit 
 had any relation to his possible guilt. 
 
 Two out of the three suspected parties were now eliminated 
 from the problem to the full satisfaction of the detective. If 
 his reasoning was correct, the third one must be the man. 
 
 Beery had returned from his ranch. At this time he kept 
 the express office in a small, isolated building, a little west of 
 the store of Jaynes, having moved from the old location on 
 the plea that he would have no further connection with a nest 
 of thieves. At the same time, he issued a placard offering a 
 reward of three hundred dollars for the apprehension of the 
 burglar, and also wrote to the agent of Wells, Fargo & 
 Co., at Denver, explaining what he had done, and asking for 
 a safe. Had the man taken these steps with an honest pur- 
 pose, or wickedly and infamously, like the wretch who 
 
 " shipwrecked, kindles on the coast 
 False fires, that others may be lost"? 
 
 Perry pointed out the gentleman while passing on the oppo- 
 site side of the way, when the detective followed him into the 
 office, taking a seat till he had completed the purchase of a 
 small lot of gold dust from a miner. 
 
 Beery was evidently about thirty-three years old, five feet 
 
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE. 2Op 
 
 six inches tall, and weighed perhaps one hundred and thirty- 
 five pounds. His hair, whiskers, and complexion were all 
 red, the color of his curly beard deepening to a bright crim- 
 son. His eyes belonged to the variety known as the " gander 
 blue," with small, truckling, destructive pupils. 
 
 Notwithstanding an exterior decidedly repellent to a stran- 
 ger, Beery had many warm friends, and had married the 
 daughter of an estimable and influential citizen. In the 
 course of time many important trusts centered in his hands. 
 He transacted the business in the office of the receiver of 
 public moneys for the district, and also in the office of county 
 treasurer, being the deputy of each of those functionaries. 
 He was also agent of the First National Bank of Denver for 
 the purchase of gold dust from miners, and was the trusted 
 agent of Wells, Fargo & Co. ; for they had unbounded faith in 
 his integrity, and confided in him perhaps more than in any one 
 else among the mountains. Nor was this all. The Colorado 
 Stage Company committed their most important business to 
 his management, often leaving their surplus funds in his 
 hands, feeling absolute confidence in its safety. He owned 
 a ranch, too, and cattle, and was supposed to live above the 
 reach of the temptations which are often permitted to drive the 
 needy to crime. 
 
 The detective had been pointed out to Beery on the street, 
 and at the first encounter of eyes he saw that he was known. 
 In the brief interval preceding the first gun, he studied the 
 features and expression of the man intently. In time, actions 
 both good and evil are certain to leave their impress upon the 
 human face, as clear to the eye gifted with the power to read 
 the hieroglyphics, as the imprint made by a seal on wax. 
 Nature never lies, however small the number who can inter- 
 pret her mysteries. His first thought was, How can a person 
 with such a face enjoy so fair a reputation among his neigh- 
 bors? "Sneak thief" seemed to be branded in letters of flame 
 on his forehead. Nor were the lines graven by multiplied 
 acts of villany either shallow or recent. A convict could 
 
2IO KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 hardly wear more conspicuously the regulation livery of the 
 prison. 
 
 The detective mentally ejaculated, Here is my man, but how 
 am I to get under him ? A moment only was left for deliber- 
 ation. As the miner passed out, he followed to the door, and 
 having locked it, put the key in his pocket as leisurely and 
 unconcernedly as if the transaction was purely commonplace. 
 Turning around, he remarked, with perfect composure, "Billy 
 Beery, I believe?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," responded that worthy. "Is there anything I 
 can do for you ? " 
 
 "There is," replied the officer, at the same time fairly utter- 
 ing a sickly, jeering smile. "There is something you can do 
 for me. Please come around and sit down. I want to talk 
 to you." 
 
 While locking the door, the officer noticed a mysterious 
 movement, and, surmising that the tenant of the building 
 might use a pistol on the pretext that he was held a prisoner 
 for the purpose of robbery, moved along simultaneously so as 
 to meet him at the end of the counter, behind which he was 
 passing. Fortunately, perhaps for both, he was unarmed. 
 Instead of taking a chair, Beery mounted a high box, when 
 the detective dropped heavily into a seat about five feet dis- 
 tant, as one might after completing a laborious and disagree- 
 able task. Having done so, he remarked, " Mr. Beery, I see 
 you know who I am." 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied he; "you were pointed out to me this 
 morning." 
 
 Very slowly and deliberately the officer then looked him 
 over, beginning at his boots, and at last directing his gaze 
 into his eye with a penetration that seemed to appall and par- 
 alyze him. The silence was broken by the further question, 
 " Of course you know what I am, and what I am here for? " 
 
 " I suppose you are here on this post-office robbery case." 
 
 " Billy, you are a close guesser, I see. As I have had occa- 
 sion to visit this territory several times on similar business, 
 
BILLY IN A BAD FIX. 211 
 
 you have perhaps heard of me, and know what my reputation 
 is. Now tell me how old you are." 
 
 This was uttered with a regretful air, as if the speaker was 
 impelled by some resistless influence, like an overpowering 
 sense of duty, to the performance of a very unpleasant task. 
 
 A slight but perceptible tremor vibrated through the frame 
 of the unhappy man. He gave his age mechanically, as it 
 were, without looking up. The strange, wholly unexpected 
 "shoot" taken by the detective had half surprised a confession 
 from the criminal already. Dazed by the suddenness of the 
 attack and by exaggerated fears, he lost his balance, and was 
 almost ready to topple over. 
 
 "Well, Billy," continued the officer, "this is too bad. You 
 have an interesting family, and " 
 
 The allusion to his household instantly changed the current 
 of his thoughts. He rallied, and, bounding from the box like 
 a wild beast stung to madness by the shafts of the hunter, 
 exclaimed, with an oath, "What business is it of yours 
 whether I have an interesting family or not? In what way 
 do my personal affairs concern you, that you presume to dis- 
 cuss them ? I will not bear such insolence. Leave the room 
 this instant, and on your peril do not dare ever darken my 
 doors again ! " 
 
 The little speech, though brave in sound, proved a dismal 
 failure. Physically the detective was greatly superior to his 
 antagonist, while to personal fear he was by nature and habit 
 a stranger. In a tone of easy superiority he replied, "Well, 
 Billy, you are a little queer in spots. Now sit down here and 
 be easy. I am not a fool, and, at all events, I am not a cow- 
 ard. Before I am through, I will give reasons as plenty as 
 blackberries for my questions. Right here, Billy, I may as 
 well repeat what you know, what I know, and what the God 
 above us knows. You robbed the post-office. You got that 
 dreadful gold that is even now burning into your life like the 
 fires of Tophet. The crime itself, reinforced by other crimes 
 and cruel wrongs, committed in the vain hope of hiding what 
 
212 
 
 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 will not remain hidden ; what infinite Justice sooner or later 
 would surely drag into light, irrespective of human efforts, is 
 killing you by degrees. Am I not right? Are your days 
 happy? Is your sleep peaceful? No, Billy. With you, hell 
 has begun on earth, and you cannot escape the tortures. 
 More than that, poor fellow, discovery and the retribution of 
 man, have come sooner than you expected. Moth that you 
 
 *' "Well, Billy, you are a little queer in spots. Now sit down here and be easy. 
 I am not a fool, and, at all events, I am not a coward." 
 
 are, you have fluttered into the flame, and, Billy Beery, I've 
 got you." 
 
 The last sentence, delivered in a tone of absolute self-assur- 
 ance, seemed to freeze him. After a brief and evidently pain- 
 ful pause, he at length drawled out, " How do you know I 
 did it?" 
 
 " Know it ! know it ! " thundered the detective, in apparent 
 amazement at the stupidity of the question. "Why, heavens, 
 
A WRETCHED CRIMINAL. 213 
 
 man, you don't presume to deny it, do you? Answer me 
 that, Billy, answer me that." 
 
 And rising up, he lifted his arm as if to hold back for a 
 moment the thunderbolts of divine wrath, that vengeance 
 might not overwhelm the guilty soul till one more opportunity 
 was given to unburden itself of the dark secret. 
 
 " I'd like to see you prove it ! " replied the trembling wretch, 
 with feeble bravo. 
 
 " Prove it? " retorted the detective, with augmented surprise. 
 ff O, you poor, unfortunate man, leave the proofs to me ! Did 
 you ever think, Billy, how impossible it is to cover up such a 
 matter? The laws of God, superior to all human cunning, 
 forbid that it should be done. When a mortal being, in a 
 moment of supreme folly, defies the wrath of the Almighty 
 by trampling on his laws, can he expect the all-seeing Eye 
 and the omnipotent Hand to suffer him to enjoy in conceal- 
 ment and security the fruits of crime? Never, never. Prove 
 it? If I did not have proof absolute, would I be talking to 
 you as I am? Why am I not after Jaynes? Billy, he is not 
 guilty. Why am I not after Perry? He is not guilty either. 
 You know it, and I know it. Do you suppose the govern- 
 ment would send an idiot out here on a fool's errand? Now, 
 sir, we may as well finish this business first as last. Where 
 is that gold?" 
 
 "I don't know anything about it," responded the wretched 
 man, feebly. 
 
 "Billy, what demon tempts you to lie to me? What do you 
 take me for? Do you suppose I am here for fun? If you 
 think so, may God have mercy on your guilty, impenitent, 
 ruined soul. Come, sir, time is too precious to be wasted. 
 Where is the gold? What have you done with it? " 
 
 " I can't tell you." 
 
 " Can't tell me ! Billy Beery, has not that dreadful robbery 
 led you into crimes enough already? Think how hard you 
 have striven to blast forever the reputation of your old friend 
 Jaynes a man as innocent of this thing as the child unborn. 
 
214 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 Yes, hardened wretch, remember how you have plotted to 
 drag to prison the comrade who loved and trusted you like a 
 brother. You took no pleasure in this act of horrible treach- 
 ery, but rushed into it madly to save yourself at any cost. 
 Recall the falsehoods you have already told, vainly hoping to 
 mislead the pursuit of Justice. It is high time to come out 
 from the crumbling refuge of lies and take a new start. 
 What, in the name of all that is good and pure and worth 
 living for, ever induced you to yield to that temptation? You 
 have a nice wife and a darling child. Was it for them you 
 committed the crime ? " 
 
 At length an arrow had pierced through a joint in the har- 
 ness, and the self-convicted burglar began to cry. His chin 
 dropped upon his breast, and his sinewy frame shook with 
 convulsive sobbing. The detective followed up the advantage 
 closely. " O, Billy, tell me what drove you into it ! Speak 
 out. Don't be afraid." 
 
 He hesitated, raising his eyes with an introspective, irres- 
 olute look, as if half resolved to end the agony by a frank 
 confession. Before a word escaped, however, he resumed 
 sobbing. The detective saw that he was rapidly breaking up, 
 and that the time had come to deliver the final blow. " Billy," 
 he continued, "I am profoundly sorry for you. My pursuits 
 in life have made me familiar with the antecedents and trials 
 of many, from different grades of society, whom the world 
 with singular lack of discernment classes indiscriminately as 
 * criminals.' I have learned to look upon the poor unfortu- 
 nates in many cases with far more of pity than resentment. 
 The offenders with whom I am brought in contact are not 
 generally hardened wretches, as the world ignorantly sup- 
 poses, but just such people as we meet every day, no better, 
 no worse ; the difference being that some in an unguarded 
 moment have yielded to temptation, doing, under a mad, 
 unaccountable impulse, what they would give their lives to 
 recall ; while others, more fortunate, if not more firmly 
 grounded in the principles of honesty, have been spared the 
 
W MY GUILT HAS FOUND ME OUT." 21$ 
 
 humiliation by the kind Providence who has guided their steps 
 through less perilous pathways. . Some may evade for a long 
 time the inevitable penalty. Sooner or later, however, it is 
 sure to overtake them. It so happens that you have been 
 apprehended early, before your character has had time to 
 harden into hopeless criminality. You will live to thank 
 God that the discovery was not postponed. I can sympathize 
 deeply with the man who, overborne by what he believed to 
 be a dire necessity, falls in a moment of frenzy. It is indeed 
 pitiable that for the weakness of one hour, he should suffer so 
 long and so terribly. Billy, what was it, tell me, that pressed, 
 that drove you into this ? " 
 
 The poor fellow, unable to hold out longer, gave up com- 
 pletely. Taking the hand of the detective with the gentle- 
 ness of a woman, he sobbed out, "Stranger, it is no use. I 
 see it is no use. My guilt has found me out. I took the 
 gold. O, my God, why did I do it? Is there mercy in 
 heaven for such as me?" 
 
 Only the salient points have been given of the conversation 
 which lasted about three hours, before the resistance of the 
 criminal, undermined by the heavy battering from without, 
 and within by the spectral fears born of a tortured conscience, 
 yielded to the superior nerve force of the detective. The poor 
 fellow was passing through the crucible of the chemist. His 
 character was dissected and analyzed till the complex struc- 
 ture was resolved into its constituent elements. In his case 
 how different the reality from the semblance, the being from 
 the seeming, the inward substance from the outward show ! 
 An ingrained coward, he was reputed to be " the bravest man 
 in the mountains." A thief and a perjurer, he was trusted 
 with the custody of uncounted cash. Now the mask, worn 
 successfully for years, was stripped off, and the hideous de- 
 formities laid bare. 
 
 His leading characteristics were vanity and love of applause, 
 raised to the dignity of controlling forces by an overgrowth of 
 destructiveness that had in it no element of courage. Had he 
 
2l6 
 
 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 been born a Cheyenne chief, he would, under cover of dark- 
 ness, have crept up valiantly to the settlements of an enemy for 
 the scalps of the sleeping and defenseless. In a southern 
 negro the same qualities would make Cuny an obsequious 
 servant in the house, and a hero in the kitchen, the plotter of 
 midnight expeditions against the hen-coops of the vicinage, 
 whence the leader would bear off the prizes, leaving some 
 
 " Stranger, it is no use. My guilt has found me out. I took the gold. O, my 
 God, why did I do it P " 
 
 thick-skulled dupe to take the blows. The timid desperadoes 
 who infest large cities, killing when cornered, are made of 
 similar stuff. Born, however, amid moral surroundings, and 
 taught in youth to work, he belonged to the large class that, 
 growing from without rather than from within, are ordinarily 
 molded by the prevalent influences about them, and, keeping 
 their evil propensities measurably in check, often succeed in 
 
NOT ENTIRELY UNRAVELED. 21 7 
 
 leading respected and honored lives. Amid revolutions, or 
 great social upheavals, such men, lured on by thirst for praise, 
 under the doubtful pilotage of plausibility and cunning, some- 
 times win for the moment notoriety and prominence. 
 
 Beery acquired a reputation for bravery by carrying the 
 treasure of Wells, Fargo & Co. to Denver on horseback at a 
 time when the road was infested with highwaymen, and the 
 stages were afraid to run. It was, however, a greed for 
 applause that prompted the undertaking, and, having once 
 embarked in the enterprise, fear of derision held him to its 
 execution. 
 
 . The special agent had discovered the thief. Two further 
 duties remained : he must, if possible, recover the stolen 
 treasure for the benefit of the owners, and obtain the legal 
 evidence requisite for the conviction of the criminal. The 
 task was exceedingly difficult, as the detective had no previ- 
 ous information to operate on, and was forced to win from the 
 burglar the secrets to be used as ammunition in each succes- 
 sive stage of the attack. 
 
 He only knew that about sixty-six ounces of gold were con- 
 tained in the package, with some currency and checks, but 
 had no details whatever, having been prevented by the storm 
 on the mountains from learning the facts from the remitters. 
 He did not know what kind of dust it was ; whether " coarse 
 gulch," fr retorted fine," or "milling;" whether it contained 
 any peculiar nuggets, or milling-bars ; whether it was a 
 "straight lot" from one gulch, or a mixed lot from several; 
 whether it was all mailed by one person or by more, or whether 
 it was tied in a single package or in many. All these facts 
 Dramful knew from the papers in the case, but he was then 
 dreaming on them in New Mexico. 
 
 Again, if Beery committed the burglary, he must have 
 operated while Jaynes was at his house, indicating that, 
 although the invitations were issued the day before, the 
 party was given with a view to facilitate the robbery in case 
 the mail should bring valuable packages. Yet it was unsafe 
 
2l8 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 to hazard any remark in reference to the time, as a mistake, 
 however slight, might expose the game of bluff. 
 
 The side-window was raised six and three eighths inches, 
 appearances strongly indicating that some one had tried to 
 enter by that way ; but Beery had long been an occupant of 
 the building, and might, without the knowledge of the pro- 
 prietor, have a key to one of the doors. If so, he of course 
 raised the sash and dusted the sill as a blind. The theory of 
 the false key seemed the more credible, as the agent did not 
 believe that a man weighing a hundred and thirty pounds 
 could crawl through so small an opening. Still, in hazarding 
 a point he might not guess right, and a blunder would be 
 fatal. 
 
 Assuming that Beery was guilty, how came the registered 
 package-envelope in the cellar? All the current statements 
 concurred in representing that the party searched each other 
 thoroughly before going down. Yet he and no one else 
 must have put it there. But when and how? Here, too, the 
 ice was too thin to be trusted. 
 
 The finding of the paper and twine in Beery's stable indi- 
 cated that the package was opened there ; but the detective 
 had never seen either, and hence did not know whether the 
 wrapping was cut or torn. Nor was it by any means certain 
 that the rifling was consummated at that place, so that any 
 assumption based on this particular discovery might explode 
 a mine into empty air. In short, the officer was absolutely 
 bare-handed of facts. He had nothing but acumen and 
 native wit to depend upon. Hence, the only feasible course 
 was to fly his kite high, looking and acting severely wise, 
 until he could feel around for the weak spots of the suspected 
 criminal, which were soon found to be vanity and coward- 
 ice. As the tactics developed, the victim became badly 
 frightened, and, believing that the officer had somehow dis- 
 covered the truth, at length broke down from sheer lack of 
 strength to hold out longer against the heavy artillery of his 
 adversary. In talking the matter over afterwards, he ex- 
 
A TEARFUL BURGLAR. 
 
 plained the nature of his apprehensions. He supposed that 
 he had been shadowed while visiting the hidden treasure, 
 or that some one had seen him enter or leave the post-office 
 on the night of the burglary, and had communicated secretly 
 with the department, which in response had sent out one of its 
 most terrible agents. Still he tried very hard to find out just 
 what the detective did know, but was always put off with 
 some evasive reply, as, "Never mind; you will learn soon 
 enough what I've got." 
 
 As already stated, the conversation lasted over three hours 
 before the wretched man admitted the crime, tacking hither 
 and thither in the idle hope that some lull in the gale might 
 yet save the water-logged craft from wreck. When the 
 acknowledgment came, the officer responded, "Why, of 
 course you are guilty. Now let us sit down and talk sense 
 awhile. You have told one vital truth, and, I trust, are in 
 no humor to fall back again upon the line of falsehood. 
 Lies never saved a man in the hour of extremity, and never 
 will. Tell me how much of this money you still have. In 
 an evil moment you did a great wrong to the poor people 
 who intrusted their means to the mails. Complete now the 
 good work you have begun, for there is no evidence of re- 
 pentance that will satisfy either God or man without confes- 
 sion and restitution. The two must go hand in hand. Billy, 
 let me have that money." 
 
 The burglar sat motionless, sobbing bitterly. The officer 
 continued : "Come, nerve up, and start life anew as an honest, 
 truthful, just man. You can still retrieve the past, if you go 
 to work the right way." 
 
 "O God!" he replied, "what a fool I have been. I wish 
 I were dead! A part of the money is spent, but some of it 
 I have still." 
 
 "About how much, Billy, is there left?" 
 
 " I suppose there may be twenty or twenty-five ounces of 
 the dust," he answered, still sobbing. 
 
 "Well, where are the checks?" queried the detective, 
 
220 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 anxious to get possession of some of the original property to 
 be used as evidence at the trial. 
 
 "I destroyed them. They were of no account, however, 
 and the parties lost nothing. But, Mr. Furay, are you 
 going to carry me away with you? If so, I may as well die 
 for a sheep as a lamb." 
 
 The appearance and manner of the man changed en- 
 tirely. He quit sobbing, cooled down, and was evidently 
 passing on to the stage of desperation. He then repeated 
 the question, "Come, are you going to arrest me? I want 
 to know." 
 
 It would never do to let hope die out of his heart. " Why, 
 no," replied the officer. "You unfortunate, foolish man, what 
 have I to gain by arresting you ? " 
 
 "Isn't that what you are here for?" 
 
 "No. Sit down, and I will tell you what I am here for. 
 I am no marshal clothed with authority to arrest. I am a 
 special agent, and as such empowered to exercise a wide 
 discretion in the performance of my duties. I propose to do 
 what is about right, and hope to succeed to the reasonable 
 satisfaction of all parties." 
 
 "Furay," replied the burglar, not addressing him this time 
 as Mr.) "I want to know whether you intend to arrest me, 
 and I am going to get an answer out of you." 
 
 " How many times," replied he, " must I assure you that I 
 am not. Sit down, and do not act like a fool." 
 
 Somehow the detective had lost his grip. However, the 
 burglar sat down with the recklessness of despair depicted on 
 his countenance. 
 
 "Billy," resumed the officer, "I never before met a man 
 like you, though I have encountered some strange ones. What 
 on earth ails you ? Now listen to me " 
 
 "No," he retorted, jumping up; "I will not listen to any- 
 thing from you, or from anybody else." 
 
 " All right," thundered the officer. " If you will not listen, 
 I'll make you feel. Billy Beery, if you insist on being a 
 
THE EFFECT OF HANDCUFFS. 221 
 
 fool, and in making the disgrace of yourself and of your 
 family a matter of necessity, so let it be." With the last 
 word, he jerked from the armhole on the left side of his 
 vest a pair of handcuffs, and continued: "Then you are re- 
 solved not to listen to reason. Since you drive me to it, put 
 them on, put them on, I say," holding each one open. "As 
 you are determined to have the iron burn to the bone, you 
 shall be accommodated." 
 
 " All right," thundered the officer. If you will not listen, I'll make you feel." 
 
 The last words were uttered in a tone of terrible determi- 
 nation. The criminal, looking furtively toward the door 
 where different parties had been knocking and trying to 
 enter all the morning, whispered in a tone of subdued en- 
 treaty, " Hsh-h-h. Do not talk so loud, please." 
 
 " What do you suppose I care who hears my voice or my 
 words, since you persist in driving me to extremities? Ill 
 
222 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 make this matter ring for you in every canon in Colorado if 
 by your folly you compel me to do it." 
 
 " Hush ! For God's sake, hush ! You will have the 
 whole town at the door. I have acted like a fool. I will 
 listen. Tell me what you want." 
 
 "I want you to be a man, as you set out to be a little 
 while ago," replied the detective, again taking charge of 
 the situation. " I am not inclined to be severe, but I can 
 be if you leave me no alternative. Yes, if you force me to 
 it, every man, woman, and child in this territory shall know 
 of your disgrace, and you can then thank yourself for bring- 
 ing down the public scorn upon your head." 
 
 But the fellow had become too desperate to respond readily 
 to appeals addressed either to his sympathies or fears. In 
 that state of mind, one could no more touch his heart than 
 wash the skin of a duck by pouring water on its back. 
 With the cord slowly tightening about his neck, light turned 
 to darkness, and life became a burden. He evidently wanted 
 to see his wife once more, disclose where the stolen treasure 
 was hidden, and then blow his brains out. The detective, 
 recalling his own late experience on the mountain, appre- 
 ciated more keenly the hopeless thoughts and rash projects 
 then surging in wild disorder through that perturbed brain. 
 Suppose he should kill himself, thought the officer, for my 
 part in firing the train, shouldn't I always feel like a "bob- 
 tailed " murderer? 
 
 After a reflective pause, the burglar inquired, "I suppose 
 you came up here to capture me, and it looks as if you had 
 succeeded. I have been frank with you ; now tell me, how 
 many are in your secret?" 
 
 In framing the first words of the reply, the officer inad- 
 vertently almost gave away his game of bluff by betraying 
 the emptiness of his hand. " No one knows a thing of this 
 that you need ever fear. I, and I alone, control the case. 
 What I want done will be done. Tell me in turn how you 
 want the matter fixed, for fixed in some way it must be. 
 
223 
 
 But bear in mind I have no right to agree to anything unless 
 the money is restored. That must be done before we can 
 talk about terms of adjustment." 
 
 The face of the robber kindled with renewed hope, and 
 he replied in a more cheerful tone, w If you will promise not 
 to arrest me, I can give you over twenty-five ounces now, 
 and pay a part of the currency. The balance I'll make 
 good within thirty days. But before I turn over a cent, I 
 want your written promise that I will not be arrested." 
 
 " Bring me the paper," replied the officer, w and you shall 
 have the guaranty." At the same time he keenly felt that 
 the rogue was crowding him into a somewhat humiliating 
 position. Besides discovering who the thief was, he desired 
 both to bring him to justice and recover the property. Yet 
 a promise, though given to a criminal, must be kept sacred. 
 Evidence to convict could only be obtained from the guilty 
 man himself, and, obtained under a pledge, could not honor- 
 ably be used. 
 
 Having walked to the desk, the officer picked up a pen, 
 and began : " This is to certify that I have this day received 
 
 from William H. Beery, of Fair Clay, Colorado, 
 
 ounces of gold dust, the same having been unlawfully taken 
 by him from a certain registered package " 
 
 The robber, who was watching the pen, here interrupted 
 the progress of the work. "Say, it is not necessary to put 
 that in, is it?" 
 
 11 Of course it is. I must be specific in framing the docu- 
 ment, and as it is only for your own eye, what difference can 
 it make?" 
 
 "Well, then, never mind. I'll take your word, as I don't 
 want any writing to lie around to be picked up by some Paul 
 Pry, and get a fellow into trouble. I'll give you the dust 
 this evening, but for God's sake don't tell a living creature. 
 Here are a hundred dollars in currency, which you can take 
 now." 
 
 The detective took the money and left the office, chilled, 
 
224 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 hungry, and well-nigh exhausted by the struggle which had 
 been prolonged with varying success from nine or ten o'clock 
 in the morning till three in the afternoon. Wherever he 
 went he was the "observed of all observers," for Jaynes and 
 Perry, impressed by the interviews it was their privilege to 
 enjoy, freely expressed the opinion that the government had 
 at last sent out " chain-lightning itself" to hunt up the mys- 
 terious burglar. 
 
 A little after dark he returned to the express office, having 
 kept up during the interim a show of hot pursuit, in order 
 that no one might suspect the fact of discovery. This time 
 Beery locked the door. He then produced a buckskin bag 
 containing thirty ounces and five pennyweights of the precious 
 dust. 
 
 " Did you find all this in the original package ? " inquired 
 the detective, confidentially. 
 
 " All but the five ounces of retorted dust which I was buy- 
 ing when you came in this morning." 
 
 "What gulch is it from?" 
 
 w Why, from California Gulch, of course." 
 
 " So far so good," thought the officer, as he thrust the 
 package into his pocket. 
 
 " I can have the balance by the ist of December, or cer- 
 tainly by Christmas," said the burglar, who began to figure 
 on the amount still due, for he was honest now. " It will be 
 about six hundred dollars in currency, which I will send to 
 you." 
 
 w Instead of remitting the money," suggested the agent, 
 " cannot you meet me in Denver, and deliver it in person ? " 
 
 It was finally agreed that they should meet there, at the 
 Tremont House, on the loth of January, when the balance 
 of the stolen property, or its value, was to be paid over. 
 Having finished the business arrangements, the burglar sat 
 down and told the story of the robbery. In substance it ran 
 thus : 
 
 " At the time I was terribly pressed for money. I gave the 
 
HOW HE COMMITTED THE ROBBERY. 225 
 
 party to get Jaynes away from the post-office, anticipating 
 that the mail, as usual, would contain one or more valuable 
 packages. The fruit was forgotten purposely. On my way 
 back I slipped up behind some boxes, which I had piled up 
 the previous day as a screen, raised the window from the 
 outside, and actually crawled through the small opening. In 
 a moment I seized the package, and was out again. On the 
 way to the house I passed by the stable, and tossed it into the 
 manger of a vacant stall. As soon as the company dispersed 
 I broke it open, and hid the contents in an adjacent lot, mov- 
 ing them several times afterwards. In preparing for the search 
 of the post-office, I placed the package-envelope next to my 
 flesh, so that when I pulled off my coat and vest, no one sus- 
 pected what was hidden under my tight-fitting flannel. I 
 raised the trap-door, and, going part way down, told the 
 boys they would have to have a candle. While they were 
 lighting it, I pulled out the envelope, and threw it as far as 
 I could in the dark, and of course avoided going near that 
 part of the cellar myself. The sheriff found it as I intended 
 he should. The rest you know, Furay, better than I can 
 tell you." 
 
 The next morning the special agent left Fair Play, and 
 reached Denver November ist, at daybreak. After a short 
 nap he hunted up Judge Bennett and the departmental officer 
 before alluded to, and pulling out the buckskin bag, displayed 
 his trophies of conquest. They were delighted and astonished, 
 for, with all their faith in the skill of the detective, neither en- 
 tertained the most remote expectation that he would return 
 with the stolen property. 
 
 The secret was intrusted to these two gentlemen, with 
 strict injunctions to tell no one except Dramful, till the six 
 hundred dollars still due were safely in hand. It was neces- 
 sary to inform him, as he contemplated arresting Jaynes on 
 returning from New Mexico, a catastrophe to be averted at 
 all hazards. 
 
 According to agreement, the officer called at the Tremont; 
 15 
 
226 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 House, in Denver, on the loth of January, but Beery failed 
 to keep the engagement. He had been there, and left. Mean- 
 while, through the imprudence and ill-temper of Dramful, the 
 secret had leaked out, and the burglar, overwhelmed with 
 shame and confusion, resolved, if possible, to carry the work 
 of restitution no further. On the i6th, however, he turned 
 up in person, and insisted that the special agent should ac- 
 company him to the office of his lawyer ; and he, with some 
 reluctance, finally consented. There, by adroit management 
 in directing the current of the conference, the detective drew 
 the robber on to tell the whole story of the crime in the pres- 
 ence of his own counsel, a circumstance likely to embarrass 
 somewhat the flow of his eloquence if ever compelled to plead 
 in defense of his client. Again the officer demanded the six 
 hundred dollars, but, put off with evasive answers, soon dis- 
 covered that the burglar and his advisers were determined not 
 to refund another cent. 
 
 As the criminal had broken the agreement, the special agent 
 argued that he was no longer bound by his own conditional 
 promise, and hence decided to bring the case before the grand 
 jury the next day, the district attorney preparing the indict- 
 ments that night so as to have them in readiness. Arrange- 
 ments were made to shadow Beery, so that he might have no 
 opportunity for escape. 
 
 That night the special agent accepted an invitation from 
 Beery to occupy the same room and bed. Before retiring, the 
 burglar took a package from his valise with so much agitation 
 and effort at concealment, that his companion made him give 
 it up, and found it to be a bottle of crystallized strychnine. 
 What use he intended to make of the poison the fellow would 
 not confess, but the discovery had a very wakening influence 
 on the officer, who never slept an instant, not knowing at 
 what moment the poniard of the assassin might strike his 
 heart. 
 
 About noon the next day the special agent told the story of 
 the robbery to the grand jury, and was followed by Mr. H. 
 
IN JAIL AT LAST. 
 
 227 
 
 A. W. Tabor, of Oro City, the capitalist who remitted the 
 dust. The latter identified the gold as a portion of the con- 
 tents of the stolen package, recognizing several nuggets, and 
 especially one which, on account of its peculiar color, he had 
 carried a long time in his pocket. The indictments were duly 
 found, and the capias issued. 
 
 Meeting the criminal about dark at the hotel, the special 
 
 ' Officer, here is your man ; do your duty." 
 
 agent said, "Well, Billy Beery, I have kept my part of the 
 agreement. I came at the time set. You were not here. I 
 waited six days, and when you did come, you failed to fulfill 
 your promise. Officer," turning to a deputy marshal, who 
 contrived to stand conveniently near, " here is your man ; do 
 your duty." So at last, on the iyth of January, 1872, the 
 robber went to jail for his crimes. 
 
 By virtue of marriage relationships the prisoner had the 
 support of wealthy and influential friends. Through their 
 
228 KINDLING FALSE FIRES. 
 
 exertions, bail for five thousand dollars was given, and the 
 case continued till the April term. Meanwhile they also de- 
 posited six hundred dollars with the First National Bank of 
 Denver, " To the credit of the Treasurer of the United States, 
 for the relief of persons suffering from the robbery of the mails 
 at Fair Play, by (as alleged) Wm. H. Beery." 
 
 A prominent lawyer of the territory then hastened to Wash- 
 ington to procure from the attorney-general that deadly im- 
 plement of partiality and injustice, a nolle -pros., predicating 
 the appeal on the claim that full restitution had been made. 
 Getting wind of the movement, the special agent followed in 
 hot haste, and succeeded in frustrating the plot. 
 
 From Washington the officer hurried back to Denver, to 
 see what shape the deposit of six hundred dollars was in. The 
 mouths of the lawyers were fairly watering for the juicy plum, 
 but the special agent was resolved that their palates should 
 never be gratified by a taste of the fruit. After a long strug- 
 gle the deposit was transferred from the bank to the United 
 States treasury, where it lodged for several months. It was sub- 
 sequently turned over to the postmaster-general, who, through 
 Mr. Furay, paid it to the parties that had been robbed. 
 
 Again the case was postponed from the April term till No- 
 vember. The trial then took place and lasted three days. 
 The prisoner was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment 
 for five years ; but his counsel moved for a new trial on points 
 of law, and the motion was sustained. 
 
 Once more the battle-field was transferred from Colorado to 
 Washington, and in this instance a powerful combination suc- 
 ceeded in persuading Attorney-General Williams to order a 
 nolle -pros. ; and thus ignominiously ended the case. The 
 special agent made a prolonged and heroic fight, leaving no 
 effort untried to secure for justice her dues ; but a hand 
 heavier than his barred the prison-door from within. 
 
 In the interests of this case, Mr. Furay made thirteen round 
 trips from Omaha to Denver, and it cost him in all over ten 
 thousand miles of travel. When the final record of us all is 
 made up, he can certainly claim that he did his full duty. 
 

 in the year 1870 the 
 postmaster at Chicago re- 
 ceived a registered letter 
 from an office in the inte- 
 rior of Iowa, which, according 
 to the descriptive circular in- 
 closed, should have started on 
 the journey with seven hundred 
 dollars' surplus money-order 
 funds, but which arrived at its 
 destination despoiled of its val- 
 uable contents. He immediate- 
 ly wrote to the remitter, stating 
 the facts, and suggesting that 
 possibly through oversight he 
 had neglected to inclose the 
 bills. An answer was promptly 
 returned that there could be no 
 mistake, as the work was done 
 And you are the man who robbed deliberately in the presence of 
 
 that registered letter." J 
 
 a witness. The remitter de- 
 sired to know if his presence in Chicago would facilitate the 
 investigation. 
 
 The case was now reported by Chicago to special agent 
 J. S. Beard. Without loss of time, Mr. Beard hastened to 
 Iowa, and dropped down as if by accident upon the mailing 
 
230 PLUG-TOBACCO. 
 
 office. After inspecting the accounts, he inquired of Mr. 
 George W. Jacobs, the postmaster, whether there were any 
 losses of registered or unregistered matter to report. When 
 informed of the package received at Chicago in a rifled con- 
 dition, the officer expressed surprise, and proceeded to draw 
 out the more superficial particulars. Without reserve or eva- 
 sion, Jacobs gave the amount of the remittance, the name of 
 the witness, a description of the bills, the date of dispatch, and 
 the route of transmission. 
 
 On inquiry, the postmaster was found to stand high in the 
 community. He was a prominent member of the church, and, 
 besides other trusts, had filled the responsible position of 
 township treasurer. 
 
 The officer then called upon Mr. T. J. Drummond, the 
 witness, who stated that he was present when Jacobs made 
 up the package, and saw him inclose therein seven hundred 
 dollars. If one could trust the testimony of the senses, there 
 could be no mistake about the matter. At the suggestion of 
 the special agent he made a written affidavit, setting forth the 
 facts. 
 
 Personal inquiry at the village bank elicited the further in- 
 formation that on the day of mailing, Jacobs exchanged other 
 currency for three bills, one of five hundred dollars, and two 
 of one hundred dollars each. At the same time, as shown by 
 the books, he owed the government just seven hundred dollars 
 on money-order account. So far the essential statement of the 
 postmaster seemed to be corroborated by the collateral cir- 
 cumstances attending the transaction. 
 
 From this point, mails take a zigzag course to Chicago, 
 passing over one stage line and three different railroads. At 
 that time they were also delayed in transit at three intermedi- 
 ate offices. The special agent followed the package over the 
 route, inspecting records and scrutinizing men, but found 
 nothing on the way to justify the slightest suspicion. The 
 receiving clerk at Chicago, though young, enjoyed a high 
 reputation, commanding the entire confidence of every one. 
 
2 3 I 
 
 Well-nigh disheartened, the officer again examined the reg- 
 istered package envelope, and in the upper right-hand corner 
 of the flap discovered little particles of plug-tobacco, evidently 
 deposited from the tongue while moistening the mucilage. 
 Here was a clue which might lead to the detection of the 
 robber. The "tracer" revealed the name of every person 
 who handled the letter in transit, and the next step was. to find 
 which one of these used " the weed" in that form. 
 
 Going back over the line, the special agent interviewed the 
 clerks and route agents seriatim, calling on each for a " chew," 
 and finding that all who used the article at all, used "fine-cut." 
 At length, on a raw December day, he alighted from the stage 
 at the door of the mailing office, thoroughly chilled, and, without 
 waiting to warm, so anxious was he for the result, after the 
 exchange of greetings, drew out an empty tobacco pouch, and 
 casting a wistful look upon its naked linings, remarked, "Mr. 
 Jacobs, can you give me a chew? I'm out." 
 
 " O, yes," replied the obliging postmaster, producing a 
 ponderous " twist " from the depths of his pocket ; " but I do not 
 think you will like my kind. I use plug." 
 
 " So I see ; and you are the man who robbed that registered 
 letter of seven hundred dollars," answered the special agent, 
 unconsciously injecting into the tones of his voice the indigna- 
 tion and wrath which had been for several days accumulating. 
 The explosion came so unexpectedly that the concussion nearly 
 extinguished the postmaster. 
 
 Rallying from the shot, he replied, "You detectives have 
 seared consciences to charge honest men with guilt." 
 
 "No one knows better than yourself," retorted the special 
 agent, " that I bring no false charge against you. I speak the 
 truth, and in due time can prove my words. You still have the 
 money : it belongs to the government, and I must have it." 
 
 After listening to further denials, the officer took out his 
 watch, with the remark, " I will give you just ten minutes to 
 produce the bills. If you fail, you must take the consequences. 
 A word to the wise is sufficient." 
 
232 
 
 PLUG-TOBACCO. 
 
 Turning alternately red and white, Jacobs implored the 
 privilege of visiting his wife and infant child. "You can go," 
 said the officer; "but I must accompany you." 
 
 After a walk of half a mile, they entered together the hum- 
 ble home of the postmaster, where the troublesome guest was 
 invited to a seat in the parlor. The room was scantily fur- 
 nished, presenting few objects to attract the eye. 
 
 The narrative of what followed, bears a strong family re- 
 semblance, it must be admitted, to the cheap inventions of 
 fiction, but is, nevertheless, strictly true. Embarrassed by the 
 painful novelty of the situation, Mr. Beard nervously picked up 
 
 an old-fashioned daguerre- 
 otype case lying upon 
 the table. As the watch- 
 ful eye of the postmaster 
 caught the movement, a 
 deadly pallor overspread 
 his face, and so strong was 
 his emotion that he nearly 
 tottered to the floor. At 
 that instant his wife with 
 a young infant entered the 
 room, when, with a half 
 insane gesture, the hus- 
 band tried to wave her 
 back as if from the edge 
 of an abyss. 
 
 These extraordinary ac- 
 tions heightened the per- 
 ceptions of the special 
 agent. Removing the pic- 
 ture from the case, he 
 found secreted behind it, 
 one five and two one hun- 
 dred dollar notes the 
 identical money obtained from the bank for transmission in the 
 rifled letter. 
 
 " Removing the picture, ... he found se- 
 creted behind it, one five and two one- 
 hundred dollar notes." 
 
A PLEA FOR MERCY. 233 
 
 The dishonest and ruined man now pleaded earnestly for 
 mercy, on the grounds of faithful service during the war, and 
 the helpless condition of his family. He alleged that, though 
 intrusted with large sums of money, he had never stolen be- 
 fore, and could not explain why in this instance he had been 
 so weak as to yield to temptation. He continued : " I have an 
 almost angel wife and innocent babe. For their sake do not 
 disgrace me before the world. I enlisted in the beginning of 
 the war, and lost a leg in the advance on Atlanta, having been 
 
 wounded twice before. Ask General B what my standing 
 
 was in the army and at home, but do not mention this trans- 
 action. I could never look him in the face again if he knew 
 how I have abused the confidence he always reposed in me." 
 
 The matter was referred to the department, and through the 
 active exertions of one or two former comrades, a stay of pro- 
 ceedings was secured. As the previous character of Jacobs 
 had been blameless, old associates argued that he must have 
 sinned through some real, but hidden and unsuspected mental 
 infirmity. At all events, the department was strongly disposed 
 toward the exercise of clemency, and as the money was re- 
 covered, the case finally drifted out of sight without coming 
 before the courts. 
 
 The agony of the faithless official, growing out of the dread 
 of exposure not less than the fear of punishment, and colored 
 somewhat, it is to be hoped, by the sorrows of genuine peni- 
 tence, found expression in a letter addressed to the special 
 agent while the question of criminal prosecution was still 
 pending. 
 
 w MY DEAR SIR : I write you to plead your continued mercy 
 for the sake of my family. You have been very kind to me. 
 Please do not crush me now, but continue your mercy. 
 
 " Mr. Drumrnond came in this evening. I told him I was 
 forced by the peculiar circumstances in which I was placed to 
 resign, and asked him to keep it to himself, and let it pass for 
 a voluntary resignation. He promised to do so. Now please 
 
234 PLUG-TOBACCO. 
 
 do not write to Mr. Drummond in regard to my confession, or 
 the manner in which the affair terminated/' 
 
 At the time of mailing the rifled letter, Jacobs deceived the 
 witness by adroitly substituting a fac-simile envelope, prepared 
 for the purpose, in the place of the one containing the seven 
 hundred dollars. By the admission of the postmaster, the orig- 
 inal was afterward burned. 
 
 From the day of detection onward, the demon of unrest 
 seemed to hold possession of the poor sinner. His little home, 
 that might have been a paradise radiant with the happiness 
 which flows in perennial streams from purity and virtue, was 
 soon broken up. Overwhelmed by the disgrace, he could 
 not endure the humiliation of going in and out in the presence 
 of neighbors who had known him in the days of innocence 
 and peace. He became a wanderer on the face of the earth, 
 drifting aimlessly from place to place, and living in continual 
 fear that the officers of justice were on his track. 
 
t ERILS to correspondence 
 are by no means restricted 
 to the periods when letters 
 are in the actual custody of the 
 postal authorities. Although 
 there is no method for arriv- 
 ing at exact proportions, it is 
 safe to say that, in cities like 
 New York, far greater loss 
 and annoyance are caused by 
 depredations occurring out- 
 side of the office than within, 
 through the dishonesty of the 
 messengers employed by cor- 
 porations and business houses. 
 Often, too, the most aggravat- 
 ing impediments are thrown 
 in the way of the officers who 
 undertake the detection of the 
 culprits, on account of the per- 
 tinacity with which the suffer- 
 ers insist that the trouble can- 
 not possibly originate among 
 their own employes. As shown by innumerable examples, there 
 is a painful readiness in such cases to denounce the whole 
 post-office establishment as a den of thieves, and at the same 
 time an invincible repugnance to the acceptance of any theory 
 that would locate the leak nearer home. The same law of 
 
 Merchants, bankers, and others, do 
 not hesitate to commit the custody 
 of their mails to mere boys." 
 
236 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 human nature which leads a man to regard his own wife and 
 child as the best, embraces, in a greater or less degree, every 
 person and object connected with his establishment. When 
 compared with the external horde, even the half-paid errand- 
 boy borrows a glory from the countenance of his master. 
 
 Merchants, bankers, and others, whose wits have been 
 sharpened by innumerable conflicts in the battle of life, and 
 who learn with rare skill to trust important undertakings to 
 the guaranty of faces, do not hesitate to commit the custody of 
 their mails to mere boys, whose services are hardly deemed 
 worthy of pecuniary recognition. As a class, these messen- 
 gers are overworked and under-paid. Not a few are the sons 
 of widows, whose sustenance, with that of younger brothers 
 and sisters, is drawn in part from their meagre wages. Occa- 
 sionally the pressure of home poverty, favored by abundant 
 opportunities to steal, overcomes the scruples of conscience. 
 Far more frequently, however, the erring fall through ambition 
 to rival associates in dress and outward show, or to procure 
 means for vicious indulgences. 
 
 It would require several pages even to catalogue the outside 
 delinquents apprehended by special agent Sharretts in New 
 York city during the past few years. Notwithstanding the 
 difficulties to be overcome in conducting many operations simul- 
 taneously, the methods of that officer are so perfected as to be 
 well-nigh infallible. A few cases will show how the experience 
 was acquired, and how the work is accomplished. Similar 
 detections are taking place in other cities also, but New York 
 is the great metropolis of rascality as well as of commerce. 
 
 THROUGH THE TILES. 
 
 A very indignant sufferer was Rev. Theophilus Boanerges, 
 D. D., managing editor of a leading religious newspaper. In 
 the columns of the "Behemoth" he thundered against the in- 
 iquities of the post-office establishment, and groaned in spirit 
 over the multiplying evidences of modern corruption and de- 
 generacy. Patrons were warned not to intrust remittances for 
 
HE WOULD NOT BE CONVINCED. 237 
 
 subscriptions or advertisements to the mails. The doctor also 
 called upon Mr. Sharretts, and though his strictures were severe 
 and obviously unreasonable, he was treated with the consider- 
 ation due to the cloth, and assured that no effort should be 
 spared to bring the offender to justice. 
 
 It soon appeared that in the employment of the newspaper 
 was a lad about sixteen years of age, a marked favorite of 
 the doctor, whose multifarious duties embraced the carriage 
 of the mails to and from the post-office. As the losses in that 
 locality were confined to the correspondence of the "Behe- 
 moth," the special agent began to observe closely the move- 
 ments of the messenger, and soon became convinced that he 
 was following the right trail. Desiring the co-operation of the 
 complainant, he called at the editorial rooms to expound his 
 theory, and lay out a plan of operations. " Sir," said the 
 indignant divine, interrupting the story, "you are wholly 
 wrong. The boy is honest, and commands my entire con- 
 fidence. The trouble is in your post-office. There you must 
 look to find it. To hunt here is an idle waste of time." 
 
 " I beg leave to differ," remonstrated the officer. " I have 
 examined the facts bearing on the case, and can come to but 
 one conclusion. I think I can make the matter clear to your 
 mind also." 
 
 " Impossible ! " interrupted the doctor. "There are but two 
 keys to the box. I keep one myself, and the other is in the 
 possession of the postal clerk who handles our letters. The 
 boy could not steal them if he desired." 
 
 Seeing that no voluntary aid was to be expected from the 
 editor, the special agent withdrew, but by means of other 
 assistance learned the routine of the office. 
 
 The mail for the paper was delivered to the boy in a locked 
 box. This he took to the editorial room a cosy apartment, 
 located over a bank and deposited on the table unviolated, 
 so far as could be seen by such cursory observation as the 
 internal arrangement of the building would permit. Light 
 was admitted from above through a ceiling formed of glass 
 tiles, each about two feet square. 
 
238 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 As the divine invariably opened the mail in person, and 
 would not listen to any plan of procedure that implied the dis- 
 honesty of the messenger, it became necessary to secure his 
 co-operation by stratagem. Again the special agent sought the 
 editorial sanctum, remarking, with an air suggestive of an im- 
 portant but somewhat unpleasant discovery, "Good morning, 
 doctor. On looking the field over more carefully, I must 
 admit that your views may, after all, be right." 
 
 "Didn't I tell you so at the outset? " rejoined the thunderer, 
 triumphantly and cordially, as if his opinion of the acumen of 
 the officer had improved manyfold since the last interview. 
 
 "Yes, doctor, you did. I surrender unconditionally. I am 
 after the clerk who makes up the box for your boy Harry. 
 Now, I want you to make lists of the letters received by each 
 mail, and to send them quietly to my office. On comparing 
 these with other lists taken before the letters are delivered into 
 the hands of the clerk, any discrepancies will immediately 
 appear. But don't say anything to Harry. Boys are boys, 
 and the secret might leak out perhaps reach the ear of the 
 suspected clerk." 
 
 M Trust that to me," replied the editor. " I will follow your 
 instructions fully." 
 
 On receipt of the third list, a number of letters were found 
 to be missing. As they had been traced directly into the 
 custody of Harry the errand-boy, the last doubt was now 
 removed respecting the identity of the thief, he alone being in 
 a position to intercept the missives before they reached the 
 hands of the reverend gentleman himself. 
 
 At the request of the special agent, the bank authorities 
 caused one of the glass tiles over the editorial table to be 
 slightly raised in the night ; and the next morning, accom- 
 panied by a policeman in plain clothes, he brought his eye to 
 the aperture to observe what might happen below. A num- 
 ber of letters of seductive aspect, specially prepared for the 
 occasion, had been placed in the box in addition to the regu- 
 lar mail. 
 
THE VIEW FROM ABOVE, 
 
 239 
 
 The watchman did not have 
 long to tarry. Approaching 
 footsteps were heard, and the 
 jidus Achates of the trustful 
 proprietor entered the room, 
 whistling for company. The 
 door was carefully closed, and 
 the box deposited on a table, 
 or desk, in full view of the out- 
 look above. The movements 
 of the youth, though a little 
 nervous, showed no lack of 
 confidence. 
 
 " A cautious look around he stole, 
 
 His bags of chink he chunk; 
 And many a wicked smile he smole, 
 And many a wink he wunk." 
 
 Suddenly the "music " ceased, 
 and the lad struck an attitude of 
 attention. Not a sound broke 
 the deep silence save the sub- 
 dued rumble of wheels in the 
 street. In an instant the stat- 
 uesque figure seemed to be- 
 come unjointed, each limb and 
 muscle having an independent 
 life. The dexter hand came 
 down upon the epigastrium with 
 a gesture suggestive of inward 
 pain. The left hand quickly 
 followed, as if the paroxysm 
 was increasing. Then a jolly 
 whistle escaped involuntarily. 
 Boys don't whistle in that way 
 when suffering from severe in- 
 
 The Youthful Protege. 
 
240 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 ternal disorders. By this time it was quite evident that some- 
 thing of mysterious importance lay concealed beneath the 
 tight-fitting bands of his garments. Could it be a package 
 of letters? Speculation was soon set at rest. A vigorous tug 
 brought up from the fob in the outgrown pants a large silver 
 watch. The possessor gazed lovingly upon the treasure, and 
 placing it over his right ear, listened in rapt delight to the 
 music of the tick. After petting the watch a few seconds, the 
 lad restored it to its hiding-place. 
 
 Obviously the ownership of the article was a profound 
 secret, carefully guarded. Hence, in all probability, it had 
 been purchased surreptitiously with stolen funds. 
 
 After the close of the first act in the drama, the boy listened 
 again for a minute, and then walking to the desk, opened a 
 drawer and took out a key with which the box was quickly 
 unlocked. Running through the contents, he abstracted sev- 
 eral letters, and placed them in a side-pocket. The box was 
 then relocked, and the key restored to the proper drawer the 
 only key in the office the key in the exclusive possession of 
 the thunderer, who had hurled so many flaming bolts into the 
 encampments of the post-office department. 
 
 Hurrying down from the post of observation, the agent 
 with his assistant sought the editor to compare lists, and of 
 course found several letters to be missing. " You have caught 
 that rascally post-office clerk this time, and I shall insist that 
 he receive the full penalty of the law, both as a punishment 
 and as a warning," remarked the doctor, gleefully, well pleased 
 at the complete vindication of his own judgment. 
 
 "Just so," replied the officer. "Now, let Harry go along 
 with me to identify the clerk from whom he received the box. 
 We must guard every point, and suffer no slips to occur." 
 
 The youthful protg was accordingly directed to accom- 
 pany the special agent, and was favored by his employer with 
 various wise and solemn instructions in reference to the part 
 he was to play. Without manifesting the least suspicion or 
 reluctance, the boy started ; but when about half the distance to 
 
AN EFFORT TO UNLOAD. 24! 
 
 the post-office had been accomplished, a new light seemed to 
 break upon him. Surmising that all was not well with him, 
 too late he tried to unload by dropping the proofs of guilt in a 
 wayside ash-box. The little manoeuvre failed lamentably. 
 Boy and booty were taken on together. 
 
 On reaching the office of the special agent, the thief, after 
 brief resistance, confessed, and wrote out a full statement of his 
 long-continued peculations. Doctor Boanerges was then sent 
 for. When informed of the issue of the investigation, he was 
 struck dumb with amazement and chagrin, amazement at the 
 defection of the trusted messenger, chagrin at the terrible col- 
 lapse of his favorite theory. Perhaps the specters of bloody 
 editorials rose from the grave to shake their gory locks at him. 
 It is hard for a man of autocratic habits of mind to admit that 
 he has erred, and erred grievously. This, however, the good 
 doctor did, and since that day he has been a firm believer in 
 the general integrity of postal employes, and especially in the 
 superior judgment of its agents. 
 
 The jurisdiction of the department ceases with the delivery 
 of letters to the owner, or his accredited agent ; hence the 
 penalties for embezzlement do not reach cases of this kind. 
 The offense becomes larceny, cognizable only in the state 
 courts. Accordingly the youth was turned over to the tender 
 mercies of his employer, who, on tearful promises of amend- 
 ment, finally forgave the culprit. Happily the clemency was 
 not misplaced. From that day the character of the boy was 
 radically changed, and to the world he is now known as a 
 useful and respected man. 
 
 THE SCION OF A WEALTHY HOUSE. 
 
 Some time after the incidents narrated above, a courteous 
 gentleman of mature years dropped into the office of Mr. Shar- 
 retts, and produced a long catalogue of grievances. He was 
 a partner in one of the largest and most reputable publish- 
 ing-houses in the city. The business ramifications of the 
 establishment reached all parts of the country, and extended 
 16 
 
242 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 to foreign nations also. As a consequence, its correspondence 
 was very heavy, including many cash orders of from one to 
 five or six dollars each, for the different works issued from 
 its presses. For several months the mails of the firm had been 
 systematically plundered, till the evil had now become un- 
 bearable. Not only were they suffering heavy pecuniary 
 losses, but in reputation also. Customers in the country, 
 whose confidence in the mails had never been shaken by un- 
 toward experiences, were in many cases writing bitter words 
 of complaint, laying all the blame upon the house. It was 
 bad enough to lose the money, but more aggravating by far 
 to be held accountable for the misdeeds of others, especially 
 where redress seemed to be impracticable. From the wide 
 distribution of the complaints, the gentleman argued that the 
 trouble must be in the New York office, and urged that im- 
 mediate steps be taken for the detection of the criminal. 
 
 The special agent entered at once on the investigation. 
 Here, as before, the facts all pointed to the messenger of the 
 firm, while the antecedents and circumstances of the youth 
 seemed with equal emphasis to contradict the evidence. He 
 was the scion of a wealthy family, whose services were re- 
 warded with no pecuniary recompense, instruction in the 
 mysteries of the business being accepted in lieu of more ma- 
 terial compensation. The habits of the lad were observed 
 at first casually, and then critically. Receiving the mails at 
 the delivery window, he went directly home, losing no time 
 by the way. A count of the letters was kept at each end of 
 the line, and daily comparisons revealed no disagreement in 
 the lists. 
 
 Still large numbers of the missives were rifled, the moneys 
 referred to in the text having parted company with the other 
 contents. On close inspection, many of the envelopes showed 
 signs of foul play, though the work of opening and regumming 
 was performed with rare neatness and dexterity. Where and 
 how was the mischief done? 
 
 Inside of the post-office the closest surveillance was kept, 
 
A PERPLEXING DISCOVERY. 243 
 
 and the most, searching experiments tried, to test the honesty 
 of the delivery clerks, without developing a single suspicious 
 circumstance. 
 
 Meanwhile, a thief was picked up in another part of the 
 office, and on his person were found several letters addressed 
 to the firm in question. Was it possible that this fellow had 
 contrived systematically to slip up to tables where he had 
 no business, and perpetrate the robberies? The theory did 
 not account satisfactorily for all the facts of the case, but in the 
 heat of the moment was accepted in lieu of a better. The 
 firm was promptly notified, and mutual congratulations were 
 exchanged. 
 
 The illusion, however, was of short continuance, for the 
 rifling went on without interruption. So torturesome had the 
 mystery become, that the officer resolved to subordinate other 
 equally important work to this, till he discovered the ingenious 
 and daring thief. Great care was required, for the game must 
 be caught, not scared. He inspected minutely the envelopes 
 before they went into the hands of the messenger, and again 
 after their delivery into the counting-room of the firm, and it 
 was plain, from faint traces of mutilation, that unholy fingers 
 had been busy in the interval. Yet the youth did not loiter on 
 the way, and uniformly turned in the exact number that he 
 received. The manipulation of the envelopes, after passing 
 from the custody of the post-office authorities, narrowed the 
 robberies down to the messenger, while the promptitude and 
 exactness with which his duties in the matter were apparently 
 discharged, not less than the abundant resources at his com- 
 mand, seemed to lift him above suspicion. Having learned, 
 however, that many letters were subjected to some occult but 
 unlawful process on the passage from the post-office to the 
 publishing-house, the special agent directed his wits to the dis- 
 covery of the trick. 
 
 In company with the officer who assisted in "looking 
 through the tiles," he took a position in the corridor, outside 
 of the delivery window, to watch the movements of the mes- 
 
244 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 senger. Soon the young gentleman, dressed in the height of 
 fashion, with a rather marked but withal well-bred style, 
 passed through the lobby and received his mail. Looking 
 neither to the right nor to the left, he walked at a reasonable 
 gait, up Liberty Street toward Broadway. On turning the 
 corner, he was joined by a young gentleman more fashionably 
 attired, if possible, than himself. They appeared to be inti- 
 mate friends. 
 
 It now flashed across the mind of the agent that he had seen 
 the two join each other several times before, and with renewed 
 interest he closely dogged their steps. After proceeding a 
 short distance, they hailed and entered an empty omnibus. So 
 crowded was the thoroughfare that pedestrians easily kept 
 up with the vehicles. After walking half a block further to 
 divert suspicion, the special agent entered the same convey- 
 ance, leaving his companion to follow close behind on the 
 sidewalk. For a moment or two the young men talked on 
 indifferent subjects ; but observing that the stranger, the only 
 other occupant of the coach, was buried in meditation, and 
 paid no attention to their proceedings, hurried on to business. 
 Plunging his hand into the well-filled pouch, the "scion of a 
 wealthy family " drew out a large number of letters, and, count- 
 ing them, turned the package over to his companion, who by 
 way of exchange took from the recesses of his overcoat a 
 large lot, and, counting off an equal number, dropped them 
 into the bag to restore the equilibrium. 
 
 Shortly after, the custodian of the stolen property alighted, 
 and was soon lost to sight in the throng. The messenger 
 stopped when opposite the publishing-house, and with cus- 
 tomary promptitude delivered the mail to one of the partners. 
 The agent followed closely enough to keep every movement 
 in view. Taking the gentleman aside, he explained the na- 
 ture of his discovery, when the intelligence was received with 
 mingled astonishment and incredulity. Unable to see any 
 motive for the robberies, the partner could hardly believe at 
 first the statement of the officer. The accused had been reared 
 
A SCENE IN AN OMNIBUS. 245 
 
 in the lap of luxury. At home no want of this petted child 
 of fortune had been allowed to go ungratified. With super- 
 abundant means at command, how could he stoop to the base- 
 ness of plundering his employers? 
 
 At the suggestion of the officer, the quarter-deck was tem- 
 porarily cleared, and the " scion " sent for. Emboldened, 
 perhaps, by the knowledge that no evidences of guilt could be 
 found on his person, he at first denied the charge ; but when 
 
 " Plunging his hand into the well-filled pouch, the scion of a wealthy family* 
 drew out a large number of letters." 
 
 confronted with the proofs, admitted the crime. He also gave 
 the name and location of his confederate, for whom an officer 
 was immediately dispatched. On the arrival of the youth, 
 mutual recriminations were followed by a full confession. 
 Forty-two letters belonging to the firm were found in their 
 possession. 
 
 The method pursued is sufficiently explained by the scene 
 
246 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 in the omnibus. Whenever a lot was abstracted, the same num- 
 ber that had already gone through the rifling process was re- 
 stored. Hence the system of counting and comparison failed 
 to reach the case. The partner who conducted the investiga- 
 tion at one end of the line had never observed that many of 
 the letters must have been delayed. 
 
 After the main facts had been developed, the group began 
 to discuss the probable extent of the peculations. " My old 
 man," remarked the imperturbable "scion," with an air of 
 indifference, "will make good all losses put in everything. 
 He will give a check for the full amount." 
 
 This was afterwards done, so that the firm sustained no 
 direct pecuniary loss, though the annoyance and indirect losses 
 are hardly to be measured by a monetary standard. 
 
 They are not initiating any more wealthy young men into 
 the mysteries of the business. 
 
 BY HOOK OR BY CROOK. 
 
 Early one morning, Mr. White, a prominent merchant, 
 dropped into the office of Mr. Sharretts to enter complaint 
 against a mail-carrier. There could be no doubt about the 
 identity of the person who was troubling his peace. His 
 correspondence was large, and was now made up to a con- 
 siderable extent of letters from indignant customers, who 
 complained that their orders and remittances were suffered 
 to go unacknowledged. Some time before, with a view to 
 greater convenience and security, he had adopted the carrier 
 system, and had provided a strong receptacle near the center 
 of the store, wherein the carrier was directed to deposit all 
 letters for himself and his clerks. There was but one key 
 to the box, which he carried in person, opening it and distrib- 
 uting the contents at his convenience. Despite these pre- 
 cautions, he was continually losing letters, or receiving them 
 with the valuable inclosures abstracted. 
 
 Having received several fresh complaints from other parties 
 in the same locality, the special agent admitted that there was 
 
MR. WHITE IN TROUBLE. 247 
 
 sufficient ground for suspecting the carrier who served the 
 route. He began at once a series of extended and exhaustive 
 experiments, and though scores of enticing missives passed 
 through the hands of the suspected party, each one was de- 
 livered with disappointing regularity. During the progress 
 of the investigation, the box was uniformly examined imme- 
 diately after the departure of the carrier, and as the losses 
 abruptly ceased, Mr. White concluded that the thief had been 
 in some way apprised of the surveillance, and hence had 
 abandoned, temporarily, his evil practices. Accordingly, de- 
 tective operations were suspended, and matters permitted to 
 relapse into their old groove. 
 
 Within a week the stealing broke out again, with renewed 
 virulence. Mr. White revisited the office of the special agent 
 in a state of high excitement, and exhibited a number of 
 letters that had been rifled of their contents, the envelopes 
 betraying obvious signs of mutilation. One had been badly 
 torn in opening, and to conceal the rent, the flap was made 
 to fold considerably lower than at the original sealing, so that 
 the segments of the receiving post-mark of the station, im- 
 printed on the reverse side, no longer matched. This showed 
 that the letter had been violated after the stamp was placed 
 upon it. The officer felt certain that no one as intelligent as 
 the carrier on that route, if guilty of the robbery, would ever 
 deliver a missive so bunglingly maltreated. It would have 
 been destroyed, as many others had been. He inferred at 
 once that some employ^ in the store was doing the mischief, 
 though it was difficult to surmise how. 
 
 The establishment of Mr. White, on Broadway, occupied 
 nearly half the block. Wide counters lined the sides. Not 
 far from the center stood the receptacle for letters, a strong 
 box, with a narrow aperture on top, through which it was 
 impossible even for a young child to introduce the hand. 
 The proprietor reposed implicit confidence in the clerks and 
 porters, believing that neither one would perpetrate the thefts, 
 even if the opportunity was granted. The trouble could not 
 
248 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 be in his establishment, for even if the fold harbored a black 
 sheep, there was no way in which he could break through the 
 inclosure to steal. 
 
 Before the adoption of the carrier system, a youth of about 
 eighteen had acted as mail messenger. By comparing vari- 
 ous items of information, the officer learned that the losses 
 began soon after the lad was taken into the store. Demure, 
 circumspect, and always ready to oblige, he was pronounced 
 by his employer to be as " true as the sun." 
 
 More from the coincidence referred to than from the actions 
 or appearance of the young fellow, the agent decided to place 
 both him and the unfortunate receptacle under close surveil- 
 lance. An outlook was extemporized by cutting an aperture 
 through a door opening from one side of the store into an 
 unused passage, and it was arranged that the officer and a 
 faithful satellite should watch each day during the intervals 
 between the receipt of the mail and its removal by the pro- 
 prietor. The experiment was soon rewarded with success. 
 It was the third trial. The carrier had deposited the letters 
 as usual, and hurried on. The store was crowded with cus- 
 tomers, the salesmen busy, and all preoccupied. No one 
 inside paid any attention to the letter-box. Ere long the late 
 messenger advanced from the back of the store, and sidled 
 toward it, apparently unnoticed by the clerks and porters. 
 For a moment the lad was busy with the box, but the partial 
 interposition of his person prevented the watchers on the out- 
 side from seeing exactly what he did. The corners of en- 
 velopes, however, were observed on the quick passage from 
 the aperture to the pocket of the operator. 
 
 A few seconds later the proprietor entered the counting- 
 room, followed by the officer. " Here," said Mr. White, 
 beckoning to the bad boy, " show this gentleman where the 
 post-office is." 
 
 " All right," replied he, picking up his hat with alacrity, and 
 leaving the store in company with the stranger. Entirely 
 unsuspicious of the object of the expedition, he pointed out 
 
POVERTY AND TEMPTATION. 
 
 various places of interest on the way, and otherwise endeavored 
 to render himself agreeable. Not till he entered the room of 
 the special agent, and the door closed heavily behind, did the 
 
 red and pale shadows of ap- 
 prehension begin to play across 
 his face. 
 
 Seeing that resistance was 
 useless, the thief produced the 
 stolen letters, and the instrument 
 with which they were abstracted. 
 It was neither more nor less 
 than a long, crooked, wire hook, 
 which he was in the habit of 
 thrusting through the slit in the 
 top of the box, drawing up often 
 six or seven letters at a time. 
 
 The young rob- 
 ber wrote out a 
 statement of his 
 thefts, showing 
 when they com- 
 menced, and what 
 they amounted to. 
 In attempting to 
 explain his defec- 
 tion, he told the 
 same old story, 
 which officers in 
 large cities are 
 called upon to 
 hear so often. A 
 salary of three and 
 a half dollars a 
 
 "Entirely unsuspicious of the object of the expedi- 
 tion, he pointed out various places of interest on 
 the way." 
 
 week proved insufficient to meet the acknowledged demands 
 of billiard-rooms, theatres, and other places of amusement. 
 Fast company and expensive habits had led by swift stages 
 
250 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 to crime, exposure, and what seemed at the moment over- 
 whelming and irretrievable disgrace. 
 
 Mr. White was sent for, and to his tender mercies the sob- 
 bing thief was committed. That gentleman was greatly morti- 
 fied to find the marauder in his own employ instead of the 
 post-office, as he had stoutly maintained ; but his chagrin was 
 relieved by the satisfaction of having the source of the long- 
 continued injury to his business and reputation successfully 
 unearthed. 
 
 DELIVERED FROM EVIL. 
 
 Criminals, as a rule, are not overstocked with gratitude. 
 Perhaps leniency more frequently encourages fresh violations 
 of law than opens a way to reform. Hence it is doubly agree- 
 able to record instances where clemency has been received in a 
 spirit of thankfulness, and has proved instrumental in winning 
 the erring back to rectitude. 
 
 A lawyer, in the city of New York, enjoying a large and 
 lucrative practice, became suddenly aware that a danger, not 
 enumerated among the probable casualties of professional life, 
 menaced his business. The correspondence of the office fell 
 into perplexing entanglements. In nearly every mail ag- 
 grieved clients referred, in reproachful terms, to previous let- 
 ters and remittances that had received no acknowledgment. 
 
 Engrossed in legal work before the various tribunals of the 
 metropolis, some time elapsed before the lawyer began to look 
 seriously into the routine business of his own office, managed 
 hitherto entirely by subordinates. Ere long, however, the up- 
 braidings of the sufferers poured in in such numbers that he 
 was forced into active measures for the suppression of the evil. 
 Never doubting for a moment that the depredator was lurking 
 somewhere within the ample confines of the post-office, he 
 called on the postmaster to explain his tribulations, and was b} r 
 that official referred to the special agent. 
 
 Stepping through the doorway of Mr. Sharrett's room, he 
 inquired, with a lowering brow, and in a rather peremptory 
 tone, "Are you the post-office detective ?" 
 
AN IRATE LEGAL LUMINARY. 
 
 Agent. " I presume I am the person you inquire for." 
 
 Lawyer. " Some scoundrel in this post-office is stealing my 
 letters. It is terrible. Complaints come in by the score. I 
 wish you people to understand that unless the evil is suppressed 
 instantly, I am determined to pursue the matter to the bitter 
 end. I shall not be very particular, either, in regard to whom 
 I may hit or hurt." 
 
 Agent. w I am sorry to hear you are having trouble with 
 the mails. I assure you I will do everything in my power to 
 detect the guilty party. Are you satisfied that no one in your 
 own office is doing the mischief ? " 
 
 Lawyer. " Stop right there, if you please. Do not try to 
 evade or shift the responsibility. Assuredly I should not be 
 fool enough to bring hither grievances belonging to my own 
 establishment. No, sir. The trouble is right here in this 
 building, and I know it." 
 
 Agent. "Very well. If it is here, I will find it. All I ask 
 is your co-operation if I need it." 
 
 Lawyer. " Certainly, sir. If I can be of any service, do 
 not hesitate to call on me." 
 
 Having, in answer to the questions of the officer, imparted 
 such information as he possessed, the lawyer departed with 
 a serene bow, fully satisfied that, if the detective was sharp, 
 another post-office clerk would soon gaze upon the sky through 
 grated bars. 
 
 The special agent, however, did not accept the theory of the 
 complainant, though too well taught by experience to betray 
 the doubt. It happened that a few days prior to the call of 
 the legal luminary, whose presence had for a few moments 
 irradiated his humble sanctum, while standing in the lobby of 
 the post-office, nearly opposite to the box of the gentleman, 
 though not aware at the time to whom it belonged, his atten- 
 tion was attracted to a diminutive, cadaverous, hungry-eyed 
 boy, who, on withdrawing the letters, scrutinized and felt of 
 each one very carefully before depositing it in the bag. The 
 officer moved in that direction with the view of discovering the 
 
252 
 
 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 addresses, but the purpose was 
 thwarted by the inopportune 
 approach of an acquaintance, 
 who seized him by the coat, and 
 could not be shaken off till the 
 lad had turned to walk away. 
 The circumstance, however, 
 sufficed to indicate where the 
 leak was likely to be found. 
 
 A few mornings later, the 
 officer stood near the same box 
 on the arrival of the messen- 
 ger. Among the letters of the 
 lawyer was one very en- 
 ticing epistle that could 
 hardly fail to attract the 
 favorable consideration 
 of an habitual thief. The 
 boy was seen to select 
 this particular missive 
 for deposit in a side 
 coat-pocket, instead of 
 the proper receptacle. 
 Leaving the building, 
 he turned into a side 
 street, closely followed 
 by the officer, and was 
 apprehended in the very 
 act of abstracting the 
 contents. 
 When taken to the room 
 
 " Apprehended in the very act." of the special agent, the 
 
 poor starveling, sobbing as if the day of doom had come, told 
 his story, and a sad story it was. He admitted the long series 
 of thefts, and acknowledged that he appreciated the enormity 
 of the crime, but in broken accents pleaded for mercy. " O, 
 
STEAL OR STARVE. 253 
 
 sir," said he, "if you knew my circumstances, you would pity 
 me. I have no father. I am between fourteen and fifteen, 
 the oldest boy in the family, and the only one that has work. 
 I have three brothers, one four years old, one seven, and one 
 twelve ; and four sisters, but they can get nothing to do. My 
 eldest sister is sick, and we can get no medicine for her. It 
 makes my heart ache to see the sufferings of my poor mother 
 and of the children. Grandmother lives with us, too. Some- 
 times they have nothing but a soda cracker to eat all day. 
 Mother tries to get bread for me, as I work; but when I see 
 how the poor little ones look while I am eating, though they 
 don't say a word, I divide my crust with them, for I can't see 
 them starve. I only get three dollars a week. The money I 
 stole I gave to mother, making her believe I received extra 
 pay for overwork. O, sir, if I can only be forgiven this time, 
 I never will be dishonest again." 
 
 There was no evasion, concealment, or duplicity in the 
 countenance or manner of the lad. Sunken features and 
 shriveled limbs bore silent but pathetic witness to the reality 
 of slow starvation. He had sinned, it is true, and sinned 
 knowingly, but the crimes were begun and kept up to win 
 bread for the famishing. 
 
 " I am truly sorry for you," resumed the officer, sympatheti- 
 cally, "but I do not see how you can be saved from the fatal 
 consequences of your own misdeeds." 
 
 "What will mother say when she learns that I'm a thief!" 
 ejaculated the boy, bursting again into tears. " It will kill 
 her I know it will." 
 
 "You should have thought of that before," suggested the 
 special agent, more in the spirit of pity than of reproof. 
 
 "She has always tried to teach me to do right, and I have 
 turned out to be a thief," sobbed the child. " My poor mother, 
 my poor mother ! " 
 
 The employer was sent for. At first he manifested a great 
 deal of ill-temper toward the poor child, but on hearing the 
 whole story, his harshness dissolved into pity. At the earnest 
 
254 UNFAITHFUL MESSENGERS. 
 
 solicitation of the special agent, reinforced, probably, by pain- 
 ful twinges of conscience for paying such a miserable stipend 
 for services that began early and ended late, the lawyer took 
 back the little fellow at an increased compensation. 
 
 The special agent sought out the distressed family, plunging 
 his hand deeply into his pocket to relieve their wants. Others, 
 too, were brought to take an interest in their welfare. 
 
 The boy kept his promise to the letter, and has since won 
 several well-earned promotions. 
 

 
 
 g YEAR or two after the close 
 of the late war, the first as- 
 sistant postmaster-general re- 
 ceived a singular letter, cov- 
 ering four pages of foolscap, 
 from Oldbury, South Caro- 
 lina. Through much painful 
 chirography and bad spelling, 
 the writer, one Abel Ridley, 
 complained that, though right- 
 ful postmaster, he was kept 
 out of possession of the office 
 by violence and fraud. Many 
 months before, according to 
 the allegations, he had re- 
 ceived the appointment, made 
 the bond, and been duly com- 
 missioned, but during all this 
 long period had been cruelly 
 deprived of his rights by some 
 
 mysterious usurper, who persistently refused to recognize the 
 
 just claims of the complainant. 
 
 A special agent was directed to proceed thither to learn 
 
 the facts and take such action as the merits of the case 
 
 might require. On reaching Oldbury he found that the let- 
 
256 AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 ter contained a little truth, mixed with a good deal of false- 
 hood. 
 
 For a number of years after the war, great difficulty was 
 experienced in filling the smaller offices at the south, as incum- 
 bents were required to take the "iron-clad oath," which few 
 were able or willing to do. Among the devices for evading 
 the law the most common was a dual arrangement whereby 
 one party did the swearing and appeared on the record, while 
 the other performed the work and drew the pay. Unmarried 
 women or old men generally served as the figure-heads. 
 
 Oldbury was a thriving village, and on the return of peace 
 the community were in haste to secure a restoration of former 
 mail facilities. They desired that the gentleman who had 
 acceptably filled the position of postmaster for fifteen years 
 should continue to serve in the same capacity ; but he could 
 not take the prescribed oath, having held office under the con- 
 federacy. In looking about for a man of straw to do the 
 swearing, they hit upon Ridley, a comparative stranger, who, 
 at the suggestion of the proposed beneficiary of the arrange- 
 ment, swallowed the iron-clad, and relapsed into obscurity. 
 The old postmaster ran on in the old groove, evidently believ- 
 ing that he held the place by prescriptive right and by a life- 
 tenure. Meanwhile the humble mercantile ventures of Ridley 
 turned out so badly that he found himself pushed to the wall. 
 While his fortunes had been going down, the salary of the 
 postmaster had been going up, till it now amounted to about 
 eight hundred dollars a year. The temptation was too great. 
 Ridley, who had no weight in the community, and whose 
 connection with the office was purely nominal, determined, if 
 possible, to make its emoluments his own. Without friends or 
 influence, how was he to accomplish this? Hardly thinking his 
 words would ever return to confront him, he wrote to the de- 
 partment the letter referred to at the outset. 
 
 On bringing the rival claimants together, the special agent 
 learned that Ridley had never demanded the office from the 
 actual incumbent, or even intimated that he would like it. In 
 
CROOKED PROCEEDINGS. 
 
 257 
 
 fact, not a word had ever passed between them on the subject, 
 the tale of dispossession by fraud and violence, with its vari- 
 ous embellishments, being a pure fabrication. Both were 
 equally surprised at 
 the turn of affairs ,./ 
 
 Ridley at the ex- n,{\( 
 posure of his dupli- 
 city, and the uncon- 
 scious assistant that 
 his tenure should be 
 covertly assailed by 
 one who had been 
 brought into the af- 
 fair as a matter 
 of convenience, and 
 whose connection 
 with the arrange- 
 ment was almost 
 forgotten. 
 
 Though it was a 
 great trial to be com- 
 pelled to interpose in 
 behalf of a liar and 
 a sneak, no alterna- 
 tive was offered but 
 to place Ridley, who 
 held the commis- 
 sion, in possession 
 of the office. In his 
 case a bad begin- 
 ning missed widely 
 of making a good 
 ending. 
 
 In the summer of 1870, a banker of Augusta, Georgia, accost- 
 ing on the street the special agent already mentioned, informed 
 him that a certain pawnbroker was offering about the city, at a 
 
 The Pawnbroker. 
 
258 AN APPLICANT FOR RE APPOINTMENT. 
 
 discount of five per cent. , a lot of postage stamps worth on their 
 face one hundred and fifty dollars. Some postmaster was obvi- 
 ously perpetrating a fraud on the government, and the first 
 point in the investigation was to locate the swindle. 
 
 The records of the post-office at Augusta showed that for 
 several months the pawnbroker had been sending registered 
 letters to Ridley, the postmaster at Oldbury, South Carolina, 
 with whom the reader already enjoys a slight acquaintance. 
 As a faithless employd of the department would not be likely 
 to use the mails for the transmission of contraband wares, 
 the special agent went to the headquarters of the Southern 
 Express Company to inquire whether any packages had been 
 transmitted through their hands between the suspected party 
 and the pawnbroker. Although the rules of this company 
 require the business of its patrons to be treated as strictly con- 
 fidential, the general and division superintendents uniformly 
 co-operate with the post-office department in its efforts to detect 
 fraud. Agents of the government are indebted to them for 
 much valuable assistance, which, the writer is happy to testify, 
 has within the range of his observation uniformly been ren- 
 dered with zeal and courtesy. 
 
 In this case, the books of the company happily supplemented 
 the information furnished at the post-office. Ridley had sent 
 to the pawnbroker several valuable packages by express, and 
 the proceeds less the discounts had obviously been returned in 
 registered letters. 
 
 Readers unacquainted with post-office details will naturally 
 inquire how Ridley, after supplying stamps to his own neigh- 
 borhood, could accumulate a stock to be peddled elsewhere. 
 Had he been honest there would have been no surplus. Under 
 the law as it then existed, the salaries of postmasters in offices 
 like Oldbury depended mainly on the number of stamps can- 
 celed, which every two years were counted for three or six 
 consecutive months, and reported to the department under 
 oath. By swearing to false returns he had succeeded in a 
 brief period in running his salary up from eight hundred to 
 
SETTING A TRAP FOR RIDLEY. 259 
 
 fifteen hundred dollars. Instead of ordering stamps from the 
 department on the basis of the actual needs of the office, his 
 requisitions were swollen to treble the proper amount for the 
 purpose of hiding the fraud. The surplus he expected to dis- 
 pose of in other places through the agency of disreputable 
 characters like himself. Except for the information furnished 
 by the banker, the crime might have passed undetected, as the 
 head of the stamp division in Washington, if, in the multiplicity 
 of work, his attention had been called to the rapid growth of 
 the business at Oldbury, might naturally have inferred that the 
 village was highly prosperous, rather than that the postmaster 
 was a knave. 
 
 It is generally safe to assume that a man who will lie and 
 commit perjury, will also steal whenever he thinks he has a 
 safe chance. Recent discoveries turned a bright light upon 
 the ill-omened visage of Ridley as he writhed a couple of } r ears 
 before under the exposure of the falsehoods contained in his 
 first letter to the department. Mere dismissal seemed to be an 
 entirely inadequate punishment for his repeated offenses, and 
 3*et if the postmaster-general took immediate action he could 
 do no more than turn him out. Simple lying is not a crime on 
 the statute books, and the fact of perjury, however indisputable 
 in reality, could not be established by legal proof in a court of 
 justice. 
 
 In looking over the reports of mail depredations in South 
 Carolina, the special agent found but two losses that could pos- 
 sibly be charged to the office at Oldbury, and each of these 
 might have occurred elsewhere. One, being a little peculiar, 
 suggested a device which proved entirely successful. 
 
 A registered letter mailed originally at Pendleton, South 
 Carolina, to Ninety-Six, remained in the office uncalled for, 
 the party addressed an itinerant having gone elsewhere 
 in his round of travel. He subsequently wrote to Ninety-Six, 
 requesting that the letter be forwarded to Oldbury. Instead 
 of inclosing it as he ought in a registered package-envelope, 
 wherein its course could be traced by an unbroken chain of 
 
260 AN APPLICANT FOR RE APPOINTMENT. 
 
 receipts, the postmaster dispatched it as an ordinary letter in 
 the regular mail. Although the distance was short, it never 
 reached the owner. The stamp business raised a strong pre- 
 sumption that the letter was stolen by Ridley. 
 
 An experienced agent aims to bait a thief in the line of his 
 habitual operations, and the hint suggested by this loss was 
 accordingly acted upon. 
 
 At this time the special agent was compelled to make a flying 
 trip to Mississippi, and while there prepared a number of de- 
 coys, with suitable postmarks, for the express benefit of Abel 
 Ridley. Armed with these, he proceeded to Columbia as a 
 base of operations, prepared to prosecute the chase till the 
 thief was caught, or till his innocence of actual robbery was 
 demonstrated. 
 
 The first decoy consisted of two registered letters, one post- 
 marked with the office stamp of Canton, Mississippi, and the 
 other postmarked Calhoun, Mississippi. Judging from the 
 exterior of this missive, the postmaster at Calhoun had never 
 read the regulations with much care, for, in addition to bar- 
 barous chirography, mistakes had been committed wherever 
 mistakes were possible. 
 
 The letter from Canton was directed to William Ross, Old- 
 bury, South Carolina, and the other to John Converse, Oak 
 Hill, Mississippi. Both were inclosed in a registered package- 
 envelope, duly postmarked at Canton. No way-bill or other 
 explanatory paper accompanied the letter for Converse. It 
 seemed, to all appearance, to have been dropped into the pack- 
 age-envelope inadvertently by the postmaster at Canton, and 
 having gone so widely astray, the presumptions were strong 
 that every trace of it must be lost. Notwithstanding its unpre- 
 possessing aspect, however, it contained twenty-two dollars, 
 temptingly folded. 
 
 The package inclosing the two letters was made up in the 
 presence of the assistant postmaster at Columbia, and sealed 
 with wax. Having been duly directed to the postmaster at 
 Oldbury, it was ready to start on its mission. 
 
ON THE WATCH. 
 
 26l 
 
 The following day the detective accompanied the route agent 
 over the road, and saw the package delivered to the mail mes- 
 senger at Oldbury. It was the duty of the postmaster, on find- 
 ing that one of the inclosures had miscarried, to register it at 
 once to the office of destination. 
 
 The return mail passed four hours later, and though the con- 
 tents of the pouch were carefully examined, the missing letter 
 failed to appear. The watch was kept up the second and third 
 
 w The conductor kindly stopped to let the special agent off. 
 
 day with similar results. Had Mr. John Converse been a veri- 
 table personage of average sensibilities, he would have grown 
 uneasy about the safety of his twenty-two dollars even as the 
 case stood then. On the third day, after the train had passed 
 some distance beyond the village, the conductor kindly stopped 
 to let the special agent off. 
 
 The most exciting part of the game had now been reached. 
 It is always the desire of a conscientious agent to vindicate a 
 
262 AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 suspected party if innocent, and to entrap him beyond the pos- 
 sibility of doubt or cavil if guilty. Failure to secure evidence 
 requisite to convince the minds of a jury may give the post- 
 office marauder further license to continue his depredations 
 upon society. Yet this evidence consists of a few bills which 
 may still remain undisturbed in the letter as it reached the 
 office, or may have been spent, and thus have disappeared 
 beyond recovery. To insure success in springing the trap, 
 one has to avoid equally procrastination and precipitancy, and 
 the unknown conditions of each case are too numerous to per- 
 mit one to decide when to strike with any very strong assurance 
 that he is not committing a mistake. After weighing the prob- 
 abilities, and adopting the course which seems on the whole to 
 be best, the expert in detecting crime comes to be more and 
 more upheld by the faith that the devil has a scurvy trick of 
 deserting a thief in the supreme crisis of his need. Fate seems 
 often to contribute more than wit to the success of the final 
 catastrophe. 
 
 The officer first sought a reputable citizen who consented to 
 accompany him in the capacity of witness. Ridley did not 
 appear particularly well pleased to receive a visit from an agent 
 of the government, but an examination of irrelevant matters 
 soon put him comparatively at ease. As the course of inquiry 
 turned, however, to the registry business, and gradually nar- 
 rowed down toward the letter from Calhoun, Mississippi, his 
 agitation visibly returned. When questioned about the con- 
 tents of the package, he acknowledged that it held two letters, 
 and produced the one for William Ross, but after a cursory 
 search pretended he could not find its comrade directed to our 
 friend John Converse. When assured with unmistakable em- 
 phasis that it must be produced, he suddenly remembered that 
 he had taken it to his house, several blocks distant, and with 
 much alacrity volunteered to go for it. With equal readiness 
 the special agent offered to keep him company. He then went 
 to a desk nailed to one end of the store, and after turning over 
 the contents, stealthily slipped something into a side pocket. 
 
UNDKSIRED ASSISTANCE. 
 
 263 
 
 Notwithstanding the partial interposition of his person and the 
 quickness of his movements, the officer caught a glimpse of two 
 ten-dollar bills. As the fellow emerged from behind the coun- 
 
 O 
 
 ter he was stopped in the middle of the floor, where there was 
 no chance for further tricks or concealments, and asked to un- 
 load. Perhaps he was slightly assisted in the process. Out 
 of a side pocket of his coat, along with other less interesting 
 matter, was drawn the letter for John Converse, broken open, 
 
 " As the fellow emerged from behind the counter he was stopped in the middle 
 of the floor, where there was no chance for further tricks." 
 
 and minus twenty dollars. The two dollars were left. As the 
 postmaster claimed to be a pious man, he was possibly too con- 
 scientious to steal the whole. In his hand, as it came from the 
 desk, were two ten-dollar notes, which he asserted were the 
 identical notes he had taken from the letter. 
 
 Ridley was immediately taken before the trial-justice of the 
 place for a preliminary hearing. By a memorandum describ- 
 
264 AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 ing the money in the decoy, the two dollars were now identified. 
 The tens had been spent, the substitutes produced by the post- 
 master lacking the numbers and other marks of the originals. 
 By way of explanation he said that, being hard pressed for 
 funds, and finding a registered letter a good deal out of its 
 course, he had temporarily borrowed twenty dollars, expecting 
 to replace the money from his first spare change. He argued 
 to himself that Mr. Converse would not be greatly inconven- 
 ienced by the additional delay. The justice, however, took a 
 different view of the transaction, and committed him for trial 
 at the next term of the United States court. Ridley made 
 pathetic appeals to a number of neighbors to sign a bond for 
 his appearance, but as no one could be prevailed upon to take 
 the risk, he was marched off to jail to await, in safe quarters, 
 the meeting of the court. 
 
 The conduct of the office now devolved upon the sureties, 
 whom the special agent assisted in taking an account of stock. 
 In rummaging the mysterious desk already referred to, one of 
 them drew forth a volume carefully enveloped in a multiplicity 
 of wrappings. It might be an heirloom, or keepsake from the 
 dewy innocence of youth. A suggestion of former happiness 
 amid misery, or of lost innocence in crime, always touches the 
 sensibilities. The finder was visibly moved. His thoughts 
 evidently reverted from the dreary fate of Abel Ridley to the 
 early days when sacred teachings were prized, and, without a 
 word spoken, the discovery, by the painful contrast it sug- 
 gested to the mind, seemed to impress the little group with 
 a keener appreciation of the moral ruin of a man who had 
 started in life, perhaps, with a good outfit for an honorable 
 career. Their feelings, however, experienced the most pain- 
 ful revulsion when the real character of the book became known. 
 It was a grossly obscene affair, an emanation from the kingdom 
 of Satan, a pool of pollution, which no right-minded person 
 could glance over without feelings of unutterable disgust. Its 
 discovery among the treasured effects of the criminal gave 
 another illustration of the fearful tie that binds all vices in a 
 
THE TRUTHFUL YOUNG MAN. 
 
 26 5 
 
 kindred plexus. Falsehood, perjury, thieving, and obscenity 
 flourish on one stem, and grow rank together. 
 
 By the time the trial came on in the United States court, at 
 Columbia, Ridley had concocted a story to explain the abstrac- 
 tion of the money, which he expected would take him safely 
 through. In South Carolina, at that time, defendants in crim- 
 inal prosecutions, in derogation of the common-law practice, 
 were permitted to testify in 
 their own behalf. His own 
 testimony was supplemented 
 by that of his son, a lad of 
 perhaps eighteen summers, 
 but much older in the expe- 
 rience picked up among bad 
 companions, and in improper 
 resorts, than in years. False- 
 hood, however well guarded, 
 makes, as the sequel will 
 show, a very unsafe defense. 
 The moment one abandons 
 the bed-rock of integrity and 
 truth, he is liable at any turn 
 to trip irretrievably, for a lie 
 is only a snare to catch a fool. 
 
 The youth first took the 
 stand. He swore that he was 
 in the office at Oldbury alone 
 when the registered package 
 arrived. On cutting the end he found two letters bearing the 
 addresses previously described. The envelope of the one 
 directed to John Converse came broken open, as exhibited to 
 the jury, so that the contents were exposed. At this juncture 
 a large number of money-orders were brought in for payment, 
 and the cash-box did not hold funds enough to meet the drain. 
 In the dilemma, without the knowledge of the postmaster, the 
 young man "borrowed" twenty dollars from the letter of "John 
 
 " The youth first took the stand." 
 
266 AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 Converse " to aid in tiding over the crisis, intending to replace 
 the amount and forward the same to its destination as soon as 
 the finances of the office were sufficiently recruited to permit. 
 He gave quite a pathetic account of the lecture, partly of 
 reproof and partly of admonition, administered by his careful 
 and conscientious parent when this device for " raising the 
 wind" was first communicated to him. 
 
 Ridley corroborated the story of the boy, and though the 
 skillful cross-questioning of the district attorney led him into 
 numerous contradictions and entanglements, forcing him often 
 to wince fearfully under the fire, he stepped at length from the 
 witness-stand under the apparent belief that his chances were 
 good for breaking through the damning array of facts as well 
 as the meshes of the law. 
 
 Incidents seemingly trivial, frequently determine the fate of a 
 case. While no degree of prescience can foresee what sort of 
 a lie a thief on trial will contrive to mislead the minds of a jury, 
 or prepare in advance the evidence to rebut it, a mistake or act 
 of forgetfulness may be the means of exploding the falsehood. 
 In this instance both decoys were written and sealed before the 
 officer reached Columbia. It was important, however, to have 
 the memorandum describing the inclosed bills properly verified 
 by a disinterested witness. Suppose the postmaster should rob 
 the letter and spend the money, and it should be found in the 
 hands of the party to whom he had passed it. The thief could 
 argue that the memorandum was falsely and wickedly man- 
 ufactured by the special agent to correspond with the supposed 
 discovery, and that not he but the agent was the real criminal. 
 
 Accordingly the officer wished the assistant postmaster at Co- 
 lumbia a gentleman universally respected for integrity, and 
 whose word no one in that community would doubt to be pre- 
 pared, in case a necessity should arise, to identify the notes. 
 They carefully examined the envelope, with the view of reopen- 
 ing it; but as it was firmly sealed, and as the agent had no du- 
 plicate with the Calhoun postmark, a matter of vital impor- 
 tance to the success of the scheme, the assistant copied the 
 
CRIME CANNOT BE HIDDEN. 267 
 
 memorandum in a record-book of the office, instead of describing 
 the bills from personal inspection. By either method the verifi- 
 cation would be equally complete. The incident strongly im- 
 pressed upon the minds of both gentlemen the thoroughness 
 with which the flap was secured. In the presence of each 
 other they inclosed the two letters in one of the package-enve- 
 lopes provided by the department for registered matter, and 
 sealed it with wax. The missive was then turned over to the 
 assistant to be dispatched by the outgoing mail. 
 
 In telling the story of crime and its detection, one is tempted 
 to pause, more frequently perhaps than is agreeable to the 
 reader, to moralize on the impossibility of either hiding guilt, 
 or of obliterating the evidences of its existence. If Nature 
 photographs on imperishable plates, as perhaps she may, ev- 
 ery deed, and word, and thought, the dread record will add 
 little to the certainty of discovery and retribution. No cover 
 is big enough to cover itself. Even darkness and solitude 
 refuse to befriend the wrong-doer. The sands of the desert, 
 the storm-beaten rocks on the lonely mountain-side, the restless 
 billows of the deep, scorn to hide the guilty actions perpetrated 
 in their presence: The very precaution taken for the purpose 
 of eluding pursuit becomes the clue which pilots the avenger 
 to the hiding-place of the criminal, be it in the wilderness or 
 in the busiest haunts of men. 
 
 But, inquires the doubter, how on your hypothesis do you 
 account for the enormities the arsons, the robberies, the mur- 
 ders that go unexplained and unpunished? 
 
 Our answer would be, that in every instance sufficient traces 
 are left behind to enable a thoroughly competent detective to 
 connect unerringly the offense and the perpetrator. The fail- 
 ures are attributable to lack of skill on the part of officers 
 not to the lack of evidence. 
 
 The evidence of the assistant postmaster at Columbia refuted 
 the story of the son that the letter for John Converse was broken 
 open when it reached the office at Oldbury, for nothing but a 
 charge of nitro-glycerine could have done the work. The tes- 
 
268 AN APPLICANT FOR REAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 timony of the father was contradicted by his own statements 
 made in the presence of witnesses at the time of his arrest. 
 Thus the falsehoods contrived to shield a thief from the penal- 
 ties of his crime were so effectually exposed that after a brief 
 consultation the jury brought in a verdict of guilty. He was 
 sentenced to a term of ten years in the penitentiary, but after 
 serving two, received a pardon from the President. The last 
 the special agent heard of Ridley he was actually applying to 
 the department for reappointment as postmaster at Oldbury ! 
 If he wishes an indorsement from one familiar with an event- 
 ful portion of his career, he is at liberty to use the statements 
 contained in the foregoing narrative. 
 
ARLY in the year 1872 there 
 began a series of alarming rob- 
 .beries on the route between 
 Toledo, Ohio, and Buffalo, 
 New York, which long baffled 
 the ingenuity not only of the 
 agents of the department, but 
 of the skilled detectives of 
 Pinkerton's force, who were 
 employed by Adams Express 
 Company, one of the principal 
 sufferers, to work upon the 
 case. At irregular intervals, 
 numerous letters, passing 
 eastward, containing checks, 
 drafts, and money, were ab- 
 stracted from the mails, and a 
 few days later, by means of 
 forged indorsements, the nego- 
 tiable paper was collected at 
 different cities, through the 
 agency of different express companies. All the transactions 
 growing out of each robbery were necessarily compressed into 
 a very brief period ; and so artfully were the details planned, 
 that by the time the forgeries were discovered, the rogues had 
 disappeared completely from view. 
 
 His just deserts. 
 
27O THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 The line between Toledo and Buffalo is one of the most 
 important postal routes in the country, the distribution of mails 
 between the east and the west being performed in commodi- 
 ous cars fitted up for the purpose, so that letters and papers 
 are hurried forward to their ultimate destination without any 
 delay whatever at intermediate points. To accomplish the 
 work, four clerks are required on each car, and during the 
 greater part of the distance they are kept busily occupied. 
 
 Several letters going east over the Lake Shore Road, on 
 the 23d of April, 1872, the date when this remarkable series 
 of depredations began, failed to reach the offices of destina- 
 tion, and, but for the occurrences that immediately followed, 
 would have dropped to the level of commonplace losses by 
 mail. The ordinary thief aims to confine his operations exclu- 
 sively to letters containing money, and by practice often 
 becomes very expert in distinguishing remittances of currency. 
 Whatever drafts, checks, or other negotiable paper happen 
 to fall into his hands, are usually destroyed at the first oppor- 
 tunity. So far as possible he avoids molesting any but money 
 letters, partly, perhaps, from a faint regard for the rights of 
 correspondents, and still more because each loss increases 
 the chances of detection. 
 
 A day or two later, a young man passing under the name 
 ofC. H. Rugby, deposited for collection with the American 
 Express Company, at Albany, New York, three drafts, 
 amounting in the aggregate to twenty-eight hundred dollars. 
 Through intermediate fictitious indorsements all were made 
 payable to his order. Neither bore any external mark of 
 fraud. In due time the paper was converted into currency, 
 and awaited in the vaults of the company the pleasure of the 
 owner. In this instance, however, Mr. Rugby, being a novice 
 at one of the boldest and most desperate games the swindler 
 can undertake, failed to be identified to the satisfaction of the 
 cashier, who accordingly declined to turn over the funds. 
 Finding that, through incompleteness of preparations, he 
 was doomed to failure at Albany, he directed the packages 
 
A BOGUS MERCHANT. 271 
 
 to be forwarded to New York city, and hurried thither 
 himself. 
 
 Among the trophies of the first raid was a note addressed 
 by a merchant of Rowley, Missouri, to H. B. Clafiin & Co., 
 one of the largest dry-goods houses in New York. A hint or 
 two from the context germinated fruitfully in the fertile brain 
 of the adventurer. Rowley, Missouri, was an excellent town 
 to hail from, and the reputable dealer, whose innocent letter 
 had gone so sadly astray, could be made to stand sponsor for 
 a stranger among strangers. 
 
 On a bright morning in the latter part of April, a young 
 man of rather loud manners, but somewhat nervous and excit- 
 able withal, walked into the private office of Mr. Claflin, and 
 handed him a letter of introduction purporting to come from 
 his correspondent at Rowley. The bearer, Mr. C. H. Rugby, 
 was described as a responsible merchant of that place, on a 
 visit to the east for the purchase of goods, and was warmly 
 commended to the favor of Mr. Claflin. That gentleman, 
 raising his eyes from the note, scanned him cautiously, and 
 inquired on what terms he wished to purchase. The pseudo- 
 dealer replied with slight embarrassment that he was ready to 
 pay cash, and had the requisite funds at the express office, it 
 being only necessary for the firm to send some one down to 
 identify him. Mr. Claflin directed an employe to accompany 
 Rugby to the express office, but the cashier declined to de- 
 liver the money without a written order from the firm. This 
 Rugby succeeded in procuring, and on presentation to the 
 superintendent, it was indorsed w O. K.," and passed on to 
 the paying clerk. The packages were withdrawn from the 
 safe, and two of them checked off on the register, when the 
 clerk called to the superintendent, who was about to leave the 
 building, and placed in his hands a letter from the office at 
 Albany. The uneasy manner and excited movements of 
 Rugby had aroused the suspicions of the manager at that 
 place, so that when directed to forward the collections to New 
 York city, he took the precaution to dispatch a note at the 
 
272 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 same time, expressing his apprehensions, and urging unusual 
 care in making the delivery. After a brief consultation, the 
 superintendent decided to send the packages to the office of 
 
 Claflin & Co., 
 and informed 
 Rugby that he 
 could call there 
 L for them. A mes- 
 
 senger was ac- 
 cordingly dis- 
 patched with the 
 money, and the 
 man who was so 
 anxious to lay his 
 hands on it was 
 not long in fol- 
 lowing. By this 
 time Mr. Claflin, 
 beginning to sus- 
 pect that the 
 merchant from 
 Rowley might be 
 more anxious to 
 sell than to buy, 
 declined to receive the pack- 
 ages, and the messenger de- 
 parted as heavily freighted as 
 he came. Meanwhile Rugby 
 strolled in, and while loitering 
 in the sales-room, was tapped 
 on the shoulder by a clerk, 
 who notified him that the pro- 
 prietor wished to see him in 
 his office. Rugby's courage was fast oozing away, for as dis- 
 appointments culminated he knew not what exposure and peril 
 any moment might bring ; but, putting on a bold face for the 
 
 " That gentleman, raising his eyes from 
 the note, scanned him cautiously." 
 
A BOLD STROKE. 273 
 
 final effort, he proceeded to comply with the request. With a 
 polite intimation that a delay of a few hours could not serious- 
 ly incommode him, Mr. Claflin regretted that he could not 
 identify him till he had telegraphed to Rowley, to inquire if 
 everything was right. He had sent a dispatch, and expected 
 an answer in the course of the day. The stranger seemed 
 satisfied, and with a " Good-day, I will call in a little while," 
 stepped out, not to return. A few days later, when the real 
 character of the transaction came to light, no one of the par- 
 ties in interest knew whence the swindler came or whither he 
 went. 
 
 The stock of drafts in possession of the robber was not yet 
 exhausted. The day after Mr. Claflin enjoyed so many in- 
 terviews with the merchant from Rowley, a man representing 
 himself to be a member of the house of Flynn Brothers, of Nor- 
 walk, Ohio, stepped into a grocery in Philadelphia, and effected 
 a purchase amounting to several hundred dollars, offering in 
 payment a check for twelve hundred dollars, mailed at Fostoria, 
 Ohio, to a firm in New York. As over a week had elapsed 
 since the issue of the paper, the holder telegraphed to the 
 drawee to inquire if it was good, and receiving an affirmative 
 reply, did not hesitate to play boldly. The grocer accepted 
 the draft, giving his own check on a local bank for a balance 
 of four hundred and sixty dollars. The purchaser of salt and 
 sugar for the retail house of Flynn Brothers was joined by a 
 comrade on emerging into the street, and the pair sought out a 
 clothing-store in the neighborhood, where they invested quite 
 liberally in the way of replenishing their wardrobes. The 
 check of the grocer was offered in payment, but the clothier, 
 not being acquainted with the drawer, declined to receive it 
 without making inquiry at the bank. 
 
 w Very well," said the stranger, " send down your messen- 
 ger, and if you find it all right, you can give me the change." 
 
 After considerable parley and several excursions on the 
 part of the errand-boy, the proprietor became satisfied of the 
 sufficiency of the check, and paid over the balance in currency., 
 18 
 
274 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 This was the first and only money realized by the operator 
 from the robberies of April 23d, and seemed a meager return 
 for the cost and dangers of the venture. But failure served 
 to indicate the imperfections of his method, and, instead of 
 discouraging him from further frauds, proved rich in sugges- 
 tions for the successful development of subsequent villanies. 
 
 On the 28th of May, another heavy raid was made on the 
 eastward bound mail between Toledo and Buffalo. Among 
 the spoils were two checks one for fifteen hundred dollars, 
 mailed the previous day at La Crosse, Wisconsin, by Hon. 
 C. C. Washburn, and made payable by his indorsement to 
 the order of Dr. W. L. Richardson, of Boston, Massachu- 
 setts ; and another for twelve hundred, drawn on a bank in 
 New York city. Receiving no acknowledgment for the re- 
 mittance, Governor Washburn wrote a second letter to Dr. 
 Richardson, and was informed in reply that the first had not 
 come to hand. He then sent a duplicate, which Dr. Rich- 
 ardson deposited in a Boston bank for collection. It was for- 
 warded to the drawee in New York, where it was protested 
 and returned on the ground that the original had been paid. 
 
 It was soon learned that the original had been collected 
 by one R. L. Dudley through the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) 
 agency of the Adams Express Company, having been depos- 
 ited by him on the 3ist of May, and the proceeds having been 
 paid to him June 3d. Several years before, Dudley had re- 
 sided temporarily in Pittsburgh, and had married in the vicin- 
 ity. A sister of his wife and a brother-in-law were then 
 living in Allegheny City, on the opposite side of the river. 
 Dudley was identified at the express office by Mr. J. D. For- 
 rester, a dealer in sewing-machines. On the pretense of 
 buying a machine, Dudley called at the salesroom in com- 
 pany with his brother-in-law, a customer of Mr. Forrester, 
 and had one sent to his boarding-house for trial. Having no 
 cause whatever to suspect that he was the victim of an impo- 
 sition, Mr. Forrester fell into the trap, and innocently enacted 
 the part prepared for him by the forger. 
 
DODGING THE DETECTIVES. 
 
 275 
 
 The swindler was not so lucky with the other draft depos- 
 ited for collection at the same time. Through haste, or care- 
 lessness, the letter "e" was left out in writing the word 
 twelve ; and on that ground the New York bank refused 
 payment. 
 
 By the time an agent of the department reached Pitts- 
 burgh, Dudley had fled to parts unknown, his family connec- 
 
 " On the pretense of buying a machine, Dudley called at the salesroom 
 in company with his brother in law." 
 
 tions professing entire ignorance of his plans and movements. 
 Very few knew him even by sight. During his late sojourn 
 at Allegheny City, he boarded with his brother-in-law, and 
 studiously avoided public observation. This was the only 
 point during his short and eventful career in forging drafts 
 stolen from the mails where he passed under his real name. 
 During the month of June quiet prevailed on the Lake 
 
276 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 Shore ; but early in July a third swoop was made upon the 
 eastward bound mail. The following day, drafts, abstracted 
 from the rifled letters to the amount of five thousand two hun- 
 dred dollars, were placed in White's Bank at Buffalo for col- 
 lection ; and another for nine hundred and forty-seven dollars 
 and twenty-five cents was deposited in the express office for 
 the same purpose. All were indorsed by C. H. Bogart, a late 
 comer in Buffalo, who was supposed to be engaged in the 
 slate business. As his main object was to win the confidence 
 of the banker, and to become acquainted with the employes at 
 the express office, he remained under cover most of the time, 
 and did not regret the lack of customers. Four or five days 
 after depositing the paper, Bogart reappeared, neatly arrayed 
 in clean linen, and, dropping into the bank where he had 
 opened an account, inquired if the collections had been made. 
 Receiving an affirmative reply, he drew his own check for 
 over four thousand dollars, with the remark that he was 
 obliged to make a large payment. Luckily for the bank, but 
 unfortunately for the schemer, the cashier gave him in ex- 
 change a certified check on them, which he was unable to 
 convert into currency, as he failed to establish his identity. 
 At the express office he fared better, going away richer by 
 nine hundred and forty -seven dollars and twenty -five cents 
 than he entered. From that evening forward, the places in 
 Buffalo that had lately known Bogart knew him no more. 
 Like the unhappy traffickers at Vanity Fair, he bursted like a 
 bubble, and seemed to evaporate in the air. His landlady was 
 inconsolable, and customers, if they sought him at all, sought 
 him in vain. 
 
 For five or six weeks everything moved on smoothly. Sud- 
 denly, about the middle of September, the malady broke out 
 in a new place. Four drafts for $1000, $500, $130, and $100 
 respectively, which should have passed over the Lake Shore 
 Road on the seventeenth of the month, instead of reaching the 
 owners at Boston and Hartford, were deposited in two express 
 offices at Newark, New Jersey, for collection, indorsed in due 
 
277 
 
 form by R. D. Randall. The gentleman in question had an 
 office in Newark, but, for greater salubrity of climate, resided 
 at Elizabeth. Dressing well and spending money freely, he 
 made many acquaintances who regarded him as the prince of 
 good fellows, and some of whom stood ready not merely to 
 identify him, but to indorse for him. Gaining skill by prac- 
 tice, and boldness by immunity, he was fast rising from the 
 rank of low cheats to the more exclusive class of accom- 
 plished swindlers. The blunders which thwarted the imma- 
 ture arrangements of the merchant from Rowley, he could 
 smile at now as the mistakes of a tyro. Already he began to 
 wear the air and manners of an artist, conscious of the ability 
 to reach the envied heights of the profession. There still 
 remained a good deal of the swagger and turgidity incident 
 to the period of incubation and the intoxication of first suc- 
 cess ; but minor blemishes of deportment are rapidly toned 
 down by time and by the conflicts of life. Randall experi- 
 enced no difficulty in procuring the money on three of the 
 drafts ; but the collection of the fourth was for some reason 
 delayed till he became afraid to call for the proceeds. In a 
 very short time the forgeries were detected, but once more the 
 bird had fled. 
 
 The next we hear of the forger is at Rochester, New York, 
 where he rented an office under the name of R. W. Davis, 
 and, by liberal expenditures for liquor and cigars, forced a 
 rapid acquaintance among the parties through whom he pro- 
 posed to operate. On the ist of November he deposited at 
 the express office a draft for seven hundred and seventy dol- 
 lars, stolen in the usual way, and, on receiving the proceeds a 
 few days later, decamped. 
 
 On the yth of January, 1873, another miscellaneous lot of 
 letters was stolen from the mails on the Lake Shore Road. 
 A couple of days later, a draft for nine hundred and twenty- 
 nine dollars and eighty-six cents, purchased at the Merchants' 
 National Bank, Toledo, and forwarded by mail to E. A. 
 Mudge & Co., of Boston, was deposited with the Adams 
 
278 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 Express Company at Philadelphia for collection, and at the 
 same time also a draft for three hundred and twenty-two dol- 
 lars and eighty-five cents, drawn by the First National Bank 
 of Toledo in favor of Tenney, Aldrich & Co., of Boston. By 
 forged indorsements, both were made payable to the order of 
 T. H. Cone, the name assumed by the swindler in Philadel- 
 phia. The cashier declined to receive the drafts till the holder 
 was identified, the company from repeated losses having in- 
 structed their agents to use extreme care and vigilance in 
 delivering valuable packages to strangers. Cone manifested 
 his uneasiness by spitting a great deal of tobacco-juice on the 
 floor, the excessive salivation attracting the attention of the 
 cashier. It is noticeable that thieves, embezzlers, and other 
 miscreants, who live by preying on society, if at all addicted 
 to the use of the weed, chew inordinately when brought to 
 bay. The symptom might often be valuable in diagnosti- 
 cating the purposes of a scoundrel, though men entirely inno- 
 cent of evil intentions may, under the pressure of extreme 
 excitement, do the same thing. To satisfy the doubts of the 
 cashier, Cone remarked that he was well known to the atta- 
 ch6s of the office, one or two of whom identified him as a 
 person who had on several occasions received valuable pack- 
 ages through the agency. Without further questioning, the 
 drafts were received for collection, and in due time the pro- 
 ceeds were paid to the ostensible owner. 
 
 The swindler resided about two months in Philadelphia, 
 fleeing of course as soon as the fruits of the experiment were 
 securely harvested. During the period he occupied quarters 
 in close proximity to the office of Adams Express Company, 
 and directly under the eye of Pinkerton's detective agency. 
 Had he deliberately planned to thrust his head between the 
 jaws of the lion, he could not have accomplished the purpose 
 more effectually. Renting a part of a large room from Mr. 
 E. M. Grattan, printer and stationer, he hung out a sign, printed 
 in conspicuous black letters, f 'T. H. Cone, Real Estate Agent." 
 He took the office on the i6th of November, paying a month's 
 
A VALUABLE PACKET. 
 
 rent in advance ; and on the i6th of December renewed the 
 lease for a month on the same terms. His communications 
 were written on tinted paper, bearing the printed letter-head, 
 "Thomas H. Cone, Real Estate Broker, No. 323 Chestnut 
 vStreet, Philadelphia ; " and printed cards, adorned with the 
 same inscription, were freely distributed. Modest placards 
 were posted up in the neighborhood to inform the public that 
 parties desiring to buy, sell, or lease real estate, could be 
 accommodated by calling on Thomas H. Cone. 
 
 During office hours Cone seemed to be driven with work. 
 He had few callers, but his pen was constantly flying. Per- 
 sons having business with Mr. Grattan, the landlord, and 
 observing the industry of the great real-estate broker, were 
 vaguely impressed with the idea that he was a rising young 
 man, born to thrive and prosper. How could bargains and 
 greenbacks help gravitating toward so bright and active a 
 youth any more than the raindrops can help falling upon the 
 lap of earth? 
 
 Occasionally mysterious packages, directed to "Thomas H. 
 Cone, No. 323 Chestnut Street," were delivered at the office. 
 These were neatly done up, heavily sealed with wax, and 
 marked as containing money. Clerks and messenger-boys 
 began to regard the stranger with the deference instinctively 
 rendered in a material age by impecuniosity to wealth. He 
 was evidently a capitalist destined perhaps at no distant day 
 to be one of the millionaires of the city. In an unlucky 
 hour, however, the swelling wave of confidence received a 
 rude shock, and came near dissolving into mist. A package 
 externally similar to the others came from Trenton one day 
 when Cone happened to be away. Not foreseeing a contin- 
 gency of this sort, and aiming by an air of assurance to 
 inspire a feeling of trust in the minds of his associates, he had 
 incautiously authorized one of the clerks of Mr. Grattan to 
 open valuable packets in his absence. As the curiosity of the 
 youth had been already whetted to a keen edge by like tokens 
 of inflowing affluence, he lost no time in following to the letter 
 
280 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 the instructions of his principal. He hurriedly tore open the 
 wrappage, expecting to discover a huge roll of bills, but found 
 
 nothing more 
 valuable than 
 a bundle of ob- 
 solete railroad 
 time -tables. 
 The clerk was 
 astonished and 
 in some degree 
 troubled. He 
 might be ac- 
 cused of steal- 
 i n g the con- 
 tents, and of 
 taking this 
 coarse method 
 of covering the 
 crime. On the 
 return of Cone, 
 he hastened to 
 explain the in- 
 was not a little 
 relieved to find how coolly 
 that gentleman received the 
 information. 
 
 "O," said the broker, ey- 
 ing the melancholy ruins 
 with a curious smile, "my 
 friend has made an absurd 
 mistake. I must notify him 
 at once, and he will make it 
 all right, as you will see." 
 
 He sat down at his desk, and, dashing off a letter or dis- 
 patch, hastened to acquaint his mythical correspondent with 
 the facts. By this time the forger had become too skilled in 
 
 Expecting to discover a huge roll 
 of bills, he found nothing more 
 valuable than a bundle of obso- 
 lete railroad time-tables." 
 
T. H. CONE, REAL ESTATE AGENT, WANTED. 28l 
 
 artifice, and too self-possessed in manner, to be thrown off his 
 guard by a slight mishap like the discovery made by the 
 clerk. His little device succeeded perfectly. Meeting the 
 clerk the next day, Cone exhibited a check, remarking, "You 
 see it is all right, as I told you it would be. When my friend 
 learned of his blunder, he immediately sent me this." Fear- 
 ing that the story might get abroad to the injury of his credit, 
 Cone explained the "joke" at the express office, enjoying a 
 hearty laugh at his own expense. 
 
 At this juncture the Adams Express Company applied to 
 Pinkerton's agency to aid in hunting down the thieves, Major 
 Benjamin Franklin, the acute and accomplished superintendent 
 of the Philadelphia division, taking charge of the work. He 
 immediately proceeded to inquire into all the known circum- 
 stances connected with the brief sojourn of the forger in the 
 city, but very little was to be learned. It was discovered that 
 he had boarded somewhere on Columbia Avenue, but at what 
 house no one could tell. The few acquaintances, temporarily 
 cultivated for the purpose of identification, knew nothing of 
 his haunts or habits, and had no information which threw the 
 slightest light upon the mystery of his disappearance. The 
 sign, painted in bold letters, "T. H. Cone, Real Estate 
 Agent," still glared an ominous defiance in the very face of 
 the agency ; and this, on a casual scrutiny, seemed to be the 
 only remaining memento of the swindler. Fortunately for 
 the ends of justice, nothing, however minute or apparently 
 insignificant, escaped the trained eye of the detective. Major 
 Franklin visited the late office of Cone. A desk and a chair 
 or two constituted the only furniture. He lifted the cover of 
 the desk to find only rusty pens, waste paper, a bottle of ink, 
 and a few printed cards and letter-heads. It looked like a 
 hopeless search, when the major picked up a piece of blotting- 
 paper. Ordinarily nothing could seem more trivial or value- 
 less than a sheet of dusty, ink-besmeared, discarded blotting- 
 paper, but in this instance it afforded the clue which was to 
 lead to the capture of the robber and of his daring associate in 
 
 
282 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 crime. Isolated as Cone seemed to live, he wrote to a few cor- 
 respondents, and had blotted sundry letters and envelopes upon 
 the sheet that was now passing under the keen scrutiny of 
 Major Franklin. The impression of the addresses, reversed, 
 were scattered over the paper, some clear and others dim, but 
 quite a number easily recognizable. By aid of a looking- 
 glass, placed at right angles upon the pad, the names ap- 
 peared as written, and one was " W. R. Wales, White House, 
 Ohio." The discovery was made January I4th. 
 
 Major Franklin at once sent skilled operatives to hunt up 
 the owners of the respective names, to inquire into their 
 antecedents and habits, with the view of learning whether 
 either one was probably concerned in the crimes. They 
 went east and west, covering' the whole field simultaneously. 
 With a single exception, all whose lives and conduct were 
 thus brought under review, were soon pronounced free from 
 guilty complicity with the forger. 
 
 The detective who went to White House, Ohio, was not 
 long in reaching the conclusion that he had struck the right 
 trail. Wales was absent from home when the investi- 
 gation began, but the operative noiselessly explored his 
 haunts, and became acquainted with his history. He soon 
 learned that Wales was fast and extravagant, given to 
 expensive vices, and reckless in the waste of money. He 
 gambled heavily, for the most part on the losing side, culti- 
 vating at the same time the society of bad men and abandoned 
 women. 
 
 By this time the special agents of the department had 
 learned that all the losses occurred on the runs of Mr. 
 Reuben Harmon, one of the head clerks on the railway 
 postal route between Toledo and Buffalo. As already stated, 
 the distribution on this great thoroughfare was so heavy as 
 to require four men to each car, two for assorting letters, 
 and two for papers. Going east, Mr. Harmon handled the 
 letters for New England and New York. 
 
 The depredations not only occurred on his trips, but 
 
ANOTHER MYSTERIOUS PROCEEDING. 283 
 
 fell exclusively upon the states for which he distributed. 
 Whether innocent or guilty, these circumstances amply 
 sufficed to fasten suspicion upon him, and to justify the 
 officers of the department in exercising a close surveillance 
 over his movements. Another singular fact clouded the 
 reputation of the "crew" running under Harmon as head 
 clerk. On several occasions, letters bearing the postmark 
 of offices along the line of the Lake Shore and its feeders, 
 were found by the local carrier in the Exchange Street 
 letter-box, near the depot at Buffalo. A comparison of dates 
 showed that in each instance these came through at the 
 times when the robberies were perpetrated. Mr. William B. 
 Thompson, chief clerk charged with the general super- 
 vision of postal matters on the route, at first surmised that 
 "the boys" neglected to clean out their car properly, and 
 that afterwards finding these letters, and being ashamed to 
 take them to the post-office, they deposited them in a street 
 box. When interrogated on the subject, each and all denied 
 that they had done so. It was still possible that the railroad 
 hand who swept the car after the clerks had left, might 
 have found them, and through inadvertence taken them to 
 the most convenient depository ; but he, too, stated un- 
 equivocally that he had never seen a letter either in the 
 boxes or on the floor while cleaning the room. 
 
 But one solution of the enigma remained. The thief, 
 whoever he might be, after overhauling the plunder and 
 making such selections as promised the most abundant re- 
 turns, restored the residue, not caring, perhaps, to harass 
 the public where no profit could be made. A side box was 
 probably selected as the receptacle, because the manipu- 
 lator would be less likely to attract attention than at the 
 office, where it was not impossible that the return of a 
 number of letters already postmarked might lead to instant 
 detection. 
 
 The drafts being deposited for collection in from one to 
 three days after they were stolen, it was surmised at first 
 
284 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 that the forger met the dishonest clerk at the cars, and, 
 after taking the plunder, hurried to the town where he had 
 made arrangements to secure identification. By this time 
 the agents were satisfied that Rugby, Bogart, Randall, and 
 Cone were one and the same person, and that his real name 
 was R. L. Dudley a former resident of Allegheny City. 
 An accurate description of him was obtained and placed in 
 the hands of the various officers on the watch. 
 
 Patiently and perseveringly the agents applied in vain 
 the tests which usually succeed in fastening the evidence 
 of guilt upon depredators on the mails. Their ingenuity 
 was racked in contriving new devices for the detection of 
 the offender, and still the losses went on. Another clerk 
 was introduced into the car who was specially charged to 
 watch every movement of the suspected party during his 
 entire week of duty. A special agent rode up and down 
 the road, incog., to observe what took place on the outside 
 of the railway post-office, yet nothing wrong was discov- 
 ered. Decoy letters, after passing through the hands of the 
 suspected clerks, reappeared intact, while nothing whatever 
 could be discerned in their movements to indicate guilt. In 
 fact, the more closely the innocent are watched, the more 
 clearly their virtue is revealed. 
 
 About the middle of February, the last and crowning 
 robbery of the series was perpetrated. While detectives 
 were on the lookout for Wales, he suddenly turned up again 
 in Ohio, and, making a trip over the Lake Shore road, dis- 
 appeared as suddenly as he came. He departed, however, 
 heavily freighted with letters stolen from Harmon's car. 
 Proceeding over the Central Road, he met his confederate, 
 as was subsequently learned, in the depot at Albany, hav- 
 ing telegraphed from Rochester of his coming. Going 
 together to the Delavan House, and finding the haul a rich 
 one, they spent the evening hilariously. 
 
 The next morning, our acquaintance of many aliases rode 
 over to Troy, and deposited with the National Express Com- 
 
PLAYING FOR A LARGE STAKE. 285 
 
 pany for collection a draft calling for $1829. Among the 
 letters stolen on the late trip over the Lake Shore wa's one 
 mailed February nth, at St. Louis, Missouri, by Richard- 
 son & Co., to J. C. Ayer & Co., of Lowell, Massachu- 
 setts, containing a draft for $15,719.11, a sum sufficiently 
 large to call for the greatest circumspection in the method 
 of presenting it. The forger took this to New York city 
 in person ; but failing to be satisfactorily identified, carried 
 it back to Troy, and, on drawing the $1829, left it with the 
 same company to be collected. The amount involved was 
 so great that the rogues, eager to secure the booty but 
 apprehensive of trouble, returned in company to New York 
 for the purpose of seeing whether the draft was honored 
 by the bank on which it was drawn. The forger, who from 
 acknowledged superiority of address and assurance, managed 
 all the more delicate operations, repaired early to the bank, 
 and hung around for hours on pretense that he expected a 
 friend. During the time he engaged in conversation with 
 the local detective. Though his attention was strained to 
 the utmost, he could not follow the rapid methods of 
 doing business over the counter, or gain any information 
 in reference to the draft. Somewhat disheartened at the 
 unsatisfactory result of the journey, the pair returned to 
 Troy the same night, arriving there at eight the next 
 morning. 
 
 As a preliminary move, Wales went to the express office 
 to learn if any parties likely to make trouble were to be 
 seen about the place. Not being known himself, his confed- 
 erate having deposited the papers, he swaggered up to the 
 desk of the delivery-clerk, and inquired, "Is there a pair of 
 boots here for George Campbell ? " 
 
 Having examined his books, the expressman answered in 
 the negative. 
 
 "They ought to be here," said the thief, "and it is a d n 
 shame that I am disappointed." With that he continued the 
 conversation briefly on irrelevant matters, closely noticing 
 
286 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 everybody and everything, but saw nothing to excite suspi- 
 cion that any unusual movement was on foot. 
 
 Never before had the thieves so much at stake, and they 
 played the game with corresponding caution. To make 
 sure that no officer of the law had been hunting for him 
 in his absence, Dudley first visited the room where he kept 
 a desk, and was reassured by learning that no inquiries 
 had been made for him. He then strolled over to the 
 express office with as much apparent coolness as if the 
 receipt of fifteen thousand dollar packages was a matter of 
 daily occurrence. A hurried glance around the establish- 
 ment confirming the favorable report of Wales, he asked 
 the cashier if the draft had been paid. That official an- 
 swered affirmatively, adding that he could not deliver the 
 money, as a letter had been received from the superin- 
 tendent in New York, directing them not to pay it to any 
 one unless fully identified and responsible. 
 
 The forger, who passed in Troy under the name of W. 
 W. Gray, had devoted himself during the whole period of 
 his residence there, to preparations for this very emergency. 
 Foreseeing what questions would be asked and that identifi- 
 cation would be required, he rented desk-room on his arrival 
 in the town from an elderly gentleman of high standing in 
 the community, who, with his son, carried on the business 
 of insurance. The time had now come for utilizing the 
 acquaintance. In conformity with intimations previously 
 thrown out, Gray finally decided, on the eventful morning 
 in question, to take a life policy for ten thousand dollars. 
 The agent was delighted. As the city had been repeatedly 
 combed by solicitors, it was a novel experience to meet 
 with a customer who applied voluntarily for the benefits 
 which heretofore he had been compelled to expend much 
 time and eloquence in commending. Most of the patrons re- 
 corded on the books of the agency had finally surrendered, 
 after frequent bombardments, only to avoid the worse alter- 
 native of death in the last ditch. The heart of the old gentle- 
 
USING AN INSURANCE AGENT. 287 
 
 man warmed with a generous regard for the prudent and 
 provident youth. 
 
 While the agent was filling up the application, Gray re- 
 marked that he could pay the first installment on receiving 
 the proceeds of a draft left with the express company for col- 
 lection. "As I am not very well known around there," con- 
 tinued the forger, "are you willing to take the trouble of 
 walking over and vouching for me ? " 
 
 "Certainly, certainly, sir," replied the insurance man, 
 thrown completely off his guard by the coolness of the appli- 
 cant, and blinded by eagerness to secure the premium. "It 
 will give me great pleasure to do so, or to serve you in any 
 other way." 
 
 Together they proceeded deliberately to the office, chatting 
 pleasantly on the way. " Permit me to introduce my friend, 
 Mr. Gray Mr. W. W. Gray," said the agent to the cashier. 
 Thus vouched for, the identity of the robber was not further 
 questioned. The money mostly in small bills was de- 
 livered over the counter, the pile filling a medium-sized car- 
 pet-bag. 
 
 On leaving the doorway, Gray asked his very serviceable 
 acquaintance, "What bank would you recommend as safe? 
 As soon as I deposit the money, I will call at your office and 
 take the policy." 
 
 "Well," replied the agent, "they are all good, I believe; 
 the First National is convenient and accommodating." 
 
 With polite thanks for the information, and the assurance 
 that he would " soon be around," Gray, waving a courteous 
 adieu to his companion, disappeared around the corner. 
 
 That evening the insurance agent lingered at the office 
 much beyond the usual hour, waiting for the return of the 
 customer. He waited the next day, and many days, not 
 receiving a penny in the way of premium to console him for 
 being duped. Having used the ladder to mount to fortune, 
 the rogue, as usually happens in such cases, kicked it con- 
 temptuously aside when it ceased to be further useful. 
 
288 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 That night, the pair returned to New York city with over 
 seventeen thousand dollars as the proceeds of the raid. 
 Going to the Metropolitan Hotel, they divided the money and 
 separated the following day, to meet next under very different 
 circumstances. 
 
 Wales returned to White House, Ohio, elated at the success 
 
 "That evening, the insurance agent lingered at the office much beyond 
 the usual hour, waiting for the return of the customer." 
 
 of his late enterprise. An operative detailed by Pinkerton's 
 agency for the purpose was already on the ground, waiting, 
 somewhat impatiently, for his appearance. From this time 
 on the robber was kept under the closest surveillance, the 
 detective, unobserved and unsuspected, following him contin- 
 
A NEW MOVE MEDITATED. 289 
 
 ually when out of the house, watching with sleepless eye 
 every action and every movement. Whether drinking in 
 saloons or swaggering on the street, an ear trained by long 
 practice to preternatural acuteness of hearing listened to 
 every word. On the 27th of February, Wales deposited five 
 thousand dollars in the First National Bank of Toledo. He 
 was a capitalist now, and, besides manifesting wealth by lavish 
 expenditure, determined to go into business, and thus com- 
 mand the consideration which loose habits and a wayward 
 life had failed to secure. In pursuance of this plan he pur- 
 chased a stone quarry, evidently intending to devote the future 
 to legitimate work. Like many others, however, he learned 
 too late that it is far easier to embark in a career of crime 
 than to break away from its dangerous fascinations. The 
 will is subject to strange infirmities, and, when- perverted by 
 evil courses, fails to respond readily to reason or conscience. 
 The drunkard, hanging consciously on the verge of ruin, 
 cannot abandon the cup. So, where one's morals become 
 unhinged by flagrant outrages upon society, it is vain to 
 expect voluntary reform. Once fairly in the maelstrom, 
 escape is well-nigh impossible. A force unseen but resistless 
 draws the victim on to ruin and retribution. 
 
 Wales was ill at ease. It soon became apparent that he 
 was meditating a fresh move, and the detective watched the 
 unfolding drama with redoubled vigilance. Boon companions 
 ceased to interest, and after a few days the stone quarry lost 
 its attractions. Meanwhile his plans, as evidenced by various 
 actions, became more and more uncertain and vacillating. 
 All at once, forming a sudden resolution, he packed his 
 trunk, drew several hundred dollars from bank, and pur- 
 chased a ticket for Troy, New York. A quiet, unobtrusive 
 man, easily mistaken for a farmer fresh from the fields, 
 whom the traveler would hardly compliment with a passing 
 glance, stood near the platform when the baggage was 
 checked, and followed the owner aboard the train, occupying 
 a section in the same sleeping-car. In due time the journey 
 
290 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 was accomplished, the eye of the unsuspected detective fol- 
 lowing the movements of the thief with the relentlessness of 
 Fate. Unconscious of the impending crash, Wales gave no 
 heed to the " countryman," who had now become a companion 
 as inseparable as a shadow at midday. At Troy, a ticket 
 
 * At this point, a new character appeared on the scene, in the person of 
 a fresh, fair, blooming young woman." 
 
 was purchased to North Adams, Massachusetts, the eager 
 traveler pushing on as if destiny depended on speed. 
 
 At this point a new character appeared on the scene in the 
 person of a fresh, fair, blooming young woman, apparently 
 eighteen or twenty years of age. The warmth of the greet- 
 ing, reinforced by the interchange of magnetic glances, 
 
A DANGEROUS CONFIDANT. 
 
 sufficed to explain the unrest of the robber while trying to 
 establish a business in the vicinity of Toledo. The couple 
 proceeded together to Pittsfield, where Wales registered as 
 9 Henry Norman and wife, of Toledo," the detective securing 
 an adjacent room. The next morning, the three took the 
 train for Boston. Wales took a carriage to one of the prin- 
 cipal hotels, and registered as at Pittsfield. The detective 
 followed, and in due time, by skillful manoeuvres, furthered 
 by other well-known parties who now mysteriously rose up 
 to share in the denouement, managed to secure an adjoining 
 room with a glass transom between. 
 
 Lost in the delights of illicit love, Wales surrendered 
 wholly to the charms of the enchantress. Rare fruits and 
 costly wines were ordered in profusion. All that a plethoric 
 pocket-book could do to purchase pleasure for coarse natures 
 was freely contributed. The pair took a few drives about the 
 city, and made occasional visits to places of entertainment, 
 but were too much absorbed in each other to care to waste 
 much time on the cold world outside. 
 
 Associations of this character, however, are dangerous in 
 more ways than one. Proud of his achievements as a swin- 
 dler, Wales could not repress the desire to talk about them, 
 and, in the absence of Dudley, told the whole story to his 
 inamorata. The circumstances were not given in a con- 
 nected narrative, but by piecemeal, at odd intervals, the curi- 
 osity and sympathy of the woman acting as a powerful stim- 
 ulant upon the loquacious vanity of the man. In response to 
 timorous suggestions from the frail beauty that a day of reck- 
 oning might come, he threw out such remarks as, "I am not 
 afraid ; they will never find me out." " I am too sharp to be 
 caught." " Dudley is as keen as they make them ; that last 
 haul of his was a good one." "I can always tell whether a 
 letter has got money in it by the way it feels ; practice makes 
 perfect." 
 
 Fragments of conversation imperfectly overheard tallied 
 exactly with information already in the hands of the detec- 
 
292 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 lives. One day, while the couple were out on an excursion 
 of pleasure, a sleuth-hound of the law, contriving to gain 
 entrance to their apartment, found among the effects of Wales 
 a small memorandum-book, in which was written the address 
 "R. D. Randall, Newark, New Jersey," in the now familiar 
 chirography of the forger. The cumulative weight of the 
 evidence already developed was overwhelming. Around the 
 wretched criminal, unconscious of danger and buried in 
 the enjoyment of gross pleasures, the coils were tightening 
 so closely that escape from the iron gripe was no longer pos- 
 sible. 
 
 Of course it is very naughty, and in the ordinary relations 
 of life altogether indefensible, for the prying eye and listening 
 ear to invade the sanctity of the home or private apartment 
 of another. A thoroughly honest person will no more appro- 
 priate surreptitiously the secrets than steal the money of a 
 neighbor. Fortunately, in conducting the detective operations 
 of the post-office department, one is rarely compelled, even by 
 extreme exigencies, to do or say aught repugnant to the nicest 
 sense of honor or duty. The unseen agent stands aloof from 
 the suspected party, abusing no confidence express or implied, 
 but ready in case of theft to pounce on the criminal like an 
 eagle on its prey. So long as postmasters and clerks remain 
 honest, their immunity is absolute. Decoys may drop around 
 them like autumn leaves, but they fall harmlessly, the test 
 only demonstrating more clearly the integrity of the person 
 subjected to the ordeal. 
 
 The case of Wales fell entirely outside of the ordinary rou- 
 tine ; and exceptional diseases require exceptional treatment. 
 For months he had defied the laws and plundered the public. 
 By becoming an enemy of society, all the more dangerous 
 because not openly avowed, he renounced the protection of the 
 safeguards which by common consent render sacred the per- 
 sonality of the individual. As in their estimation it was a 
 matter of paramount importance to accumulate all possible 
 proofs of the facts, the detectives employed on the case with- 
 
TRANSPORTS OF RECONCILIATION. 293 
 
 out hesitation adopted the maxim of Loyola, that "the end 
 justifies the means." 
 
 All things have an end, and the last delirious episode in the 
 career of Wales was drawing to a close. The genius of un- 
 rest had seized upon him. He could truly say, 
 
 " Man delights not me, nor woman neither." 
 
 From fragmentary remarks and various preparations, it was 
 learned that the pair were about to depart ; she to return to 
 North Adams, and he to Ohio. During the visit to Boston 
 he had lavished upon her his ill-gotten wealth with reckless 
 prodigality; but now, on the eve of separation, measuring her 
 love by the standard of vile greenbacks, she demanded a large 
 sum as the price of her companionship. Although barely two 
 months had elapsed since he bore off over eight thousand dol- 
 lars as his share in the robbery consummated at Troy, the 
 rapid shrinkage of his bank account during the short interim 
 warned him that at this rate the last penny would soon be 
 reached, and he accordingly demurred at first to the extrav- 
 agance of the claim. Then remembering that various confi- 
 dential disclosures placed him completely at her mercy, he 
 proceeded to count out the currency, growing more slow and 
 deliberate as the pile swelled in proportions. Finally, in a 
 voice blending persuasiveness with menace, she proposed, as 
 a finality, " Give me twenty-five more, and make an even six 
 hundred." 
 
 The "boys" in the next room had fixed up a temporary 
 platform, mounted on which one of the number watched these 
 proceedings through a small aperture in the curtain stretched 
 across the transom-window. Making a virtue of necessity, 
 Wales paid over the additional twenty-five dollars, when the 
 late storm was succeeded by a peaceful and happy calm, the 
 affections of the couple seeming to revive with former fervor. 
 While the officer deputed to perform the unwelcome task was 
 watching intently the transports of reconciliation, the fragile 
 support underneath gave way, the platform and detective 
 
294 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 tumbling promiscuously to the floor with a crash that seemed 
 to echo through the halls like peals of thunder. Between 
 consternation at the mishap and efforts to repress uncontrol- 
 
 Watching Intently the transports of reconciliation, the fragile sup- 
 port underneath gave way, and the detective tumbled promis- 
 cuously to the floor." 
 
 lable laughter, the "boys" were in a bad dilemma. However, 
 no bones were broken, and the damage to furniture was too 
 small for consideration. 
 
CAPTURED ON A SLEEPING CAR. 295 
 
 In a few hours Wales was again on the way to Toledo. 
 The watchful, patient, sleepless detective from Pinkerton's 
 corps, Mr. J. W. Corson, who had taken him up at White 
 House, dogged his steps to the bank, the quarry, the bar- 
 room, and the theatre, accompanied him to North Adams 
 and on his pleasure bout to Boston, still hung on his steps 
 like an avenging demon. The train passed Erie, Pennsyl- 
 vania, about four o'clock in the morning. As several of the 
 drafts were collected at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, bringing 
 the crimes within the jurisdiction of the federal courts of 
 Pennsylvania, Corson was provided with a warrant for the 
 arrest of the robber, which it was necessary to serve within 
 the limits of that state. The detective occupied the same 
 sleeping-car on the journey. As the train thundered into 
 Erie, Corson, pulling aside the curtain in front of Wales's 
 berth, gave him a gentle shake. 
 
 "What is the matter?" asked the half awakened sleeper, 
 slowly opening his eyes, and as yet not even dreaming that 
 danger was near. 
 
 "You are my prisoner!" answered Corson, with freezing 
 deliberation and emphasis. 
 
 * Your prisoner!" echoed the terror-stricken wretch. 
 "There is some mistake here. You have got the wrong 
 man. What have I done?" 
 
 "Robbed the United States mails," replied Corson, "com- 
 mitted numerous forgeries, and swindled the express compa- 
 nies. Isn't that enough? Your game is played out. You 
 are caged at last, and, what is more, I know all the facts. I 
 shall take you to Philadelphia. If you go along quietly and 
 behave yourself, I will treat you like a gentleman. If you 
 try to make trouble, I shall put you in irons. The manner in 
 which you make the trip depends on yourself." 
 
 " Do not handcuff me," begged the thief. " I will do just as 
 you say, and make no attempt to escape." 
 
 Corson took the first train for Philadelphia, and that even- 
 ing delivered the prisoner into the custody of Superintendent 
 
296 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 Franklin. This was the 2pth of March, 1873. On searching 
 his person, they found $233 in currency ; a gold watch and 
 chain, valued at $400 ; one cluster diamond ring, $325 ; a 
 diamond breast-pin, $225; two diamond shirt-studs, $250; 
 and the memorandum-book already referred to, containing 
 
 " There is some mistake here. You have got the wrong man. What 
 have I done ? " 
 
 the address of " R. D. Randall, Newark, New Jersey," writ- 
 ten by the forger, and also the name "C. H. Bogart," the 
 alias of Dudley at Buffalo. 
 
 In addition to the above, there was found quite a package 
 of railroad tickets, covering various lines from the Mississippi 
 to the Atlantic, some unused, and others punched. The pris- 
 
A FULL AND FREE CONFESSION. 
 
 oner was plentifully supplied with visiting-cards bearing the 
 address " Henry Norman." This was one of the names on the 
 blotting-pad that furnished the first clue to the connection 
 between Dudley and Wales. The latter also registered as 
 "Henry Norman" in hotels at Philadelphia, Albany, Pitts- 
 field, and other places. 
 
 By direction of Wales, the money and jewelry were turned 
 over to Adams Express Company on the ground that the 
 articles were purchased wholly or in part with funds stolen 
 from that company. The work of restitution was carried still 
 further. Of the five thousand dollars deposited on the 27th 
 of February in the First National Bank of Toledo, two thou- 
 sand still remained to the credit of the robber. This, together 
 with various other property in Ohio, was also surrendered to 
 the company. 
 
 Pinkerton's agency occupies a massive, five-storied building 
 in the business center of Philadelphia. Wales was placed 
 on the third floor in a sort of honorable confinement, being 
 allowed almost every privilege except liberty. Excellent fare, 
 moistened not unfrequently with choice wines, was served 
 regularly three times a day. Mr. George H. Bangs, the gen- 
 eral superintendent at New York, and Major Franklin, treated 
 the prisoner with great kindness, and soon won his entire con- 
 fidence. Meanwhile the arrest was kept quiet, since all parties 
 were anxious for the apprehension of Dudley, as much the 
 more accomplished and dangerous rascal of the two. Even 
 Wales shared in the general solicitude, believing that in some 
 way his own shattered fortunes would be bettered by the cap- 
 ture of his late confederate. 
 
 Melted by the kindly atmosphere and good cheer of his new 
 quarters, and, finding all the material facts in regard to the 
 robberies already in possession of the officers, the prisoner 
 soon sought relief for overcharged feelings by making a full 
 and free confession. Talk he must, and, as the whole current 
 of his thoughts and fears and hopes flowed in one narrow, 
 swift channel, the conversation turned continually to the 
 
THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 series of events that had ended in exposure, disgrace, and 
 captivity. 
 
 Wales was born in January, 1846, at York, Sandusky 
 County, Ohio. Ten years later the family moved to Fremont, 
 in the same state, and thence successively to Clyde, Cleveland, 
 Swanton, and White House. At different places the father filled 
 responsible positions, having been postmaster at Clyde, route 
 
 "Excellent fare, moistened not unfrequently with choice wines, won his 
 entire confidence, and talk he must." 
 
 agent between Cleveland and Toledo, and deputy United States 
 marshal, holding the last position for six years. Early in the 
 war, young Wales, then a mere lad, enlisted in the One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-Eighth Ohio Infantry, serving for twenty 
 months, most of the time as orderly to the colonel. After 
 returning home, he found employment a few months as brake- 
 man on the Toledo, Wabash, and Western Railroad, but, 
 
LEARNING THE BUSINESS. 299 
 
 finding the work disagreeable, threw up the situation, and, in 
 company with his father, built a hotel and restaurant at White 
 House. 
 
 November i5th, 1866, he was appointed by the post-office 
 department route agent on the Lake Shore Road, and marrying 
 shortly afterwards, located in Toledo. While thus employed, 
 the eating-house burned down, and he used the insurance 
 money to build a home in Toledo. In the year 1867, a line 
 of railway post-offices was established between Buffalo and 
 Toledo, Wales being promoted to a clerkship on the iyth of 
 October, at an annual salary of twelve hundred dollars. 
 
 These positions, though laborious, are much sought after. 
 A few months later, Mr. Reuben Harmon came on the road 
 to learn the distribution, without an appointment or pay, but 
 with a permit to ride in the mail-room, hoping in due time to 
 be added to the list of the fortunate. Having no special apti- 
 tude for the work, and no claim on the regular appointees, 
 Harmon progressed slowly, and was becoming discouraged, 
 when he happened one day to drop into the car of Wales, who 
 invited him to join their set, and volunteered to teach him 
 the mysteries of the trade. The invitation was accepted, and 
 the two got on swimmingly together, the good-natured pa- 
 tience of the old hand matching well with the docility of 
 the new one, who improved so rapidly that he soon received 
 from the department an appointment in the lowest grade of 
 clerkships. They worked at the same table, and became fast 
 friends. 
 
 At this time, according to the admissions of Wales, he was 
 in the habit of stealing letters supposed to be valuable, having 
 entered upon a course of dishonesty while running as route 
 agent. He appropriated whatever money he found, but de- 
 stroyed drafts, checks, and that class of securities. The other 
 clerks knew nothing of these peculations, and there is no 
 evidence that the thief was even suspected of criminal prac- 
 tices. With a change of administration came the removal 
 of Wales, which took place June loth, 1869, the unfortunate 
 
3OO THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 explaining his downfall on the supposition that he " shot off 
 his mouth too much." 
 
 From this time on Wales led a miscellaneous sort of life, 
 roving from place to place, and changing rapidly from one 
 employment to another. Destitute alike of fixed principles 
 and settled habits, he occupied a position of unstable equi- 
 librium, ready to topple into the arms of the first swindler 
 who pressed temptation with suitable arguments. For a few 
 months he ran as assistant conductor on the Lake Shore, 
 and was then transferred for a while to the freight office at 
 Toledo. From March till July, 1870, he kept a fruit and con- 
 fectionery store in that city, and then began to travel about 
 the country as an agent for the sale of baking-powders. In 
 the fall he went to New York city, to seek a wider field. 
 For a time he got on comfortably, selling on commission for 
 two respectable houses engaged in different lines of trade. 
 The arrangement, however, was brief, a quarrel soon break*, 
 ing up the connection. Domestic trouble, also, long in 
 brewing, now culminated, the victim of evil propensities being 
 as unhappy in social as in business relations. Reproofs on 
 the part of the wife provoked sullen rejoinders from the hus- 
 band, till affection soured into hatred, and the breach became 
 irreparable. Giving the furniture and a small sum of money 
 to the wife, he started for St. Louis, going under an assumed 
 name, with the view of abandoning her forever. 
 
 For a few days the wanderer found nothing to do and 
 made no acquaintances, spending the time in loafing list- 
 lessly about places of public resort. To relieve the tedium 
 he changed boarding-houses, and through the intervention 
 of the new landlady became the room-mate of a stranger who 
 introduced himself as R. L. Dudley. Mutual inquiries were 
 interchanged in reference to personal histories, plans, and 
 prospects. Wales could make but a sorry statement of the 
 outlook. He had no business, and, what was worse, did 
 not know where to hunt for any. Dudley, on the other hand, 
 was cheerful and confident. He had just come from Cin- 
 
w HARRY NORMAN & CO." 30! 
 
 cinnati, where he had been engaged in getting up a picture 
 of the fountain and its surroundings. He proposed to return 
 thither to solicit advertisements for the further adornment of 
 this work of art, and then, if the consent of the captains 
 could be secured, to place the lithographs, nicely framed, 
 upon the various steamers plying on the Ohio and Missis- 
 sippi. Lack of funds impeded the progress of the enterprise 
 sadly. Printers and frame-makers might be put off with fair 
 promises, but the credit system in the end greatly enhanced 
 the cost of the work. It was suggested to Wales that he might 
 like to put in some money and share the profits, and the 
 proposition met a favorable response. 
 
 For the sake of convenience and economy they began to 
 canvass for advertisements in St. Louis, after obtaining writ- 
 ten permission from half a dozen captains to hang up the 
 pictures on their boats. The work dragged heavily, to the 
 speedy discouragement of the solicitors, other parties having 
 exhausted the field, to say nothing of the patience of the 
 merchants. 
 
 At this juncture a printer suggested that they could do 
 much better by taking up the play-bills of Rankin and De 
 Bar's theatres, and proposed to use his influence with the man 
 who had charge of the publication to secure the job for 
 them. The negotiation prospered, and a bargain was made, 
 the new firm starting under the name of " Harry Norman & 
 Co.," Wales being the Norman, and Dudley the Co. His 
 aim in assuming a fictitious address was to conceal his move- 
 ments from his wife. The two succeeded quite well in get- 
 ting advertisements for the play-bills, but the innate rascality 
 of the scamps would not permit them to deal squarely. In- 
 ferring from their own dishonest purposes that their employer 
 intended "to beat" them, they determined to get the start 
 in the game, and collecting what was due, "jumped" the 
 town, leaving sundry debts to printers and others unpaid. 
 
 While in " business " together, the brace of worthies had 
 frequent conversations, and were not long in coming to a 
 
3O2 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 mutual understanding. Confidence evoked confidence, and 
 little by little the secrets of the two lives were revealed. 
 With limited facilities Dudley had contrived to pick up a pre- 
 carious livelihood by a variety of small swindles, and had 
 acquired some experience in shoving bogus drafts. The 
 game was tried unsuccessfully on three of the banks in St. 
 Louis, the respective cashiers not caring to buy eastern ex- 
 change of a stranger. Perhaps the papers had a suspicious 
 appearance, being filled by comparative novices on ordinary 
 blanks. At any rate, Dudley expressed the confident belief 
 that there would be no serious trouble in collecting drafts of 
 genuine origin by means of forged indorsements. 
 
 On the other hand, as if proud of the accomplishment, 
 Wales explained that while running as mail-agent he had 
 become expert in distinguishing letters which contained money 
 and other valuable inclosures, boasting that the correctness 
 of his judgment had often been proved by actual test. 
 
 w Have you any acquaintances still on the road ? " inquired 
 Dudley. 
 
 "Yes, lots of them," replied Wales ; " and some very warm 
 friends." 
 
 " Now, if you can manage," continued the tempter, "to pass 
 over the line in the mail car, and obtain letters containing 
 drafts, I can put them through, and we will divide the swag. 
 It is the biggest thing out." 
 
 Already thoroughly demoralized, Wales did not need to 
 be convinced by arguments or overcome by persuasion, but 
 rushed into the scheme with the blind zeal of a madman. 
 Visions of wealth and splendor glimmered in the near future. 
 Why remain poor and despised when untold treasures could 
 be won so easily ? Others might be held back by silly scru- 
 ples about honesty not he. 
 
 " There is a tide in the affairs of men, 
 That, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ; 
 Omitted, all the voyage of their life 
 Is bound in shallows and in miseries." 
 
A SUPERSERVICEABLE ASSISTANT. 303 
 
 About the middle of April both started eastward, going as 
 far as Cincinnati together. There they parted ; Dudley pro- 
 ceeding, by way of Pittsburgh, to Buffalo, where his wife 
 was then living, and Wales taking the line via Clyde, where 
 he struck the Lake Shore. Visiting Harmon in the mail-car, 
 he went to work, on the pretense of assisting in the distribu- 
 tion, and while so engaged, managed, without attracting the 
 attention of the clerks, to secrete a large number of letters on 
 his person. The money stolen, not being embraced in the 
 articles of copartnership, he appropriated exclusively to his 
 own use, but the negotiable paper was turned over to Dudley. 
 The difficulties encountered in the various attempts to dis- 
 pose of this lot have already been narrated. Dudley failed to 
 be identified as C. H. Rugby in Albany, and in New York 
 to impose on Mr. H. B. Claflin, in the character of a mer- 
 chant from Rowley, Missouri. The four hundred and sixty 
 dollars sponged from a clothing-house in Philadelphia little 
 more than defrayed the expenses of the trip. 
 
 Dudley, however, was too apt a scholar in " ways that are 
 dark and tricks that are vain," to stumble twice over the same 
 obstacle. With the prosperous haul at Pittsburgh, where he 
 passed under his real name and experienced no trouble in 
 establishing his identity, terminated the period of probation. 
 From that time on the confederates worked on a settled plan, 
 and with appalling success. Dudley flitted from city to city, 
 opening offices under various names for various ostensible 
 purposes, with the sole object of becoming familiar with the 
 attaches at the express offices, and of beguiling reputable men 
 to vouch for his identity. When the preparations were com- 
 plete, a letter would be sent to Wales, at White House, Ohio, 
 over the address assumed for the occasion, directing him to 
 report with a fresh installment of plunder. 
 
 The ex-postal clerk encountered no trouble whatever in 
 executing the part assigned to him. Harmon, promoted to 
 a head clerkship in 1871, remembered with gratitude the 
 patient teachings of his former comrade. In fact, Wales was 
 
304 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 a welcome visitor to all. About once a month he came to 
 the car, finely dressed, sporting diamonds and a gold-headed 
 cane, and plentifully supplied with choice brandy, whiskey, 
 and cigars. Reminiscences, stories, and the bottle, all cir- 
 culated freely. The guest assisted in the work with alacrity, 
 improving favorable opportunities to stuff with letters pockets 
 made expressly for the purpose. According to the testimony 
 of Harmon, Wales was much more diligent as a volunteer 
 than when actually employed in the service. 
 
 Sometimes Wales rode in the mail-room through to Buffalo, 
 but generally, on pretense of seeking rest, retired to the 
 sleeping-coach. The forged indorsements were usually in 
 the handwriting of both. The proceeds of the drafts were 
 shared equally. 
 
 Having secured one of the accomplices, special agent J. 
 S. Elwell, on the part of the post-office department, and Pin- 
 kerton's agency on the part of Adams Express Company, con- 
 tinued the pursuit of the other with unabated vigor. Except 
 from a few, the arrest of Wales was kept a profound secret 
 for fear of alarming Dudley. It will be remembered that the 
 two saw each other last at the Metropolitan Hotel, in New 
 York city, immediately after the extraordinary raid on the 
 National Express Company, at Troy. On paying the hotel 
 bill, Dudley informed the clerk that he was going to Boston, 
 and actually went to the depot with his wife on the time of 
 the Boston train. Confidentially, however, he told Wales that 
 he was going to Monroe, Michigan, a town between Toledo 
 and Detroit, and that he had already purchased tickets over 
 the Great Western. With a promise on the part of Dudley 
 to write in about three weeks, the friends shook hands and 
 parted. 
 
 One of Major Franklin's most skillful agents was detailed 
 to follow on the trail of the fugitives. Several weeks had 
 elapsed since the separation in New York city, and the track 
 was comparatively cold. At Monroe, Michigan, he heard of 
 them, but they had departed no one could tell whither. A 
 
LOST IN THE MULTITUDE. 305 
 
 man and wife, traveling over crowded thoroughfares, ordina- 
 rily attract little attention, and in a few hours, or at most in a 
 few days, all traces of them are obliterated. Fellow-passen- 
 gers disperse in different directions to the ends of the earth.. 
 In the swelling tide of life, railway conductors do not re- 
 member individual faces. While hotel registers preserve the- 
 chirography of guests, a journey across the breadth of the 
 continent may be accomplished continuously, so that a search; 
 through all the hostelries from Boston to San Francisco might 
 prove labor lost, though the parties pursued had just traversed 
 the entire distance. One may hide most effectually ik the 
 multitude. 
 
 The detective learned that Dudley and wife travelfetF with a 
 canary-bird and wooden bandbox. By adroit and ; guarded 
 inquiries he tracked them to Kalamazoo, to Jackson and De- 
 troit, holding the hidden thread firmly in hand. At every 
 stage of the pursuit unavoidable delays occurred, so that the 
 fugitives, though little dreaming that keen-scented danger 
 dogged their heels, easily kept several weeks ahead. At 
 Detroit, the detective crossed the St. Clair River, and, by 
 means of the canary-bird and wooden bandbox, followed the 
 clue to the Grand Trunk depot, and thence to Montreal, con- 
 ductors, hackmen, and station agents at different points fur- 
 nishing the requisite information. 
 
 At Montreal, the thread which had led the way prosper- 
 ously through wide wanderings suddenly snapped asunder, 
 and the end could not be recovered again, the canary-bird 
 and wooden bandbox disappearing from the horizon of the 
 operative. No one could give any account of the exit of the 
 oddly freighted couple. 
 
 Toward the close of April, the officers engaged on the case 
 became satisfied that Dudley was hiding in Boston, or one of 
 the adjacent villages. A suspicious character stopping tem- 
 porarily at Salem was placed under close surveillance, on the 
 supposition that he was the man. The identification was the 
 more difficult as very few people knew the forger by sight. 
 20 
 
306 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 To meet this trouble, special agent Elwell solicited the aid of 
 Mr. I. F. Loomis, general agent of the Charter Oak Life 
 Insurance Company, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who coun- 
 tersigned a policy for Dudley in 1869, and kept up a partial 
 acquaintance with him afterwards. Mr. Loomis, believing 
 that the public interest required the sacrifice of individual 
 preferences, reluctantly consented to assist, and started east- 
 ward April 26th, expecting at the time to be detained from 
 home but a few days. He went to Salem, and, after taking 
 a good look at the supposed forger, was compelled to inform 
 the detectives that they were watching the wrong man. 
 Although gravely disappointed, they still held to the belief 
 that he was lurking somewhere not far away, and that time 
 and perseverance would discover the haunt. 
 
 For many days the officers, accompanied by Mr. Loomis, 
 explored the labyrinthine streets of Boston, and canvassed 
 the beautiful suburban villages encircling the city. Theatres, 
 concert saloons, beer gardens, and other places of resort, 
 were "wearied with inquest of beseeching looks,' 5 in the vain 
 hope of ending by a lucky hit the prolonged and provoking 
 chase. If the man of many aliases appeared abroad, they 
 were not fortunate enough to encounter him ; nor could they 
 find the slightest clue to his retreat. 
 
 It was obvious, too, that, though unaware of his captivity, 
 Dudley had resolved to hold no further communication with 
 Wales, fearing danger from his recklessness and garrulity. 
 At all events, correspondence by mail ceased entirely. Had 
 no trouble arisen, he might perhaps, after a while, have re- 
 newed the intimacy ; but, for the present at least, he was 
 evidently taking counsel of his fears. 
 
 Meanwhile the exhaustless ingenuity of Major Pinkerton, 
 and of his able corps of superintendents, devised scheme 
 after scheme for the discovery of the perplexing secret. The 
 family of Mrs. Dudley resided at Allegheny City, a sister 
 being employed as clerk in a store at Pittsburgh. A female 
 detective, of talents and address, was detailed by Major Pin- 
 
A FEMALE DETECTIVE AT WORK. 
 
 307 
 
 kerton to cultivate the acquaintance of this young lady. 
 Appearing on the scene of action, she visited the store, and 
 made numerous purchases, always dealing with Miss Ad- 
 elaide, and paying great deference to her judgment. The 
 acquaintance begun across the counter soon ripened into inti- 
 macy, the gentle stranger 
 experiencing no other pleas- 
 ure comparable to that de- 
 rived from the society of her 
 new friend. They rode to- 
 
 gether, and spent whole 
 evenings in delightful con- 
 versation. The visitor 
 thought it hard that a young 
 lady of such agreeable man- 
 ners and rare accomplish- 
 ments should be doomed to 
 drag out an existence so well 
 fitted for more elevated pur- 
 suits, in measuring ribbons 
 for querulous customers, and 
 had under consideration various plans for transferring her 
 to a more congenial sphere. It was not unnatural that the 
 
 She visited the store, and made nu- 
 merous purchases, always dealing 
 with Miss Adelaide." 
 
308 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 interest manifested for the welfare of the young lady should 
 expand so as to embrace within its circumference the other 
 members of the family. About most of them Miss Ad- 
 elaide conversed freely ; but when reference, however 
 guarded, was made to the absent sister, she wrapped herself 
 in an armor of impenetrable reserve, dropping a single word 
 only that threw the slightest light upon the mystery. In a 
 moment of unusual confidence she divulged the fact that her 
 sister was living somewhere near Boston, but the most adroit 
 turns of conversation, at instants of the most self-revealing 
 intimacy, failed to surprise her into any additional disclosure. 
 
 Overmatched by the "close-mouthed" yet unsuspecting 
 girl, the friend planned a final piece of strategy. She gave 
 out that she intended to make a trip through New England, 
 embracing Boston in the route, and offered, if Miss Adelaide 
 would go as a companion, to bear all the expenses of the 
 journey. This device failed with the rest, the young lady 
 gently, but firmly, declining the invitation. Driven to her 
 wits' end, on the eve of departure she sought Miss Adelaide 
 for the final adieu, and, taking from her pocket a pencil and 
 memorandum-book, requested her to write down the address 
 of her sister, as it would give her great pleasure to form her 
 acquaintance, provided she remained long enough in Boston 
 to permit her to call. "I should be happy to," replied Miss 
 Adelaide, "but I do not know it myself. Sister rarely writes, 
 and is very uncommunicative about particulars." Baffled at 
 every point by a vigilance that never slept, the detective gave 
 up the job in despair. 
 
 No sooner, however, was one line of operations abandoned 
 than another was adopted, the fertility and expedients of 
 Major Pinkerton and his aids growing with the emergency. 
 Once more Miss Adelaide was selected as the instrument to 
 be played upon. A bogus telegram was concocted an- 
 nouncing that Robert had met with a dangerous accident, and 
 urging the sister to come on immediately. Meanwhile she 
 was to telegraph to the old address. The dispatch, signed 
 
THE EFFECT OF A BOGUS TELEGRAM, 
 
 309 
 
 w Ett&," the familiar abbreviation of Mrs. Dudley's name, 
 was sent to Miss Adelaide at her home. 
 
 Of course, the subsequent movements of the recipient were 
 closely watched. She neither made preparations for the 
 journey nor answered by telegraph ; but, after deliberating a 
 day or two, indited a letter, which she deposited in the mail- 
 
 " Collaring the miscreant, with an air of triumph . . -" 
 
 ing box at the post-office in person. The address was imme- 
 diately examined, and found to be, "Mrs. E. H. Purcell, 
 Boston, Massachusetts." The facts were communicated by 
 telegraph to the operatives in that city. In due time the 
 fateful missive arrived and was advertised. By means of a 
 string, arranged for the purpose, the delivery clerk was to 
 
3IO THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 promptly notify Mr. Corson whenever the letter should be 
 called for. After several days, passed in a state of eager 
 expectancy, at length, on the 3ist of May, the man of many 
 aliases sauntered up to the general delivery and inquired for 
 "E. H. Purcell." The clerk, unobserved, gave a nervous 
 pull at the string, and proceeded to examine the package 
 taken from the proper pigeon-hole. In an instant Mr. Cor- 
 son stood beside the criminal, whom he had pursued for many 
 months and across half the breadth of the continent, never 
 losing courage even where the trail grew faintest. Collaring 
 the miscreant, with an air of triumph he led him up stairs to 
 the office of special agent Charles Field, remarking, as he 
 entered, to Messrs. Field and Elwell, "This is our man. This 
 is Robert L. Dudley." 
 
 The gentleman thus abruptly introduced replied, with the 
 utmost composure and self-assurance, "You are mistaken; 
 my name is not Dudley ; it is Rathburn." 
 
 "It is too late now to deny the truth," interposed Elwell. 
 "We have tracked you to Albany, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, 
 Buffalo, Rochester, and other places, and now we have driven 
 you into your last hole. It is needless to lie further. Do not 
 pile up falsehoods on crimes sufficiently numerous already ." 
 
 "I assure you, on the honor of a gentleman," replied the 
 prisoner, unabashed, "that there is a great mistake here 
 somewhere. My name is not Dudley, and I have never been 
 in Pittsburgh or Buffalo. You have got the wrong man." 
 
 While the conversation was in progress, Mr. Loomis came 
 in, and, immediately recognizing the familiar features of his 
 old acquaintance, saluted him by name. The prisoner still 
 denied his identity, when Loomis, dropping on the sofa beside 
 him, and slapping him on the knee, quoted the nib of a comic 
 story which Dudley had often told in the office of the insur- 
 ance agent at Pittsburgh. 
 
 The humor of the joke impressed Dudley irresistibly. 
 Breaking into a hearty laugh, he said, "Boys, you have got 
 me. I give it up. But I gave you a lively chase, didn't I?" 
 
A BROKEN DAM. 311 
 
 With that he repeated for the benefit of the company the 
 story which had so provoked his risibles. All joined in the 
 merriment, and for the nonce one might have mistaken the 
 conclave for a reunion of old friends, so jolly was the crowd. 
 " Let him laugh who wins," is a text that could certainly have 
 been quoted by the heroes of the long chase in justification 
 of their hilarity. 
 
 "Though losses and crosses 
 Be lessons right severe, 
 There's wit there je'H get there, 
 Ye'll find nae other where." 
 
 Dudley now talked incessantly, as pent-up waters pour over 
 a broken dam. " Whither do you propose to take me," he 
 inquired, "and by what authority?" 
 
 "We have a United States warrant for your arrest," an- 
 swered Mr. Elwell, "issued from the western district of 
 Pennsylvania. You will be taken to Pittsburgh." 
 
 Turning to Mr. Loomis, he continued: "Tell me all about 
 Pittsburgh. Did the Adams Express Company lose the 
 money, or Mr. Snively, the agent?" As the conversation 
 progressed, he acknowledged that he was Randall in New- 
 ark, Cone in Philadelphia, and Bogart in Buffalo. "By the 
 way," continued he, "I talked in a Methodist Sunday-school 
 in Buffalo, and didn't get out of there a day too soon. It was 
 growing hot about the time I showed that village a clean pair 
 of heels." 
 
 Dudley begged to be allowed to see his wife before start- 
 ing on the journey, which promised to be a long and 
 momentous one, and informed the officers that she was at 
 Mattapan, seven or eight miles distant. The request was 
 granted, Messrs. Elwell, Loomis, and Corson accompanying 
 the prisoner in a carriage. 
 
 The house proved to be a nice little cottage on a by-street, 
 elegantly furnished throughout. It nestled innocently among 
 the rocks, as if crimes and criminals were unknown to its 
 
3 I2 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS, 
 
 inclosures. When the party drove up to the door, Dudley, not 
 being permitted to alight, called his wife to the carriage and 
 
 opened the interview with the remark, 
 " Etta, they have got me. The letter- 
 writing did it. I told you so. Do not cry. 
 Be a brave little woman. I must go to 
 Pittsburgh. Please pack my satchel for 
 me. You know what I shall need." 
 
 The wife inquired if she could not 
 be allowed to accompany her hus- 
 band, and then both joined in the re- 
 quest. Mr. Elwell made no objection 
 to the proposed arrangement. 
 
 In the course of the interview, Mrs. 
 Dudley was in- 
 formed that the 
 money and bonds 
 concealed on her 
 person must be 
 given up, or search 
 would be made for 
 them. At first she 
 denied possession 
 of the securities. 
 Dudley, however, 
 conceived some 
 obscure plan for 
 retaining the prop- 
 erty by transfer to 
 a friend, and said 
 to Mr. Elwell that 
 he wished to-speak 
 to Mr. Loomis privately. That gentleman, who was then 
 walking about outside, was invited to take a seat in the 
 carriage beside the prisoner, when the latter requested him 
 to take charge of the papers, bonds, money, &c., for the 
 
 The country Home of Dudley. 
 
DISGORGING. 313 
 
 benefit of his wife, remarking to Mr. Elwell, by way of 
 explanation, " I have known Mr. Loomis a long time, and 
 know he is all right. I prefer to have him take charge of 
 my wife's property." 
 
 Recalling Mrs. Dudley to the door of the carriage, he then 
 said, "Etta, this is Mr. Loomis, of Pittsburgh. I know him 
 to be a first-rate man. Now I want you to give him the 
 money and bonds which you have in your bosom, and all the 
 papers, w r hich he will keep for you." 
 
 Without further hesitation, she turned over to Mr. Loomis 
 the property, embracing three thousand dollars in six per 
 cent, bonds ; two thousand dollars in other bonds ; two fifty 
 dollar bills ; two five hundred dollar notes ; two promissory 
 notes of two hundred; the deed of the house at Mattapan, and 
 a lot of receipts. He wrote for her a paper enumerating the 
 various securities committed to him. In a day or two, how- 
 ever, the Adams Express Company obtained possession of 
 them by legal process, as partial indemnity for their losses by 
 the forgeries. 
 
 Mr. Elwell drove back to the city with the prisoner, 
 leaving Mr. Corson to accompany Mrs. Dudley at her con- 
 venience. They rode in, later in the day, by rail, and, 
 according to previous arrangement, went to the Sherman 
 House. 
 
 On arriving at the post-office in Boston, Mr. Elwell met 
 special agent Field and a deputy United States marshal, 
 who had warrants for the arrest of both Robert L. Dudley 
 and Etta Dudley, his wife. The warrant was duly served 
 upon the husband, who was taken to jail. It was decided, 
 however, not to arrest the wife, at least for the time, or to 
 place her under duress of any kind. Mr. Elwell particu- 
 larly requested the clerk of the hotel to give her a pleasant 
 room on the first floor, and asked the housekeeper, a sister 
 of the proprietor, to spare no attention or effort to make 
 her stay as agreeable as the circumstances of the case would 
 permit. Mr. Elwell distinctly informed Mrs. Dudley that 
 
314 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 she was not under arrest, and probably would not be that 
 she was free to go and come as she pleased. Her door was 
 never locked except by herself, nor was the room guarded 
 in the slightest degree by any of the party. She had the 
 freedom of the house and of the town, passing in and out at 
 her own sweet will. 
 
 On Monday, June 2d, the case of Dudley came up before 
 Judge Lowell for a preliminary hearing, but on account of 
 the funeral of the United States district attorney, the ex- 
 amination was postponed till the 3d. Meanwhile the coun- 
 sel of Dudley called at the hotel and took away Mrs. Dudley 
 with all her effects, forgetting nothing but the payment of 
 her bill. On the 3d the judge ordered that the United States 
 marshal for Massachusetts should convey the prisoner to the 
 marshal for the western district of Pennsylvania. 
 
 As Mr. El well was leaving the court-room, a deputy 
 sheriff of Suffolk County called him by name, and said he 
 had a warrant for his arrest. "Very well," replied the 
 agent, " let me see the paper ; " whereupon that functionary 
 exhibited one of the most extraordinary documents ever con- 
 trived under the guise of law to forward the ends of villany. 
 In the name of the commonwealth of Massachusetts the 
 sheriff is commanded "to attach the goods or estate of J. S. 
 Elwell, J. W. Corson, otherwise called Thomas, Israel F. 
 
 Loomis, Wilkinson, Bangs, to the value of ten 
 
 thousand dollars, and for want thereof to take the bodies 
 of the said defendants," to answer on the first Tuesday 
 of July, in the city of Boston, to Robert L. Dudley, and 
 Stevetta H., his wife, in an action of tort. The wrongs of 
 the unhappy client are thus set forth : 
 
 ''And the plaintiffs say the defendants on the thirty-first 
 day of May last with force and arms assaulted the female 
 plaintiff at said Boston, and with force and violence laid hold 
 of the said female plaintiff, and then and there pulled about 
 the said female plaintiff, and otherwise greatly hurt and 
 injured her, and put her in great bodily fear, so that she 
 
AN EXTRAORDINARY DOCUMENT. 315 
 
 became and was sick and disordered, and has since so con- 
 tinued, all to the manifest wrong and injury of the plaintiffs 
 in the premises, and to their great damage, to wit, in the sum 
 of ten thousand dollars. 
 
 "And the plaintiffs further say that the said defendants 
 . . . compelled the said female plaintiff to go from and out 
 of a certain dwelling-house, situated and being in said 
 Boston, into the public streets there, and then and there 
 forced and compelled her to go in and along divers public 
 streets to a certain hotel in said Boston, called the Sherman 
 House, and then and there imprisoned the said female plain- 
 tiff, and kept and detained her imprisoned there, without any 
 authority whatsoever, for a long space of time, to wit, until 
 the afternoon of June 2d, inst., contrary to the laws of this 
 commonwealth, and against the will of the said plaintiffs, or 
 either of them, whereby the said female plaintiff was not 
 only greatly hurt and injured in body, but was also thereby, 
 as was also the other plaintiff, greatly injured and exposed 
 in her reputation and circumstances, to great damage and loss 
 as aforesaid." 
 
 The accompanying oath was made June 3d, by Stevetta H. 
 Dudley. 
 
 Proceeding to the office of the sheriff, Mr. El well was 
 informed that he would be required to give bonds in the sum 
 of ten thousand dollars, with two sureties, each to qualify in 
 the full amount. Special agent Field and postmaster Burt 
 volunteered to sign the bond, after urging in vain that Mr. 
 El well, as an officer of the government engaged in the per- 
 formance of his duties, and as in all respects an honorable 
 gentleman, should be released on his personal assurance to 
 return and answer in the suit that had been brought against 
 him. The lawyer of the Dudleys, however, chagrined at 
 his failure to secure the release of his client, or even a 
 reduction of his bail, having perpetrated the marvelous 
 romance recited above and secured the arrest of the special 
 agent, determined to push the policy of harshness uncom- 
 
3*6 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 promisingly to the end. The proper officer, however, ac- 
 cepted the bond as offered, notwithstanding additional objec- 
 tions from the attorney. After remaining in " durance vile " 
 about four hours, Mr. El well was released. 
 
 If further annoyances were intended, they were probably 
 checked by the determined attitude of the post-office depart- 
 ment, as indicated by the following telegram : 
 
 "WASHINGTON, D. C., June 4, 1873. 
 
 "POSTMASTER BURT, BOSTON: Stand by Elwell in the 
 Dudley case. Advise me what is necessary, and I will see the 
 attorney general in regard to it immediately. 
 
 (Signed) "J. A. J. CRESWELL, 
 
 " Postmaster General." 
 
 The statement sworn to by Mrs. Dudley was a fiction from 
 beginning to end. Mr. Elwell never arrested her, or made 
 any representations intended to convey that impression. He 
 never detained her for a moment, or attempted in the 
 slightest degree to restrain her actions. In regard to the 
 bodily hurts, estimated at ten thousand dollars in the cur- 
 rency of the realm, he never touched her person except to 
 render her aid, as in assisting her to or from the carriage. 
 She not only came voluntarily to the city, but solicited the 
 privilege of doing so. 
 
 Special agents in the performance of unpleasant duties be- 
 fore the courts, expect to encounter at the hands of shyster- 
 ing lawyers who disport on the outer fringes of the profession, 
 a great deal of insolence, and bullying, and blackguardism. 
 By a force as resistless as gravitation, thieves instinctively 
 resort to that class for counsel and support. Even the worst 
 of criminals have a right to be tried under the forms of law 
 and according to the rules of evidence ; but this does not 
 carry the counter right to assail, with false and villanous 
 charges, faithful officers engaged laboriously and devotedly 
 in protecting the dearest interests of society. Robbers and 
 
THE TRIAL. 317 
 
 cutthroats, swindlers and forgers, will always find tools to do 
 their bidding, but, fortunately, it is not often that they succeed 
 in retaliating with imprisonment upon the vigilance which has 
 wrought their capture. 
 
 The opportunity for the perpetration of the outrage was 
 made possible by the death, a few days before, of the United 
 States district attorney, the office having been left in charge 
 of a mere lad who lacked the experience to cope with older 
 and more wily antagonists. 
 
 On the evening of June 5th, the marshal started for Pitts- 
 burgh with the prisoner, Mrs. Dudley accompanying the party 
 by permission. On the 7th he was turned over to the marshal 
 for the western district of Pennsylvania, and immediately 
 committed. Wales arrived from Philadelphia the next day, 
 and shared the same treatment. 
 
 On the arrival of Dudley in Pittsburgh, great curiosity was 
 manifested to see and to converse with him. He had been a 
 former resident of the city. It was here, or in the immediate 
 vicinity, that he married ; and here also that he cheated the 
 express company, and consummated one of the most daring in 
 the series of forgeries. Could all the facts be known, per- 
 haps it would be seen that some in the motley crowd who 
 gathered to gaze upon the prisoner had a more intimate ac- 
 quaintance with his earlier feats of swindling than they would 
 care to admit in so public a place. The companions of three 
 or four years before hardly foresaw that the habit of living by 
 sharp practices would end by living in a prison. 
 
 During the day Dudley appeared as gay and jocund as if 
 he had returned on a tour of pleasure to renew old acquaint- 
 ances and make new ones. At the hotel and in the court- 
 room he wore an air of self-assurance and unconcern more 
 befitting a casual spectator than the central figure of the show. 
 Cool, cunning, and audacious, he played boldly for heavy 
 stakes, and, having lost the game, accepted the penalty as a 
 matter of course. 
 
 On the ist of July eleven true bills were found against the 
 
318 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 prisoners by the United States grand jury sitting at Williams- 
 port ; namely, one against Wales and Dudley jointly, for con- 
 spiracy ; four against Wales for stealing letters and drafts 
 from the mail ; three against Dudley as accessory after the 
 fact ; and three against Dudley for receiving drafts stolen from 
 the mail ; also one against Mrs. Stevetta H. Dudley as acces- 
 sory after the fact. 
 
 Mr. Elwell having been prostrated by dangerous and pro- 
 longed illness soon after the capture of Dudley, special agent 
 U. R. Hawley, of Chicago, who was familiar with the facts, and 
 had rendered valuable aid in hunting down the criminals, col- 
 lected the evidence and the witnesses for the trial, which took 
 place at Pittsburgh in November. 
 
 Both prisoners were first tried on a joint indictment for con- 
 spiracy to rob the United States mails, this being the test case 
 upon which all the evidence was adduced. The late Hon. 
 H. B. Swope, United States district attorney, conducted the 
 prosecution. On the third day the jury returned a verdict of 
 guilty, the penalty for the offense being imprisonment for two 
 years. 
 
 Wales was then convicted of stealing the Washburn draft, 
 and Dudley as accessory after the fact. The penalty in each 
 case was imprisonment for five years. Believing that the 
 other cases ought to be tried in the districts where the several 
 drafts were negotiated, the district attorney did not wish to 
 urge a conviction upon the remaining indictments, but pro- 
 posed to have the prisoners removed for further trials to dis- 
 tricts where convictions would be legal. They, however, 
 waiving the question of jurisdiction, pleaded guilty to a third 
 indictment, and were sentenced to an aggregate imprisonment 
 of seven years each. The case against Mrs. Dudley was 
 dropped. 
 
(HE fall of John Middleton 
 from the sunny heights of 
 renown was broken by a 
 brief lodgment on an ob- 
 scure peg in the postal 
 service. Though still a 
 young man, he had enjoyed 
 a varied experience, and, 
 like many others travel- 
 ing the downward road 
 from better days, affected 
 to hold in supreme con- 
 tempt the humble position 
 which now supplied him 
 with bread. Sharp, reti- 
 cent, unprincipled, and an 
 adept in trickery and chi- 
 canery, he found in . the 
 lower strata of frontier pol- 
 itics a field well suited to 
 i want to get out i" t h e exercise of his gifts, 
 
 and early began to look forward to high preferment as 
 within easy reach of talents like his. But, as often happens 
 where advancement is sought at the expense of virtue, dissi- 
 pation with its concomitant vices grew so much more rapidly 
 than honors, that he was unhorsed by bad habits near the out- 
 set of the race. 
 
32O A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 Before reaching thirty, Middleton had managed a number 
 of jobs in the legislative lobby ; had made several visits to 
 Washington to represent the interests of sundry bands of 
 philanthropists whose hearts burned to supervise the distribu- 
 tion among the Indians of the bounties of a paternal govern- 
 ment ; had made the acquaintance of half the magnates at the 
 national capital, and had learned the failings and foibles of 
 the weaker vessels who are disposed to regard the public 
 treasury as a happy contrivance for the relief of impecunious 
 patriots. For four years he was chief deputy United States 
 marshal for one of the western states, and afterwards filled a 
 similar position in one of the territories, having virtual control 
 of the office, as his principal was a sot who paid no attention 
 to the business. At odd intervals he also attended to the 
 "still work" around two or three Indian agencies. 
 
 The drunken marshal at length died, and was succeeded by 
 a sober man who turned Middleton adrift. Now Middleton, 
 in the days of his splendor, had wonderful facility for making 
 money, but his habits were very expensive ; so that when the 
 tide turned, his pockets were empty. Governor Halford, upon 
 whom he had some mysterious claim, then took him in as 
 private secretary, a position he was well qualified to fill, as 
 he had talents, experience, and literary capacity, but his 
 bad habits had now become so inveterate that the governor 
 was constrained to look about for means of getting rid of him. 
 Accordingly the wires clicked and clicked back again, and 
 the deed was done, Middleton receiving an appointment as 
 mail messenger on the road from Wilna to Tilsit, a distance 
 of sixty miles. Like many other frauds foisted as pensioners 
 on the revenues of the department, he was to have no keys, 
 but was to ride in the little room set apart for the storage of 
 two or three pouches, tell stories, drink whiskey, and settle 
 the affairs of the nation, in conjunction with other traveling 
 politicians as worthy of confidence as himself. The osten- 
 sible business of the messenger was "to guard" the mails, 
 and that was all, the office being of course entirely unneces- 
 
RIDING A HIGH HORSE. 321 
 
 sary except as a means of livelihood for a vagabond who had 
 fallen so low that he could no longer earn his subsistence in 
 the legitimate pursuits of business. 
 
 Special agent Furay happening to travel that way, and feel- 
 ing outraged at the imposition practiced on the government, 
 informed the messenger that the mails must be distributed, or 
 the place would be discontinued ; but Middleton laughed him 
 to scorn, relying with absolute confidence upon the impregna- 
 bility of his fortifications. However, the keys were sent for 
 and came ; but the messenger thrust them into his pocket, and 
 said nothing, having resolved not to soil his dignity by 
 "throwing" letters for Furay or any other man. 
 
 As a sworn employ^ of the department, Middleton had free 
 access to the terminal offices, neither postmaster knowing that 
 he was provided with a key. Both were money-order offices, 
 and it was the custom of Wilna to remit all surplus funds 
 every Monday by registered letter, directed to the postmaster 
 at Tilsit. The train started from the latter place in the morn- 
 ing, and, remaining about an hour at Wilna, returned in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 While lounging around, Middleton had often seen the post- 
 master at Wilna inclose large sums in such letters. The pack- 
 ages were uniformly placed in the through pouch, which it was 
 his special business to guard on the road. Having become 
 familiar with the routine, and duly reflected on the rules of 
 evidence, the fellow concluded that here was a rich placer on 
 which he could raid with impunity. He saw no way in which 
 the robbery could be legally proved, and for mere suspicion 
 he cared not a straw. 
 
 The plan rapidly took shape, and it was not long before the 
 experiment was tried. Within three weeks after the receipt 
 of the key, the only package which left one Monday morning 
 was stolen. To avert suspicion, the messenger kept away 
 from the office on the occasion, coming up only with the mail 
 wagon just before the departure of the return train. " Under 
 the circumstances, how was he to know," he triumphantly 
 21 
 
322 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 inquired, "what was in the pouch?" On this particular Mon- 
 day the postmaster was too busy to go out and hunt up large 
 bills, and hence deferred the remittance of the surplus money- 
 order funds. It so happened that there was but one regis- 
 tered package in the pouch. This was directed to the post- 
 master at Tilsit, and would naturally be mistaken for one of 
 the rich douceurs which had excited the cupidity of the dishon- 
 est messenger. The letter, however, was mailed by a citizen, 
 and contained but ten dollars. It was stolen on the road. 
 
 The next day the postmaster at Wilna did remit his surplus, 
 amounting to five hundred and fifty dollars, in a five hundred 
 dollar treasury note, and five ten-dollar bills, all new, of the 
 Scandinavian National Bank of Chicago, which had recently 
 been established, and was then putting its fresh currency in 
 circulation. Each note was fully described on the circular 
 provided for the purpose, the original being transmitted with 
 the money, and a duplicate retained at the office of mailing. 
 The package, however, shared the fate of its more humble 
 predecessor of the previous day. Great was the consterna- 
 tion when it was learned that two registered letters had been 
 stolen on two consecutive days. The postmasters at Wilna 
 and Tilsit, the marshal of the territory, and Middleton, wrote 
 to special agent Furay, and they all also wrote or tele- 
 graphed to the department, which in turn forwarded the com- 
 munications to the same officer. He was then absent from 
 home, working up a case at a long distance from his base of 
 supplies, and of course knew nothing of this fearful clamor 
 for his presence and aid. On returning, ten days later, his 
 wife ran to the cars to meet him, and thrusting a package of 
 papers into his hands, ejaculated, excitedly, "O, John! 
 big robbery ! Tilsit ! quick ! " 
 
 The train was moving away, but, seizing the bundle, he 
 hurried after it, and succeeded in getting aboard, after a des- 
 perate race, reaching Tilsit at midnight. 
 
 The next morning he began the investigation in earnest, 
 going over the ground prudently, coolly, and carefully, seeing 
 
SUSPICIOUS SOLICITUDE. 
 
 323 
 
 the parties interested, and listening critically to their stories. 
 The farther he penetrated into the case the more thorough 
 became his conviction that Middleton was the thief; yet there 
 was no crucial fact that fastened the guilt upon him absolute- 
 ly. Possibly the package was never placed in the pouch. 
 Possibly it went through safely and was appropriated at Tilsit. 
 Enough of doubt hung over its fate at each end of the route to 
 
 " O, John ! - big robbery I Tilsit ! quick 1 
 
 save the messenger from criminal prosecution. The opinion 
 of a skilled detective is often unerringly correct, though based 
 on shreds of evidence that fall far short of legal proof. In 
 this instance the thief, from long familiarity with the rules of 
 law, believed there was no possible way in which the hand of 
 justice could reach him. Yet for a man of the world, who 
 had navigated safely through many perils, he now exhibited 
 unaccountable solicitude to have " the thing hunted up," as 
 otherwise he must be left to share suspicion with others. 
 
324 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 The obvious point in the investigation was to learn if the 
 robber had spent any of the stolen bills, and if so, to find out 
 whether they could in any way be traced back to him. A 
 quiet search was instituted in the towns at each end of the 
 road, but without success. The detective then visited Hart- 
 well, a village thirty miles beyond Wilna, where the wife of 
 the messenger resided, and after examining all the cash in the 
 stores, failed to discover either of the missing notes. Mean- 
 while the arrival of the officer in the territory had become 
 generally known, and as he had recently effected several 
 extraordinary arrests, public expectation was excited to the 
 point where it demanded the most unreasonable results. At 
 ordinary times this extravagant confidence might have flat- 
 tered his vanity, but now it served only to augment the annoy- 
 ances of the situation, as professional pride dislikes to admit 
 that its accomplishments must, in all likelihood, fall far short 
 of the popular requirement. For five days he worked and 
 studied uninterruptedly, and as a reward for all this toil of 
 body and mind, had not yet discovered the first clue to con- 
 nect Middleton with the crime, though still entertaining not 
 the slightest doubt of his guilt. 
 
 Under the most dexterous handling, the chances of bluffing 
 a confession out of the ex-deputy marshal seemed exceeding- 
 ly slim, as he knew all the tricks of the trade, having often 
 practiced them himself. He had obviously studied the case, 
 too, in all its bearings, and was prepared to meet attacks at 
 all points. 
 
 The genius of the detective, however, rose to the level of 
 the emergency. Middleton, as he knew, was always "hard 
 up," and constitutionally unable to hold on to money. Hence 
 it was safe to infer that he had spent a part if not the whole 
 of the proceeds of the robbery. Guided by such reasoning, 
 he hit upon a device which crushed the inveterate trickster, 
 and laid the truth bare. 
 
 Going to the bank, he procured two perfectly new ten- 
 dollar bills of the "Scandinavian Bank of Chicago." Pro- 
 
MAKING COPIES. 
 
 325 
 
 ceeding thence to his private room at the hotel, he drew 
 forth the duplicate circular, describing the lost notes, and 
 made, on an ordinary sheet of paper, what purported to be a 
 correct copy of it, and which was a correct copy, except that 
 in the place of the second and fifth of the ten-dollar bills 
 actually stolen, he substituted a description of the two which 
 had just come into his hands. He knew that Middleton had 
 seen the retained list several times at the post-office, but did 
 not think he had copied it, or that he would be able to iden- 
 
 Please copy this list in your own hand, on one of the regular blanks. 
 
 tify either of the notes, except, perhaps, the one for five 
 hundred dollars, if confronted with them. On arriving at 
 Wilna, the detective took the sheet away, and now intended 
 to keep it out of sight. 
 
 Having fixed up the paper to suit his purposes, he saun- 
 tered carelessly over to the office, and taking the postmaster 
 aside, said confidentially, "Here is a rough copy in my writ- 
 
326 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 ing of the duplicate description of the stolen money which 
 you gave me several days ago. That sheet I haven't with 
 me, and I may need it soon. Please copy this list in your 
 own hand on one of the regular blanks." 
 
 The postmaster sat down at once and complied with the 
 request. He had not charged his memory with the numbers 
 of the bills, recollecting only that the tens were all new, and 
 on the Scandinavian Bank of Chicago. If shown, the next 
 day, the two lists made out by himself, he could not have 
 told which was the genuine one. For prudential reasons the 
 detective did not let him into the secret, and if this page 
 should ever pass under his eye, it will inform him for the first 
 time of the part he once inadvertently played in bringing a 
 hardened criminal to justice. * 
 
 Meantime Middleton manifested extreme anxiety to keep 
 informed of the movements of Furay ; and that officer, with 
 the view of inspiring him with a vague and misty but terri- 
 ble dread of danger from some mysterious quarter, instructed 
 two or three trusty men, whom the fellow was certain to ques- 
 tion, to report him as almost simultaneously present at widely 
 distant places. Though seeing no possible way in which he 
 could be caught, the culprit was fast losing his customary 
 mental equilibrium through the distraction produced by the 
 extraordinary and inexplicable flights of the detective, whose 
 celerity seemed to surpass the swiftness of the eagle. A guilty 
 conscience, under the play of its own fears, often reaches a 
 state of apprehension where it looks for lightning from a 
 clear sky. 
 
 Armed with the altered description, the officer proceeded to 
 Ceylon, an important station on the line of the road, and tel- 
 egraphed the postmaster at Tilsit to send up a clerk, who was 
 to get off at that place and ask no questions. 
 
 The next morning, as the train passed Ceylon on the way 
 west, Middleton inquired anxiously where Furay was, and 
 was told by the local agent, whose information was furnished 
 for the occasion, that he left the night before on horseback. 
 
A FURIOUS RIDE. 
 
 327 
 
 The clerk arrived in response to the tele- 
 gram, and was duly posted in the part he was 
 to enact in the approaching drama. During 
 the morning the detective had studiously 
 kept out of sight, that his little game might 
 not by any mischance be exposed and frus- 
 trated. 
 
 In three or four hours the train would re- 
 turn from Wilna, and on its arrival the 
 special agent was prepared to apply the 
 "grand bounce" to Mr. John Middleton. 
 To enhance the effectiveness of the 
 onslaught, he mounted a fleet horse, 
 and riding out of the village to a 
 commanding point, where the cars 
 could be seen at a distance of sev- 
 eral miles, he waited till just about 
 time enough remained for a close 
 connection, when he started back on 
 a furious gallop, reaching the depot a 
 few seconds after the train. Throw- 
 ing the reins to an acquaintance, he 
 dashed into the mail-room in a state 
 of great apparent excitement, and, 
 pretending to wipe 
 the perspiration 
 from his face, as 
 if overheated by 
 the exercise of a 
 long, hard ride, 
 he inquired, impa- 
 tiently," John Mid- 
 dleton, where is 
 your mail-key ? " 
 
 Too surprised to 
 answer, the mes- 
 
328 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 senger stood as immovable and speechless as a statue, when 
 the question was repeated in a tone so imperious and peremp- 
 tory, that it seemed to preclude the possibility of further tem- 
 porizing. To any one else he would probably have denied 
 the possession of a key, but knowing that a lie of that sort 
 would avail nothing in the present instance, he replied, "It 
 is here," producing a string from his pocket. 
 
 Taking it from the ring, the special agent handed it to 
 the clerk from Tilsit, with instructions "To take charge of 
 the mails on that road till otherwise ordered." Turning to 
 the messenger, he then said, "Middleton, come with me." 
 
 "Isn't this rather an unceremonious proceeding ?" queried 
 that worthy, with the coolness of an Arctic iceberg. 
 
 "Perhaps so," answered the officer ; "railroad trains don't 
 wait for ceremony, and I am in a hurry. Come, there is 
 no time to be lost." 
 
 "You know, I presume, what you are doing," replied the 
 messenger defensively. 
 
 "Yes; you need borrow no uneasiness on that score, Mr. 
 Middleton. I do know what I am about, and can assure you 
 that I am doing right well." 
 
 The train was about to move, and the messenger still 
 seemed exceedingly averse to quitting his cosy quarters for 
 the cold world outside. The detective took him by the arm, 
 and they hurried off together. 
 
 The crowd now piled across the platforms of the cars, 
 manifesting great curiosity, but keeping at a respectful dis- 
 tance. No event since the organization of the territory had 
 produced so much popular excitement as the late robbery, 
 and, in addition to the citizens of the place, the large num- 
 bers then in attendance on the United States court at Ceylon 
 were all on the alert to see " what Furay was going to do 
 about it." With a vague though exalted appreciation of what 
 were supposed to be his mystical gifts, they could not see 
 exactly where or how an entrance was to be made to the 
 heart of this carefully planned affair. 
 
PRODUCING THE EVIDENCE. 329 
 
 They walked in silence to the private room of the detective 
 in the hotel. The messenger in every look and action mani- 
 fested great uneasiness and anxiety, evidently wondering 
 whether the keen-scented hound of the law had really struck 
 a decisive trail. Reason assured him that he was safe, but 
 the apprehension born of guilt and perplexity, suggested 
 that after all, reason might be wrong. After the door had 
 closed upon them, the detective began, "Mr. Middleton, you 
 deserve a better fate than this, and God knows I am sorry, 
 very sorry, that your crime and my duties have created our 
 present relations. Middleton, I have worked hard. When 
 I started on this case, little did I foresee that the cross 
 would fall on you. But I may as well tell you at once, 
 for we understand each other, and it is needless to waste 
 words, I've got you dead." 
 
 "Well, if you have," replied the messenger, "let me see 
 it. I don't propose to take anything on trust. If you've got 
 me dead, show your hand." 
 
 "I shall be happy to accommodate you in every particu- 
 lar," answered the special agent, pulling from one pocket the 
 revised description of the stolen money, and from another 
 two ten-dollar bills, each wrapped up separately, and labeled 
 with elaborate care. On the reverse side of both were 
 several hieroglyphics which struck the attention of the rob- 
 ber without special effort on the part of the exhibitor. He 
 would not have turned so pale had he known that the 
 cabalistic marks were made a few hours before by the de- 
 tective himself. Spreading out the description deliberately, 
 the officer continued: "You know that paper, I presume. 
 Well, let us see whether I have got you or not. Compare 
 this note with the second entry in the list of tens. Now com- 
 pare this with the fifth." 
 
 A pair of uneasy eyes glanced hurriedly from the notes 
 to the description, and back again from the description to 
 the notes. There could be no mistake. The correspondence 
 was exact. The fellow turned the bills over, but asked no 
 
330 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 explanation of the marks, having evidently already discovered 
 far more than it was comfortable to know. 
 
 Then, in a tone of subdued, melancholy triumph, the officer 
 broke in upon his meditations, "You don't think I have got 
 you, Jack?" 
 
 With an oath, he replied, "Furay, it looks so." 
 
 " Middleton, what demon has taken possession of you ? How 
 did you win your own consent to do this terrible wrong ? " 
 
 In silence the man who had passed, unscathed by the law, 
 through many dark transactions, squinted with a furtive 
 leer out of his schooled and practiced eye, trying to discover 
 whether the detective really had all the evidence which he 
 seemed to have, or was attempting to play a trick on him 
 as he had often done on others. After deliberating appar- 
 ently about the propriety of answering, he inquired abruptly, 
 " Furay, where did you get those bills ? '' 
 
 "Why, Jack, if you want to know very badly, you had 
 better ask one of the Schimmerhorn boys. It is enough for 
 you to know that I have them. But why did you do it? 
 Was you crazy with drink, or what? " 
 
 "Well, Furay, I'll tell you. I have been drinking and 
 gambling. Since I came to this territory, everything has 
 gone against me. Nothing that I have touched has turned 
 out well. Do you wonder that I grew so desperate as not 
 to care much what might happen to me? I did not see 
 how under heaven I could ever be trapped in this opera- 
 tion, and so took the risk. But my bad luck clung to me, 
 and here is the result. Perhaps it is just as well, anyhow. 
 I ask you again, Furay, where did you get those bills? " 
 
 "I told you, Jack, it is sufficient for you to know that 
 I have them. They are here. John Middleton, it is enough 
 to make angels weep to see a man of your talents and 
 opportunities fall as you have fallen. How could you be- 
 tray the confidence of the governor, and of the friends who 
 have sustained you from childhood? How could you bring 
 dishonor upon wife and children ? " 
 
THAT FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR NOTE. 33! 
 
 "You have been connected with courts a long time. The 
 ways of justice have no secrets that are hidden from you. 
 We have known each other for years, and you are well 
 aware that it is not my habit to fire blank cartridges, or 
 waste my shot. Now, Jack, I am going to be candid with 
 you. Having shown you what I have, I am going to admit 
 what I have not. Frankly I do not know what you did 
 with that five hundred dollar note. Whatever knowledge 
 I may have of the rest, I have been unable to find any 
 trace of that. You are sufficiently familiar with courts and 
 with the penalties meted out to poor unfortunates, situated 
 as you are now, to know that the easiest way out of trouble 
 is the best way. Come, where is that note? " 
 
 "Let us understand each other, Furay. I want to see 
 the exact point in your suggestion. How will it benefit me 
 to tell where that note is ? " 
 
 "Jack, you stole that bill out of a letter intrusted to your 
 charge, and if you deny the act, I propose to prove it 
 before twelve men. I appeal to your experience to decide 
 whether it is better to acknowledge your folly and ask for 
 mercy by a show of penitence, or to drive me to the necessity 
 of exposing to the world the full measure of your crime? 
 In which case will the court be more likely to deal with 
 leniency ? " 
 
 "Perhaps you are right, Furay. In fact, I believe you 
 are. You have given good advice, and I will respond in 
 the same spirit. If you go to B. L. Crandall, of Tilsit, you 
 will find it. I owed him one hundred and thirty-seven 
 dollars, and he advanced me ninety-three more in money 
 and goods, promising to hold the note till I redeemed it. 
 I told him it came in a remittance from Washington, and that 
 I expected more from the same source." 
 
 "I propose to go to Tilsit to-night for that bill," replied 
 the detective, " and I want an order for it." 
 
 "To-night in this storm!" ejaculated the criminal, in 
 amazement. 
 
332 A TRICKSTER TRICKEfJ. 
 
 " Yes, that is just what I am going to do." 
 
 After some parley, the robber wrote the following order. 
 
 "CEYLON, TERRITORY, February, 18 . 
 
 "B. L. CRANDALL, TILSIT: Please deliver to Colonel 
 John B. Furay, who is a special agent of the post-office de- 
 partment, that $500 bill that I let you have. My statement 
 to you about it was not correct. It belongs to the post- 
 office department, and Colonel Furay must have that identi- 
 cal bill. 
 
 (Signed) JOHN MIDDLETON." 
 
 The prisoner was turned over to the United States marshal 
 for the territory, who happened to be in Ceylon in attendance 
 on the district court. 
 
 After considerable trouble and delay, a span of horses with a 
 driver were procured, and the special agent set forth through 
 the darkness and the rain for Tilsit, forty-three miles distant. 
 It was his purpose to reach there and secure the stolen note 
 before any possible alarm could be sounded by telegraph the 
 next morning. The roads were bad, the mud deep, and 
 the drive slow ; but the travelers, drenched till they were 
 water-soaked, arrived at Tilsit about four o'clock A. M. The 
 little town was buried in silence and slumber. He called 
 first at the jail to inquire where Crandall lived, and was 
 there directed to the sheriff, who, like the jailer, was un- 
 able to give the desired information. He then drove to the 
 house of the postmaster, an honest, faithful old gentleman, 
 whom, on account of advanced age, he desired, if possible, 
 to avoid disturbing at that unseasonable hour. The ex- 
 cellent old man, however, rose with alacrity, and getting 
 into the buggy, piloted the way to Crandall's. After some 
 delay and parley through the window, that gentleman an- 
 swered the bell in person, and invited the callers in. The 
 special agent declined to advance beyond the oil-cloth in 
 the outer hall, as the water dripping from his garments made 
 a pool around his feet. 
 
AN EARLY CALL. 333 
 
 "Mr. Crandall," inquired the officer, "you know John 
 Middleton?" 
 
 "Yes, I know such a person." 
 
 "Mr. Crandall, he gave you a five hundred dollar bill the 
 third of this month." 
 
 " I am certainly sorry to have disturbed you, but I must have that bill." 
 
 "What business is it of yours," replied that gentleman, 
 querulously, "whether he did or did not? Is it for a matter 
 of no greater consequence that you dragged me out of 
 bed?" 
 
 "I am certainly sorry to have disturbed you, but I must 
 
334 A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 have that bill. Here is a written order for it. The bill 
 was stolen from the mails. I want it at once, and want it 
 badly. The business does not admit of temporizing. Where 
 is it?" 
 
 " I haven't got it." 
 
 "What have you done with it?" 
 
 "I do not understand this thing," remonstrated Crandall. 
 "I want to know whether I am getting into a scrape or 
 not." 
 
 w I certainly have no purpose or desire to bring trouble 
 upon you," answered the officer. " One can only be com- 
 promised by his own misconduct, and there is nothing at 
 present to indicate that your connection with this business 
 is not legitimate and proper. However, very likely without 
 suspecting it, you have been dealing with a thief, and in 
 the prosecution of the case I am compelled to call on you 
 for the stolen property that has fallen into your hands." 
 
 " I do not see the need of rousing the town in the dead 
 hours of night," replied the merchant evasively, having 
 gathered courage from the frank statement of the visitor. 
 "Can't the matter be attended to just as well in the morn- 
 ing?" 
 
 " It cannot," answered he. " I have not ridden forty 
 miles through the darkness and the storm for nothing. 
 Rightfully or wrongfully you hold possession of a bill stolen 
 from the mails. That bill I must have immediately." 
 
 At this point the postmaster mildly remarked, "You will 
 not get into any trouble if you pursue a frank and straight- 
 forward course ; but to avoid trouble, you must act squarely." 
 
 Crandall then proceeded to explain. "Middleton did give 
 me such a bill. He had been owing me for years. After 
 holding it a few days, surmising it might be a counterfeit, I 
 took it to the president of the bank where I keep my account. 
 As both of us were in doubt, we made a record of the num- 
 bers, and sent it to Chicago for deposit. It proved to be 
 good," 
 
THE PUNISHMENT. 335 
 
 w Have you the numbers ? " queried the agent. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Where are they?" 
 
 " In the safe at my store." 
 
 "Well," urged the agent, "I must have them now." 
 
 After a futile remonstrance against the exposure to the 
 storm, the merchant led the way to the store, unlocked the 
 safe, and took therefrom a complete description of the note 
 which Middleton had stolen from the mails. Upon that 
 important scrap of paper the three placed their initials with 
 the date, so that no dispute might ever arise in regard to 
 its identity. 
 
 Now for the first time the detective had legal evidence 
 to establish the guilt of the criminal, and he felt a hundred- 
 fold repaid for the dismal night ride through mud and rain. 
 
 He went home with the postmaster, borrowed a dry shirt, 
 and took a short nap while his garments were drying. So 
 hot had been the chase that this was the first time he had 
 closed his eyes in sleep for nearly sixty hours. 
 
 Crandall, as was afterward learned, turned out to be 
 K crooked " in some of his transactions, and fell into serious 
 trouble in consequence. Had the detective waited till the 
 next day to make a comfortable trip to Tilsit on the cars, 
 he would very probably have lost the case. 
 
 Of course no one but a person terribly in earnest would 
 have driven over forty miles by night in a pelting storm to 
 make sure of a scrap of evidence ; but, it should be remem- 
 bered, only persons who are terribly in earnest ever suc- 
 ceed as special agents of the post-office department. The 
 picked men of the force are the men that in an army would 
 be selected to lead a forlorn hope, and that would fall if need 
 be pierced by a thousand bullets before they would turn their 
 backs on danger. 
 
 In all, three hundred and thirty dollars of the stolen 
 money was recovered and restored to the government, 
 
A TRICKSTER TRICKED. 
 
 eighty-six dollars having been found on the person of the 
 prisoner, which was applied to the purpose. 
 
 The offender soon heard of the sham ride, and concluded 
 that "undue duress," or some other illegal squeezing ma- 
 chine, had been applied to him. Backed by influential 
 friends, he made a prolonged and desperate effort to escape 
 from the penalty of his crimes, but, after lying in jail for 
 eighteen months, decided to plead guilty in open court to 
 two indictments. He received a moderate sentence. As no 
 evidence was presented at the trial, the ruse de guerre was 
 never exposed. 
 

 
 1 
 
 ROM small beginnings, like 
 most successful enterprises, 
 the boarding-school for young 
 ladies at Cheltham had grown 
 into a "female seminary" of 
 wide celebrity and high repute. 
 The village, or embryo city, re- 
 garded by the residents as the 
 most attractive on the Ameri- 
 can coast, traced its prosper- 
 ity, in great measure, to the 
 school. Retired merchants and 
 manufacturers, with children 
 to educate, in looking about 
 for choice locations, convenient 
 to the large towns where they 
 had accumulated fortunes, but 
 free from the din and confu- 
 sion of the metropolis, were 
 drawn thither not more by the 
 quiet beauty of the surround- 
 ings, than by the advantages held out for the training of the 
 young. One after another they bought and built, till the broad 
 avenues radiating from the nucleus of business were lined with 
 miniature palaces, the abodes of wealth and culture, of taste 
 and refinement. A residence at Cheltham is regarded by the 
 
 22 
 
 Miss Edna Norman. 
 
33$ LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 highly-favored ones who live there as a sort of patent of 
 nobility. Few emotions give more pleasure in a small way 
 than the ebullitions of semi-rural patriotism, for each individual 
 seems to himself to be a large part of the place. " Et quorum 
 pars magna fui" The sentiment is as old as poetry. 
 
 The roofs on the eastern slope of the town overlook an 
 island-studded bay, jutting up from the ocean. The lotos- 
 eaters, wooed by the summer sea-breezes, might have lived 
 and died here in perfect content. As might be expected, the 
 darker sides of human nature were seldom brought into prom- 
 inence in such a community. 
 
 In the course of time, the even flow of events was inter- 
 rupted, and the post-office department was urgently invited to 
 send thither a detective. In this instance the sufferers were 
 not to be found among the merchants or millionaires, but 
 among the pupils at the seminary. Many letters addressed 
 to the young ladies failed to reach them. This was particu- 
 larly true of missives containing valuable inclosures, though 
 simple letters of affection and friendship were often intercepted. 
 The principal became alarmed, and sent an appeal for help to 
 the postmaster-general. 
 
 The papers were duly forwarded to special agent Sharretts, 
 who, as a preliminary step, studied carefully the character of 
 the losses. The town received its mails by a single line of 
 railway, while the missing letters came from both directions 
 and from widely separated parts of the country. If a route 
 agent was inclined to be dishonest, he would hardly confine 
 his depredations to a single village on the line of the road, or 
 purloin letters which obviously contained nothing of value. 
 At the local office the business was transacted by the post- 
 master and one clerk, neither of whom, if a thief, would be 
 likely to restrict his operations to a single institution. How- 
 ever, to avoid possible mistakes, the special agent tested the 
 office till fully satisfied that the trouble was not there. 
 
 He next turned his attention to a cross-eyed, dilapidated 
 cripple, who hung about the seminary, and was supposed to 
 
DANGEROUS CURIOSITY. 339 
 
 act as mail messenger. Observation for a brief period dis- 
 covered that he was very irregular in the performance of the 
 duty, and a little maneuvering satisfied the detective that the 
 poor creature was innocent. Thus, by logical necessity, the 
 inquiry was narrowed down to the school itself, and the officer 
 was forced to the conclusion that he must look for the thief in 
 one of the inmates. 
 
 While watching the movements of the messenger, he noticed 
 that a particular young lady acted often as his substitute, taking 
 not only her own mail, but that of the other pupils also. He fur- 
 ther observed that she carefully scrutinized each letter, turning it 
 over, and in some instances holding the envelope between her 
 eye and the light. The frequency of her visits to the post- 
 office, supplemented by these evidences of a prying curiosity, 
 led him to study her appearance and actions attentively. It 
 occasionally happens that an officer foresees that, in the per- 
 formance of a painful duty which, if possible, he would thrust 
 away as a bitter cup, he must encounter woman, not to render 
 homage, but to bring home the terrors of a broken law. Under 
 any circumstances the ordeal is severe, and in the higher walks 
 of life it is terrible. In view of the approaching trial, however, 
 the looks, motions, tones, and general demeanor of the sus- 
 pected criminal become invested with a dreadful fascination. 
 
 About eighteen years old, rather above the medium height, 
 and a brilliant brunette of the tropical type, she dressed rather 
 richly for a school-girl, though always in good taste, and 
 showed in the correctness of her language and the modula- 
 tions of her voice the effects of careful training from child- 
 hood. But her eyes were at once a revelation and a mystery. 
 Partially screened by long, thick lashes, those orbs of liquid 
 light seemed to emit heat and cold, fire and frost in alternating 
 flashes. They could allure a young companion with the fasci- 
 nation of a serpent, or freeze, if so disposed, with the chill of 
 an iceberg. Held within the limits of propriety by the force 
 of patient discipline, she appeared to be a reservoir of untamed 
 power that surged back and forth, impatient of barriers a 
 
LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 germ of vast possibilities for good or evil. One would expect 
 to meet such types of beauty in the Indies, but not under the 
 cold glimmer of the northern star. 
 
 Having discovered this much, the officer decided to call 
 upon the principal of the seminary, to make some necessary 
 inquiries, and to learn what degree of co-operation he might 
 expect. He was received very courteously by Miss De Lacy, 
 and without intimating the character of his suspicions, he man- 
 aged to turn the conversation upon the scholars generally, and 
 upon Miss Edna Norman in particular. It appeared she was the 
 only child of wealthy and highly connected parents, in one of the 
 most important of our commercial towns, and that no want of 
 hers was suffered to go ungratified. In the way of dress and 
 ornaments she was the recipient of presents much in advance 
 of her years and position as a school-girl. "Why," remarked 
 Miss De Lacy, whose studies were of a philosophical turn, 
 " if Miss Edna should express a wish to bathe in liquid moon- 
 shine, her friends would cheerfully bear all the expenses of 
 distillation. They are most excellent people, and mean to be 
 prudent in indulging their daughter, but find it exceedingly 
 difficult to keep within bounds the promptings of generosity." 
 
 According to the teacher, the character of the young lady 
 was irreproachable in every respect, while her talents and 
 accomplishments placed her in the front rank of the school. 
 She was not studious, but very quick, absorbing knowledge 
 as a sponge drinks moisture. Her latent tendencies toward 
 waywardness had obviously never attracted the attention of the 
 principal, which was itself an evidence that she deserved, in a 
 measure at least, the praise so freely bestowed upon her. 
 
 Other pupils passed under similar though briefer review. 
 By no word or look did the detective intimate a doubt of the 
 correctness of Miss De Lacy's impressions. At the same time 
 the losses were discussed, and the principal expressed great 
 anxiety to have the offender discovered, as the depredations 
 from extent and frequency could not fail to affect injuriously 
 the reputation of the seminary. To this end, she agreed to 
 
THE BAIT TAKEN. 34! 
 
 assist privately by every means in her power. With the 
 understanding that they were to co-operate, the detective took 
 leave, promising to soon repeat the visit. 
 
 It was arranged that the detective should furnish Miss De 
 Lacy lists of every lot of letters sent to the seminary from the 
 post-office, no matter who might act as messenger. She was 
 to compare the lists with the letters actually delivered, and if 
 any were missing, a correct inference in regard to the identity 
 of the thief could easily be drawn. He was destined, however, 
 to discover the truth by a much. simpler and more expeditious 
 method. 
 
 He prepared a decoy well suited to appeal to curiosity and 
 the love of adornment, twin weaknesses of the female mind, 
 as some unsympathetic men are wont to characterize them. 
 By a mild stratagem he contrived to have the customary mes- 
 senger detailed temporarily for other employment. 
 
 The next day, while loitering in the lobby of the post-office, 
 after the distribution of the heavy noon mail, he saw Miss 
 Norman approaching alone. She received the mail for the 
 seminary, including the missive prepared expressly for her 
 benefit. In running the letters over, she paused on reaching 
 this one, and inspected it very closely. Placing the package 
 in her pocket, she left, and sauntered homeward, followed at 
 a respectful distance, on the opposite side of the street, by a 
 gentleman who was particularly interested to see what treat- 
 ment his venture sustained at her hands. On reaching a por- 
 tion of the way partially screened by shrubbery, she dexterously 
 drew forth the letter, and tore off the end. Then, as if in 
 alarm, she thrust it back, and, quickening her steps, soon dis- 
 appeared. The gentleman, who had observed these move- 
 ments with so much curiosity, followed leisurely behind, and 
 not long after rang the bell at the door of the seminary. He 
 called for Miss De Lacy, and in a few minutes that gentle and 
 thoroughly estimable lady presented herself with an apology, 
 hardly required under the circumstances, for her delay. The 
 incidents already described were briefly narrated. The prin- 
 
342 
 
 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 cipal could only ejaculate, 
 "Can it be possible, can 
 it be possible?" The fall 
 of a favorite pupil seemed 
 to paralyze her faculties, 
 while the injury likely to 
 result to the reputation of 
 the school was doubtless 
 greatly magnified in the 
 mental turmoil incident to 
 the discovery. 
 
 At this juncture the 
 dinner-bell rang, and feet 
 were heard trooping gayly 
 through the halls. "Can- 
 not there be some mistake 
 about the identity of the 
 young lady ? " inquired 
 Miss De Lacy, catching at 
 straws in the extremity of 
 her pain. 
 
 " I am afraid not," re- 
 plied the officer, and he 
 proceeded to describe her 
 dress. 
 
 "It must be, it must 
 be," ejaculated the prin- 
 cipal, sorrowfully. " She 
 wore such a dress this 
 morning, and has just 
 changed it for dinner." 
 
 "If that is the case, 
 madam, I must request 
 you to conduct me to the 
 room of Miss Norman, 
 
THE DISCOVERY. 
 
 343 
 
 where you will probably find such evidences of guilt as will 
 fully verify my suspicions." 
 
 At first she demurred feebly, but soon yielding a half 
 involuntary compliance, she led the way up stairs to a neatly 
 furnished apartment, which she said was allotted to the exclu- 
 
 44 Taking it down, and thrusting his hand into the pocket, he drew 
 forth, not only the decoy, but several other letters." 
 
 sive use of the suspected pupil. Pictures adorned the walls, 
 and in one corner stood a wardrobe. "Will you be kind 
 enough, madam," said the officer, pointing to the wardrobe, 
 " to produce the dress which Miss Norman wore this morning." 
 
344 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 The principal, however, pale, and struggling to keep back 
 the tears, remained immovable as if powerless to stir. There- 
 upon the officer opened the door, when first in the array of 
 female apparel was displayed the ill-fated suit. Taking it 
 down, and thrusting his hand into the pocket, he drew forth 
 not only the decoy, but several other letters addressed to dif- 
 ferent members of the school, all of which had been broken 
 open. After these had been exhibited in detail to the astonished 
 principal, so that she might fully grasp the situation, he re- 
 marked, "I trust you are now fully convinced, madam, of the 
 correctness of my surmises, and that you will not hesitate from 
 over-sensibility to afford me an opportunity to interview Miss 
 Norman. I have reached a stage in the investigation where 
 it is absolutely necessary that I should converse with her alone, 
 with the view to a complete discovery of the facts." 
 
 "I cannot urge any objection, sir/' replied she, so bewildered 
 by the terrible developments that she led the way back to the 
 parlor in silence, and, bidding her guest to be seated, left in 
 quest of the young lady. 
 
 A few minutes later the door opened, and Miss Norman 
 stepped lightly in. From the smiles that wreathed her face, it 
 was evident that she expected to meet some relative or friend, 
 and the disappointment produced by the sight of a total stran- 
 ger found quick expression on her countenance. 
 
 " Miss Norman ? " interrogated the stranger, rising. 
 
 "Yes, sir/' 
 
 " Please, take a seat, Miss Norman. I desire to converse 
 with you a few minutes/' 
 
 "With me?" inquired she, in great surprise. 
 
 "Yes, ma'am, with you. I am a special agent of the post- 
 office department, and am now in this locality for the purpose 
 of investigating complaints which are supposed to connect the 
 loss of letters addressed to the pupils of this institution with 
 carelessness or dishonesty in the post-office. Knowing that 
 the young ladies have suffered great annoyance, I wish, before 
 proceeding further, to obtain exact information in reference to 
 
FORMING A DISAGREEABLE ACQUAINTANCE. 345 
 
 the depredations. Have you heard complaints from others, or 
 have you any to make yourself ? " 
 
 * I regret, sir," replied she, coldly, " that I have no informa- 
 tion whatever to give in regard to the missing epistles, either 
 on my own account, or on account of the other pupils. I must 
 say I have heard very little about the matter. I am at a loss 
 to conjecture why any one should consult me on a subject about 
 which I know little and care less." 
 
 The last sentence was delivered with an air of petulance 
 and impatience as if the speaker wished to terminate a dis- 
 agreeable conference. She rose from the chair like one born 
 to command rather than to obey, and, dropping a haughty bow 
 to the gentleman, was about to depart without further waste 
 of ceremony, when he spoke with an emphasis and authority 
 which interrupted the incipient courtesy. " Wait one moment, 
 if you please, Miss Norman. It may seem singular to you 
 that a stranger should solicit an interview for the purpose of 
 questioning you on a topic so alien apparently to your situa- 
 tion and thoughts. As you will find, however, I have excellent 
 reasons for my course. Before explaining them, however, 
 let me premise that I have discovered the thief." 
 
 The color left the cheeks of the girl, and for a moment she 
 stood pale and speechless like a marble statue. Then, with 
 a masterly effort to regain her composure, she remarked, in 
 tones of forced indifference, "I am at a loss to see how that 
 
 concerns me, sir." 
 
 " It concerns you very deeply," replied the special agent. 
 "I have been accustomed from youth to reverence womanhood, 
 and, in the performance of the painful duties that often devolve 
 upon me, I have in a few instances been compelled to utter 
 words that seem cruel to those who by virtue of sex should 
 command my homage. You can imagine, then, how much 
 pain it costs me to tell you that I know all. Here are a num- 
 ber of letters, broken open hardly an hour ago, and found in 
 your pocket. I stood near w r hen you tore off the end of this 
 one." He spread out the missives for her inspection. 
 
346 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 During the colloquy extraordinary changes had passed in 
 quick succession over the expressive countenance of the cul- 
 prit. She entered the parlor with bounding steps, in fullness 
 of life and spirit. The revulsion of feeling produced at meet- 
 ing a stranger instead of a friend, and at the commonplace 
 character of the errand which called her from more pleasur- 
 able occupations, she made no effort to disguise. At the first 
 hint tending to connect her with the crime, her eye flashed 
 defiance as if she expected to crush the hateful intruder with 
 a look. How Vain the attempt, how idle her self-confidence, 
 she soon realized ! As well might raw recruits essay to storm 
 a rampart bristling with guns, and manned by veterans who 
 had faced the perils of a hundred conflicts. The girl wilted 
 before the steady eye of the man, and when the mutilated 
 letters were shown, she gave up completely. Pride, dignity, 
 composure, were thrown to the winds. Clasping her hands in 
 the attitude of a suppliant, and advancing a few steps toward 
 the officer, she exclaimed pathetically, "Do not expose me. 
 O, spare me save me!" And then, as if communing with 
 herself, "What will father say? My poor, dear mother! 
 What cruel fiend has possessed me ! " 
 
 " Miss Norman," said the officer, " I hardly need assure you 
 that you have my profoundest sympathies. I shall do nothing 
 needlessly to add the weight of a hair to the load which is 
 already crushing you. The investigation, however, must be 
 pushed to the end. A part of my mission is to right the wrongs 
 that have been done. As you hope for mercy here and here- 
 after, you must aid in the work of restitution. Where are the 
 other letters taken by you?" 
 
 "They are locked up in my trunk, sir," replied the girl, 
 submissively. 
 
 " I will go with you," answered he ; " and you must deliver 
 them all up to me." 
 
 Interposing no objection, she led the way in silence to her 
 room, and cautiously closed the door, that none of the other 
 scholars might discover how grievously she had injured them. 
 
A MYSTERIOUS CASKET. 347 
 
 For a moment she hesitated irresolutely, and then, at the bid- 
 ding of the officer, unlocked a large trunk. By his direction, 
 she began to remove the garments one by one. Mutilated 
 letters, addressed to different members of the school, came to 
 light, singly and in packages, scattered promiscuously among 
 the clothing. As these were handed to the special agent, he 
 placed them in piles on the table. While his eye was partially 
 averted, he noticed that the girl dexterously folded what ap- 
 peared to be a small wooden box, in some article of apparel, 
 which she then nervously removed as if especially desirous 
 of concealing it. After reaching the bottom of the trunk, he 
 inquired, " Are these all the letters you have belonging to the 
 other young ladies?" 
 
 " Yes, sir, all." 
 
 " Have you ever destroyed any ? " 
 
 " No, sir, not one." 
 
 " Miss Norman, what disposition did you make of the con- 
 tents of these letters ? " 
 
 " I put them back, sir." 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " Into the letters, sir, that they were taken from. I have 
 never made any use of any of the inclosures. You will find 
 everything just as it came into my hands." 
 
 " What was your object in breaking them open? " 
 
 " O, I don't know, I don't know. I must have been crazy. 
 I shall certainly go distracted ; " and, covering her face with 
 her hands, she burst into tears. 
 
 The officer walked around to the opposite end of the trunk, 
 and picked up the box which the culprit was evidently over- 
 anxious to conceal. It was made of rosewood, inlaid < with 
 ivory a piece of elaborate and costly workmanship. As he 
 lifted it from its hiding-place, the girl sprang at him with the 
 fury of a tigress, and forgetting herself, exclaimed, in a tone of 
 almost savage intensity, " You shall not examine that, sir ; " 
 then, remembering that the man held her destiny in his gripe, 
 her manner suddenly changed to softness, and in pleading 
 
LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 accents she begged him not to open it. The discovery of her 
 guilt, with the dread prospect of exposure and punishment, 
 had not affected her so profoundly as the appearance in the 
 hands of a stranger of that simple casket. The situation per- 
 plexed the officer exceedingly. While sincerely desirous to 
 save her from unnecessary pain, he began to suspect from her 
 extreme agitation that she was even more guilty than previous 
 developments indicated, and that the proof of the fact would 
 be found in the box. It was not his habit to stop in the middle 
 of an investigation, or to rest satisfied with partial and im- 
 perfect discoveries. At the same time he had no prurient curi- 
 osity to gratify, or disposition to transcend in the least the strict 
 limit of official inquiry. While determined to learn the extent 
 of her criminality in connection with the robberies, he was 
 equally desirous not to go a step beyond. He tried to explain 
 the requirements of his position, but the young lady was in- 
 sensible to arguments and persuasion. Finally, to cut the 
 matter short, he remarked, peremptorily, w The contents of 
 that box I must examine, and if they have no relation to the un- 
 happy events which brought me hither, rest assured no one else 
 will ever be the wiser for it." 
 
 "Guilty as I am, wicked as you think me to be," remon- 
 strated the girl, "there is nothing concealed in that box which 
 it concerns you to know. If I have but one favor to ask, 
 please believe my words, and return it." 
 
 Although her manner was now frank, her statement ap- 
 peared to the officer incredible. Already during the day she 
 had both stolen and falsified, so that he was hardly ready to 
 accept her declarations till she had brought forth fruit more 
 meet for repentance. Taking a string of keys from the trunk, 
 he unlocked the casket, while the girl averted her face in 
 silent, sullen submission to an overmastering fate. A glance 
 informed him that she had spoken the truth. He closed and 
 replaced the box with an apology which elicited no reply. 
 
 As the detective was proceeding in the story without further 
 reference to the episode, the writer ventured to interrupt the 
 
THE PRINCIPAL SUMMONED, 
 
 349 
 
 flow of the narrative by interpolating a reminder. "Sharretts, 
 you omitted to mention what you saw on lifting the cover." 
 
 " Yes," replied he. " Perhaps I erred in alluding to the 
 incident at all, though it made a deep impression on me at the 
 time, and comes back with great vividness now. Even after 
 the lapse of many years, I cannot consent to violate the promise 
 then voluntarily proffered to the heart-broken child. This 
 much I will say, however, the casket held nothing which re- 
 flected in the slightest degree upon the purity of her character. 
 You must excuse me if I tell no more." 
 
 " Taking a string of keys from the trunk, he unlocked the casket, while the 
 girl averted her face in silent, sullen submission." 
 
 Having discovered the full extent of the depredations, and 
 recovered the stolen property, the officer remarked, "I must 
 now summon Miss De Lacy. She must know all." 
 
 '" Please, do not," remonstrated the girl, with tears streaming 
 from her eyes. "It will surely kill me to have her learn what 
 
350 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 a guilty wretch I am. She has always been so trustful, so 
 kind ! O, why do I live ! Why can't I die ! Terrible, ter- 
 rible ! So happy yesterday, to-day ruined, ruined forever ! 
 My heart will break." And she clasped her palms over her 
 heart in a vain effort to repress its convulsive throbs. 
 
 ft Young lady," resumed the detective, w let me entreat you 
 to be calm. Do not yield to these violent paroxysms of grief. 
 The real penalty of crime belongs to the commission, not to 
 the discovery. If truly penitent, you are far better off to-day 
 than you were yesterday. It is for your sake alone that I de- 
 sire the presence of Miss De Lacy. You have broken the laws 
 of the land, thereby rendering yourself liable to arrest and im- 
 prisonment. Instead of pushing the case against you, I desire 
 to intercede in your behalf, and can only hope to prevail through 
 the co-operation of the principal." 
 
 " Must you expose me to the whole school?" she gasped. 
 
 " O, no, ma'am. Rest easy on that point. I will keep the 
 matter as quiet as possible, communicating with no one here 
 except Miss De Lacy." 
 
 A messenger was sent for the principal, who met the officer 
 in her private parlor, when the situation was explained to her. 
 This most estimable lady was sorely stricken at the develop- 
 ments, and wept bitterly over the defection of her favorite 
 pupil. Bewildered at the painful perplexities of the situation, 
 she knew not what to say or do, till the detective came to her 
 rescue. With the view of giving direction to the current of 
 affairs, he said, " It will not answer to allow this young lady 
 to remain here, nor, on the other hand, must she be sent away 
 immediately. On the plea of illness, certainly justifiable in 
 her present condition, she can be transferred to your room, 
 and there maintain the seclusion so essential to her comfort 
 and recovery. Her father must be telegraphed for at once, 
 and to him you must break the sad intelligence. Since this 
 misguided girl was authorized to receive your mails from the 
 post-office, I cannot, as an agent of the department, take meas- 
 ures to arrest her, a move which I should be very loth to make, 
 
POINTING OUT THE WAY. 35! 
 
 even if it fell within my province, as the protection of the pos- 
 tal laws ceases when letters pass from the custody of sworn 
 employes into the hands of the owners or their agents. She 
 is, however, unquestionably amenable to punishment under the 
 laws of the state ; and from this you may save her. 
 
 " On the table in her room are all the violated letters, with 
 the contents, as I judge, intact. She did not break the seals 
 to appropriate the inclosures, but from a morbid curiosity to 
 pry into the affairs of her associates. After the final departure 
 of Miss Norman, these missives must all be delivered to the 
 proper owners, and you can exercise your pleasure in assigning 
 reasons for the delay and mutilation. 
 
 " The postmaster here, who is directly concerned in the 
 investigation, must also be informed of the crime, which I will 
 attend to personally ; and, knowing him as I do, I can vouch 
 for his discretion. 
 
 w I need not assure you that I feel very sorry for Miss Nor- 
 man, and desire to spare her all unnecessary pain and mortifi- 
 cation. To your hands I commit her case, feeling that in her 
 beloved teacher she will find her most effective advocate. 
 
 " Guilty as the girl is, she has not passed the pale of salva- 
 tion. Much depends on the conduct of her father. The 
 keenness of the disgrace may render him at first violent and 
 abusive. You must intercede with him. Urge him by the 
 memories of the past and the hopes of the future to speak 
 gently to the erring, to win back by kindness and love the 
 wanderer to the fold. If I, commissioned to bring law-break- 
 ers to punishment, can pity and forgive this thoughtless child, 
 how much more should the author of her life I " 
 
 Miss De Lacy could hardly find language in which to suita- 
 bly clothe her thanks to the detective for the tender and delicate 
 manner in which he had conducted the investigation, and for 
 his kindness to the unhappy girl. She promised to follow out 
 his suggestions in regard to future movements. 
 
 They then returned together to the room of Miss Norman. 
 As the teacher entered the door, the scholar, covering her face 
 
352 
 
 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 with her hands as if ashamed 
 to be seen, sobbed hysterically. 
 The sight overpowered Miss 
 De Lacy in an instant. Rush- 
 ing forward, she clasped the 
 broken reed in her arms, ex- 
 claiming, w Edna, dear Edna, I 
 know all, but I forgive all ! 
 Dry your tears, my dear child. 
 No harm shall 
 come near you, if 
 I can prevent. 
 This kind gentle- 
 man more than 
 tempers justice 
 with mercy, for 
 his whole aim is 
 to save you from 
 troubles that might 
 have come, and to 
 promote the return 
 of peace." 
 
 "What shall I 
 do? What can I 
 do ?" exclaimed the 
 excited creature, 
 hiding her face on 
 the bosom of the 
 teacher. " How 
 can I dare ever 
 look in your face 
 again ? " 
 
 "Edna," replied 
 
 Bushing forward, she clasped the broken reed in her tne J a dy ? for what 
 
 arms, exclaiming, ' Edna, dear Edna, I know all, but 
 I forgive all!'" 
 
 you have done you 
 
FORGIVENESS. . 353 
 
 have suffered severely, and I think sufficiently. We will let 
 the past bury its dead; and, looking to our merciful Father 
 above for strength, let us pray that the experience of this dark 
 hour may lead my poor erring child to the arms of her God. 
 We have present duties to perform, and will begin now. This 
 gentleman has marked out a course which meets my hearty 
 approval. 
 
 " Some of the scholars suspect that something unpleasant 
 has happened to you, but they have not the remotest conception 
 of what it is. I want you to bring these letters all you have 
 ever taken to my room, where you can remain for the pres- 
 ent undisturbed. I shall telegraph for your father at once, and 
 on his arrival he will take such steps for the future as he may 
 think best." 
 
 The last announcement revived in full force the paroxysm 
 of grief. The anguish of the child at the thought of meeting 
 the parent upon whom she had brought such deep disgrace 
 drove her to the verge of distraction. After the first outburst 
 of tears, her lips closed rigidly, and her eyes became set with 
 a stony stare, as if reason had fled. At the suggestion of the 
 officer she was conducted to the room of Miss De Lacy, where 
 some cordial was administered with reviving effect. In a few 
 moments she grew calm again. 
 
 Having accomplished his mission, the detective took his de^ 
 parture. Passing in safety several batteries of curious eyes, 
 he merged into the open air, and soon left the academic shades 
 of Cheltham far behind. 
 
 As was afterwards learned, the father of Miss Norman hur- 
 ried to Cheltham in response to the telegram, and on hearing 
 the cause of the summons was at first so overwhelmed with 
 astonishment and indignation that he refused to see his child. 
 Again, however, Miss De Lacy proved so effective an advocate 
 that the sterner feelings of the parent relented ; and in the 
 natural sequence of the emotions, pity succeeded wrath. Once 
 more the trembling girl was folded in his arms, fully forgiven 
 and restored. 
 
 23 
 
354 LOST AND SAVED. 
 
 A few years pass. The errant school-girl has become wife 
 and mother, the light of a happy home, the pride of a husband 
 noted in his native city not more for wealth and enterprise than 
 for sterling worth. Next to the duties to her family, she takes 
 most delight in ministering to the sick and needy, and in trying 
 to reclaim the erring. Quiet, thoughtful, earnest, her steps 
 have brought comfort and peace to many sad households. 
 
*w^. 
 
 '.<','>'.>. 
 
 >m^-~^ 
 12-ssss 
 
 MR.MAHO 
 
 HERE is a class of post- 
 office thieves who make 
 a specialty of rifling the 
 registered letters that pass 
 through their hands in tran- 
 sit on journeys of greater 
 or less length. Some of 
 them have managed opera- 
 tions very shrewdly, in the 
 evident belief that they had 
 discovered an infallible 
 method for doing the work 
 and at the same time es- 
 caping detection. Too late 
 they generally learn by sad 
 experience that no patents 
 can be taken out for the 
 protection of crime. 
 
 In this class of cases 
 something tangible always 
 remains to exhibit the peculiar style of workmanship belonging 
 to each ; and it would often surprise the uninitiated to learn 
 how many traits of character, what indexes of habit and voca- 
 tion, can be picked up by careful study of the minute points 
 
A TELL-TALE SEAL. 
 
 presented for inspection. Unless, however, an agent cultivates 
 a taste for thoroughness .even to details and trifles that might 
 at first view appear utterly insignificant, he will never succeed 
 in interpreting the hieroglyphics. 
 
 At intervals of two or three weeks, beginning in the summer 
 of 1871, registered packages passing to and fro from Chicago to 
 a town in the interior of Dakota Territory, which for conven- 
 ience will be called Wellington, though that was not its 
 name, were reported to the department as rifled. As the 
 season wore on, the complaints increased in frequency. Under 
 the old method of doing business at head-quarters, which often 
 amounted practically to a distribution of the cases about equally 
 "among the boys," the agent stationed at Chicago received 
 most of them at first ; then a part were sent to an agent in 
 Iowa ; and as the number multiplied, Furay, at Omaha, was 
 favored with an occasional sprinkling. Under the present 
 more perfect system, great care is taken to group together all 
 the complaints growing out of each series of depredations, to 
 locate the seat of trouble by comparisons carefully made in the 
 department itself, and to give everything bearing on the subject 
 to the officer specifically charged with the investigation. 
 
 March came around before Mr. Furay found time to give 
 personal attention to this particular thief. He then passed 
 over the route to Wellington, eighty miles by stage-coach from 
 the nearest railroad station, with ten intermediate offices. All 
 the packages remained over night at Sioux City, Iowa, a fact 
 sufficiently important to invite close scrutiny ; but the detective 
 soon became satisfied that he must look elsewhere for the rob- 
 ber. His suspicions were next directed to another office, where 
 also the mails lay over night ; but the postmaster bore a coun- 
 tenance so open and honest that he too was eliminated from 
 the problem. 
 
 He continued on to Wellington, skirmishing along the line, 
 and observing the faces of the postmasters ; but these studies in 
 physiognomy threw no light on the mystery, as the officials of 
 the department on the route, though far removed from central 
 
A FRUITLESS TRIP. 357 
 
 supervision, seemed to be all that their affectionate uncle at 
 Washington could wish. On the return trip the detective was 
 equally observant and equally perplexed. At that season the 
 stage stopped for the night at Hannibal ; but there, likewise, 
 the postmaster shared the honest looks that seemed to prevail 
 through eastern Dakota. 
 
 Proceeding on, the passengers dined at Raven's Nest, where 
 one Michael Mahoney, Sr., kept a small store and the post- 
 office, running also with the aid of a young son and a son- 
 in-law a farm. The store was managed by Michael 
 Mahoney, Jr., a married son, who happened to be absent both 
 when the special agent went up and when he returned. The 
 face of the old man indicated that he was vicious, ignorant, 
 and unscrupulous ; but clearly he was not sharp enough to 
 execute nice work like that under investigation. 
 
 With the exception of a general knowledge of the offices, 
 the special agent returned but little wiser for the trip, and 
 concluded, as the best that could be done under the circum- 
 stances, to allow the bird to flutter a little longer before renew- 
 ing the hunt. Meanwhile the thief grew more reckless, and 
 the papers that came to Mr. Furay, though covering a fraction 
 only of the depredations, located the thief on the lower end 
 of the route, within fifty miles of the terminus. 
 
 During the summer, one or two other agents took up the 
 matter cursorily, but made no discoveries. In the mean time 
 Mr. Furay was kept too busily occupied with a succession of 
 important cases in Nebraska to give much thought to the 
 outlying territory of Dakota. At length, in September, he 
 went carefully over the papers that had accumulated during 
 his late prolonged absences, and soon knew exactly where to 
 look for the chap who had so long plundered the public with 
 impunity. 
 
 For some time Chicago had been closing registered package 
 envelopes with wax, which, on this route at least, effectually 
 secured them against molestation. Imitating the example, 
 Camden, Dakota, began to do the same; but, having no seal 
 
35^ A TELL-TALE SEAL. 
 
 suitable for the purpose, improvised a substitute by using the 
 flat surface of a rasp. 
 
 Camden placed the wax near each end of the envelope, 
 which materially interfered with the game of the thief, because 
 it was just here that he operated. Evidently piqued that a 
 rural postmaster should presume to outwit him, he studied 
 hard to devise some means for opening these particular pack- 
 ages without leaving such traces of his handiwork as would 
 attract the notice of other officials through whose hands they 
 might subsequently pass. The effort was crowned with a 
 measurable degree of success, for Mr. Furay, at the general 
 overhauling referred to, was the first to discover that the seal 
 had been tampered with. 
 
 As it was necessary to break one of the seals, the object of 
 the robber was to restore it as nearly as possible to its original 
 appearance; and to effect this he used a dampened thimble, 
 rolling it over the wax while the latter was hot. There was 
 but one envelope of the kind in the lot, but it told the whole 
 story to the eye that could penetrate its meaning. As the 
 thimble passed along the edge, it left the mark of the rim, 
 then a smooth narrow band, followed by pointed 
 elevations closely resembling continuous lines, thus : 
 
 On the opposite side of the same seal the wax flattened out so 
 as to cover a good deal of surface ; and, to give it the desired 
 appearance, the manipulator resorted to the thimble again, but 
 this time used a different one, the indentations on the surface 
 being perceptibly finer and more shallow. 
 
 The violation of that single seal betrayed the thief, for the 
 detective at once inferred that the job was done in a store 
 where the operator had access to a variety of thimbles. Only 
 one was required ; and no person but a merchant would be 
 likely to have more than one within convenient reach. In a 
 store, however, it would be natural to take down a boxful, and 
 place it on the counter, to be selected from at random. One 
 is picked up, used, and thrown back. The operator now finds 
 another spot that requires attention, and without waiting to 
 
THE KEY FOUND. 
 
 359 
 
 hunt for the thimble that has already served as a seal, for 
 the wax is cooling and no time must be lost, grasps the first 
 that comes to hand, too absorbed in the main issue to give a 
 
 thought to what 
 would pass as 
 an insignificant 
 subsidiary trifle. 
 No rascal is 
 sharp enough 
 to guard every 
 point, a general 
 fact that illus- 
 trates over and 
 over again, in 
 the experience of 
 man, the seminal 
 truth, that in a 
 mercenary and 
 physical, as well 
 as in a high and 
 spiritual sense, 
 there is neither 
 wisdom nor prof- 
 it outside of the 
 limits of absolute 
 integrity and unflinching uprightness. 
 
 The detective laid aside the papers 
 with a light heart, knowing that at last 
 he was complete master of the situation. 
 Below Camden on the infested route the 
 post-office was kept in a store at two 
 
 Mr. Mahoney, Jr. 
 
 points only, and in one of those no thimbles were sold. The 
 clue pointed unerringly to Raven's Nest as the spot where 
 alone the requisite conditions to account for the imprint on the 
 violated seal were to be found. Thither the officer accordingly 
 went ; and the moment his eye rested on Michael Mahoney, Jr., 
 he recognized the heaven-branded features of a thief. 
 
360 A TELL-TALE SEAL. 
 
 Returning to Sioux City, he telegraphed to another agent 
 who had a large number of the cases growing out of the rob- 
 beries, to come on at once. The two men took stations, one 
 on each side of Raven's Nest, and in thirty hours they arrested 
 the youthful criminal, who in the interval stole four decoy-let- 
 ters, and paid a portion of the contents to one of the officers 
 who was testing him. 
 
 Mr. Furay collected from the thief and his relatives the full 
 amount stolen from the mails during the entire continuance of 
 the depredations, restoring the money to the rightful owners 
 dollar for dollar. Young Mahoney made a written confession, 
 supplemented by three or four codicils relating to items which, 
 to use his own language, " at first did not to me occur." He 
 was tried the following February, and sentenced to the peni- 
 tentiary for the term of three years. 
 
 Within fifteen days from the time when the doors of the 
 prison closed upon the son, the villanous old father, acting 
 perhaps on the theory that no two shots ever strike in exactly 
 the same place, began also to rob the mails. In due time, 
 Mr. Furay again appeared on the scene and took the old rep- 
 robate away a prisoner. When the trial came on, a material 
 witness for the prosecution happened to be absent, the lack of 
 whose testimony proved fatal to the case, for, after hanging a 
 day and a night, the jury brought in a verdict of acquittal. 
 
[ANY misguided men expend 
 in contriving devices for de- 
 frauding the public, sufficient 
 labor and ingenuity to win an 
 honorable support, or often af- 
 fluence, if directed to proper 
 ends. For the most part the 
 returns are irregular and pre- 
 carious, while every step for- 
 ward increases the perils that 
 beset the path of the operator. 
 Comfort and peace are forgot- 
 ten in the wild whirl that hur- 
 ries him on to new fields 
 and fresh ventures. However 
 smoothly the stream may glide 
 at the outset, it rushes onward 
 resistlessly to the rocks and 
 rapids that no mortal can pass 
 in safety. Incredible as it may 
 seem that rational beings should voluntarily renounce the sym- 
 pathies of the good, to enter upon a reckless crusade against 
 society, not a few even of the highly gifted, driven on by some 
 strangely perverse influence, have deliberately entered the 
 ways of crime only to encounter the inevitable penalties of 
 
362 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 disappointment, disgrace, and ruin. Life is passed in a perpet- 
 ual but vain struggle to escape the necessary consequences of 
 evil actions. 
 
 " Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind. 
 The thief doth fear each bush an officer." 
 
 Even the dread walls of the prison have in some cases been 
 welcomed as preferable to the tortures of uncertainty. 
 
 On the i6th of June, 1874, Isaac Myers, special agent of the 
 post-office department, happened to be in Washington, Wash- 
 ington County, Pennsylvania, on official business, when his 
 attention was called to a communication just received from Mrs. 
 Mary A. Whetham, Kirklington Hall, Southwell, Notts, Eng- 
 land, dated June 3, and inclosing two letters addressed to her- 
 self, and purporting to have been written by M Winter Ham- 
 ilton, M. D." The first was dated Canal Fulton, Ohio, 
 February 18, 1874, and gave what was intended to be a roman- 
 tic and touching account of the death of a distant relative of 
 hers, Edmund Whetham, whom, though a stranger, the benev- 
 olent doctor took to his home and tenderly nursed during his 
 last sickness. On learning that his hours were numbered, the 
 young Englishman called for a lawyer and made his will, 
 bequeathing to Mrs. Whetham two thousand acres of land in 
 Texas on condition that she paid the bill of Dr. Hamilton, other- 
 wise the estate was to go to him. He forwards an account of 
 two hundred dollars, or forty pounds, for medical attendance, 
 board, and funeral expenses. He also suggests that if she will 
 accompany her draft with a promise to repay any outlay he 
 may incur, he will send an agent to Texas to examine the 
 lands. The cost will not exceed twenty-five pounds, and may 
 put her in possession of an immense fortune. The letter closes 
 with a pious appeal to the heart and pocket of his correspond- 
 ent. " I feel that I did my duty to your friend ; I have now 
 done my duty to you. I shall feel obliged at receiving your 
 decision at your very earliest convenience." 
 
 May 18, 1874, "Winter Hamilton, M. D.," addresses a sec- 
 ond letter to Mrs. Whetham, having meanwhile transferred his 
 
A PRUDENT LADY. 363 
 
 residence from Canal Fulton, Ohio, to Washington, Pennsyl- 
 vania. After a brief reference to his former communication, 
 he writes that a foreign letter having been forwarded inadver- 
 tently from his late home to the dead-letter office, he infers it 
 must have been from her, as he has no other correspondent 
 abroad, and inquires whether she has decided to accept the 
 legacy. This caution is added by way of postscript: "Copy 
 my address very carefully, we have so many Washingtons in 
 America." 
 
 Mrs. Whetham took no notice of the first effusion, though 
 satisfied that the writer was trying to obtain money under false 
 pretenses. On receipt of the second, she felt it to be a duty 
 to others, less wary than herself, to communicate the facts to 
 the authorities, in order that steps might be taken to punish the 
 swindler. She accordingly inclosed both to the " superin- 
 tendent of police, Washington, Washington County, Pennsyl- 
 vania," with the information that she had no such relative as the 
 person described by Dr. Hamilton. She further explained 
 that the Rev. F. Mills, to whose care the letters were ad- 
 dressed, was rector at Hocherton, two miles distant, and that 
 she was patron of the living. Hence she inferred that the 
 doctor had studied a "clergy list" of England, which gives 
 an account of all livings with their patrons. She informs the 
 " superintendent of police " that the letters are forwarded to 
 him for the public benefit, remarking, with the prudence char- 
 acteristic of the woman of business, that she will hold herself 
 "in no way responsible for any steps taken." 
 
 As "Winter Hamilton, M. D.," was clearly using the mails 
 for purposes of fraud in violation of section three hundred and 
 one of the code, Mr. Myers determined to hunt down the rascal. 
 He examined the registers of hotels and boarding-houses, 
 going back over a long period, without finding the name. No 
 one could remember such an individual. If he ever lived at 
 Washington, he left on disappearing no trace of his existence 
 or identity. 
 
 Not to be bluffed in the chase by the faintness of the trail, 
 
364 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 Mr. Myers proceeded to Canal Fulton, Stark County, Ohio, 
 whence the letters to Mr. Whetham were addressed. The 
 postmaster at that place only knew that a person calling him- 
 self Winter Hamilton came to the office once in the fall of 
 1873, and took a number of letters bearing that superscription. 
 The stranger vanished as suddenly as he appeared. Sub- 
 sequently he requested the postmaster to forward his mail to 
 Washington and Uniontown, Pennsylvania, but for several 
 months none had been received. Beginning the game cau- 
 tiously, the doctor evidently selected an office where he was 
 unknown and where he intended never to be known, visiting 
 the place but once after sending abroad the first installment 
 of his wares. Nothing further could be learned at Canal 
 Fulton. 
 
 Mr. Myers returned to Pennsylvania, visiting Washington 
 and Uniontown in search of additional evidence. Quite a 
 large foreign mail came to both offices, but in the multiplicity 
 of names, neither postmaster recollected that of Winter Hamil- 
 ton. Mr. Myers requested them, in case any letters for that 
 address should be received in the future, to take particular 
 notice of the party who called for them, and also to notify him 
 by telegraph. 
 
 For several months the pursuit was suspended, the tracks 
 of the swindler being rather obscure and other work engrossing 
 the attention of the agent. Meanwhile, some one of the nu- 
 merous parties in England who had been favored with an 
 effusion from the eminent philanthropist, gave a rsum of the 
 letter to the press. The paragraph, copied into American 
 papers, obtained quite an extensive circulation. It set forth 
 that a person over the signature of "William Parker, M. D.," 
 was writing from Washington, Pennsylvania, to members of 
 parliament, ministers of the Church, and other wealthy and be- 
 nevolent people in England, representing that certain distant 
 relatives of theirs, clandestinely in the United States, had died 
 at his house in indigent circumstances, leaving an abundance 
 of good land in Texas, but no ready cash to meet the expenses 
 
HABITS OF THE VULTURE. 365 
 
 of the last sickness and burial, all of which he had borne, and 
 for which he desired to be indemnified. 
 
 As the literary ventures of the doctor were constructed on 
 a single model, the publication was likely to illuminate nearly 
 every person in England whose sympathies had been awak- 
 ened by the sufferings and fate of the erring but repentant 
 scion of his house, and to interrupt any further outflow of 
 pounds sterling that might be prompted by gratitude or greed. 
 An equally probable result of the exposure would be the hasty 
 flight of the operator from the locality connected in the papers 
 with his fame. Living for the most part on the wing, such 
 birds scent danger from afar, soaring away with a change of 
 plumage at the first note of alarm. Lost to sight in the blue 
 empyrean, they drop down at length on some distant shore, so 
 metamorphosed that none but an experienced hunter would 
 recognize the quality of the game. 
 
 Mr. Myers, meeting the newspaper paragraph referred to, 
 and not forgetful of our old acquaintance, "Winter Hamilton, 
 M. D.," revisited Washington, Pennsylvania, toward the close 
 of October, to renew the search. He learned that a Dr. Parker 
 had resided there during the previous May and June. The 
 gentleman bore an excellent reputation, was welcomed in the 
 best society, and was supposed to be an Englishman of de- 
 cayed fortunes, seeking to bury among strangers the memory 
 of his griefs. The more impressible were attracted by the 
 mystery, heightened by the air of reserved and gentle melan- 
 choly, that distinguished him from the coarser grain of the 
 common herd. He taught a novel method of short-hand writ- 
 ing, both as a pastime and a means of livelihood, so favorably 
 impressing the public during his brief sojourn that he carried 
 away recommendations from the leading citizens of the place. 
 
 After leaving Washington, the "doctor" resided at Union- 
 town, Pennsylvania, about three months, receiving many letters 
 from England addressed to William Parker and Winter Ham- 
 ilton. Here, also, he circulated among the best people, and 
 taught short-hand. It was not his policy, however, to tarry 
 
366 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 long in one place, and so, procuring a fresh reinforcement of 
 recommendations, he removed to Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 
 where he played the same role which had carried him safely 
 through his sojourn at Washington and Uniontown. 
 
 Mr. Myers pushed on to Connellsville in pursuit, and learned 
 that Parker, evidently alarmed by the exposure in the press, 
 had suddenly decamped, leaving a part of his effects at the 
 Yough House. The agent stopped over night at the same 
 hotel, cautiously trying to gather tangible proofs of the guilt 
 of the doctor, but that worthy had taken equal precautions to 
 prevent the success of any such enterprise. Long experience 
 in eluding the winged avengers of the law had made him care- 
 ful in covering his tracks. Probably he never carried longer 
 than was absolutely necessary any papers that might compro- 
 mise his safety. There was a chance that he might return, or 
 send for his luggage. In either event his capture would easily 
 follow. 
 
 Mr. Myers left the next day, having arranged with the 
 postmaster to notify him by telegraph if Parker returned, or if 
 further letters for him came. The interval of delay was brief. 
 October 25th the postmaster telegraphed that Parker was at 
 Connellsville, and asked for instructions. He was directed to 
 keep a sharp lookout and wait. At daylight, the morning of 
 the 26th, Myers turned up again at Connellsville, repairing 
 at once to the post-office to learn the posture of affairs. In the 
 meantime an incident had occurred which might have resulted 
 disastrously had the pursuit been less vigorously pressed. 
 
 On the loth of September Parker wrote from Connellsville 
 to the Rev. J. E. N. Molesworth, vicar of Rochdale, Lanca- 
 shire, the stereotyped story, varied only with a change of 
 names, that two months before, a young Englishman, Edmund 
 Molesworth, had arrived at that place, sick and friendless. 
 The quick sympathies of the doctor's wife were enlisted by the 
 helpless condition of the stranger, and she proposed to have 
 him moved to their own house. Since then she had watched 
 over him with the tenderness of a sister. That very morning 
 
A TEN POUND DRAFT. 367 
 
 the youth handed him a paper, containing the address of a 
 distant relative in England, with a request that he be written 
 to without delay, to remit enough to defray the expenses of the 
 funeral, as he could die easier if he knew he was not to be 
 buried by the hand of charity. The doctor continues : "If you 
 see fit to send me any money for his funeral, you can do so ; 
 if not, I shall see that he is not buried by the town. For my 
 own and my wife's services he is heartily welcome." 
 
 In response to the appeal, Dr. Molesworth purchased a draft 
 for ten pounds, and mailed it to Parker. After reflecting a day 
 or two, however, he came to the conclusion that he was the 
 victim of a swindle, and wrote to the London post-office to 
 have the letter intercepted, but it had already gone forward. 
 Accordingly, the Foreign Office addressed the following note 
 to the department at Washington : 
 
 "Registered No. 138,775. " GENERAL POST-OFFICE, > 
 
 LONDON, October 8, 1874. > 
 
 " SIR : I have the honor to inform you that a letter has been re- 
 ceived from Rev. Dr. Molesworth, Vicar of Rochdale, in which he 
 requests me to detain a letter, addressed to ' Dr. William Parker, Con- 
 nellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, N. America/ and containing 
 a bill of exchange for 10. 
 
 44 Dr. Molesworth states that the person calling himself ' Dr. Wil- 
 liam Parker* has applied to him for pecuniary aid ; that there is rea- 
 son to believe that he has done so under false pretenses. 
 
 44 1 have informed Dr. Molesworth that the letter was dispatched 
 from Liverpool to New York on the ist instant, by the Inman packet 
 4 City of Paris,' and that it is, therefore, beyond my control, but 
 that I would write to you upon the subject. 
 
 44 1 think it right to state that, had the letter been addressed to a 
 place in this country, it would not have been in the power of this 
 department to withhold it from delivery, if a person of the name of 
 Dr. William Parker had been found to reside at the address. But 
 you will, of course, act in the matter according to your discretion and 
 to the regulations of your department. I shall be glad to be informed 
 in what manner the letter has, in the result, been disposed of. 
 
 44 1 have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, F. HILL. 
 " The Postmaster General, at Washington, U. S." 
 
368 
 
 TAKING IN STRANGERS, 
 
 On the 23d, the acting superintendent of foreign mails at 
 Washington addressed the usual circular of inquiry to the 
 postmaster at Connellsville, asking what disposition had been 
 made of the letter in question. On calling at the office the 
 morning of the 25th, Parker received three foreign letters, 
 which he proceeded to open before leaving the vestibule. 
 
 " While thus engaged, the clerk incautiously informed him that 
 he had an inquiry from the department." 
 
 While thus engaged, the clerk incautiously informed him that 
 he had an inquiry from the department in reference to a British 
 letter forwarded by the City of Paris on the 1st inst. to his 
 address at Connellsville, and asked if he had received it. 
 
THE TWO DROMIOS. 369 
 
 Parker replied in the negative, and immediately gave back 
 the three letters in his hand, with the remark that they were 
 not his. He turned to walk away, when the clerk requested 
 him to indorse on the envelopes, " Opened by mistake," with 
 his signature; and, after a moment's hesitation, he somewhat 
 sullenly complied. The return of the letters indicated that the 
 doctor was thoroughly alarmed. Exposed by the press and 
 interrogated by the department, he needed no further warning 
 to fly. He passed an uneasy Sunday, doubtless resolved to 
 escape by the first available train. 
 
 Already, however, it was too late, for the impending crash 
 was just upon him. Mr. Myers proceeded from the post- 
 office to the Yough House. In a few minutes the bell rang for 
 breakfast, and watching the opportunity, he followed directly 
 behind Parker into the dining-room, and took a contiguous 
 seat at table. Though rather nervous, the doctor engaged 
 moderately in conversation. By a singular confusion of facts 
 and fiction, a recent cable despatch announced the arrest in 
 London, a few days before, of a Dr. William Parker, who 
 had been extensively engaged in swindling operations at Con- 
 nellsville, Pennsylvania. The doctor remarked that he had 
 read the item with great satisfaction, as a paragraph had been 
 going the rounds of the press calculated, from the identity of 
 names, to do him great injustice and wrong, but that the arrest 
 of the actual swindler could not fail to completely vindicate 
 him. It is possible that the despatch was concocted as a blind 
 by a confederate of Parker in England. 
 
 Learning that Mr. Myers was from the seat of government, 
 the doctor became quite inquisitive concerning matters at the 
 capital, but manifested little disposition to enlighten his inter- 
 locutor in reference to his own affairs, parrying with the skill 
 of an adept questions designed to elicit information in respect 
 to his nativity, antecedents, and business. 
 
 After fencing for about an hour without getting much nearer 
 to the real issue, the special agent suddenly brought things to 
 a crisis by the remark, 
 24 
 
37 
 
 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 " Doctor, you have, or should have a letter, sent you by 
 Dr. Molesworth, vicar of Rochdale, containing a bill of ex- 
 change for ten pounds sterling. I have been sent by the post- 
 master-general of the United States to get that letter ; and 
 you will please give it to me." 
 
 The doctor trembled violently, almost convulsively. A mo- 
 mentary flush, followed by deathly paleness, overspread his 
 
 * With guilt pictured upon every lineament, he answered, ' I 
 have not got the letter.' " 
 
 features. His eyes rolled rapidly and uncontrollably. With 
 guilt pictured upon every lineament, he answered in a faint 
 and quavering voice, 
 "I have not got the letter." 
 
"TALK LOWER, PLEASE." 371 
 
 "I can prove," replied the agent, "that you took it from 
 the post-office here, and that you have received, besides, a 
 large number of letters from different persons in England. 
 Your little game has lasted well, but it is now played out." 
 
 Rallying under the home thrust, and recovering in a meas- 
 ure his wonted composure, the doctor proceeded to expostu- 
 late. 
 
 " There is either a big mistake here, or you are trying to 
 put up a job on me. My only correspondent in England is 
 my son. The letters taken from the office were written by 
 him. The suspicions unjustly directed against me are due to 
 no fault of mine, but to the actions, whatever they may be, 
 of the Dr. Parker lately arrested in London. It is a gross 
 outrage to make one man suffer for the sins of another." 
 
 The agent suggested interrogatively, 
 
 "Perhaps, if so disposed, you could explain that despatch. 
 You may have a friend in England who, at your instance, 
 would not scruple to give misleading information to the press 
 for the purpose of helping to cover your tracks. The little 
 trick very good in its way will not pass current here. 
 You are under arrest, doctor, and will have to leave at one 
 o'clock for Pittsburgh. Have you any preparations to make 
 for the journey?" 
 
 " Don't talk so loud ; talk lower, please," implored Parker. 
 " Half the town will be gazing at us. Let us go up stairs to 
 my room, where we can arrange matters quietly." 
 
 He led the way, and the officer followed, slipping a revolver 
 into a convenient pocket, to be in readiness in case the doctor 
 should make any aggressive demonstration. As they passed 
 in, Parker locked the door. Both took seats, and the colloquy 
 was resumed. 
 
 "Permit me to inquire on what charge I am arrested." 
 
 "You are arrested, sir, for using the United States mails for 
 the purpose of swindling certain persons in England." 
 
 " Have you a warrant?" 
 
 "No. But if it will be any accommodation to you, or serve 
 
37 2 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 to relieve your feelings, I will step out and procure one. I 
 consider my commission from the postmaster-general sufficient 
 authority." 
 
 " Have you any objections to exhibiting your commission ?" 
 
 "Not the least," replied the agent, handing him the docu- 
 ment, which, after an attentive perusal, he returned, remarking 
 that he did not wish to create excitement, and so would 
 go along quietly, especially as he was sure he could es- 
 tablish his innocence, and return by the next train to Con- 
 nellsville. 
 
 The doctor then diverted the conversation into a new chan- 
 nel, showing remarkable familiarity with the detective systems 
 of both England and America. He had carefully studied the 
 subject in its wide ramifications, his perceptions being no doubt 
 quickened by repeated encounters with officers of justice dur- 
 ing the vicissitudes of his checkered career. On the sympathy 
 supposed to exist between detectives and prisoners he dwelt 
 with particular emphasis, citing instances to show where they 
 had accepted an w honorable consideration " " to let up " on the 
 unfortunate. Finding himself, however, in the hands of an 
 officer impervious to hints and insensible to pathos, he prepared 
 to submit with apparent grace to the inevitable, asking the 
 agent, as a special favor, not to follow him so closely as to 
 excite suspicion, and promising to make no attempt to escape. 
 In return, he was allowed as full a measure of freedom as was 
 consistent with security, and with that scrutiny of his move- 
 ments which was needed to prevent the possible destruction 
 of papers or other evidence. 
 
 Among other final preparations for departure, he wrote a 
 letter to his wife in Chicago, and deposited it in the office. 
 That no opportunity might be lost for picking up evidence 
 which might prove useful at the trial, Mr. Myers quietly in- 
 closed the communication in a second envelope, directed to 
 the special agent located at Chicago, requesting him to deliver 
 it to Mrs. Parker in person, and, if possible, to recover the 
 douceur after she had enjoyed the perusal, the object being to 
 
THE COMMITMENT. 373 
 
 secure an authentic specimen of his handwriting. The strat- 
 agem was skillfully executed, the letter coming back in a few 
 days to be added to other papers in the case. 
 
 The special agent, accompanied by the postmaster at Con- 
 nellsville and the prisoner, took the first train for Pittsburgh, 
 meanwhile telegraphing United States Commissioner McCand- 
 less to await their arrival. After a brief statement of the lead- 
 ing facts of the case, Parker, in default of two thousand dollars 
 bail, was committed for a further hearing on November loth. 
 On arriving at the jail, the United States marshal searched 
 his person, finding a diamond ring, a new revolver, a gold 
 watch, and sixty dollars in currency, but no papers. 
 
 While the moral evidence of Parker's guilt was so over- 
 whelming as to leave no shadow of doubt in the mind of any 
 one conversant with the facts already developed, the legal 
 proof required in a court of law was still sadly incomplete. 
 The government had possession of the letters written to Mrs. 
 Whetham, and of the envelopes delivered to the doctor at 
 Connellsville on the 25th of October, and immediately returned 
 with the indorsement, "Opened by mistake. Wm. Parker." 
 These constituted the sum total of the admissible bits of evi- 
 dence thus far secured ; and they would not withstand for ten 
 minutes the onslaught of a skillful criminal lawyer. As yet 
 there was no link to identify either of the letters received at 
 Connellsville with the one containing the ten-pound draft, 
 dispatched by Dr. Moles worth. Newspaper statements, how- 
 ever well founded, could not be brought to the attention of a 
 jury. The preliminary examination, even if postponed, could 
 not be deferred long ; and should the prisoner pursue a bold 
 and determined line of policy, the chances seemed greatly in 
 favor of his escape. No time was to be lost in obtaining ad- 
 ditional proofs. 
 
 Mr. Myers returned to Connellsville, and, equipped with the 
 proper authority, thoroughly searched the effects of Parker, 
 but failed to discover a single foreign letter addressed to him, 
 or a scrap from his own pen which threw a scintilla of light 
 
374 
 
 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 upon his operations. He then reported at head-quarters for 
 further instructions. 
 
 The acting superintendent of foreign mails, at once wrote 
 to the postmaster-general at London, requesting him to pro- 
 cure and forward the letters addressed by Parker to Dr. 
 Molesworth and to Hon. Peter Taylor, M. P. Mr. Myers 
 also sent a note to Moncure D. Conway, Esq., the well known 
 
 "Mr. Myers, equipped with the proper authority, thoroughly 
 searches the effects of Parker." 
 
 London correspondent, who in a number of articles had 
 manifested great interest in the exposure of the swindle, 
 asking his aid in collecting evidence to be used at the 
 trial. 
 
GATHERING EVIDENCE. 375 
 
 While waiting for replies, the special agent retraced a por- 
 tion of the ground covered by Parker, in order to learn the 
 history of the Molesworth draft. It was known that he visited 
 Uniontown about the middle of the month ; and thither the 
 agent accordingly followed. Among the arrivals at the Eagle 
 Hotel for October i6th, appeared the entry " Dr. Parker and 
 wife." Thence he proceeded to the National Bank, and was 
 shown the following memorandum : 
 
 "Bill of exchange, No. 2456, Brown, Shipley & Co. of 
 Liverpool, on Brown Brothers & Co., New York, dated 3Oth 
 Sept., 1874, f r ten pounds sterling, indorsed William Parker, 
 cashed, Oct. 16, 1874, bv A - C - Nutt > teller." 
 
 Mr. Nutt added that he knew Parker personally, and 
 could identify his handwriting. On inspecting the Whetham 
 letters, he at once recognized the writing as Parker's, and 
 producing another from Parker to himself, pointed out the 
 similarity. 
 
 By the loth of November, though perhaps not fully pre- 
 pared for the trial of the prisoner, the government was certainly 
 in readiness for the preliminary examination. At three P. M. 
 a large crowd had gathered to hear the testimony, including 
 representatives of the press from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, 
 public curiosity having been excited by the extensive notoriety 
 achieved by the doctor. While waiting for the proceedings to 
 begin, Myers handed the prisoner a newspaper which came 
 by mail from Chicago, and asked if it was not from his wife. 
 He glanced at the writing and answered affirmatively. The 
 wrapper was retained. It happened to be one of Parker's 
 printed letter-heads, and ran thus: " William Parker, M. D., 
 Connellsville, Pa., office hours from 7 to 8 A. M., n to 12 A. M., 
 8 to 9 P. M. {^ All bills considered due when services are 
 rendered." This was the first time that any one connected 
 with working up the case had seen or heard of any such letter- 
 head, and they inferred that the sheets were used exclusively 
 for foreign correspondence. In case letters written on similar 
 paper should be returned from abroad, this woulcj constitute 
 
376 
 
 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 another link in the chain of evidence. In due time they came 
 plentifully. 
 
 When the hour arrived, David Reed, Esq., United States 
 district attorney, who conducted the prosecution, asked the 
 prisoner if he wanted a hearing while his attorney, Mr. Rear- 
 don, was absent. 
 
 * The complete breakdown of the doctor took every one by surprise." 
 
 Prisoner. "Well, I don't know." 
 
 Mr. Reed. "You can waive a hearing if you please." 
 
 Prisoner (nervously}. "I think I'll admit all, and give you 
 no further trouble." 
 
 Mr. Reed. "You certainly don't mean to throw up the 
 sponge ? " 
 
A TOTAL COLLAPSE. 377 
 
 Prisoner. " Most assuredly I do." 
 
 District Attorney. "We will give you a chance anyhow." 
 
 The complete breakdown of the doctor took every one by 
 surprise, as old offenders do not often give up so easily. After 
 a brief presentation of the evidence for the government, the 
 prisoner, in default of two thousand dollars bail, the same 
 amount as before, was remanded to jail, to await trial at the 
 next term of the court. 
 
 In compliance with the request of Mr. Myers, Mr. Moncure 
 D. Conway, who had already given the public a copy of one 
 of Parker's epistolary efforts, published a card in the London 
 Times, November i8th, requesting all persons holding letters 
 from Parker to forward them to him, No. 2 Pembroke Square. 
 The card further stated that the swindler had been arrested in 
 America, and that the prosecution desired to put the letters in 
 evidence at the coming trial. The public responded with 
 commendable promptness, and in a short time about twenty of 
 these singular communications were sent to Mr. Conway from 
 different parts of the kingdom. They were dated from the 
 several towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania already mentioned, 
 and were signed Winter Hamilton, M, D., Henry Leatham, 
 M. D., and William Parker, M. D. All were in the same 
 handwriting, and for the productions of an experienced opera- 
 tor quite monotonous in similarity to each other. With minor 
 variations, the same pathetic story was told over and over, 
 showing arid poverty of invention in one who boldly defied 
 the laws for the purpose of making a livelihood by his wits. 
 
 Probably but a very small percentage of the letters actually 
 written by him were returned by the recipients. Many had 
 been destroyed, or forgotten. In numerous cases the credu- 
 lous had been victimized, and when the exposure came kept 
 silent, most people who have been duped shrinking from the 
 admission of the fact as they would from the imputation of a 
 crime. 
 
 From the collection, one of the longest and most elaborate is 
 selected as a specimen of the lot. It is addressed to a family 
 
378 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 of ladies, whom the doctor evidently credits with a love for the 
 marvelous and romantic, as he proceeds to enlighten them in 
 regard to a tragedy enacted in a distant branch of their family, 
 which drove a relative of theirs into exile to die broken-hearted 
 among strangers. It will be noticed that the writer, confused 
 doubtless by the multitude of friendless wanderers who flocked 
 to his house to breathe their last under the tender ministrations 
 of himself and wife, commits a stupid blunder in names. 
 Having described the fascinating youth as Edward Copland, 
 he says, on coming down to business, "My bill for professional 
 services to Mr. Johnson is one hundred and sixty-five dollars ! " 
 This slip must have prepared the minds of the readers to 
 appreciate the usual peroration on the " avariciousness " of 
 Americans, an imputation which he hurls back with patriotic 
 scorn. The following is a cop} 7 : 
 
 " CANAL FULTON, STARK COUNTY, OHIO, NORTH AMERICA, ) 
 
 November i, 1873. ) 
 
 " MMES. COPLAND, England. 
 
 u Dear Mesdames : Some three months ago, a young Englishman 
 Edward Copland arrived in this town and fell sick. I was sent 
 for and at once pronounced his case hopeless, telling him that if he 
 had any business to settle, it must have his immediate attention. 
 Turning on me a surprised and horrified look, he said, 4 Doctor, am 
 I going to die?' 4 There is not a chance for you/ was my reply. 
 ' Then,' said he, * take me to your home, doctor. Nurse me while 
 I do live ; when I am dead, see that I am decently buried ; and, on 
 the word of a dying man, you shall be no loser for your kindness.' 
 On making his request known to my wife, she granted it ; and we 
 took him to our home, nursed him with the tenderest care. Some 
 time before his death, he asked for a lawyer, and I sent for my own. 
 After their interview, Mr. Copland sent for me and made the fol- 
 lowing statement, which he desired me to transmit to you through 
 the medium of the Reverend W. Gray. In reply to my inquiry why 
 he did not write to one of you in particular and also direct, he simply 
 stated that he had his reason for this course. 4 Doctor, I am here 
 the victim of a diabolical crime. Some years ago, a certain gentle- 
 man now living in England induced a young lady, to whom I was. 
 
A SANCTIMONIOUS SHARPER. 379 
 
 engaged to be married, to smell at some chloroform. The drug took 
 swift effect upon her. Then, while she was insensible, he violated 
 her person. As you may believe, the discovery of this drove me 
 wild. I was thrown into a brain-fever, and lay for months between 
 life and death. During my illness, the young lady died. On my 
 recovery, I determined to leave England, and so sailed for this 
 country, where I have since lived. I feel that I shall not live long, 
 and I wish to say that I die at peace with God and man. The green 
 grass is now growing over the grave of the poor dear girl I loved so 
 tenderly, in the old churchyard in England, and it will soon be 
 growing over mine. A stranger in a strange land, with no wife, no 
 children, no friend to wipe the gathering death-sweat from my brow ! 
 My God ! my God ! what have I done that thou shouldest punish 
 me so terribly? ' 
 
 " The poor fellow here covered his face with his hands and wept 
 bitterly. As soon as he had regained his composure, he continued : 
 4 The Coplands are relatives of mine. The connection is a distant 
 one; maybe probably is unknown to them. I wish you to tell 
 them that I desire them to pay you for your attention to me ; and 
 further, to tell them that they shall be rewarded for so doing. I 
 could pay you now by making a sacrifice ; but if you will only wait 
 till your letter can go to England, I think Miss Copland will pay 
 you, and my estate will be saved a loss. Tell Miss Copland they 
 shall have good reason to be thankful for having complied with my 
 request.' 
 
 44 Of course I granted his request. My acquaintance with Mr. Cop- 
 land had convinced me he was incapable of fraud ; and my experi- 
 ence as a physician has convinced me that men won't lie when face 
 to face with death. I have stood at many deathbed sides, seen many 
 masks pulled off, but I have never seen the man who would lie after 
 death had seized him. My bill for professional services to Mr. John- 
 son is one hundred and sixty-five dollars ; his funeral expenses were 
 one hundred and thirty-five dollars, equal to three hundred dollars, 
 or sixty pounds your money. , 
 
 44 I must say I never saw a more painful case than his, nor one which 
 more interested my sympathies. Poor young man ! a gentleman un- 
 mistakably by birth, by education, and by fortune, to go down to an 
 unknown grave, be buried a stranger, by a stranger, among strangers ! 
 pitiful to contemplate, really. Die, too, broken-hearted. Of course 
 
380 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 I suppose that you know this Mr. Copland ; but if you should not, 
 I will give you a description of him, so that his identification must 
 be easy. Twenty-eight years old, rather above the middle height, 
 rather of a slight figure, oval face, regular features, blue eyes, fair 
 complexion, light hair, appearance and manners those of a cultured, 
 refined, high-bred man. He never spoke of his business or profes- 
 sion, though I have no doubt he was either a minister of the church 
 of England, or had been educated for one, he was so well acquainted 
 with all matters relating to the church. He surprised me by telling 
 me that you were the * patrons ' of Mr. Gray's church. I had 
 always had the impression that the church in England, being united 
 to the state, had its ministers appointed by the government. I was 
 not surprised to hear that Mr. Gray's income was only some one 
 hundred and fifty or two hundred pounds a year. Not the wages of 
 a skilled mechanic in this country. Mr. Copland made a will, which 
 I attested. I don't know that I violate any confidence when I tell 
 you that your interest will be subserved by complying with his re- 
 quest. This will, with a large package of legal documents, his 
 watch and chain, ring, and some other articles of personal jewelry, 
 are now in the care of my lawyer, H. Chambers, who will retain 
 them until I hear from you, after which they will be sent to England. 
 " I have Mr. Copland's Bible. I frequently caught him weeping 
 over it, and I noticed every time that it was the fly-leaf that he was 
 reading. On examining the book after his death, I found the follow- 
 ing lines written in an exquisite lady's hand on the fly-leaf: 
 
 " ' Remember, love, who gave you this, 
 
 When other days shall come, 
 When she who had thine earliest kiss 
 
 Sleeps in her narrow home ; 
 Remember 'twas a mother gave 
 The gift to one she'd die to save.' 
 " 'August 19, 1860, Oxford. Your MOTHER.* 
 
 " It is to be hoped that ' mother ' is sleeping in her narrow home, 
 that her poor heart may never have to bleed over the cruel fate that 
 befell her boy. Poor fellow ! Well, the Lord knows what is best 
 for us all ; but verily his ways are inscrutable. Your poor friend 
 bore his sufferings with the utmost patience and fortitude. The 
 gentleness and sweetness of his disposition endeared him to us all 
 very much. We employed an old colored woman, who was once a 
 
AMERICAN AVARICIOUSNESS. 381 
 
 slave, to assist us in nursing him. She would often say to me, 
 * Laws, Massa Doctor, I jis lubs dat chile, Massa Copland. No 
 use you tryin' to cure him, massa. He's jis a-gwine to hebben he 
 is. Me t'inks he too good for dis world.' Last Saturday night, at 
 half past eleven, he died, holding my hand. His last words were, 
 4 It is dark/ 
 
 " It is generally hard for an American to read without a smile the 
 remarks of some English travelers on our avariciousness. I think 
 you will allow that my wife and I acted to your friend in full keeping 
 with the old golden rule, 4 Do as you would be done by.' A stranger, 
 we sheltered him ; sick, we nursed him. No; that criticism ava- 
 ricious is ungenerous, unjust, untrue. To call the American peo- 
 ple avaricious, is just as discriminating and just as base as to call 
 the English people mean. John Bull and Brother Jonathan never 
 refuse an appeal to their charity ; and, thank Heaven ! they have 
 abundant means to do it with. They do very much as the Yankee 
 woman did, who was famous for the excellence of her rhubarb pies. 
 Being asked how she made such good pies, she answered, she put in 
 as much sugar as her conscience would allow, and then shut her eyes 
 and put in a handful more. So English and Americans give all their 
 conscience approves, and then add a handful without counting it. 
 
 " Good, kind, strong mother for all. God bless old England ! 
 " I am yours very faithfully, 
 
 " WINTER HAMILTON, M. D." 
 
 One more short extract from the voluminous pile of corre- 
 spondence must suffice. It is from a letter addressed to Rev. 
 Joseph Mann, of Wellington Vicarage, Yorkshire, dated Can- 
 ton, Ohio, and signed " Winter Hamilton, M. D." Foregoing, 
 with customary generosity, all claim for medical attendance 
 and nursing, he solicits the return of one hundred and twenty 
 dollars, the amount of the funeral expenses of the distant rela- 
 tive of Mr. Mann, who, after many tempestuous tossings, had 
 found at last a resting-place under his roof. 
 
 " I felt very much interested in the poor fellow. I did for him all 
 I could ; but the case was hopeless when I first saw him. I notice 
 that English travelers in America are wont to charge us Americans 
 
382 TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 with avariciousness, caring for nothing but the almighty dollar. I 
 think you must allow that myself and wife have acted to your friend 
 in full keeping with the gospel rule, ' Do as you would be done by.' 
 He had no books, no papers, no clothes with him. He told me he had 
 had to leave everything belonging to him in pawn for board in New 
 York. His only shirt was marked, I think, Charles N. Mann, but 
 the middle character was so worn as to be hardly distinguishable. 
 He received the attentions of our minister here with thankfulness ; 
 and on the day he died he told my wife that he was not afraid to die, 
 that he knew and felt his sins forgiven, and would rather die than 
 live. He was very reticent about his history ; said nothing about his 
 business or profession. He had a delicate white hand, evidently un- 
 accustomed to manual labor. His manners were gentlemanly, with 
 something of feminine refinement about them. He told me that he 
 had taken his degree at some other college than yours. You, he be- 
 lieved, was a Cambridge graduate ; you must have lived at Kelling- 
 ton some thirty or thirty-five years. If you have got copies of the two 
 sermons you preached, and of the two letters which you also printed, 
 I should be glad to see them." 
 
 When the arrest was made known, other parties in England 
 aided in furnishing evidence. Dr. Molesworth made oath be- 
 fore the United States consul at Manchester concerning the draft 
 for ten pounds remitted to Parker. Brown, Shipley & Co., of 
 Liverpool, sent a copy of the same, duly certified to. 
 
 This swindler of many aliases is evidently about fifty years 
 old, tall, and compactly built, with an appearance of intelli- 
 gence and shrewdness. An Englishman by birth, he claims 
 to have graduated at the college of Dublin ; but little is known 
 of his early life, as he is very reserved in talking about his 
 antecedents. He came to this country in 1862 ; shortly after, 
 according to his own story, entering the navy as hospital stew- 
 ard under an assumed name, and serving in the squadron of 
 Farragut till the close of the war. While thus engaged, he 
 invented a new and " improved " method of short-hand writing, 
 which he subsequently taught, acting at the same time as trav- 
 eling agent for sundry life-insurance companies and literary 
 papers. After roaming about the country a number of years, 
 
PERVERTED GIFTS. 383 
 
 the prototype perhaps of the friendless stranger who afterwards 
 figured so prominently in his foreign correspondence, he de- 
 cided to settle down in the State of Ohio ; and in pursuance of 
 that resolution, married in 1870 an estimable wife, the daugh- 
 ter of a wealthy family of Massillon. The heartless adven- 
 turer ingratiated himself with the unsuspicious lady by repre- 
 senting that he was heir to an immense estate in England, 
 which at no distant day they would enjoy together. She knows 
 little of his life previous to marriage, and nothing whatever of 
 his family connections. He is well fitted to impose success- 
 fully on the unwary, possessing an attractive person and agree- 
 able manners, and, in addition to a knowledge of the classics, 
 speaking French and German fluently. The gifts shamefully 
 perverted to the low uses of deceit might easily have won for 
 him an honorable place among men. Various minor incidents 
 indicate that he had served a long apprenticeship as a swindler, 
 having doubtless fled from England because the island had 
 become too hot to hold him longer. When apprehended, he 
 was on the point of taking a fresh departure, and had that 
 event been postponed twenty -four hours, the prison might 
 again have been cheated of its dues. 
 
 On the 6th of May, 1875, Parker was brought before the 
 United States court at Pittsburgh for trial, six indictments hav- 
 ing been found against him by the grand jury. When asked 
 if he was ready, he replied through counsel that he would 
 plead guilty and pray the mercy of the court, whereupon he 
 was sentenced to imprisonment for eighteen months on one 
 indictment, while sentence upon the remainder was suspended. 
 
 There is no way except through the confession of the 
 swindler, which is not likely to throw much light on the 
 mystery for some time to come for determining how much 
 money Parker managed to extort by his various epistolary 
 appeals. The sum must have been considerable in the aggre- 
 gate, for he lived and traveled in good style, and the revenues 
 to sustain the expenditure were doubtless derived in large 
 measure from this source, as the occupation of teaching the 
 
TAKING IN STRANGERS. 
 
 new system of short-hand was evidently taken up as a blind 
 to cover more occult operations, rather than as a means of 
 livelihood. 
 
 While in nearly, if not quite every instance he aimed, by 
 references to the property and will of the unhappy stranger so 
 tenderly cared for by himself and wife, to awaken expectations 
 of handsome returns in the minds of correspondents in Eng- 
 land, they seem, in the cases where the motives are revealed, 
 to have yielded more to the suggestions of sympathy and pity 
 than to the hope of gain. 
 
serpent beguiled me, and 
 I did eat." 
 
 On the day before Christ- 
 mas, 1875, a note fr m the 
 Executive Mansion was re- 
 ceived at the post-office de- 
 partment, requesting, in the 
 absence of the postmaster- 
 general, the presence of the 
 chief special agent. On re- 
 pairing to the White House, 
 that officer was informed by 
 the President that a bold and 
 successful swindle had lately 
 been consummated through 
 the real or pretended use of 
 the mails, and that, as his own 
 name had been dragged into 
 the matter by the perpetrator, 
 he especially desired that steps 
 
 should be immediately taken with the view of detecting and 
 punishing the guilty party. After a brief resume of the salient 
 facts, the President referred him to his own informant, a gen- 
 tleman from the West, who was familiar with the details of the 
 transaction. 
 
 25 
 
386 
 
 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 The following day the officer met the gentleman in question, 
 who proceeded to state the case so far as it had come to his 
 knowledge, and volunteered an occasional opinion to explain 
 some point where absence of proof left room for conjecture. 
 
 It appeared that about the middle of the previous October 
 a stranger arrived at the " Arctic," a caravansary in a large 
 
 " In the parlor of the proprietor his position soon became established as a 
 familiar and favorite visitor." 
 
 western city, and registered as "C. Worms, Washington, 
 D. C." As the proprietor was of German parentage, while 
 the guest spoke French and German fluently, an acquaintance 
 sprung up between them which rapidly ripened into intimacy. 
 The progress of the stranger in insinuating himself into the 
 
SUGGESTIVE HINTS. 387 
 
 good graces of the family was further facilitated by attentions 
 to the children, and by compliments, apparently hearty and 
 appreciative, bestowed upon the musical accomplishments of 
 the wife. In the parlor of the proprietor his position soon 
 became established as a familiar and favorite visitor. 
 
 As the days rolled by, the habitues of the hotel began to 
 wonder who the stranger could be, and what object could 
 have brought him to the city. No one knew his business, 
 and he appeared in no haste to make disclosures. Beyond 
 the fact that he was absent from the house a part of each 
 day, and occasionally till late at night, nothing transpired to 
 indicate the character of his calling. Several times he in- 
 quired at the desk for the addresses of prominent citizens 
 with whom he claimed to have engagements ; but as the 
 persons named represented a variety of pursuits, the nature 
 of his business with them could not be imagined. 
 
 Thus three weeks slipped past ; the landlord good-naturedly 
 permitting the bill of the curious man with the curious name to 
 go unpaid beyond the regular term of such indulgence. But 
 the period was approaching when attentions and compliments 
 could no longer be made to perform the functions of green- 
 backs, the impending crisis being foreshadowed in the elon- 
 gated features and waning cordiality of the host. Accustomed 
 to interpret the storm-signals that flame from the human face, 
 the mysterious guest recognized the necessity of drawing 
 aside the veil. As a prelude, he accordingly informed the 
 proprietor, in a confidential whisper, that he was an w Inspec- 
 tor of the Interior Department for Indian Supplies," and that 
 having nearly completed the business which called him to 
 the West, he expected to return to Washington in a few days. 
 He further stated that during the war he had served in the 
 Federal army as assistant quartermaster with the rank of cap- 
 tain, and that the enjoyments of his present sojourn in the 
 city had been greatly heightened by the generous hospitalities 
 of old army friends, whom he now met for the first time since 
 they lived together on the tented field. 
 
388 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 The conversation then drifted off into general matters, with 
 an occasional reference to the Indian supply business, designed 
 to whet the appetite of the listener. The names of several 
 distinguished generals then stationed there, and of prominent 
 residents with whom he assumed to be on terms of close inti- 
 macy, were incidentally mentioned, as if the association would 
 be recognized as a matter of course. These allusions had the 
 effect of establishing the speaker in the estimation of the land- 
 lord as a man of official distinction and high social standing. 
 
 Leaving the seed to germinate over night, the captain the 
 next day cautiously reopened the subject by alluding to the 
 kind treatment received from the family of the landlord, and 
 by expressing the hope that he might soon have an opportu- 
 nity to reciprocate in some substantial manner. Already the 
 adventurer had succeeded in winning the confidence of his in- 
 tended victim, and it only remained to lubricate the approaches 
 to the trap into which he hoped soon to decoy him. He in- 
 quired, in an easy, familiar manner, how it was that a young 
 man possessing so much ability and energy could consent to 
 keep a public house, with its cares, and risks, and responsi- 
 bilities, when other ways were open for making money so 
 much more easily and rapidly? 
 
 " What do you mean ? " inquired the host, thoroughly on the 
 alert. 
 
 " Why don't you get one government contract for furnishing 
 goods to de Indians?" replied the supposed inspector, in a 
 low, confidential, insinuating whisper. 
 
 "I don't see how that is possible," answered the landlord; 
 " I have no influence to secure favors of this sort. Besides, I 
 suppose a large bond would be required. Is it not so?" 
 
 " Dat be shust were you ish mistakeen," replied the tempter. 
 "You does not need much monish at all. Five tousand dol- 
 lar will fix you all right for contract for two hundred 
 tousand." 
 
 " Five thousand dollars is a large sum for a poor man, and 
 I haven't that amount," answered the landlord. 
 
COMING TO THE POINT. 389 
 
 Tse sorry for dat," responded the stranger. " I very much 
 like to help you in dis way. May be you got some friends 
 can lend you de monish. How ish dat? " 
 
 " Perhaps," said the young man, reflectively, W I might 
 manage to raise the money ; but I have no acquaintances in 
 Washington to help me, and wouldn't know how to go about 
 the business." 
 
 w Don't you bodder yourself about dat," argued the mysteri- 
 ous guest. " You raise de monish, and leave all dat to me. I 
 fix him shust as easy as turn my hand over, shure. Vhy, I 
 knows all dem fellahs down dere. I knows de President, 
 Secretary Chandler, General Cowen all de big men. Vhy, 
 I lives right next door to General Cowen in Georgetown. I 
 has big influence wid all dem men. I do shust vhat I 
 please." 
 
 w My father-in-law might let me have the funds," answered 
 the host, weakening. " Suppose that you should speak to him 
 on the subject." 
 
 " I don't know about dat," objected the man of influence. 
 * I like to do you dis favor because you treats me so goot since 
 I been here ; but I don't like taking outside parties into dis 
 business. However, if you say it be all right, I goes and see 
 him." 
 
 w Of course it is perfectly safe," answered the landlord. 
 " He is my father-in-law, and will help me in any way he 
 reasonably can. He is very well off, too." 
 
 " Well den, I sees him," replied the guest, as if with some 
 reluctance ; r but I does so on vhat you say. I wouldn't have 
 dis get out for noting. As officer of de government I am not 
 allowed to do dis, but we all go outside vonce in a vile to help 
 a friend. You know how dat be yousef. Of course I has 
 no interest in dis business but to help you, and dat ish all 
 right. Only outside people might talk, and I lose my place, 
 shure. Mine Got! I wouldn't have dis get out for de world. 
 It would shust raise h wid me. Peoples dey puts de worst 
 look alvays on vhat a fellah does for a friend." 
 
390 
 
 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 " You can talk with my father-in-law just as freely as you 
 can with me," said the landlord. " If he is satisfied there is 
 money in it, he may make the advance." 
 
 Worms lost no time in seeking out the father-in-law, and in 
 explaining, in the strictest confidence, the scheme already pre- 
 sented to the son. Unfortunately, through lack of education 
 
 | il ,, ( |||l l ( r , !|i||W | i ij|j| !K|)|jjl l,,, and discern- 
 ment, coup- 
 led with the 
 ambition to 
 wealth, 
 more potent 
 than the re- 
 gard for the 
 means em- 
 ployed in its 
 acquisition, 
 the old gen- 
 tleman fell 
 * readily into 
 the snare, 
 
 and accepted an invitation 
 to join in the next conference. 
 A meeting of the trio was 
 soon held. To both the 
 path seemed clear and the 
 prospect most flattering. 
 Steeped in the lethean 
 poison exhaled with the 
 breath of the tempter, the 
 
 QuickeninK Ms steps, he came up In time t - A brief dis- 
 
 to see the familiar figure of his friend V1CU 1S ' 
 
 disappear through the entrance to one CUSSlOn, entered into the 
 
 of the rooms." ., f , . 
 
 arrangement, the father 
 
 agreeing to advance the money and take a half interest in 
 the business. The five thousand dollars were soon secured 
 in the form of a draft on a bank in Washington city. 
 
SHADOWING THE INSPECTOR. 39! 
 
 On the i8th of November, Worms, accompanied by his dupe, 
 started for the national capital. On the route the business was 
 fully discussed and an understanding reached, whereby the 
 intermediary was to receive a fat percentage of the profits in 
 payment for his "official influence." Incidentally the captain 
 alluded to the unsettled hotel-bill, and explained his negligence 
 in not calling for it by the statement that he had been on an 
 extended inspection tour, and had temporarily run short of 
 funds. The matter should be attended to in a few days. The 
 apology was hardly required, for what cared the prospective 
 millionaire for a few paltry dollars due from the best and most 
 potent of benefactors ? 
 
 Meanwhile the embryo contractor, with grateful heart and 
 generous purse, defrayed the expenses of the journey, contin- 
 uing to act as banker during the entire period of their com- 
 panionship. 
 
 Arriving at Washington, the pair put up at an obscure hotel. 
 The next morning Worms gave notice that he should visit the 
 department of the interior to procure the contract, and request- 
 ed his companion to await his return. During the last few 
 hours, however, the customary hardihood of the operator had 
 given place to manifest nervousness and anxiety. A vague 
 suspicion crept into the mind of the young man that after all 
 he might perhaps be the victim of a cheat. Instead of re- 
 maining behind, he accordingly followed the receding form of 
 the captain at a safe distance, and, after going a number of 
 blocks, saw him enter a massive marble building which he 
 learned, on inquiry at the door, to be the department of the 
 interior. Quickening his steps, he came up in time to see the 
 familiar figure of his friend disappear through the entrance to 
 one of the rooms, which was found from the inscription over 
 the portal to be the office of the assistant secretary. Reassured 
 by the circumstance, the dupe returned to the hotel to wait 
 impatiently for the return of the " inspector," little dreaming 
 that in pursuing his steps in disregard of instructions he had 
 done just what the swindler expected and desired. 
 
39 2 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 In the course of an hour or two the captain reappeared, 
 evidently in high spirits a fact readily accounted for when 
 he reported that he had obtained a first-class contract, better, 
 in fact, than he had any previous reason to expect, and out of 
 which thousands could be made. "But," continued he, "we 
 must get out of dis town right off. De devil is to pay at de 
 interior department. Dey 's having investigations and every 
 tarn ting you can tink of. Everybody is vatched, you bet. 
 If dey see you and me togeder, and find out you is con- 
 tractor, dey tink someting wrong right oft', and dat knock our 
 business in a cock hat, shure. We got to go to Philadelphia 
 right avay. I got it all fix to have de papers sent to me dere. 
 Den you sign de contract, and return it wid de monish to de 
 President. He vill approve de contract, and send it back. 
 De monish he vill keep till de goots are all furnished, and den 
 you vill get it again." 
 
 Highly exhilarated at the prospect, the young man now 
 converted his draft into ten new five hundred dollar notes. 
 Having accomplished all that could be done in Washington, 
 the friends left by the next train for the Quaker City, and 
 took quarters at a small hotel on Walnut Street much resorted 
 to by Germans. 
 
 After breakfast the next morning, Worms directed one of 
 the call-boys to go to the post-office and inquire for letters for 
 "Captain Charles Worms." The messenger soon returned 
 with the report that there was a letter there to that address, 
 but the clerk would not give it up without an order. Mani- 
 festing considerable disgust at the stringent regulations of 
 the office, the captain set forth to secure the trophy in 
 person, and soon returned with a large sealed envelope, 
 bearing the card of the interior department. The missive 
 was opened in the presence of both, and was found to con- 
 tain a written paper purporting to be a contract, a light 
 buff-colored envelope, bearing the address "U. S. Grant, 
 Washington, D. C.," a United States Treasury check for 
 two hundred thousand dollars, payable to the order of 
 
THE CONTRACT " SO CALLED." 
 
 393 
 
 Charles Worms, and a general letter of instructions in refer- 
 ence to the business. 
 
 The following is a correct copy, with the names of the vic- 
 tims omitted : 
 
 " Contract to supply the Indians , awarded to 
 
 and . 
 
 "Special Order 
 
 No. 761. "INTERIOR DEPARTMENT, 
 
 "WASHINGTON, D. C., November i8th, 1875. 
 
 "Articles of agreement made and entered into, this iSth day of 
 November, anno domini, one thousand eight hundred and seventy- 
 five, between Gen'l G. L. Co wen, Assistant Secretary of Interior, an 
 
 officer of the United States, of the one part, and N and 
 
 K of , of the second part. 
 
 " This agreement witnesseth that the said Gen'l G. L. Cowen, for 
 
 and on behalf of the United States of America 1 and the said N 
 
 and K , heirs, executors and administrators, have covenanted 
 
 and agreed, and by these presents do mutually covenant and agree to 
 
 and with each other as follows: ist. That the said N and 
 
 K , heirs, executors and administrators, shall supply or cause 
 
 to be supplied and issued at , at the office of the Inspector of 
 
 Indian Affairs, articles hereinafter specified, that shall be required for 
 the use of Indians : 
 
 " 100,000 One hundred thousand flannel shirts (a) $1.24 
 
 100,000 One hundred thousand pairs drawers " .70 
 
 30,000 Thirty thousand pairs boots " 3.90 
 
 50,000 Fifty thousand pairs shoes brogans " 2.45 
 
 100,000 One hundred thousand pairs socks " .33 
 
 50,000 Fifty thousand woolen blankets pair " 4-9 
 
 10,000 Ten thousand rubber pouches " 2.63 
 
 30,000 Thirty thousand trowsers " 3.98 
 
 50,000 Fifty thousand rubber blankets " 2.15 
 
 *' Tis articles shall be received in the city of , and inspected 
 
 by Capt. Chas. Worms, Inspector of this Department. 
 
 " Payment shall be made by the Inspector's vouchers weekly or 
 monthly. 
 
394 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 " This contract will be in force two months from date. 
 " No member of Congress shall be admitted to any share herein, 
 or any benefit to arise therefrom. 
 
 u In witness whereof the undersigned place their hands and seals : 
 
 (Signed) " N 
 
 " K , per N , per power of attorney. 
 
 " CHAS. WORMS, Inspector. 
 " Z. CHANDLER, Secretary. 
 
 " EXECUTIVE MENTION, 
 "WASHINGTON D. C. Nov. 18, 1875. 
 
 " Approved : " 
 
 After reading the document, the extraordinary appearance 
 and phraseology of which failed to excite in his inexperienced 
 mind any suspicion of its genuineness, the victim signed the 
 paper both for himself and for his father-in-law as attorney. 
 Worms also appended his own euphonious name as "in- 
 spector." 
 
 Here it fortunately occurred to the youth, who was about to 
 risk so much on the venture, that he ought to keep a copy of 
 the instrument for future reference, and he accordingly made 
 a verbatim transcript as exhibited above. He even had the 
 discernment to see that " executive mention " should have been 
 written "executive m-a-n-s-i-o-n," and that "Tis" before arti- 
 cles should have been "these." On hazarding the bold criti- 
 cism, he was told that as a foreigner drew up the paper, such 
 mistakes were liable to occur. 
 
 It is proper to remark, in passing, that contracts for Indian 
 supplies are never made either by the secretary or assistant 
 secretary of the interior. The affair submitted by Worms 
 bears about as much resemblance to one of the genuine forms 
 as the Choctaw language bears to Sanscrit. That a tolerably 
 intelligent man was duped by so transparent a cheat illustrates 
 that perennial marvel the capacity of human nature for 
 being humbugged. 
 
 The landlord, happy in the contemplation of prospective 
 
SEALING THE ENVELOPE. 
 
 395 
 
 wealth, proceeded to draw off his boot in which the five thou- 
 sand dollars had been placed for safe-keeping. The money 
 with the contract was inclosed in the envelope directed to 
 "U. S. Grant, Washington, D. C.," and sealed in the usual 
 manner. 
 
 Worms suggested, that, owing to the great value of the 
 
 " Dat be not necessary,' answered the captain, gyrating around the table." 
 
 inclosure, the envelope should be sealed in five places with 
 wax. The proposition favorably struck his companion, who 
 stooped over to draw on his boot preparatory to going for the 
 material, and remarked, "I suppose I shall have to step down 
 to the office for it." 
 
 "Dat be not necessary," answered the captain, gyrating 
 
39^ BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 around the table ; " I has such frequent use for dem tings in 
 sealing official documents that I always carry dem wid me ; " 
 at the same time drawing a piece of wax from his pocket, and 
 passing it to his companion, who at this juncture had just 
 completed the process of pulling on his boot. 
 
 Together they sealed the envelope in five places, each seal 
 being impressed with a private stamp carried by the operator, 
 not only for greater security, but also, as he alleged, to insure 
 instant attention at the White House. The missive was then 
 taken to the post-office by the unsuspecting dupe, and duly 
 registered, the receipt bearing date November 20, 1875. 
 
 The same day the contractor and his patron proceeded to 
 New York, and took quarters at the St. Denis Hotel, register- 
 ing under assumed names at the suggestion of Worms, to avoid 
 annoyance from dealers in Indian supplies, who would be sure 
 to overrun him the moment they learned he was in the 
 city. On Monday, the 22d, the captain went down town 
 alone to deposit the check for two hundred thousand dollars, 
 received with other papers already enumerated through the 
 post-office at Philadelphia. On returning he exhibited on a 
 printed form what purported to be a certificate of deposit from 
 the sub-treasury for the full amount. 
 
 As the victim was thoroughly plucked, the time had now 
 come for shaking him off. Accordingly, by the advice of the 
 w inspector," he proceeded in hot haste to Boston to examine 
 certain goods required under the terms of the contract, the 
 captain remaining behind to await the arrival of important 
 papers from the department. Not long after reaching " the 
 Hub," he received the following dispatch : 
 
 "New YORK, Nov. 23d, 1875. 
 
 "Things mixed. Return to . Will meet you there. 
 
 "C. W." 
 
 On receipt of the telegram, the newly-fledged dealer in 
 Indian supplies returned home to resume the humble round 
 
THE LETTER AS RECEIVED. 397 
 
 of cares from which, as he fondly hoped, the magnificent 
 projects of his benefactor were soon to emancipate him. A 
 few days later he was instructed, if not cheered, by an auto- 
 graph note, whereof the following is a copy : 
 
 "NEW YORK, November 27. 
 
 " FRIEND N in short, evere thing will be all wreight ; 
 
 don't bodder your selfs. Tell K that evere thing will be 
 
 setlet in short compliment to gus. 
 
 " Yours truly 
 
 " CAPTAIN 
 "W 
 
 "P. S. I leave for W. to neight, and from there God 
 nows were ; I think Chicago." 
 
 Meanwhile a registered letter of the official size, post- 
 marked Philadelphia, Nov. 20, and imposingly sealed with 
 wax in five places, arrived by due course of mail at the Exec- 
 utive Mansion. When opened, it was found to contain noth- 
 ing but twenty or more strips of newspaper cut promiscuously 
 from the sheet, without reference to continuity of matter, and 
 bearing no obvious relation to each other ; no writing whatever 
 accompanied the clippings by way of explanation. The in- 
 closure was examined by the President and his secretary, and 
 was supposed to have been sent by some crazy person, as 
 somewhat similar missives previously received had been uni- 
 formly credited to freaks of insanity. 
 
 Having waited a month in vain for the coming of Worms, 
 and hearing nothing from either contract or money, the hotel 
 proprietor reluctantly reached the conclusion that " things were 
 mixed," and dispatched a friend to Washington to see the 
 President, and learn, if possible, the fate of the five thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 When General Grant learned the real character of the mys- 
 terious letter received several weeks before, he took the steps 
 already referred to for the discovery and apprehension of the 
 
BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 swindler, directing that the chase should be vigorously pushed. 
 The chief special agent immediately telegraphed to Mr. Thos. 
 P. Shallcross, an officer of great experience and skill, to 
 come on and take charge of the investigation. Mr. Z. L. 
 Tidball was also specially deputized to co-operate with him in 
 the work. In the presence of these gentlemen the represen- 
 tative of the victim carefully went over the entire ground, 
 again repeating the story as communicated to him. 
 
 It was his opinion, based on the information received from 
 his principal, that Worms had a confederate either in the Phil- 
 adelphia or Washington post-office, through whose connivance 
 a spurious letter was substituted for the genuine. The pro- 
 spective contractor maintained that so sharp was his watch 
 that the trick could not have been performed in the interval 
 between the inclosure of the money and the time when he took 
 the letter from the room to be registered. The officers thought 
 differently, but none the less explored every possible theory, 
 putting conjecture to the test of fact. 
 
 In the absence of definite data, they reasoned that a swin- 
 dler who operated with so much adroitness on a scale of such 
 magnitude would be prepared to execute every part of the 
 scheme without recourse to an accomplice, particularly as 
 success depended far more on the credulity of the victim 
 than on the intricacy of the imposture. A needless copart- 
 nership would diminish the profits and enhance the chances 
 of discovery. Besides, there was a strong antecedent improb- 
 ability that a cheat would make a corrupt and felonious 
 arrangement with a postal registry-clerk, in prospect of a 
 contingency so unlikely to arise. 
 
 All the facts as developed justified the first conceptions of 
 the officers. The letter was mailed in the busiest part .of the 
 day, when numbers were waiting their turn at the window. 
 It was inclosed with half a dozen others in the packet for 
 Washington, which was duly sealed with wax^and dispatched 
 by the first mail. Several employes of unquestioned integrity 
 were present during the entire process. 
 
DESCRIPTION OF THE SWINDLER. 
 
 399 
 
 For reasons too obvious to require explanation, the theory 
 that the substitution might have been made in the post-office 
 at Washington seemed still more unreasonable. The swindler 
 unquestionably exchanged the package containing the money 
 and contract, for another exactly resembling it in size and 
 external appearance, while his companion was pulling on his 
 boot before the work of sealing began. 
 
 At this time none of the parties on the trail knew whence 
 Worms came, or whither he had gone. Guided by his own 
 assertion that he had served in the Union army, special 
 agent Tidball called at the war department, and through the 
 courtesy of the adjutant-general was permitted to examine 
 the records. 
 
 It appeared that ff Charles Worms " enlisted as commissary 
 sergeant in the Fifty-Eighth Regiment, New York Volunteer 
 Infantry, October 7, 1861, and served until January 18, 1862, 
 when he was commissioned second lieutenant, and subse- 
 quently first lieutenant of company K of the same regiment. 
 February 26, 1863, he was appointed by President Lincoln 
 an assistant quartermaster of volunteers, with the rank of 
 captain, and assigned to duty with the Eleventh Corps, Army 
 of the Potomac, and was afterward transferred to the Depart- 
 ment of the Gulf, where he served in New Orleans and 
 vicinity till the close of the war. 
 
 From data furnished by the victimized landlord, as supple- 
 mented by information obtained from the records of the war 
 department, the following accurate description of Worms was 
 prepared by the officers, and published in circular form. 
 
 " Born in Lille, France ; about fifty-two years old ; five feet six inches 
 high ; stout built ; weighs about 180 or 190 pounds ; dark complexion ; brown 
 eyes ; black hair, mixed with gray ; moustache ; uses snuff and often 
 coughs ; a white sediment or matter collects in the corners of his eyes every 
 hour or so ; talks a great deal of women, and is fond of card-playing ; fre- 
 quents German play-houses, and might be found there at almost any time ; 
 wears gold watch and vest-chain, with foreign gold coin charm set in a 
 twisted border or rim ; wears plain gold ring on small finger of left hand ; 
 'wears eye-glasses, black bows, and when not in use is in the habit of toying 
 with them ; speaks French fluently but with a German accent, and is a 
 good German scholar ; he has much the appearance of a Jew and would 
 
400 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 hardly be taken for anything else ; styles himself " doctor " or " captain ; " 
 has small thick feet ; when last seen wore tongue-boots, left one cut to relieve 
 a swelling of the instep." 
 
 So far as could be learned, Worms had long before dis- 
 appeared below the mental horizon of every one about Wash- 
 ington. He was not and never had been employed by the 
 interior department as inspector of Indian supplies. At the 
 war department, the generation that once enjoyed personal 
 knowledge of him had passed away. He seemed to have 
 returned after the lapse of many years like a lost comet, and 
 to have vanished as suddenly as he came. 
 
 At first the officers surmised that he had probably left the 
 country by way of New York city. Thither they accordingly 
 started on the first day of January, 1876, stopping at Phila- 
 delphia to visit the German hotel on Walnut Street, the 
 surroundings of which were found to correspond with the 
 description in their hands, but nothing of value could be 
 gleaned there. 
 
 On arriving in New York city, the officers began to hunt 
 for the fugitive with unrelenting vigor, though possessing no 
 tangible clue to work from. Apprehensive that the swindler 
 had exchanged his ill-gotten greenbacks for gold and fled 
 to Europe, they called at the various banking-houses that 
 deal in foreign exchange, but could find no record which 
 seemed to meet the conditions of the supposed transaction. 
 All the foreign shipping offices were visited, and the several 
 lists of passengers sailing between November 22d and Janu- 
 ary ist carefully examined, but the vermicular name was 
 nowhere to be seen. A description of the peculiar appear- 
 ance and manners of the missing man failed to recall the 
 sinister physiognomy to any of the officials of the steamship 
 companies. 
 
 The city directory that thesaurus of weighty information 
 was then resorted to. The Worms family was found to be 
 numerously represented among the denizens of the metropolis, 
 several sons of the house rejoicing in the initial "C." The 
 
JOGGING A SLOW MEMORY. 
 
 401 
 
 owners were hunted down, and their separate identity from 
 the original and genuine successively established. 
 
 The register of the St. Denis verified the statements of the 
 victim, but did not further illumine the darkness. The pros- 
 pect did not wear a cheerful look. 
 
 During the day spent together in New York, Worms took 
 his companion to a German restaurant near the Grand Central 
 
 " Yas, yas," ruminated the tapster, "I mind >im now. Talk much, didn't he, 
 'bout bein' a soldier ? Talk very big." 
 
 Depot, where the affectionate twain indulged in frequent pota- 
 tions and heart-disclosing hilarity. Fortunately the dupe who 
 paid the score retained the business card of the establish- 
 ment. Thither the officers went on a voyage of discovery, 
 not sanguine of success, but resolved to leave no possible 
 source of information unexplored. The proprietor, a good- 
 natured Dutchman, did not know Captain Worms, and had 
 26 
 
4O2 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 never heard of such a personage. Strangers came and 
 went, drank and talked, but he asked no questions. 
 
 However, the persistent efforts of the special agents to 
 refresh the memory of the host succeeded at length in re- 
 calling the faded lineaments of the ex-quartermaster. w Yas, 
 yas," ruminated the tapster, "I mind 'im now. Talk much, 
 didn't he, 'bout bein' a soldier, an' fightin' in de wars? Had 
 tall man wid 'im. Talk very big." 
 
 By dint of much mental effort the proprietor succeeded in 
 recollecting fragments of the conversation that passed between 
 the hilarious companions. Worms mentioned an old army 
 comrade whom he proposed to call upon. The gentleman 
 lived up the river, but was employed in a large establishment 
 down town. As nearly as he could remember it, the German 
 gave the officers the name, and though a mere hint of the 
 real name, the resemblance in sound enabled them to find 
 the person to whose former acquaintance the swindler had 
 boastfully referred. He proved to be a gentleman of intelli- 
 gence and character, who served with distinction during the 
 war, and who had no concealments to make in the interest 
 of the associate that had turned out so badly. 
 
 He had not seen Worms for a long time in fact, had 
 almost forgotten the existence of such a man. The ex- 
 quartermaster returned from New Orleans with considerable 
 money, and after a time formed a copartnership in a retail 
 mercantile house with an Israelite, who, for convenience, 
 may be called w J. Schmidt." Matters did not prosper, how- 
 ever. Ere long, the concern mounted skyward in flame and 
 smoke, under circumstances of such suspicion that, at the 
 instance of the insurers, the partners were arrested for arson. 
 After considerable litigation, the trouble was finally compro- 
 mised, when the supposed incendiary quit the city. For 
 five or six years the gentleman had neither seen nor heard 
 of him. 
 
 Then began the hunt for the former partner. By further 
 reference to the directory, the line of " J. Schmidts," stretch- 
 
A SUGGESTIVE COINCIDENCE. 
 
 43 
 
 ing up and down in serried columns, seemed too formidable 
 for investigation in the short period allotted to a single life. 
 Old volumes were exhumed, and after patient search it was 
 
 " But I haf no writteen audoritee, remonstrated J. S." 
 
 found that one member of the illustrious tribe lived on the 
 same street and at the same number where a "C. Worms" 
 had resided several years before. Interpreted in the light 
 
404 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 of facts already known, the coincidence connected the two 
 men as the probable partners. Through the agency of a 
 shrewd letter-carrier, the correctness of the surmise was 
 soon established. This party unquestionably knew where 
 the fugitive could be found, and it was desirable to make the 
 knowledge available without needless delay. 
 
 Thoroughly instructed by the special agents, the letter- 
 carrier in the round of duty again reaches the door of " J. 
 Schmidt," and proceeds to interview the proprietor. '"Will 
 you be kind enough to tell me," he inquired, " where I can 
 find Captain Charles Worms. He used to live here, and I 
 have a valuable letter for him." 
 
 "Give it me, and I send it him," responded J. Schmidt. 
 "He no live here any more." 
 
 "But I can't," responded the carrier. "It is a registered 
 letter, and I must have his written receipt, as I am responsible 
 for it." 
 
 " I sign receipt for de Capteen," proposed the former part- 
 ner in bland tones. 
 
 "You can if you have written authority," replied the 
 carrier. 
 
 "But I haf no writteen audoritee," remonstrated J. S. 
 
 "Well, then," argued the carrier, "you had better give me 
 his present address, and it will be forwarded to him direct 
 from the post-office. Otherwise it must be sent to Washing- 
 ton, and may be lost. The letter may contain money, or be of 
 great importance, you know." 
 
 The habitual caution of the son of Abraham was com- 
 pletely silenced by the ingenuous manner of the youth. 
 Throwing off further reserve, he said, " Dat be all right. 
 De letter find de Capteen at No. $6 German Street, Mont- 
 real." 
 
 The youth wrote down the address, and walked away. 
 
 At nine o'clock the next morning, the special agents 
 stepped from the train in Montreal under the impression 
 that Worms was in very truth a "Wandering Jew," a tempo- 
 
THE FORGER AT HOME. 
 
 405 
 
 rary sojourner in a strange land, who, like many others, 
 had fled to the Canadian metropolis as a city of refuge. 
 It was not till some time afterward, so cautiously were their 
 operations conducted, that they learned he was a resident 
 of the place, and a naturalized citizen of the Queen's do- 
 minions. 
 
 After breakfast, the officers called upon Hon. W. C. Dart, 
 consul-general, to whom they communicated the object of 
 their mission, and whose aid they solicited in securing the 
 person of the swindler. While manifesting a desire to co- 
 operate heartily in the proposed undertaking, that functionary 
 explained the embarrassments attending the process of extra- 
 dition. The situation was reported to the department at Wash- 
 ington, together with such facts as would enable the authorities 
 to execute the necessary papers. 
 
 The officers had not been two hours in the city before 
 Mr. Shallcross met Worms on the street, and so accurate 
 was the description he had aided in preparing, that he instant- 
 ly recognized the ill-starred visage. 
 
 Calling upon certain gentlemen to whom they brought 
 letters of introduction, they proceeded to inquire into the pur- 
 suits, habits, and haunts of the forger, and were thus en- 
 abled to keep his movements under close surveillance, as 
 day after day he drove about the city in a stylish sleigh, 
 greatly enjoying to all appearance the bracing atmosphere, 
 from the frostiness of which he was protected by elaborate 
 and costly furs, purchased, no doubt, from the proceeds of 
 the recent raid across the border. With little to do beyond 
 keeping an eye on the criminal, time dragged wearily 
 along, and as days grew into weeks, the special agents 
 began to realize with no little inward disgust that from 
 fear of exposure they themselves, the keen-scented hunters 
 in the chase, were the virtual prisoners, at liberty only on 
 their own recognizance to stroll about the hotel, or indulge 
 cautiously in out-door exercise. 
 
 Daily communications to head-quarters kept the depart- 
 
406 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 ment advised of the posture of affairs, but as a very small 
 portion of the time sufficed for the preparation of the mis- 
 sives, the agents grew weary with waiting, and exhausted 
 the resources of ingenuity in vain efforts to relieve the mo- 
 notony. In answer to one of these epistles, setting forth in 
 dolorous terms the discomforts of the situation, and asking 
 for speedy release, the chief special agent admonished them 
 to exercise patience, concluding with the scriptural injunction, 
 "Watch and pray without ceasing." On receipt of this, 
 inferring that some time must yet elapse before the requisite 
 papers could be forwarded from Washington to Ottawa, after 
 which seven days are allowed under a provision of the treaty- 
 act before the order for extradition can issue from the govern- 
 ment, and believing that their interests and comfort were as 
 fully considered as the circumstances of the case would per- 
 mit, they settled down into a state of resignation and tran- 
 quillity, prepared in mind to hold out to the end. The fol- 
 lowing letter from Mr. Tidball, written under the depressing 
 influences referred to, though not particularly cheerful, shows 
 how philosophers learn to make the best of things : 
 
 " MONTREAL, January 19, 1876. 
 
 "DEAR SIR: Nearly two weeks have elapsed since our arrival 
 here, and I can scarcely recall a similar period throughout which the 
 time has passed so unpleasantly. 
 
 " Aware that Mr. Shallcross has kept you advised of the state of 
 affairs, I have postponed writing, in the hope that a speedy termina- 
 tion of our business would enable me to communicate the good tid- 
 ings ; but after all our waiting, we find the situation to be very un- 
 certain, and the end beyond conjecture. 
 
 " Time passes wearily, in truth, I may say drearily ; for while we 
 go abroad as often as we deem prudent, keeping in view the ser- 
 pentine traces of our 4 evil spirit,' necessity compels us to consider 
 ourselves in the light almost of prisoners, as under the circum- 
 stances, without authority to act, we feel that our absence would be 
 less dangerous than our presence. Had we known, before leaving 
 the United States, the wheel-within-a-wheel process to which the 
 case would be subjected, we should have pursued an entirely dif- 
 
WAITING FOR VERMIFUGE. 407 
 
 ferent course; or if, immediately after our arrival, we could have 
 anticipated what we have since learned, we should have returned 
 and taken a new departure. However, l what can't be cured must 
 be endured.' 
 
 "The case is a peculiar and intricate one in many respects new 
 to us, and it is to be. hoped that out of the delays, and annoyances, 
 and necessities attending it some good may come. Surely there is 
 great room for improvement ; not so much, perhaps, in the efforts 
 put forth to meet the demands of the case, as in the requirements of 
 the treaty itself. That instrument is too ambiguous, and not suffi- 
 ciently comprehensive to meet the exigencies that constantly arise to 
 test its provisions, like the present one, for instance. 
 
 44 We continually and devoutly follow your injunction, ' Watch and 
 pray without ceasing.' In fact, we ' die daily/ I do the watching, 
 and Shallcross does the praying. I frequently hear him in pious yet 
 forcible language calling upon the saints to 4 bless' Worms and the 
 fellow who has been so * troubled' by him, and in various ways he 
 deports himself as becomes a martyr to a good cause. His invoca- 
 tions are all made in secret, and, as he carefully avoids the ' market- 
 place,' he cannot be accused of Phariseeism. 
 
 " Neither of us have felt very well during the past few days, possi- 
 bly the result of too constant watching and praying. I rather incline 
 to the opinion, however, that our indisposition is superinduced by 
 4 Worms,' and earnestly trust that the preparation daily expected 
 from Washington will finally rid us of this disagreeable infliction. 
 The 4 squirmer ' was last evening seen driving through Great St. 
 James Street at the rate of 2-40. 
 
 4i Very respectfully, 
 
 4 ' Z. L. TIDE ALL, Special Agent" 
 
 Meanwhile, notwithstanding their circumspection, the spe- 
 cial agents attracted considerable attention from the numerous 
 frequenters of St. Lawrence Hall, and small groups were 
 often observed in quiet conversation, whose talk, as indicated 
 by sly glances and gestures, bore upon the unknown "Yan- 
 kees," and the probable business that had called them, in the 
 dead of winter, across the border. The fact that they were 
 Americans, as citizens of the United States are designated 
 
408 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 in Canada, whose movements were somewhat constrained, 
 and whose stay at the hotel had been unusually prolonged, 
 was enough to excite a certain degree of suspicion. 
 
 It is a notorious fact that Canada offers an asylum for large 
 numbers of malefactors from the States, who, knowing the 
 nearness of the refuge, rush recklessly into deeds of violence 
 and fraud that would not otherwise be undertaken. In the 
 streets of Montreal, fugitives from justice boldly defy recog- 
 nition, and, if one is occasionally arrested, he relies confi- 
 dently upon the complications of the extradition treaty to fur- 
 nish the means for escape. Consequently but one opinion 
 prevails in regard to Americans whose sojourn lacks the 
 freedom characterizing the manners of the tourist : they are 
 looked upon either as escaped law-breakers, or detectives ; 
 and as belonging to one of the two classes the representatives 
 of the post-office department were obviously regarded. 
 
 Mr. Shallcross, a man of mature years, strong physique, 
 and massive brow, though quiet and unobtrusive in manners, 
 could hardly fail anywhere to attract attention as a person of 
 unusual penetration and force. His companion, many years 
 younger, might have been taken as an attache of the older 
 gentleman. At any rate, both came to be viewed as myste- 
 rious strangers, and on several occasions were not a little 
 annoyed by the inquisitiveness of certain impertinent char- 
 acters, whose looks suggested that they might belong to the 
 class whereof Worms was a conspicuous ornament, and who 
 perhaps, scenting danger to a confederate, were hovering 
 about to spy out the land. 
 
 At this time it was conjectured by many that W. M. Tweed, 
 the boss ring-master of New York, was harbored in Montreal. 
 As the notion gained currency, the looks bestowed upon the 
 inoffensive representatives of the government became more 
 marked and perplexing. Ignorant of the cause, and fearful 
 of premature exposure, Mr. Shallcross determined to find out 
 the meaning of the prevalent curiosity. Approaching the 
 proprietor of the hotel, he inquired, "Who are those fellows, 
 and why are they continually watching me ? " 
 
MISTAKEN FOR BOSS TWEED. 
 
 409 
 
 "Why, don't you know?" replied the landlord; "they take 
 you for 'Boss Tweed,' but think you have gone through 
 enough trouble already to be entitled to what swag you have 
 left." 
 
 " With a smile that was childlike and bland," the special 
 agent replied, "All right; let them keep on thinking so," and 
 turned away, considerably relieved at the indirect assurance 
 that the secret of the mission was still preserved. 
 
 Owing to the delay of the victimized party in coming to 
 Philadelphia, where the forged document was uttered, to 
 initiate criminal proceedings, much valuable time was lost. 
 At length, however, he reappeared at the scene of his late 
 exploit, and furnished the testimony which formed the basis 
 of the claim for extradition. On the 22d of January, special 
 agent C. B. Barrett, accompanied by the crestfallen contrac- 
 tor for Indian supplies, arrived in Montreal, equipped with a 
 copy of an indictment, and a warrant for the apprehension 
 of Worms. When the papers were submitted to Hon. W. H. 
 Kerr, Q^. C., counsel for the prosecution, he decided that 
 they did not meet the requirements of the case, as provided 
 in section 3 of the extradition treaty between the govern- 
 ments of the United States and Great Britain. It was there- 
 fore determined that Mr. Tidball, who had become thoroughly 
 acquainted with the law as well as the facts, should return to 
 Washington with the view of supplying the deficiency. 
 
 In company with Mr. Barrett and the unfortunate landlord, 
 he started on the afternoon of the 24th, and leaving his com- 
 panions in Philadelphia, where certain additional papers were 
 to be executed, proceeded on to the capital to procure the affi- 
 davits of Secretary Chandler, General B. H. Cowen, assistant 
 secretary, and others. Thus equipped, he returned to Mont- 
 real, picking up the landlord on the road, and arriving on the 
 28th. The papers were pronounced correct by Mr. Kerr, 
 who at once arranged to have the matter brought before the 
 proper tribunal. 
 
 The afternoon of the same day, upon application in due 
 
4 io 
 
 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 form, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Charles 
 Worms, which was placed in the hands of High Constable 
 Bissonette for immediate service. Calling at the residence 
 of the "doctor," the titular designation of the forger in the 
 city, and hearing that he had gone on " professional busi- 
 ness" to Sorel, a village fifty miles below, the officer started 
 
 " The surprise of the gentleman thus rudely awakened grew into wonder, if 
 
 not into dread." 
 
 in pursuit, driving all night through a pelting storm of snow 
 and sleet, only to learn in the morning that the enterprising 
 quack had crossed the river to Berthier, and had departed 
 thence in the direction of Joliette, evidently intending to phil- 
 anthropically embrace the towns on that route in the home- 
 ward journey. As the team was too exhausted to press the 
 chase, the high constable telegraphed to a deputy to intercept 
 and arrest the accused. That official accordingly repaired to 
 
ARREST OF THE SWINDLER. 41 1 
 
 Hocalaga, a small Indian village in the environs of the city, 
 to await the arrival of the mail coach, wherein he found the 
 doctor, snugly stowed away in a multitudinous array of lux- 
 urious wrappings. The surprise of the gentleman thus 
 rudely awakened grew into wonder, if not into dread, on 
 further learning that the deputy knew nothing of the nature 
 of the charge. Although greatly startled, he preserved com- 
 plete self-control, and with shrewdness, heightened by long 
 experience in eluding punishment for evil-doing, he succeeded 
 in keeping silent, a difficult feat under similar circumstances. 
 Worms was conveyed to the court-house, and the special 
 agents immediately notified. In company with the hotel- 
 keeper they repaired thither to confront the prisoner, who in 
 the meantime had been informed of the nature of the accu- 
 sation. On beholding the victim of his rascality, the pseudo- 
 inspector exhibited palpable signs of uneasiness, but quickly 
 recovering his wonted nonchalance y responded monosyllabi- 
 cally to various questions, manifesting no disposition to 
 indulge in the pleasures of conversation. He recognized the 
 landlord, however, calling him by name. 
 
 In reply to a proposition to accompany the officers back to 
 the United States free of expense, the prisoner replied, "No, 
 I no go back wid you. I am a citizen of dis countree. I be 
 naturalized here in dis court-house more as one year ago, 
 and nobody cannot take me out of dis countree. If I be 
 dried, I must be dried here in dis city." 
 
 "But," responded Mr. Shallcross, "you have injured this 
 young man, who feels badly and wants back the money out 
 of which you swindled him." 
 
 " Dat be all right," replied the forger. " I knows all about 
 dis business. When it come to showing papers, I can bring 
 de docyments to prove dat oder persons have been as much 
 to do wid dis business as I have." 
 
 Here, at the suggestion of his counsel, Worms declined to 
 talk, relapsing into a state of stolid indifference. By order 
 of the court, he was soon after remanded to jail for examina- 
 tion the following Monday. 
 
412 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 On the 3 ist of January the hearing began, and continued 
 till February 2d, when the judge decided to hold the prisoner 
 for extradition. Thereupon the counsel for the defendant took 
 an appeal to the Court of Queen's Bench, which, after care- 
 ful consideration of the law and the testimony, approved the 
 action of the lower court, and remanded the prisoner to await 
 the necessary orders for his delivery to the United States 
 authorities. Not yet ready to relinquish the fight, the pris- 
 oner, through his attorneys, applied for an order of appeal to 
 the Supreme Court of the Dominion. The application was 
 granted under section 49 of the act of the Canadian Parliament 
 of April 8th, 1875. 
 
 Subsequently it was ascertained that this section had not 
 been ratified by the home government of Great Britain, and 
 hence was null and void. Mr. Kerr moved for a reconsid- 
 eration of the order, and the minister of justice for the Do- 
 minion, upon hearing the argument, dismissed the appeal, 
 and directed the prison authorities to deliver Worms to the 
 government of the United States upon application in due 
 form. When the information was communicated to Mr. Kerr 
 through Consul-General Dart, he notified the post-office de- 
 partment at Washington by telegraph, requesting the imme- 
 diate presence in Montreal of Mr. Shallcross, who had been 
 authorized and empowered by the President of the United 
 States to receive the forger, hold him in custody, conduct 
 him into this country, and deliver him to the proper authori- 
 ties of Pennsylvania. Accordingly, Mr. Shallcross, accom- 
 panied by Mr. Tidball, left Washington the evening of April 
 I4th, and reached Montreal the morning of the i6th. As it 
 was Sunday, the officers remained quietly at the hotel until 
 evening, when they strolled about the town to inspect the 
 localities which borrowed a transient interest from their con- 
 nection with the swindler. His dwelling was a two-story 
 granite front, in the old part of the town, and, like other 
 houses of the class, entirely free from ornament ; the double 
 doors and windows, due to the severity of the climate, giving 
 
THE DEN OF THE DOCTOR. 
 
 4*3 
 
 the bleak, cheerless, barren buildings an oppressive, prison- 
 like aspect. 
 
 Even more forbidding than the residence was the business 
 "depot "of the "doctor." The gloomy, rakish-looking walls 
 suggested that the inner dens might be the rendezvous where 
 desperate characters congregated to plan nefarious expedi- 
 tions against the peace and property of an unsuspecting 
 public. Devoted ostensibly to the manufacture of the " Boone- 
 
 " Devoted ostensibly to the manufacture of ' Boonekamp Bitters,' the premises 
 were really used for making articles that belong to the equipment of the 
 vilest order of quacks." 
 
 kamp Bitters," the premises were really used for making 
 articles that belong to the equipment of the vilest order of 
 quacks, and that in the States come under the ban of the law. 
 Monday morning the officers paid their respects to Mr. 
 Kerr, who had completed the preliminary arrangements for 
 
414 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 the transfer of the prisoner. At one o'clock p. M., Mr. Shall- 
 cross, with High Constable Bissonette, repaired to the jail. 
 The astonishment of the swindler was equalled only by his 
 wrath. Said he, " I don't for see by what audoritee you 
 take me. I pay one hundred dollar for appeal to buy de 
 seals and de papers. What become of mymonish? For what 
 be my hundred dollar gone ? For shame ! for shame ! tarn 
 shame ! " 
 
 At half past two the parties were all at the Grand Trunk 
 Depot, prepared to return to the States. So quietly was the 
 business conducted that not even the most intimate associates 
 of Worms were apprised of the event until some time after 
 his removal from the jail. 
 
 On the 1 8th the special agents arrived in Philadelphia, and 
 brought the prisoner before a United States commissioner, 
 who committed him to jail, in default of bail for five thousand 
 dollars, on the charge of violating the postal laws. The next 
 morning he was brought into the state court, then in session, 
 and remanded to await trial for forgery, on the indictment 
 already found by the grand jury. 
 
 While prosecuting the investigation, the officers learned 
 that within a comparatively short period, by the same trick, 
 varied only in minor details, Worms had succeeded in victim- 
 izing parties living in New York, St. Louis, New Orleans, 
 and Michigan, out of sums ranging from five to ten thousand 
 dollars. In the case of the Michigan man, the substituted 
 letter, containing sheets of blank paper, was registered to Sec- 
 retary Delano instead of to the President. They also learned 
 that at the time of the arrest preparations were in progress for 
 another swoop in the month of March, in which the great 
 " Inspector for the purchase of Indian supplies " confidently 
 expected to gather in twelve thousand more. 
 
 Worms exhibited a large stock of recommendations from 
 generals, colonels, and other prominent personages. Some 
 were dated during the time of the war, and were evidently 
 inspired by genuine regard for the man. Without doubt he 
 
THE TRIAL. 
 
 made a popular quartermaster. Others were of more recent 
 origin, and were obviously drawn out by personal solicitation, 
 as they opened for the most part with some such formula as 
 this : " My dear Captain : Your esteemed favor of date 
 received, and it gives me great pleasure to bear testimony, 
 &c." These letters were used with great effect in blinding 
 the eyes of victims, as it could not be supposed that the com- 
 rade and familiar friend of eminent soldiers would stoop to 
 the perpetration of a low swindle. 
 
 It is a safe rule to beware of the man who parades volumi- 
 nous recommendations. The worthy do not need them, and 
 the self-regardful do not show them except in emergencies 
 of such gravity as to demand the sacrifice. 
 
 The country is infested with thousands of rogues who sub- 
 sist by swindling the unwary. Hardly a week passes that 
 the special agents of the department do not arrest one or 
 more for using the mails in furtherance of some iniquitous 
 scheme. Probably many escape unharmed with the plunder 
 snatched from the credulous, the dupes pocketing their losses 
 in silence rather than brave the torture of confession and 
 exposure. 
 
 The grand jury having found a true bill against Worms, 
 his trial began June 7th, 1876, before the United States 
 Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Hon. John 
 Cadwallader presiding. 
 
 The evidence against the accused was overwhelming, the 
 witnesses for the prosecution corroborating each other in 
 every essential particular, and impressing upon the minds 
 of the jury the positive guilt of the prisoner. The defense 
 offered no testimony to refute the charge, simply producing 
 sundry w certificates of good character," whereby they evident- 
 ly hoped to raise a presumption that " Doctor," alias " Cap- 
 tain " Worms was a man of too high standing to descend to 
 forgery and swindling. 
 
 A strenuous effort was made by the counsel for the prisoner 
 to prove that the indictment was defective in charging the 
 
416 BEGUILED BY WORMS. 
 
 accused with the commission of a forgery for the purpose of 
 defrauding the United States, whereas the evidence all went 
 to show, assuming the reality of the crime, that it was perpe- 
 trated to defraud an individual and not the public. 
 
 The arguments of counsel closed at nine in the evening, 
 when the court adjourned till the following day. On reas- 
 sembling, his honor, Judge Cadwallader, addressed the jury 
 in a charge of great length, in which he critically reviewed 
 the evidence, and interpreted the application of the law. He 
 admitted the importance of the legal point raised by the de- 
 fense, instructing the jury that the questions for them to 
 determine were, first, whether the evidence satisfied them that 
 a forgery had been perpetrated ; and if so, second, to deter- 
 mine the nature and purport of the forged instrument, and 
 the representations made in connection with it. He further 
 charged that if the evidence satisfied them that the prisoner 
 had forged what he represented to be a bona jide contract 
 with the interior department, by means of which he had per- 
 petrated a fraud upon any person, it would be their duty to 
 return a verdict of guilty ; as the law clearly determines that 
 a man who commits an unlawful act for the purpose of injur- 
 ing another cannot be permitted to define the extent of his 
 responsibility therefor. No one is allowed to take advantage 
 of his own wrong. It is contrary to law and sound policy 
 that offenders should be suffered to limit the scope and inter- 
 pret the measure of their responsibility for criminal actions. 
 
 At the close of the charge from the judge the jury retired 
 to deliberate, and returned in twenty minutes with a verdict 
 of "Guilty." 
 
 The counsel for the prisoner thereupon moved for a suspen- 
 sion of sentence, on the plea that they desired to make applica- 
 tion in due form for a new trial. The court granted the delay. 
 
 For several weeks the case remained in abeyance. At 
 length, on the ist of August, Judge Cadwallader refused the 
 motion for a new trial, and sentenced Worms to pay a fine of 
 one thousand dollars, and to an imprisonment of four years. 
 
ingenuity and perse- 
 verance of the fraterni- 
 ty of swindlers is only 
 equaled by the gullibility and 
 patience of their dupes. Dur- 
 ing the flush times that fol- 
 lowed the war, immense for- 
 tunes were suddenly acquired 
 by a class of cheats who op- 
 erated on the credulity of the 
 public through gift enterpris- 
 es, lotteries, and other kin- 
 dred schemes. Most of the 
 large concerns established 
 their headquarters in New 
 York city, flooding the en- 
 tire country, particularly the 
 South and West, with litho- 
 graphic circulars, written ap- 
 parently with the pen for the 
 exclusive benefit of the recipient, and showing how fortunes 
 could be securely made by remitting specified sums to the 
 houses in question. Some of the bogus firms simply pock- 
 eted the cash of correspondents without pretending to render 
 any equivalent whatever; while others, no more honest, but 
 
 27 
 
418 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 a little more politic, sent forth worthless jewelry and other 
 stuff by the bushel. 
 
 One of the most villanous and at the same time successful 
 devices was built up on the offer of counterfeit currency at a 
 heavy discount. In substance, the circulars, emanating from 
 different parties, and from the same parties under different 
 names, were all alike. They usually began with an insidious 
 compliment to the person addressed, to the effect that from 
 trustworthy sources the writer had heard of him as a man of 
 more than ordinary capacity and shrewdness, and, embold- 
 ened by the high estimate placed upon his abilities by persons 
 well qualified to judge, had selected him as the very individ- 
 ual to aid in securing a fortune for both with " absolute safety." 
 The circular usually goes on to state that the writer is a first- 
 class engraver, indeed " one of the most expert in the United 
 States," while his partner is a first-class printer. Hence the 
 firm possess unrivaled facilities for imitating the national cur- 
 rency. The recipient is particularly cautioned to beware of 
 a class of miscreants who infest the city of New York and 
 advertise throughout the country the goods that he manufac- 
 tures, but send nothing except rubbish. The " original Doctor 
 Jacobs " excoriates unmercifully the whole tribe of swindlers 
 whose rascalities debauch and bring odium upon the trade. 
 He exhorts the gentleman of great reputed " shrewdness and 
 sagacity " to observe the utmost caution in conducting opera- 
 tions, and gives him explicit directions how to forward the 
 purchase-money. 
 
 Not a few, on receipt of the circular in an unfamiliar hand, 
 feel highly flattered at the complimentary allusions to their 
 personal qualifications, and wonder how Wiggins & Co., five 
 hundred or a thousand miles away, ever heard of them. They 
 read and re-read the missive, dwelling with particular satisfac- 
 tion on the references to their shrewdness and ability. It is 
 true perhaps that they are troubled by a vague notion that 
 their neighbors have never discovered these extraordinary 
 gifts ; but Wiggins & Co. have, and that is enough. 
 
THE PRIZE OF MR. VERDANT. 
 
 419 
 
 If Mr. Verdant knew how the " expert engraver " happened 
 to send him the letter, he would contemplate the fact with 
 much less complacency. Swindlers employ agents directly 
 or indirectly in all parts of the country to furnish the names 
 of parties who are supposed to be weak, foolish, and particu- 
 larly accessible to temptation. Cunning rascals make it a 
 business in connection with other nefarious operations to pro- 
 cure long lists of such persons, which are sold at high prices 
 to concerns engaged in perpetrating popular swindles. The 
 managers studiously avoid directing circulars to people reputed 
 to be either honest, or sufficiently versed in the wiles of the 
 world to take care of themselves. S hallo w-pated knaves 
 enjoy a complete monopoly of their favors. 
 
 Despite repeated exposures of the frauds, a great many 
 innocent flies accept the invitation of the spiders to walk into 
 the parlor. When the purchase-money is sent in advance, 
 Mr. Verdant never hears from his appreciative friends, Wig- 
 gins & Co., afterwards. When "the goods " are forwarded by 
 express C. O. D., Mr. Verdant sidles nervously into the office 
 of delivery, and, having paid the expenses, ranging from ten 
 dollars upwards into the hundreds, quickly thrusts the pack- 
 age out of sight, and hurries home to seek for the hidden 
 treasure in the most secluded spot about the premises. For 
 the world the poor fellow would not permit his wife to learn 
 that her husband is a rascal, dabbling in the "queer." For a 
 moment he lingers on the borders of El Dorado, not wishing 
 to terminate too abruptly the pleasures of anticipation, even 
 for the more solid enjoyment of actual possession. After a 
 brief, fond, and yet tremulous survey of the exterior of the 
 box, he proceeds to pry off the cover. A neat fold of brown 
 paper appears. After carefully removing various wrappings, 
 he finds at the core a piece of wood, a handful of saw-dust, 
 or some other equally valuable prize. The countenance, 
 lately radiant with the smiles of hope, suffers an unexpected 
 eclipse. The man of renowned "shrewdness" and "discre- 
 tion," who a moment before held in his fingers the key of 
 
42O SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 fortune, in contemplating" the wreck of so many sweet illu- 
 sions, arrives slowly at the conviction that he has been egre- 
 giously duped and swindled But what recourse has the 
 victim of disappointed cupidity ? A broad gulf like that 
 which separated Dives from Lazarus lies between him and 
 his hard-earned money. If he complains to the authorities 
 with the view of intercepting the profits flowing from his over- 
 trustful hand toward the pockets of the "expert engraver," 
 every one in the community will soon be laughing at him as a 
 silly knave, who, in trying to cheat others, was ignominiously 
 trapped by a supposed confederate on the threshold of the 
 enterprise. Exposure and ridicule would be far worse than 
 the loss of the greenbacks. In other troubles he finds con- 
 solation in communing with the wife of his bosom, but now 
 even this solace is denied him. If the experience nips the 
 swelling bud of dishonesty, the investment will not prove 
 wholly unprofitable. 
 
 Not infrequently the gull writes again to the "expert en- 
 graver," complaining of the hard treatment, and demanding* 
 an explanation. With Wiggins & Co. reasons are plenty as 
 blackberries. The head of that high-toned establishment 
 replies that there has been some trouble with the police, and 
 that the first package was sent as a blind to deceive the detec- 
 tives. On receipt of ten, twenty, or thirty dollars more, not 
 only the " perfect imitations " already in arrears, but a large 
 amount in addition will be forwarded promptly to the previous 
 address. Strange as it may appear, a great many, with the 
 memory of the last fraud still rankling freshly, send a second 
 order, to be imposed upon again in precisely the same way. 
 
 As the brood of swindlers make extensive use of the mails 
 for the dissemination of lying circulars, the post-office depart- 
 ment has long waged relentless war upon them, employing 
 all legal weapons within its reach. At different times laws 
 and regulations have been framed for the double purpose of 
 punishing the cheats and destroying their iniquitous trade. 
 Hundreds of successful arrests have been made by special 
 
VIGILANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT. 42! 
 
 agents, and hundreds of concerns broken up, still the struggle 
 for existence is maintained with an energy and wealth of 
 resource that, rightly directed, could hardly fail, to bring 
 abundant and honorable returns. As long as the harvest of 
 fools ripens in perennial luxuriance, it is a difficult task to 
 drive away the reapers. With resolution untamed by fines 
 and imprisonment, and ingenuity that enables the science of 
 attack to keep nearly abreast of the science of defense, they 
 scale the walls and burst through the weak spots in the inclos- 
 ures. Great profits, won at no risk of capital, tempt profes- 
 sional operators to live in ignominy and brave constant peril, 
 rather than abandon their vile pursuits. Still along the entire 
 length of the line, with truly parental solicitude, the govern- 
 ment strives to protect the ignorant, the weak, and the unwary 
 from the wolves who stand ready to devour them. 
 
 Another consideration fully justifies the department in its 
 vigorous and far-reaching efforts to exterminate the traffic of 
 the swindlers. The knowledge that numerous valuable letters 
 are passing through the mails addressed to such concerns is a 
 constant temptation to a certain class of its employes to violate 
 the trusts committed to them, and enter upon a course of dis- 
 honesty. The post-office clerk, or route agent, reasons with a 
 plausibility which satisfies the feeble demands of an easy con- 
 science, that if the letter is permitted to pass on to its destina- 
 tion, the inclosure will fall into the hands of a professional 
 cheat, and consequently he might as well appropriate the con- 
 tents himself. At all events, the remitter will get no return 
 for the venture, and the only other party to suffer is a misera- 
 ble outcast entitled to no consideration. Overcome by the 
 fallacious but seductive argument, he falls and becomes a 
 thief. In a short time he is stealing other letters, and travel- 
 ing with swift steps the broad road to ruin. Arrest, trial, and 
 imprisonment are likely to follow in rapid succession. Many 
 employes, whose careers have ended in early shame, might 
 have preserved their integrity had it not been for this particular 
 kind of temptation. None of us are wholly good or wholly bad, 
 
422 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 and a majority perhaps pass through some period in life where 
 influences less potent than the one under discussion determine 
 whether the spirit of good or evil is to predominate in the 
 development of character. In some cases the weight of a 
 feather may turn the scale. The peril is particularly great in 
 early youth before habits have hardened into principles. Now 
 it is from the young of the nation that the ranks of the postal 
 service are almost exclusively recruited. For the sake of its 
 employes, and for the protection of the great interests com- 
 mitted to them, the department strives with tireless energy to 
 crush out of existence the swindling schemes which thus indi- 
 rectly, by throwing constant temptation in their way, lure 
 many to ruin. 
 
 Outsiders, who open negotiations with rascals like the er ex- 
 pert engraver," are usually very careful to keep out of sight 
 in the operation, and avoid all publicity. Hence, on discov- 
 ering the fraud practiced upon them, they make no complaint, 
 even permitting the most barefaced cheats to walk off unmo- 
 lested with their booty. Sometimes, however, the dupes do 
 not escape so easily, but lose reputation as well as money. 
 Often, too, the lightning strikes in very unexpected places. 
 Illustrations might be multiplied indefinitely. 
 
 AN ERRING SHEPHERD. 
 
 Several years ago, a preacher of the gospel, stationed not far 
 from the northern frontier of the republic, received by mail one 
 of the seductive missives of Ragem & Co., of New York city. 
 The douceur opened with the usual complimentary references to 
 the peculiar personal fitness of the clergyman for the proposed 
 enterprise, and went on to state that, in exchange for genuine 
 greenbacks, Ragem & Co. would furnish in the proportion of 
 fifty to one imitations so absolutely perfect that the most expe- 
 rienced bank officers could not distinguish the difference. 
 Rev. Zachariah Sapp, for such was the euphonious name 
 of the preacher, after an attentive perusal of the flattering 
 proposal, deposited the document in his coat-pocket for con- 
 
REV. ZACHARIAH SAPP. 
 
 423 
 
 venience of reference. Having pondered the subject for a 
 day or two, he decided to write to Ragem & Co. for more 
 explicit information. 
 
 Divining with the peculiar instinct of the guild the charac- 
 ter of the fish now nibbling at the naked hook, the cheat 
 resolved to risk a little bait, and accordingly sent by return 
 mail a genuine one-dollar note, with a written invitation both 
 for a reply and a personal conference. 
 
 Never before did ~ . . ,.-..-. . 
 
 the Rev. Zachariah 
 Sapp subject a piece 
 of paper to such scru- 
 tiny. Both with the 
 naked eye and with a 
 microscope, a relic 
 of collegiate days, 
 he studied the en- 
 gravings and filigree 
 work. Detail by de- 
 tail he compared the 
 supposed imitation 
 with bills of known 
 genuineness without 
 being able to discov- 
 er the slightest point 
 of variation between 
 them. Paper, print- 
 ing, and engraving 
 
 seemed to be absolutely perfect. While the study was pro- 
 gressing, the imagination of the clergyman soared through 
 the empyrean of dazzling expectations. Why continue to 
 toil hard for a small pittance when the golden apples were 
 hanging within easy reach? Why drag out an existence in 
 penury when wealth and its joys were thrust upon him? 
 
 Zachariah, however, was prudent and thrifty indeed 
 rather more thrifty in the estimation of parishioners than 
 
 Rev. Zachariah Sapp. 
 
424 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 befitted one who held by right of faith a title-deed to mansions 
 in the skies. Almost as soon would he risk his future inher- 
 itance as peril on a doubtful venture the few hundred dollars 
 snugly saved up for a wet day by prudence and economy. 
 
 Not willing to rely entirely on his own judgment, he rather 
 reluctantly decided to call on a banker in an adjacent town, 
 with whom he enjoyed a slight acquaintance. In thinking 
 the matter over he was greatly perplexed to determine how to 
 introduce the subject. Of course it would not answer to allow 
 the cashier to fathom his secret purpose, and yet he was 
 oppressed with a vague consciousness that only a translucent 
 film hid his thought from the world. Once or twice, in driv- 
 ing over on the unfamiliar errand, weak and irresolute he 
 half resolved to turn back, but greed finally prevailed, and 
 he kept on to the village. 
 
 With a strong but unsatisfactory effort to appear at ease, he 
 sauntered into the bank. After the usual interchange of 
 greetings, he nervously remarked, "Brother Hyde, as I was 
 coming this way to-day to call on brother Tompkins, I have 
 taken the liberty to drop in to ask you a question on a matter 
 in your line." 
 
 "Very well," replied the banker, "I shall be happy to serve 
 you." 
 
 "I had a transaction a few days ago," resumed the clergy- 
 man, "with a peddler, an entire stranger to me, who in 
 making change gave me a number of bills which I have rea- 
 son to suspect are counterfeits. I desire your opinion." 
 
 "Please let me see them," said Mr. Hyde. 
 
 He took the one-dollar note from, the hand of the unfaithful 
 pastor, and after scanning it a moment, inquired, "What is 
 the matter with it?" 
 
 " Is it good ? " queried the anxious owner. 
 
 "I wish I had my safe full of the same sort," answered the 
 banker. "There is nothing bad about the bill. What makes 
 you think so? Perhaps you have shown me the wrong one. 
 Let me see the others." 
 
VISIONS OF AFFLUENCE, 
 
 4*5 
 
 "I must have left the rest at home," replied the preacher, 
 fumbling among the compartments of the pocket-book. 
 
 Having accomplished the object of his mission without per- 
 petrating, as he thought, any disastrous blunder, Mr. Sapp 
 brought the interview to a close with a few commonplace 
 remarks, and hurried away to enjoy in solitary self-com- 
 munion the thick-crowding visions of future affluence. 
 
 "'Is it good?' queried the anxious owner." 
 
 With the last doubt satisfactorily overcome, the plans of the 
 prospective millionaire rapidly took shape. He could raise 
 five hundred dollars, which at the proposed rate of inter- 
 change would purchase twenty-five thousand of the " absolutely 
 perfect imitations." The sum seemed vast incalculable. 
 His imagination, hitherto bound down by the narrow circum- 
 stances of remote rural life, staggered while trying to grasp 
 the conception of so much wealth. Like the mysteries of 
 
426 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 time and space, it appeared too grand for comprehension. 
 Then his reveries strayed into another channel. What noble 
 fellows were Ragem & Co. ! Why, among forty millions of 
 people, did they pick out him, an unknown clergyman, living 
 in an obscure place hundreds of miles from the metropolis, 
 to be the favored recipient of untold wealth? Surely, this is 
 a special Providence. Not a sparrow falleth to the ground 
 without His knowledge. He watches over his own. Sud- 
 denly the erring clergyman feels a terrible pull at his heart- 
 strings. What right has he, about to betray a sacred trust, 
 and engage in operations branded as infamous by the laws of 
 the land, to claim the watchful care of Providence ? Will not 
 the all-seeing eye follow him? Will not the omnipotent hand 
 strike him heavily in wrath? The poor man wipes the cold 
 perspiration from his forehead, and wonders if it will pay. 
 
 But he has paltered too long, and now the devil claims him 
 for his own. 
 
 Returning home, Sapp wrote to Ragem & Co., stating the 
 amount of his available resources, and saying that upon a 
 given day and hour he would meet them at the appointed ren- 
 dezvous. On the following Sunday, the congregation were 
 startled at the close of the afternoon services by an extraordi- 
 nary announcement from the pulpit. 
 
 Before pronouncing the benediction, the pastor said, "I 
 take this opportunity to communicate to you collectively a 
 piece of personal intelligence which I have hitherto kept 
 secret. Under the will of a relative who recently died in the 
 state of Michigan, I inherit a large sum to me, with my 
 humble wants, a very large sum. By appointment, I am to 
 meet the executor of the estate this week in New York city 
 to receive the first installment of the legacy. I do not pro- 
 pose to leave you, my dear parishioners, but to remain among 
 you and toil with you as I have done for so many years. A 
 goodly portion at least of my inheritance I intend to invest 
 in this community, that neighbors and friends may share 
 jointly in my prosperity. I trust I may be guided to make a 
 
ENTERING THE DEN. 
 
 427 
 
 wise use of the talents thus unexpectedly, and I may say 
 providentially, committed to my keeping. We know from 
 the teachings of Scripture that wealth brings great responsi- 
 bilities, and that we shall be held to a strict account for the 
 manner in which we employ it. May your prayers go 
 with me." 
 
 The congregation crowded around the pastor with congrat- 
 ulations. Particularly demonstrative were the ebullitions of 
 two or three brothers who saw a chance of exchanging sun- 
 dry unsalable possessions for slices in the inheritance. 
 
 Mr. Sapp reached New York city in the evening, and the 
 momentous interview was to take place at an early hour the 
 next day. Sleep came in brief and fitful snatches. But the 
 stars roll on in their majestic spheres, regardless of mortal 
 hopes and fears. At length day broke, when the preacher 
 rose from bed anxious and unrefreshed. A little before the 
 appointed time he proceeded to a certain building, and hav- 
 ing mounted two flights of stairs, saw the magic number on 
 the door in front of him. As the clock struck he entered. 
 Agreeably to a preconcerted plan, he wiped the right corner 
 of his mouth with a white handkerchief, and nodded three 
 times. The only person in the room, a well-dressed and ap- 
 parently affable gentleman, responded by wiping the left cor- 
 ner of his mouth with a red silk handkerchief, and nodding 
 three times. The signal is correctly answered : it is he ! So 
 far all works beautifully, with every promise kept. The bill 
 was a perfect imitation ; the engraver is on hand to a second. 
 
 " Two truths are told, 
 As happy prologues to the swelling act 
 Of the imperial theme." 
 
 The fellow passing under the name of Ragem & Co. wel- 
 comed the new arrival cordially. "Ah," said he, "your 
 promptness and circumspection show that I am not disap- 
 pointed in my man. I see that you come up to the full meas- 
 ure of my expectations. Do you know I am a remarkable 
 
428 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 judge of character? In fact, I seldom or never make a mis- 
 take. We are both in luck." 
 
 w I was trained to punctuality from early youth," replied the 
 preacher ; and proceeding directly to business, without fur- 
 ther circumlocution, continued, "I succeeded in raising five 
 hundred dollars, which entitles me under the agreement to 
 twenty-five thousand." 
 
 From an inner pocket, after removing a number of pins, 
 he produced six one hundred dollar notes, saying, by way of 
 explanation, "For greater security I converted my funds into 
 bills of large denomination. One I reserve for contingencies ; 
 the other five are for you." 
 
 "Your money is here in the safe," said Ragem, taking the 
 five notes, and turning toward the safe as if to unlock it. 
 But the scoundrel evidently reasoned that it would be silly to 
 remain content with the five when he could just as easily cap- 
 ture the sixth. 
 
 Walking back, he remarked, "I want to show you that my 
 large bills are just as perfect as the small ones ; " and, as if for 
 purposes of comparison, he took the remaining note from the 
 hand of the clergyman. 
 
 At this moment began a fearful knocking on a side door, 
 that threatened the speedy demolition of the frail barrier. 
 " Run, run," whispered Ragem, as if in the extremity of 
 terror, "the police are on us." 
 
 The preacher needed no second invitation, fear of exposure 
 giving wings to his feet. Almost at a bound he cleared the 
 two flights of stairs and emerged into the street, walking sev- 
 eral blocks, and turning a number of corners before he dared 
 to look back. 
 
 The bona fide occupant of the room where these parties 
 met, had no share whatever in the nefarious transactions car- 
 ried on there. Through the treachery of the janitor, Ragem 
 was permitted at certain hours to make use of the apartment 
 for the purpose of keeping appointments with his victims. A 
 confederate stationed on the outside delivered the knocks as 
 
RETRIBUTION, 
 
 429 
 
 soon as customers were plucked, and it became desirable to 
 get rid of their company. Occasional hints of improper 
 practices reached the ear of the real lessee, but these had 
 never yet taken such shape as to give a decisive clue to the 
 trouble, dupes" for the most part pocketing their losses in 
 silence. 
 
 "I have heard of you before. You are the villain, are you, who has been 
 turning my office into a den of thieves? I have caught you, at last ! " 
 
 After an interval of two or three hours, Mr. Sapp plucked 
 up courage to return. Having mounted the stairs, he entered 
 the room warily. His late partner was not there. A stalwart 
 gentleman, who seemed to be the proprietor, looked up in- 
 quiringly, and was not a little puzzled when the visitor sup- 
 plemented the performance of wiping the right corner of his 
 mouth by three deliberate nods. "What can I do for you 
 to-day?" inquired the gentleman, rising. 
 
43 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 "You are, I presume, a partner of Mr. Ragem," answered 
 Sapp. "I see he is out. Our business this morning was 
 unfortunately interrupted by the police, and I have returned 
 to complete it." 
 
 " What business ? " asked the proprietor, in undisguised 
 astonishment. 
 
 Now the preacher made the very natural mistake of sup- 
 posing that the surprise manifested by his interlocutor was a 
 mere matter of policy and caution. Hence he proceeded to 
 explain. " Ragem must have told you. I am the gentleman 
 who gave him the five hundred dollars, and he said that my 
 twenty -five thousand were locked up in the safe." 
 
 The proprietor did not wait to hear more, but seizing the 
 affrighted creature by the collar, thundered forth, "I have 
 heard of you before. You are the villain, are you, who has 
 been turning my office into a den of thieves? I have caught 
 you at last ! " 
 
 Awaking to a partial comprehension of the situation, the 
 poor wretch stammered forth, "There must be some mis- 
 take. My name is a' is a' is a' Smith Smith John 
 Smith." 
 
 "John Smith, is it?" growled the proprietor. "Well, 
 all I have to say is, John Smith, if not the biggest is the 
 most numerous rascal in the city. John, come along to the 
 police station." 
 
 And John went, billows of trouble rolling over him as the 
 waters of the Red Sea closed over Pharaoh. Vain the 
 effort to recall consolatory texts pertinent to the occasion! 
 He was sorely chastened indeed, but the stripes were inflicted 
 not in love but in wrath. He mourned, yet whence could he 
 look for comfort? 
 
 To avoid a worse fate, the prisoner revealed his identity, ex- 
 hibited the correspondence from "Ragem & Co.," and made 
 a full statement of the facts. The painful news reached the 
 church shortly after the return of the pastor, when his pulpit 
 career came to an ignominious end. He soon removed to the 
 
HIDING IN THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 431 
 
 far west, hoping to bury his disgrace in the shades of the 
 primeval forest. 
 
 The fall of Rev. Zachariah Sapp sounds a note of warning 
 not without its lessons. The only safety in dealing with 
 temptation is to repel its insidious approaches from the outset. 
 Whoever listens in patience to the siren whisper is half lost 
 already. Human experience abundantly confirms the divine 
 wisdom of the command, "Get thee behind me, Satan," as the 
 one sole safe way of meeting evil advances. At the close 
 of well-spent, useful lives, myriads can thank a kind Provi- 
 dence, not that they have been stronger than others who have 
 turned out differently, but that they have been tried less. 
 Walking among unseen perils, none can without danger of 
 ruin, discard even for a moment the armor of honesty and 
 truth. 
 
 " Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, 
 The instruments of darkness tell us truths; 
 Win us with honest trifles, to betray us 
 In deepest consequence." 
 
 For the most part, only the ignorant and inexperienced 
 fall into the trap which caught the Rev. Zachariah Sapp. 
 Occasionally, however, men of some local reputation for 
 sharpness enter into negotiations with the swindlers and 
 become pretty deeply involved before they discover their 
 bearings. 
 
 AN ASPIRANT FOR CONGRESS. 
 
 A few years ago, the "Hon." John Whimpery Brass, of 
 Georgia, one of the " thoughtful patriots " of the period, who 
 now and then found time to lay aside the cares of state-craft 
 to nurse little private jobs of his own, allured by the seductive 
 offers of "Wogan & Co.," of New York city, wrote to that 
 somewhat mythical concern proposing to become their agent 
 for the . circulation of the tr queer." Even after receiving the 
 first installment of their wares, the honorable gentleman did 
 not comprehend that the firm dealt exclusively in saw-dust, 
 
432 
 
 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 not in currency. He wrote again, complaining that, after a 
 journey of sixty miles over a rough road to the nearest 
 reliable express office, he found nothing but a worthless 
 package, marked "C. O. D.," awaiting him. Did Wogan & 
 Co. distrust either his parts or fidelity? He ventured to 
 assert that no man in the state could serve them so effectu- 
 ally. He had just run for Congress, and though beaten 
 at the polls by "fraud," intended to contest the seat with 
 
 the chances of suc- 
 cess in his favor. 
 The mountaineers 
 among whom he 
 lived did not care 
 whether the money 
 in their pockets was 
 good or bad so long 
 as it circulated. He 
 could put thousands 
 of counterfeits afloat 
 without the slightest 
 fear of detection. 
 His constituency be- 
 lieved in him and 
 would stand by him. 
 Currency was very 
 scarce in that con- 
 gressional district, 
 
 and it would really be doing his people a great favor to give 
 them more. After' setting forth the mutual benefits to accrue 
 from trusting him, he appealed to Wogan & Co. with the 
 vehemence and energy of the sewing-machine man, or life- 
 insurance agent, to send on the goods without further delay. 
 They should never regret dealing with him, his character 
 and standing being a sufficient guaranty that he could not play 
 false. He was acting in good faith, and expected like treat- 
 ment in return. 
 
 The Aspirant. 
 
FROM BAD TO WORSE. 
 
 433 
 
 Unfortunately for the political aspirations of " Hon." John 
 Whimpery Brass, the authorities not long after made a 
 descent upon the den of Wogan & Co., finding a great 
 many letters from credulous fools, and a large supply of 
 saw-dust their only stock in trade. The missives of the 
 prospective congressman were published, thus gaining much 
 more extensive currency than he proposed to give to the 
 imitation greenbacks. It was supposed that the noisy fellow 
 would slink away to some cave in his native mountains, and 
 never show his brazen face among honest people again. But 
 the impudence of " Hon." John Whimpery Brass rose to the 
 level of the emergency. Instead of hiding or hanging him- 
 self, he published a card representing that he embaVked in 
 the scheme for the purpose of entrapping Wogan & Co. and 
 bringing them to justice. 
 
 Pathetic was the spectacle, showing the confidence of an 
 ingenuous soul in its own prowess, of the volunteer detective, 
 digging parallels on the southern spurs of the Blue Ridge for 
 the capture of the wily swindler a thousand miles away ! 
 Armed with a kernel of corn, the doughty gosling sets 
 forth to catch the wicked fox that is preying on the flock ! 
 If the bold mountaineers, the constituency of " Hon." John 
 Whimpery Brass, cannot commend the discretion displayed 
 by the projector of the enterprise, they must certainly ad- 
 mire his pluck. In face of the odds, few goslings would 
 volunteer. 
 
 Perhaps the card might have been accepted by the more 
 trustful class of adherents as a satisfactory explanation of the 
 letters, had not the aspiring statesman in course of time 
 fallen under the ban of the law for defrauding widows of their 
 pensions, the campaign against Wogan & Co. having so 
 completely exhausted the virtue of the amateur who planned 
 it, as to leave no residue to fructify in subsequent opera- 
 tions. 
 
 28 
 
434 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 THE FORTUNE OF SETH SAVAGE. 
 
 At one time the bogus-lottery men drove a thrifty business, 
 but the efforts, virtually co-operative, of the post-office de- 
 partment and of the legislatures of the older states, have 
 latterly pretty effectually forced them into the wilderness. 
 The managers forage on the same class of people as the 
 saw-dust swindlers, procuring lists of names in the same 
 way. A common method of procedure is to inclose with 
 advertisements announcing the prizes, together with the 
 place and date of drawing, one or more tickets duly num- 
 bered. Great confidence is expressed in the personal fitness 
 of the party addressed, who is requested to act as agent for 
 the sale of the tickets. A few weeks later another letter is 
 sent to the intended victim, informing him that the ticket of a 
 given number forwarded to him at such a date had drawn 
 a prize, the value of which is variously stated from a few 
 hundred to many thousand dollars. He is then requested to 
 send immediately ten dollars more or less for the ticket, 
 perhaps ten or twenty more for additional charges, when the 
 full face value of the prize will be forwarded promptly by 
 express, check on New York, or in any other way the recipi- 
 ent may direct. He is also told to ante-date the letter, the 
 intermediary promising to blur the postmark to correspond, 
 so that the remittance may appear to have been made prior 
 to the drawing. In conclusion the writer adroitly suggests 
 that he desires the fortunate man to exhibit the money to his 
 neighbors, stating how he obtained it, and mentioning par- 
 ticularly the address of the agent from whom the ticket was 
 purchased, the object being to create an excitement in the 
 place with a view to large sales for the next drawing. 
 
 Even of a trick as transparent as this the victims are 
 counted by thousands, exposures and warnings being alike 
 disregarded. The infatuation of a certain class of ignorant 
 and credulous people is well illustrated by the case of Seth 
 Savage, a poor man possessed of a few acres in the vicinity 
 
SETH EXCITED. 
 
 435 
 
 of a small village in Vermont. One day, when a special 
 agent of wide experience happened to be visiting the post- 
 office, Seth received a letter, the perusal of which threw 
 him into a frenzy of excitement. 
 
 "What is the matter?" inquired the postmaster. "You 
 seem to have good news." 
 
 "Look a-here," replied Seth, holding forth the missive in 
 
 " Look a-here, replied Seth, holding forth the missive in his shriveled and 
 
 bony fingers." 
 
 his shriveled and bony fingers, " for nigh on to sixty-five 
 year, Mr. Martin, IVe fit and work'd and work'd and fit 
 jest for my vittles and drink. Neow when I'm tew old tew 
 'joy it, a fortin comes to me." 
 
 "Is that so?" answered Mr. Martin. "I am very glad; but 
 tell me, what is it? Your neighbors will all be glad to hear 
 of your good luck." 
 
436 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 " Read that,'' said Seth, handing him the letter trium- 
 phantly. 
 
 The postmaster read the manuscript. One Dewitt of New 
 York city assured Mr. Savage that a certain ticket sent to him 
 a month before had drawn a prize of three thousand dollars ; 
 that on receipt of thirty-five dollars in a letter ante-dated 
 according to directions, the full amount would be forwarded 
 to him. 
 
 "Surely, Seth," expostulated the postmaster, "you are not 
 going to be fooled in this way. Dewitt is a humbug, a 
 swindler." 
 
 " Neow, heow dew yeou know that? " inquired Seth. " Has 
 he ever fool'd yeou ? " 
 
 " I don't deal with that sort of people," replied Mr. Mar- 
 tin, mildly. " I dislike to see any one wronged, especially a 
 neighbor. Here is a gentleman who knows all about such 
 matters." And Seth was formally introduced to the special 
 agent, who took pains to explain the character of the swindle 
 fully. 
 
 The officer left the village with the pleasant assurance that 
 his brief visit had contributed at least toward the rescue of one 
 poor object from the jaws of the devourer. 
 
 After all, however, Seth was not convinced. By selling 
 his only cow he managed to swell his scanty stock of cash to 
 the requisite sum, which he sent to Dewitt, fully expecting to 
 be able in a few days to confound the postmaster by the actual 
 display of his newly gotten wealth. The dupe, who had in- 
 vested a goodly portion of his scanty means in the venture, 
 waited long if not patiently. At length, after the expiration 
 of the last hope, Mr. Martin inquired, " How did it happen, 
 Seth, that you threw away your money on that lottery scamp, 
 when we showed you that the whole thing was a cheat? " 
 
 "Wall, neow, arter it's all lost," replied Seth, " Til tell yeou 
 jest heow 'twas. Human natur' is natrally suspectin'. I tho't 
 yeou and that ar' t'other post-offis fellah want'd to git the 
 prize for yeourselfs ; an' I didn't mean to be beat so." 
 
FRESH VICTIMS. 
 
 A WISH UNEXPECTEDLY GRATIFIED. 
 
 When the bogus-lottery men were driven out of the large 
 cities by the vigor of the postal authorities, they tried for a 
 while to operate from small country towns by collusion with 
 dishonest postmasters. As the delinquencies of the offenders 
 were successively brought to light, their heads rolled into the 
 basket at the foot of the official guillotine. The swindlers, 
 however, succeeded in bribing fresh victims, and for a time 
 cunning and duplicity managed with tolerable success to 
 maintain a foothold against the power of the department. 
 
 Among other similar swindles, sealed circulars were at one 
 time scattered broadcast over the more remote states, announc- 
 ing that on a given date the drawing for a series of magnifi- 
 cent prizes would take place at Livingston Hall, No. 42 
 Elm Avenue, Wington Junction, Connecticut. Patrons were 
 urged to remit the purchase-money for tickets promptly, as 
 there w r ould be no postponement of the grand event under 
 any circumstances. "Fortune," continued the glittering ad- 
 vertisement, " knocks once at every one's door, and she is 
 now knocking at yours." 
 
 As usual, multitudes swallowed the bait, but some, instead 
 of sending the greenbacks to Highfalutin & Co., forwarded 
 the circulars to the department. Thereupon special agent 
 Sharretts was instructed to visit Wington Junction, with the 
 view of learning whether the postmaster was properly dis- 
 charging his duties. Taking an early opportunity to per- 
 form the mission, he alighted at the station one morning, 
 and proceeded to survey the town, which consisted of four 
 or five houses scattered along the highway for a distance 
 of half a mile. "Livingston Hall" and "Elm Avenue" were 
 nowhere visible. It was apparent that "No. 42" on any 
 avenue was a remote contingency not likely to arise in the 
 present generation. 
 
 Having previously ascertained that the postmaster was 
 also switch-tender at the junction, and that the cares of the 
 
SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 office devolved on his wife, the officer walked up to a keen- 
 looking man in front of the little round switch-house, whose 
 energies were devoted exclusively at that moment to the mas- 
 tication of a huge quid of tobacco, and who, after a prolonged 
 scrutiny of the stranger, answered his salutation in an atten- 
 uated drawl, "Meornin', sir." 
 
 " Will you be kind enough to tell me, sir, where Mr. Morris, 
 the postmaster, can be found?" asked the agent. 
 
 "Wall, I guess my name's Morris. What kin I do fur 
 yeou ? " 
 
 " Mr. Morris, I should like a few minutes' private conversa- 
 tion on business of great importance, which can be so man- 
 aged as to turn out advantageously to us both. I do not wish 
 to be overheard or interrupted. In these times even blank 
 walls have ears, you know." 
 
 The last suggestion seemed to serve as a passport to the 
 confidence of the postmaster. Leading the way into the 
 switch-house, he remarked, "Come in heear. Neow, what 
 is it?" 
 
 "The fact is, Mr. Morris, some friends of mine propose to 
 go into a little speculation, which will involve a large corre- 
 spondence ; and for reasons that I need not specify to a man 
 like you, they do not wish to have every rag-tag, bobtail 
 post-office clerk poring over their letters, and asking imper- 
 tinent questions at the delivery-window. If they can find a 
 shrewd, square man, who knows how to keep his mouth shut, 
 and who, can't be fooled, that for a handsome consideration 
 will put the letters away in a safe place till called for, they 
 are willing to make an arrangement that will be profitable all 
 around. You have been recommended as just the person. I 
 am told that you generally know which side your bread is 
 buttered, and have called to see if we can't arrange to pull 
 together." 
 
 " 'NufF said," ejaculated Morris, with a sly wink. "I know 
 what yeou want, but my wife is the one to fix things. I don't 
 have nuthin' to dew with the letters. Sue 'tends to everything. 
 

 TOO SHARP FOR THE DEETECTERS." 439 
 
 The folks as we'se a-workin' for said we must be plaguey keer- 
 ful about the deetecters. I'll bet nun on 'em can't play it on 
 my wife tho'. If they dew, they'll have to git up arly in the 
 mornin'." 
 
 With that he thrust his head out of the window, and veiled, 
 "Sue! Sue!" 
 
 As the sound died away, a tall, raw-boned female, from 
 whose cheeks the bloom of youth had faded a number of 
 years before, emerged from the side door of a two-story cot- 
 tage, about eighty rods distant, and walked briskly to the 
 switch-house, where she was introduced to the stranger as 
 "my wife." 
 
 After a little preliminary skirmishing, she invited the agent 
 to go over to the cottage. Having been duly ushered into the 
 "best room," he embellished for her benefit the story already 
 told to the husband. 
 
 "I think I kin 'commodate yeou," she broke forth, "but 
 yeou'll have to pay putty well for't. Laws me, I'm told and 
 I've ways o' heerin' 'bout these things that the deetecters are 
 jest as likely as not to come a-swoopin' deown enny minnit. 
 Yeou know, if they feound it out, we'd be smash'd." 
 
 Her terms were ten dollars a week. Highfalutin & Co. 
 paid six, but she understood the business a great deal better 
 now than when she made the bargain with them. The agent 
 thought the price rather high, but finally consented to contract 
 at that figure. 
 
 Then, as if troubled by an after-thought, he said, "Madam, 
 how do I know but some of these * deetecters' may come 
 around, and, seeing my letters, get me into difficulty?" 
 
 "Why, laws a' mercy," said she, "don't be skeer'd. Yeou 
 jest leave that to me. The minnit them air letters gits here, I 
 hides 'em in that bewro-draw'r," pointing to an article of fur- 
 niture in the corner. 
 
 "Is it a safe place?" queried the agent. 
 
 " Yas, it is," answered the woman. " Got it half full neow. 
 Carry the key in my pocket." 
 
SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 She gave a grin, intended for a knowing smile, in admira- 
 tion of her own cleverness. 
 
 " I believe the hiding-place is tolerably secure," replied the 
 officer, with the air of one who desired to be convinced, but 
 had not yet reached the point of full assurance. 
 
 " Yeou seem to be very particl'r and diffikilt to satisfy," con- 
 tinued Mrs. Morris; "but, if yeou don't believe it, jest come 
 and see for you'sef." 
 
 She led the way to the bureau, opened the drawer, and, 
 raising a plaid cotton handkerchief, displayed the contraband 
 letters by the score. All were directed to the lottery firm, and 
 were turned over to the knave from time to time as it suited 
 his convenience to call for them. As no such firm did busi- 
 ness at Wington Junction, it was the duty of the postmaster to 
 forward to the department, as fictitious and undeliverable, all 
 letters bearing the address of the swindlers. In similar cases 
 neglect to obey the regulation was treated as sufficient ground 
 for instant removal. 
 
 More fully pleased with the result of the examination than 
 the woman surmised, the officer resumed : " I see you are very 
 particular about your methods of doing business, and do not 
 mean to be caught napping. The arrangement we are about 
 to enter into is a very important one, and, as you are not post- 
 master, your husband will have to be present to witness and 
 ratify the bargain." 
 
 " Bless yeour soul," replied she, "it's all right. I 'tend to 
 all the biznis. My husband doesn't bother hissef abeout it in 
 the least." 
 
 "Madam," answered the officer, "pardon me. I had my 
 training in a large city, and am accustomed to pay minute 
 attention to 'every detail. Your husband is the principal in 
 this case, and must ratify the agreement to make it binding. 
 Of course you will derive all the benefit, but his presence is 
 essential as a matter of form." 
 
 Apparently satisfied, she called for "John," who replied 
 promptly to the summons. 
 
THE SELF-CONFIDENT SUE OVERMATCHED. 441 
 
 "Mr. Morris," said the officer, "your wife has agreed to 
 keep my letters for me " 
 
 "Yaas," broke in the postmaster. "I know'd she would. 
 Yeou'll find she'll dew it right, tew. Nobody can't come enny 
 tricks on her can they, Sue ? I wish one o' 'em durn'd deetec- 
 ters would come areound, jest tew see heow she'd pull the wool 
 over 'im. I wudn't ax enny better fun ; " and he indulged in 
 
 " Bless yeour soul,' replied she, ' it 's all right. I 'tend to all the biznis.' 
 
 a fit of loud cachinnation at the absurdity of supposing that 
 any one could match in sharpness his own beloved Sue. 
 
 "The letters will come to that address," said the agent, 
 pulling out his commission from the postmaster-general, and 
 exhibiting it to the pair. 
 
 Taking in the purport of it at a glance, Morris jumped sev- 
 eral inches into the air, slapped his sides, and exclaimed, "A 
 deetecter, arter all; sold, by jingo 1"" 
 
44 2 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 "We're bust'd, then," chimed in Sue, with a melancholy 
 grin. 
 
 It was even so. The letters for Highfalutin & Co. went to 
 Washington, and Morris went out of the post-office ; but the 
 fact that Sue was overmatched hurt him more than the loss of 
 the place. 
 
 June 8, 1872, a law was approved making it a penal offense 
 to use the mails for the purpose of defrauding others, whether 
 residing within or outside of the United States. The post- 
 master-general was also authorized to forbid the payment of 
 postal money-orders to persons engaged in fraudulent lotteries, 
 gift enterprises, and other schemes for swindling the public, 
 and to instruct postmasters to return to the writers, with the 
 word "fraudulent" written or stamped on the outside, all regis- 
 tered letters directed to such persons or firms. Prior to the 
 enactment of this law, the most wholesale and barefaced 
 operations were conducted by professional cheats, mainly 
 through the facilities afforded by the mails, with almost abso- 
 lute impunity. Letters addressed to bogus firms were indeed 
 forwarded from the offices of delivery to the department as 
 "fictitious" and "undeliverable," and many colluding post- 
 masters were decapitated. Such petty measures of warfare 
 served merely to annoy the vampires and to whet their diabol- 
 ical ingenuity for the contrivance of new devices. Since the 
 law of 1872 went into effect, however, the scoundrels have 
 been compelled to travel a thorny road. Scores of arrests 
 have been made, and in many cases the criminals have been 
 sentenced to the penitentiary. 
 
 It would exceed our limits even to enumerate the devices 
 which have been tried by different swindlers with greater or 
 less success. Gift enterprises of various kinds are the most 
 common and notorious, constituting a distinct branch of the 
 business ; but the pretenses on which human credulity is in- 
 vited to part with actual cash for imaginary benefits are innu- 
 merable. A few specimens are given as illustrations. 
 
A FORM OF THE CONFIDENCE GAME. 443 
 
 AN OLD GAME REVIVED. 
 
 On the i8th of September, 1875, a fellow was arrested in 
 West Virginia who sent to the victims whom he proposed to 
 bleed, letters whereof the following is a copy : 
 
 "A lady who boarded with me died on last Saturday of 
 apoplexy. She left a trunk containing the following prop- 
 erty : One very fine ladies' gold watch and chain, one ladies' 
 gold necklace, six ladies' finger rings, earrings, and a great 
 deal of ladies' clothing. Among other things was a letter 
 addressed to you. I suppose you to be a relative of the de- 
 ceased, and want to send you the trunk. When Miss Thomp- 
 son died she left a board bill unpaid amounting to $20.50. 
 You will please send this amount by return mail, and the 
 trunk will be forwarded to you immediately." 
 
 Instead of remitting the money as modestly requested, the 
 recipient of one of these choice douceurs, a lady residing in 
 the interior of Pennsylvania, sent the letter to the mayor of 
 the town where it was dated and postmarked, who in turn 
 handed it over to special agent T. P. Shallcross ; and he in 
 the course of a day or two succeeded in capturing the mis- 
 creant. 
 
 This particular form of the confidence game is very old ; 
 yet in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-five, 
 a swindler by means of it succeeds not only in maintaining 
 himself in dashing style, but also in sporting a flashy travel- 
 ing companion of the female persuasion ! 
 
 Where the letters are addressed to men, the articles re- 
 ported to be found in the imaginary trunk are changed to 
 correspond to masculine habits and wants. The operators 
 receive many singular and some entertaining replies. The 
 following, dated long ago from a small town at the South, 
 may serve as a sample, the orthography of the original being 
 preserved : 
 
444 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 " COL. SNOWDEN. 
 
 "Dear Sir, Yours received, and you say John is dead. Poor 
 fellow! I always expected it. Death runs in the family. Dyed sud- 
 denly of appleplexy eat too many apples. Well, I always thought 
 John would hurt himself eating apples. I s'pose you had him buried. 
 You said nothing about funeral expenses. He had a trunk gold 
 watch in it, &c. Well, well, what an unexpected legacy ! but strange 
 things happen sometimes. Never thought I should get a gold watch 
 so. And he had the watch in his trunk, did he? Poor fellow ! was 
 always so particular 'bout his watch and fixings. Had two revolvers. 
 What is them? I never heard John say anything about them. Well, 
 you have been so kind as to write to me ; just keep all the balance of 
 the things, you can have them : but the gold watch, send that to me by 
 express. Send immediately if not sooner. 
 " Very truly, 
 
 " GEO. STREAM. 
 
 " P. S. My mother in law says, if you come this way, call. She 
 likes to know all such good, kind folks." 
 
 It is safe to conclude that "Col. Snowden" never accepted 
 the invitation to call from the hospitable mother-in-law. 
 
 A FORMIDABLE WEAPON. 
 
 In the summer and fall of 1875, circulars were scattered 
 broadcast over the country, and advertisements appeared in 
 the weekly editions of several leading papers of New York 
 city and other large towns, setting forth the rare merits 
 of a weapon of destruction called f Allan's New Low-Priced 
 Seven-Shooter." As a specimen of ingenious description, 
 the more salient parts of the circular are herewith repro- 
 duced : 
 
 " In introducing this triumph of mechanical genius to the American public, 
 it is proper to say that it is not an entirely new article, but that it has lately 
 been improved in appearance, simplicity of construction, and accuracy, hav- 
 ing new points of excellence, making it superior in many respects to those first 
 made. The manufacturers having improved facilities for making them cheaply 
 and rapidly, have reduced the price to one dollar and fifty cents ; and while 
 
"A TRIUMPH OF MECHANICAL GENIUS." 445 
 
 the profits on a single one are necessarily small, this price places them within 
 the reach of all. It will in the future be known as 'ALLAN'S NEW LOW- 
 PRICED SEVEN-SHOOTER.' The manufacturers are happy to announce, that, 
 having a large force engaged in manufacturing them, no delay can possibly 
 occur, and that all orders will be promptly filled the day received. Hundreds 
 are being sent to every state and territory in the Union, and the manner in 
 which they have been received by the sporting public is a true test of their 
 merits, and proves beyond a doubt that a permanent reputation for them will 
 soon be everywhere established, and that it will ultimately become a favorite. 
 It is of the usual size of a pocket revolver, neatly finished, strongly made, and, 
 if properly cared for, is warranted to be as good after three years' use as 
 when first purchased, as it is not liable to get out of order. They can only 
 be afforded so low because they are manufactured in large quantities, and 
 because, wherever introduced, they advertise themselves. For every business 
 man, traveler, sailor, hunter, fisherman, etc., it is absolutely necessary and 
 indispensable. Everybody will have it. For agents ' there is nothing like it' 
 To 'trade ' on, it is just the thing.' The sale of ONE opens the market for a 
 dozen in any neighborhood. 
 
 " We wish it distinctly understood that this is no cheap, good-for-nothing 
 'pop-gun;' and while none can expect it to be 'silver-mounted' for $1.50, 
 they have a right to expect the worth of their money, and in this new im- 
 proved seven-shooter a want is supplied. 
 
 "Great care is taken in the adjustment of EACH, so that ALL are equally 
 good and reliable. In their production no trouble or expense has been spared. 
 An elaborate and complete set of machinery and gauges has been made, by 
 means of which all the parts are produced exactly alike, thus insuring great 
 uniformity in the character of the work produced." 
 
 This remarkable implement, equally useful for peace or war, 
 is offered to an eager public at the low price of $1.50 each, or 
 $13 per dozen. On the score of cheapness, the inventor 
 greatly prefers the mails to the express as a vehicle for the 
 transport of his wares. In fact, he declines to patronize the 
 express companies at all, unless a prepayment of twenty-five 
 per cent, accompanies each order as a guaranty of the "pur- 
 chaser's good faith." 
 
 At first the enterprise succeeded even beyond the most san- 
 guine expectations of its projector, letters with the cash inclosed 
 pouring in by the hundred. For several months, however, 
 after the first publication of the advertisement, " this triumph 
 of mechanical genius," though "not an entirely new article," 
 existed only in the comprehensive brain of the gentleman who 
 
446 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 had the greatness to discern in the imperfect work of prede- 
 cessors the germs of ideal perfection. Having no seven- 
 shooters to send, he was compelled to dishonor the requisitions 
 of the expectant "traveler, sailor, hunter, fisherman, etc." 
 While careful to lay aside the inclosures, he entirely forgot 
 even to so far remember his patrons as to make a record of 
 their names. 
 
 In due time, however, the "factory" went into operation, 
 and the seven-shooters were actually produced. The mechan- 
 ical "triumph," rudely made of a cheap metal composition, is 
 a duplicate of a toy long used by boys to the delight of each 
 other, and to the annoyance of their elders. The propulsive 
 power resides in a steel spring, which has force enough to 
 send a bird-shot across a good-sized room. The outfit would 
 cost perhaps six or eight cents to the manufacturer. A por- 
 tion of the orders were now filled, the greater part being still 
 thrown unhonored into the waste-basket as before. 
 
 Curses both loud and deep began to be showered on the 
 head of the swindler. Complaints having reached the depart- 
 ment, special agent C. E. Henry started to hunt for "Wilcox 
 & Co.," of Windsor, Ohio, for such was the direction in the 
 advertisements and on the circular. Proceeding several miles 
 from the nearest railroad, he found the rural settlement where 
 the factory was supposed to be located. 
 
 Guided by various inquiries, he finally drove up to the small 
 farm-house where the parents of Wilcox & Co. resided. On 
 entering, the officer said, " I am in search of Mr. Wilcox, of 
 the firm of Wilcox & Co." 
 
 " I am your man," remarked a youth, perhaps twenty-two 
 years of age, whose countenance at once suggested acuteness 
 and cunning. " What will you have ? " 
 
 " I would like to take a look about the arsenal and gun-fac- 
 tory located here," replied the detective, leisurely surveying 
 the landscape. 
 
 "The works are in Cleveland," answered the great inventor.. 
 "You can see them by calling there." 
 
THE ARSENAL. 
 
 447 
 
 "But where is the arsenal? I understood it was situated 
 here." 
 
 "Your information is correct," replied the young man. 
 "That is it, across the road." 
 
 Casting his eye in the direction indicated, the officer saw a 
 rickety wood-shed about seven feet by nine in size. 
 
 Observing the smile of amused incredulity that played upon 
 
 " ' But where is the arsenal ? I understood it was situated here.' ' Your infor- 
 mation is correct,' replied the young man. ' That is it, across the road.' " 
 
 the features of his questioner, Wilcox reiterated, with an air 
 of half offended dignity, 
 
 "That's it. We keep our seven-shooters there. But look 
 here ; before this thing goes any further, I want to know who 
 you are." 
 
 "O, certainly, sir," answered the stranger. "You will find 
 nothing about me that I care to keep concealed. I am a spe- 
 
448 SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 cial agent of the post-office department, and my business here 
 is to arrest you." 
 
 "Why, what have I done to warrant such a visit?" queried 
 youthful innocence. 
 
 "I shall be happy to make that point clear to you," replied 
 the detective, "though I am afraid the enlightenment will come 
 too late to prove of much service to you. In using the mails 
 for the purpose of swindling, you have violated the laws of the 
 country, and must suffer the penalty." 
 
 "But where does the swindling come in?" expostulated 
 Wilcox. r I advertised a seven-shooter. I didn't say any- 
 thing about a revolver. It will shoot seven shot, or twice that 
 number, if you only put them in. If anybody is green enough 
 to suppose I meant a revolver, that's his lookout, not mine." 
 
 " We are not called upon to decide the point," said the spe- 
 cial agent. "The question is one for the court and the jury. 
 But you must go with me to Cleveland. So get ready." 
 
 Finding persuasion, argument, and remonstrance alike use- 
 less, the great mechanical genius packed his satchel in prep- 
 aration for the journey. Once fairly on the road, he became 
 communicative, and explained the reasons which led him to 
 embark in the enterprise. "In the first place," said he, "I 
 read Barnum's Life, and accepted the doctrine that the Amer- 
 ican people like to be humbugged. I planned the shooter 
 myself, and, in wording the circular, aimed to cover the points 
 and keep within the law. I think I have succeeded." 
 
 " I beg leave to differ," argued the special agent. " Aside 
 from the general falsity of the description, there are specific 
 claims which you cannot make good." 
 
 " I don't see the matter in that light," replied the champion 
 of the seven-shooter. "I say, * Wherever introduced, they ad- 
 vertise themselves/ Well, don't they? Whoever gets one 
 will be apt to tell his neighbors. Isn't that advertising itself? 
 I also say, ' The sale of one opens the market for a dozen in any 
 neighborhood ;' but observe, I don't claim that any more will 
 be sold in that neighborhood, even if the market is opened. 
 
AN INQUISITIVE PUBLISHER. 
 
 So far as my guaranty is concerned, I only warrant them to 
 be as good after three years' use as when first purchased. 
 Will you, or will any court, call that in question?" 
 
 "It is charged," said the officer, changing the subject, "that 
 you neglected to fill a good many orders. How do you ex- 
 plain that?" 
 
 "Why, to furnish the shooter and pay the postage cuts 
 down the profits terribly," was the unique and characteristic 
 reply. 
 
 Orders began to arrive in response to the circular nearly 
 five months before the first shooter came from the hands of 
 the manufacturer ; and as none of them were ever filled, or 
 even recorded, it is impossible to estimate how many dupes 
 long watched the mails in anxious expectancy, and perhaps 
 attributed their disappointment to dishonesty among the 
 employes of the department. 
 
 Of course the papers which printed the advertisement would 
 have spurned the impostor and exposed the fraud, had they 
 discovered the facts. The most scrupulous and careful pub- 
 lishers are often deceived in the character of advertisements 
 that come through the regular channels of business, and 
 appear plausible on their face. In fact, the religious journals 
 are the favorite vehicles of the swindlers. The solicitude 
 felt by the newspapers, not only for their own reputation, but 
 for the interests of their patrons, was illustrated in the corre- 
 spondence found on the person of Wilcox. An influential 
 western journal had addressed him two notes which ran 
 thus : 
 
 " GENTS : We receive frequent letters from subscribers, say- 
 ing they receive no answers to letters they send you contain- 
 ing money for ' 7-shooters.' How is it? Are you swindlers?" 
 
 Wilcox, though fully able to answer the conundrum, did 
 not see fit to do so ; and hence, on the 3d of November, the 
 same parties deployed their forces to renew the charge. 
 29 
 
45O SWINDLERS AND THEIR TRICKS. 
 
 " Nov. 3, 1875. 
 
 "WiLCox & Co. : 
 
 "We have written you once before, that our patrons com- 
 plain to us that you do not fill their cash orders, and will not 
 answer their letters of inquiry as to why you don't. We have 
 received so many, such that we suspect there is something 
 wrong, and, unless you explain satisfactorily, we will have 
 to expose you." 
 
 As the special agent arrived on the same day with the in- 
 quiry, the young man had no opportunity to make the desired 
 explanation. Indeed it is doubtful if one so modest and reti- 
 cent on matters of personal merit, would have answered the 
 question even if permitted to take all winter to do it in. 
 
 The United States commissioner, while fully recognizing 
 the ingenuity of the circular, differed somewhat from its 
 author in interpreting its legal construction, and accordingly 
 placed him under a bond of fifteen hundred dollars to appear 
 for trial. 
 
HE Valley," dotted with 
 farm-houses, and sprin- 
 kled with small villages, 
 was a favorite summer re- 
 sort for a class of people 
 from New York and one or 
 two other cities, who preferred 
 fine scenery, pure air, and 
 wholesome food to the crush 
 of crowded watering-places. 
 The incidents of the story to 
 be narrated occurred many 
 years ago, long before the 
 locomotive had profaned the 
 sanctities of nature by its 
 shriek, or dragged into this 
 quiet region the more turbu- 
 lent elements of modern prog- 
 ress. The inhabitants were 
 mostly born on the soil that 
 they tilled, and generally inherited the religion, the politics, 
 and the prejudices of their fathers along with the ancestral 
 acres. When crimes, or " irregularities, " break out in such 
 communities, their strangeness and entire lack of sympathy 
 with the general surroundings greatly intensify the public 
 surprise, and, if the circumstances are aggravated, the public 
 indignation. 
 
452 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 A mail-route sixty. miles long, connecting two parallel lines 
 of railway, wound through the valley, and was served with 
 commendable regularity. At length robberies began to occur, 
 the complaints pouring in upon special agent B. K. Sharretts, 
 of New York city, with alarming frequency. Commencing 
 at the northern end of the chain, he became convinced, by a 
 series of careful experiments, that the terminal office and the 
 two next in the order of sequence, were entirely free from 
 trouble. 
 
 As the distance from New York was short, the special agent 
 conducted the investigation at odd intervals, as the exigencies 
 of business permitted. For some time not a loss occurred 
 while he was engaged on the line, yet a few days after his 
 departure perhaps half a dozen complaints would be thrown 
 at him in a lump. The sufferers were among the wealthiest 
 and most responsible people in the valley, so that there could 
 be no doubt about the reality of the robberies. 
 
 On tabulating the reported losses, the detective discovered 
 that they all fell in brief periods of activity, separated by long 
 intervals of repose. For three or four days, and sometimes 
 for a week, the malady seemed to rage with great fury, and 
 then, as if the violence of the disease had exhausted its energy, 
 no further symptom of disorder would appear for a month. 
 Knowing well that perseverance would eventually lead him 
 to the hidden source of the infection, he worked away pa- 
 tiently, though with rather discouraging progress. 
 
 The route, supplying the country like an artery, was tapped 
 on each side by tributaries, but the losses all occurred in matter 
 passing over the main line, and, by gradual accumulation, 
 located the thief with tolerable certainty at one of two offices, 
 Belleview or Beulah. 
 
 The robber appeared to care little for money, but had an 
 insatiable appetite for choice articles of female adornment, 
 such as gloves, collars, ribbons, lace, and jewelry. For three 
 days the detective tested the two offices referred to without 
 getting a nibble ; but on the fourth, upon opening the pouch 
 
NO USE FOR GEWGAWS. 453 
 
 before it reached Greenwood, the office next south of Beulah, 
 he missed a package containing some delicate articles of 
 female apparel. 
 
 The mail-driver, whose co-operation was indispensable, kept 
 the secrets of the investigation inviolate, as an honest man and 
 good citizen should. At the next settlement the detective 
 hired a conveyance, and returned by the shortest road to Belle- 
 view, expecting to find the author of all the mischief at that 
 place. Having secured quarters at the hotel, which was well 
 filled at the time with summer boarders from the large cities, 
 he started to find Judge Winchester, an old acquaintance, and 
 in point of wealth and enterprise the leading spirit of the town. 
 In addition to high character and sound judgment, the judge 
 possessed a thorough knowledge of the people for miles around, 
 so that his opinion was likely to be valuable. 
 
 Taking him one side, the detective proceeded to explain 
 the situation. "As you are aware, judge, a great many rob- 
 beries have occurred somewhere on the line of this route. As 
 the rifled letters usually contain articles of female apparel, and 
 as there are a great many young ladies from abroad stopping 
 at your hotel, I am inclined to the belief that the thief is at this 
 place, and that he is lavishing the plunder upon some too 
 highly favored friend. I have just reached Belleview in the 
 progress of my investigations, and desire information in regard 
 to the employes of the post-office here." 
 
 "You are not apt to he wrong," replied the judge ; "but in 
 this case you are decidedly mistaken. The mail passes here 
 in broad daylight. The pouch is opened in the corner of a 
 store, exposed to the view of every one, and more or less spec- 
 tators are always present. It is never delayed over fifteen 
 minutes. The postmaster, an old bachelor of the most ex- 
 emplary character, attends to all the business in person, and 
 you can imagine about how much use he would have for such 
 gewgaws." 
 
 " But, judge," reasoned the detective, " how do you account 
 for the missing package? I know it was in the pouch when it 
 
454 
 
 reached this office, and I am equally certain it was not to be 
 found when I overhauled the mail a couple of miles this side of 
 Greenwood. It only passed through Belleview and Beulah, 
 and I hurried back fully expecting to find the trouble here. I 
 have not }'et tested Beulah " 
 
 "No, and you need not," interrupted the judge. "The 
 postmaster, Deacon Matthew Starr, is one of the most wealthy 
 and worthy men in the county. The office was established at 
 that locality chiefly for his personal convenience, though a 
 number of neighbors are also accommodated. I will stake my 
 reputation on his integrity to the most minute particular. It is 
 idle for you to waste time there. You must be mistaken, 
 Sharretts, about that package, for, notwithstanding your strong 
 conviction to the contrary, I am satisfied it never reached this 
 office. The slippery spot is above here." 
 
 Seeing that further argument would be likely to provoke the 
 bluff, obstinate, headstrong old judge, who from long control 
 in the affairs of the village had acquired the mental habits of 
 an autocrat, the detective appeared to yield the point, though 
 absolutely certain that there was no error in his observations. 
 "Well, judge, we are all liable to make mistakes, and perhaps 
 I have in this instance. If so, I must load and fire again, 
 taking surer aim." 
 
 Afterwards the conversation turned upon the old families of 
 the county, and, without apparent design, the special agent 
 drew forth a full account of the household of Deacon Matthew 
 Starr. The worthy deacon had a pretty daughter about nine- 
 teen years old, who was then attending the school of Madam 
 Gasparin. In addition to the regular vacations, she enjoyed 
 frequent furloughs, spending the time either among relatives 
 in a neighboring city, or under the parental roof. According 
 to the judge, she came home "very seldom," a phrase that on 
 more exact interpretation proved to mean, from once a fort- 
 night to once a month. 
 
 This information suggested a queer and rather startling 
 theory. Remembering that the depredations occurred at sim- 
 
AN IDOL ALMOST BROKEN. 455 
 
 ilar intervals, the detective was so forcibly struck with the 
 coincidence, that he was about to call the attention of the judge 
 to the point, when the clang of the gong drowned their voices 
 and broke up the conference. 
 
 At dinner, the mind of the detective was much more active 
 than his fork. In fact, he was absorbed with the late dis- 
 covery, and felt that at last he grasped the key to the trouble- 
 some mystery. After a light repast, he sauntered out with 
 the purpose of dealing frankly with Judge Winchester. The 
 old gentleman would not betray confidence or screen guilt. It 
 would be necessary to use Belleview as a base of operations, 
 and if the judge should see him there and suspect that he was 
 attempting to detect a thief at Beulah, he might regard the 
 proceeding as an act of bad faith, and hence allow his indigna- 
 tion to hurry him into some ill-advised speech or action that 
 would frustrate the enterprise. 
 
 The judge soon made his appearance among the guests who 
 were lounging and smoking on the piazza. Calling him aside, 
 the officer remarked, " I have been reflecting upon the subject 
 of our late conversation, and am sorry to feel compelled to ex- 
 press the conviction that we shall find the cause of the trouble 
 in Miss Rebecca Starr, the daughter of the deacon." 
 
 " Sharretts, what on earth do you mean? " replied the judge, 
 recoiling as if a snake had struck him. "I thought you were 
 a detective a first-class detective, that could see where others 
 were blind. Have I been humbugged in my good opinion? 
 I dislike exceedingly to have my idols broken, but if this t's a 
 specimen of your discernment, I shall have to give you up. 
 Why, my dear sir, you were never more mistaken. The bare 
 suspicion is preposterous. Deacon Starr has but two children, 
 a son and daughter, and the son is already well provided for. 
 Miss Rebecca is the pet of her parents, and they lavish money 
 upon her without stint. A wish needs only to be expressed to be 
 gratified. She is the favorite, too, of a millionaire uncle, who 
 has no children of his own, and whose purse is fairly thrust 
 upon her. In view of the facts, can you entertain for a 
 
45 6 
 
 THE DEACON S DAUGHTER. 
 
 moment the monstrous proposition that a young lady of abun- 
 dant means, intelligent, cultivated, and refined, connected by 
 ties of blood and social intimacy with the first people of the 
 state, a young lady who has enjoyed every advantage that 
 money and position can confer, would stoop to the degrada- 
 tion of robbing the mails for the sake of a few foolish trifles, 
 or indeed for any consideration whatever?" 
 
 "'Sharretts, what on earth do you mean? I thought you were a detective a 
 first class detective. Have I been humbugged in my good opinion P >7 * 
 
 As he went on, the judge waxed eloquent in repelling even 
 the half whispered reflection upon the fair fame of the house- 
 hold of his old and honored friend. Too late the detective 
 discovered that with all the prudence born of experience he 
 was again the victim of misplaced confidence. It is hard to 
 persuade a man to listen to reasoo where he can see nothing 
 but folly. 
 
SERENITY RESTORED. 457 
 
 "You must excuse me, judge, if I have been a little fast," 
 apologized the officer. " We form the habit of extemporizing 
 theories to explain facts, and often have to abandon them as 
 new light is thrown upon a case. You know all about the 
 people living in this vicinity, and far be it from me to pit any 
 hastily formed conclusion of mine against your mature and 
 carefully weighed opinions." 
 
 The appearance of submission struck the amiable but half 
 angered old gentleman on his vulnerable side, and, seizing 
 the hand of the officer, he laughingly remarked, "An error 
 frankly confessed is more than half redressed. I will instruct 
 the jury to bring in a verdict of ' not guilty.' " 
 
 However, the resolution of the special agent was fully taken 
 to give the office at Beulah a thorough test, and he was willing 
 to hazard his reputation as a "theorizer" on the result. It 
 was desirable to secure the aid to a certain degree of some 
 resident of the place who knew the Starrs, and could keep 
 informed of their movements. Sometimes the party thus 
 pressed into service does his work well, without suspecting 
 for a moment that he is unwittingly playing a hand in a seri- 
 ous game. In this, fortune favored the detective. 
 
 Soon the steamboat landed at the wharf, and among the 
 passengers was an old New York acquaintance, Mr. Edward 
 Osborne. After a warm shake of the hand, the New-Yorker 
 remarked with some enthusiasm, "Let me present you to my 
 traveling companion, Mr. Henry Allen, of Beulah, just 
 below here." 
 
 Both had left the boat ; Osborne for a few days' rest in the 
 country, and Allen to return home. Here was the opportunity 
 to begin. Accordingly the officer strove to make himself 
 particularly agreeable to Mr. Henry Allen, and succeeded 
 even beyond expectation. The gentleman promised, after 
 visiting home, to return to the hotel to spend the evening. 
 
 Meanwhile the special agent explained the situation to Os- 
 borne, who was already somewhat familiar with his exploits 
 as a detective, and was now eager to lend a helping hand. 
 
THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 Said the officer, "I must arrange through some one to learn 
 when Miss Starr expects to return home, and how long she 
 intends to remain." 
 
 " I can manage that for you easily enough," replied the New- 
 Yorker ; " only let me do it in my own way.'* 
 
 "Very well," answered the agent; "I shall depend upon 
 your watchfulness and ingenuity. Use your own methods, 
 but give me the information." 
 
 Late in the evening he met the two gentlemen apparently 
 by accident in the billiard-room, when Osborne remarked, in 
 a semi-confidential tone intended for the exclusive benefit of 
 his comrade from Beulah, " I guess I'm booked for the season. 
 There is an heiress below here, young and beautiful, whose 
 acquaintance I'm half crazy to make. As she is not at home, 
 I propose to wait for her return ; and for the moral support of 
 my friend Allen, I intend to throw the weight of my influence 
 in his favor in a certain quarter where he may need it." 
 
 With that he turned full upon the detective, and brought the 
 lids of his sinister orb quickly together, in token of self-com- 
 mendation over the brilliant opening of the play. The subject 
 was dropped, and shortly after Allen took leave for the night. 
 
 Osborne then unfolded with considerable glee his little plot. 
 He was to remain at Belleview, and Allen was to notify him 
 promptly of the expected return of Miss Rebecca, when he 
 would at once telegraph the fact to the special agent, who was 
 to return to New York. 
 
 The next morning, on the way home, the officer purchased 
 in a neighboring city three ladies' collars. At his request, a 
 female clerk in attendance ripped open the ends, when he 
 wrote his own name on the inside in indelible ink, and the 
 seams were closed again. 
 
 On the following Monday he received this telegram from 
 Belleview : 
 
 " Caravan just arrived. Will exhibit here three days. 
 
 " OSBORNE." 
 
PREPARATIONS. 
 
 459 
 
 Without delay he packed a small valise, and hurried to the 
 scene of action. The steamboat reached the wharf at an 
 early hour, but his faithful ally was there to meet him. Miss 
 Starr reached home the day the dispatch was sent, and might 
 
 remain through the week. On some 
 pretense Osborne was to delay the 
 ceremony of presentation till the de- 
 tective had a chance to try his skill. 
 
 The mail did not reach Belleview 
 for several hours. At the appointed 
 time, however, the ancient vehicle 
 rolled into the village. The special 
 agent had three pack- 
 ages in readiness, ad- 
 dressed to three differ- 
 ent offices below, and 
 as the pouch was about 
 to be closed, stepped up 
 to the postmaster, in- 
 troduced himself offi- 
 cially, dropped in the 
 decoys, and saw the 
 bag locked and placed 
 on the mail wagon. 
 One of the letters con- 
 tained the three col- 
 lars. 
 
 For his own convey- 
 ance he had previously 
 arranged to have a car- 
 riage at the door of 
 
 the hotel, and on the way thither rather unfortunately met 
 Judge Winchester. The old gentleman seemed to be annoyed 
 at the sudden reappearance of the detective, and inquired 
 brusquely, "You here again? What's in the wind now?" 
 "O, nothing in particular, may it please the court," re- 
 
 " At his request, a female clerk ripped open the 
 ends, when he wrote his own name on the 
 inside in indelible ink." 
 
460 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 sponded the agent ; and, not caring after his late experience 
 to indulge the worthy magnate in further confidences, he hur- 
 ried on to the hotel, stepped into the carriage, and was off on 
 a lively trot. 
 
 It was a beautiful day in summer. The smooth, level road 
 gradually widened into a broad highway, lined on each side 
 with cultivated fields, interspersed with occasional patches of 
 forest. Further on, the drive passed under a long arch of 
 overhanging elms, which some beneficent patriarch of a 
 former generation had planted by the roadside for the benefit 
 of posterity. The limbs of the stately trees interlacing over- 
 head formed a delightful screen to protect the traveler from 
 the sun. Quaint and old-fashioned but capacious houses, 
 some of them built in the last century, still gave shelter to 
 the descendants of the original settlers. On a beautiful ele- 
 vation, sloping gently to the street, stood a fine old residence, 
 conspicuous for size and for the elegance of its surroundings, 
 which, from the description that had been given him, the 
 officer recognized at once as the homestead of the Starrs, and 
 the present location of the Beulah post-office. 
 
 Not a speck dimmed the pure white exterior of the baronial 
 mansion, save where the deep verdure of vines, crawling in 
 and out of the trellis-work, or twining around the balcony- 
 posts and hanging in graceful festoons from above, toned 
 down the brightness that otherwise would have been too 
 glairy to please the eye. The lawn in front, laid out by an 
 artist in landscape gardening, showed minute attention to 
 details. Hedge-rows walled in the various walks, and about 
 the grounds flowers bloomed in endless profusion. The place 
 seemed to be the chosen abode of innocence, of taste, and of 
 purity. One could hardly suspect that crime lurked in such 
 a home without an uneasy dread of the retribution threatened 
 against harsh, unfounded, and cruel judgments. 
 
 As he drove on, his moralizing was interrupted by the 
 rumble of distant thunder. A black cloud shot upward from 
 the western horizon, and threw a curtain over the sun, typical 
 
PRESENTIMENTS OF EVIL. 461 
 
 perhaps of a far more somber curtain soon to drop its dark 
 folds over a house that had braved the storms for generations, 
 with no seam to betray weakness, and no spot to sully its 
 fame. 
 
 The officer drove slowly, to allow the mail wagon to over- 
 take him ; but so many vehicles were abroad that no opportu- 
 nity to examine the pouch was presented till they had nearly 
 accomplished the seven miles between Beulah and Green- 
 wood. He finally succeeded, however, and, on emptying the 
 contents of the sack, found that two of the three packages 
 were missing. One of the stolen letters contained the marked 
 collars. 
 
 In view of the lateness of the hour and the threatening as- 
 pect of the clouds, the special agent decided to defer further 
 operations till the next day, and accordingly drove back on a 
 brisk trot by the shortest cut to Belleview. It might be haz- 
 ardous to permit so much time to elapse before descending on 
 the lair of the robber ; but in hunting for the contents of rifled 
 decoys, one is compelled to risk certain chances, as precipi- 
 tancy and procrastination are about equally dangerous, and 
 prescience counts for little where so much depends on the 
 caprice of the thief. 
 
 At half past ten o'clock the next morning, the officer drove 
 up to the hitching-post in front of Deacon Starr's grounds. 
 Brushing off the surplus dust, for the storm of the previous 
 afternoon began and ended in blackness and wind, he 
 strolled slowly up the graveled walk to the front door, which 
 stood open. He knocked, but there was no response. En- 
 tering the hall, he found the door to the parlor also open. No 
 fear of thieves or burglars ever disturbed evidently the seren- 
 ity of the household. While to outward appearance the 
 establishment was deserted, sounds of music came from the 
 drawing-room in the rear of the parlor. The air, sung in a 
 sweet, melodious, cultivated voice, with an accompaniment 
 executed brilliantly on the piano, was from the opera -of 
 the "Bohemian Girl," '< You'll Remember Me." Had the 
 
462 
 
 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 shadow of coming events already fallen darkly across the 
 pathway of the poor girl ? Was she half consciously singing 
 a dirge over the sunny years of youth, whose cloudless joy 
 and splendor were to be wrecked by the gathering tempest? 
 
 Had the spirit of prophecy 
 entered her soul to find sad 
 utterance in the voice of mu- 
 sic? The visit of the stran- 
 ger was indeed to be memo- 
 rable, separating the past from 
 the future of the unhappy 
 singer by an abyss so broad 
 and deep that the fragments 
 of her disrupted life were to 
 seem forever after to belong 
 to two distinct beings related 
 only by the thread of con- 
 sciousness. 
 
 The Deacon's Mansion. 
 
 The performer was so wholly engrossed in the music that 
 the caller was obliged to knock loudly before the raps were 
 heard above the plaintive heart-cries of the song. At length 
 her attention was attracted ; the music stopped, and was 
 
"TAKE ANY SHAPE BUT THAT." 463 
 
 succeeded by the rustle of female garments. The folding-doors 
 leading into the front room rolled back, and in the embrasure 
 stood a girl of eighteen or twenty, whom the stranger knew 
 instinctively to be Miss Rebecca Starr. Tall, willowy, and 
 graceful, with dark, lustrous eyes, and hair of raven black- 
 ness, the effect of which was intensified by contrast with a 
 white rose that nestled in its luxuriant coils, her face and fig- 
 ure, replete with maidenly dignity, seemed to exact the defer- 
 ence recognized as due to cultivated womanhood. The officer, 
 accustomed to turmoil and danger, to handling all sorts of 
 criminals from the desperado to the sneak, was now ready to 
 exclaim, 
 
 "Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, 
 The armed rhinoceros, or the Hjrcan tiger; 
 Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves 
 Shall never tremble ! " 
 
 Perplexed and embarrassed, the officer wished himself any- 
 where else on the face of the green earth. But he had em- 
 barked on the voyage, and retreat was impossible. As the 
 beautiful creature looked at him inquiringly, he was compelled 
 to account for his presence in some way, and hence remarked 
 apologetically, 
 
 " I have probably made a mistake ; if so, I trust you will 
 pardon me. But when I entered I was under the impression 
 that the post-office was kept here, and desired to make some 
 inquiries." 
 
 "You are not mistaken, sir," replied she, in a low, sweet 
 voice ; "the office is kept in a room across the hall." 
 
 "Can I see the postmaster?" 
 
 "Not now, sir. He has gone to call on a neighbor^ and 
 may be absent several hours." 
 
 "May I inquire who has charge of the office in his absence?" 
 
 "*O, sir, there is very little to be done, and father attends to 
 that." 
 
 At the same time she walked past the officer to the open 
 
464 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 window, when he discovered encircling her fair neck one of 
 the identical collars he had mailed the day before. All doubts 
 were now cleared away, leaving no excuse for further tremu- 
 lousness or hesitation. 
 
 "Will you please give me your name?" said he, blandly. 
 
 w Rebecca Starr," replied she, with a slight quaver, as if 
 agitated by the mild, subdued earnestness of the questioner. 
 
 tf Miss Starr, be good enough to be seated ; I have some- 
 thing to say to you." 
 
 With a slight flush and a sudden start, she replied, 
 
 " I will call my mother." 
 
 "Perhaps, Miss Starr, you had better remain a moment. 
 If you knew the object of my visit, you might prefer to have 
 the interview, for the present at least, private." 
 
 To this somewhat ominous remark she ventured no reply, 
 but dropping into a chair nervelessly, as if divining the nature 
 of the business, waited in evident suspense for the next reve- 
 lation. Though exceedingly pained to wound in any way 
 the feelings of the unfortunate girl, the officer knew that all 
 that loveliness of exterior but thinly masked the heart of a 
 thief. Was she the victim of some mental malady, evanescent 
 and curable, that temporarily overmastered the warnings of 
 reason, or were her crimes the outcome of a perverted and 
 hardened soul? In the beautiful economy of nature, outward 
 grace usually gives assurance of inward excellence. Expres- 
 sion is the reflex of countless thoughts and actions, that grad- 
 ually mold muscles and light the eye. He tried to fathom 
 the mysteries of that face, but in vain. Nature, unerring na- 
 ture, seemed to be at fault, and to have graven there mislead- 
 ing characters. 
 
 The pause, however, must be broken ; and he inquired, with 
 an air of authority, 
 
 "Where did you get the collar which I see upon your 
 neck?" 
 
 Though coloring deeply, she replied with deliberation, 
 
OVERWHELMED. 465 
 
 " I bought it in New York." 
 
 "Did you buy more than one, Miss Starr?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, I bought a dozen." 
 
 "Will you be kind enough, Miss Starr, to remove the one 
 you are wearing, and to bring me the others." 
 
 Without manifesting the least surprise, or disposition to ques- 
 tion the authority of the stranger, she unpinned the article and 
 placed it in his hands. Leaving the room, she soon returned 
 with three others, entirely dissimilar, and showing marks of 
 long service. 
 
 Without appearing to notice the fact, however, the stranger 
 requested her to be seated. Taking out his commission from 
 the postmaster-general, and pointing to his own name and 
 official designation, he asked her to hold the document, while 
 with a penknife he ripped open a seam in the collar, and 
 showed her the same name written on a small slip of linen that 
 had been inserted. 
 
 Dropping the commission from her trembling hands, she 
 burst into tears, and exclaimed, 
 
 " O, sir ! did you do that to catch me? " 
 
 " I did it," replied the officer with deep feeling, " to catch 
 the person who has long been robbing the mails on this 
 route ; and I cannot tell you how grieved I am to find in the 
 offender, not a poor wretch tempted perhaps b} r hunger, 
 or maddened by evil passions, but a lady in the bloom of 
 youth and beauty, surrounded by influences fitted to stimulate 
 noble aims and to encourage the development of the highest 
 virtues. My position is painful ; but I am compelled to follow 
 where duty leads, however thorny the path." 
 
 Thereupon, losing self-control, the poor girl started to give 
 way to a paroxysm of grief; but her thoughts were diverted 
 into a different channel under the skillful guidance of the 
 detective. Like one having authority, he uttered the word of 
 command. 
 
 " Stop crying : it will do no good. You must summon all 
 30 
 
4 66 
 
 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 your fortitude, for you have a task to perform. Sit down at 
 that table and write out for me a detailed account, so far as 
 you can remember, of your improper transactions. State when 
 you began this unfortunate business, how much money you 
 have taken, and what articles of dress or ornament. State 
 
 Dropping the commission from her trembling hands, she burst into 
 tears, and exclaimed, ' O, sir ! did you do that to catch me ? ' " 
 
 also what disposition you have made of the property, and give 
 the names of the parties who have been wronged, with memo- 
 randa of what properly belongs to each one." 
 
 She obeyed passively, as if exercising no independent will 
 
A DISMAL CATALOGUE. 467 
 
 of her own. As the detective watched the growth of the dis- 
 mal catalogue of thefts, he could not help giving way to pro- 
 found and sorrowful meditation. He remembered that he was 
 a minister of the law, and that the law knew no difference 
 between that sweet-faced girl, reared in the lap of luxury, and 
 watched over from infancy with the tenderest solicitude, and 
 the hardened criminal from the slums. It was not for him to 
 question the wisdom or justice of the law ; yet the thought of 
 arresting this highly favored and accomplished young girl was 
 so repellent that he determined to save her, if possible, from 
 the ignominy and ruin of such a fate. Though guilty, no 
 jury would convict her, no tribunal would demand her appre- 
 hension. Connected with the best families in the state, with 
 uncounted wealth to draw upon for the gratification of the 
 most extravagant desires, she was sure of an outburst of charity 
 from the public so generous that it would hide every fault 
 under the folds of its capacious mantle; while, if the case 
 came to the courts, the plea of insanity would be certain to 
 save her from the disgrace of imprisonment. Under the cir- 
 cumstances, the officer decided that if rigorous steps were to 
 be instituted, it must be at the instance of an authority higher 
 than his. "Blood is thicker than water," as those charged 
 with the execution of unpleasant duties often experience to 
 their embarrassment ; and it is a tolerably safe rule, where one 
 is at a loss to decide what course he ought to pursue, to err, if 
 err he must, in the interests of humanity. One mistake at 
 least is less injurious than two. 
 
 She consumed, perhaps, fifteen minutes in preparing the 
 schedule, which she handed to the officer. The task over, the 
 tension on her nerves became too severe to be borne ; and, 
 throwing herself upon the sofa, she wept piteously. "Pray 
 be calm," urged the kind-hearted official. "What would your 
 neighbors think, if any of them should drop in and find you 
 in this condition. Sit up and dry your tears. Affairs may 
 turn out much better than you anticipate." 
 
468 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 Controlled and soothed by the magnetism of a will so much 
 stronger than her own, she became quiet, and, passing into 
 the back parlor, resumed her seat at the piano ; but the effort 
 to play proved vain. The spirit of melody had fled. 
 
 According to the schedule, she had stolen in the aggregate 
 about ninety dollars in money, and various articles, embracing 
 gloves, lace, jewelry, etc., estimated in the letters of com- 
 plaint from the sufferers to be worth one hundred and fifty 
 dollars more. She confessed a number of thefts which had 
 never been reported to the department ; but the complaints in 
 the hands of the agent agreed, so far as they went, with the 
 statements in the schedule. Nearly all whose correspondence 
 had been despoiled lived in the neighborhood, and were 
 friends or acquaintances of the family. 
 
 Deacon Starr soon returned, when another painful duty 
 devolved on the agent. The old gentleman had long before 
 passed the meridian of life, and a frank, open, benevolent 
 face bore abundant testimony to the excellence of his charac- 
 ter. He little surmised, when invited to a seat in his own 
 parlor, what a terrible blow was about to fall upon him. 
 Briefly and gently the situation was explained. Rage suc- 
 ceeded the shock of astonishment. Driven almost frantic by 
 the intelligence, and stung with resentment that years of 
 watchful care and devoted affection should be thus requited, 
 he started to lay violent hands upon the cowering girl. It 
 required all the tact and persuasiveness of the detective to 
 rescue the daughter from the wrath of the father. He "rea- 
 soned and pleaded for the erring child as earnestly as if his 
 own fate, and not that of another, hung upon the issue. At 
 length, anger yielded to pity, and, clasping in his arms the 
 frail penitent, the fond parent exclaimed in broken accents, 
 w My child, my child ! if the whole world unites in calling you 
 a sinner, the heart of your poor old father will be a safe home 
 for you always only it does ache a little now, Rebecca." 
 
 After comparative calm had been restored, the officer called 
 
THE FATHER RELENTS. 
 
 469 
 
 the father aside, and, having expressed in few words his own 
 earnest sympathy for the family in its troubles, explained his 
 purposes in regard to the case. Said he, "It is not my inten- 
 tion to press the charges against your daughter unless directed 
 
 to do so by the authorities at 
 Washington. In reporting the 
 facts, I shall urge the exercise 
 of clemency, believing, in view 
 of the extraordinary circumstan- 
 ces, that great harm and no good 
 would come from a rigorous exe- 
 cution of the law. 
 If mercy is shown 
 to the wrong-do- 
 er, full restitution 
 must be made to 
 all who have suf- 
 fered by her mis- 
 conduct. Here is 
 a list made out by 
 your daughter ; " 
 handing him the 
 paper. 
 
 "It is certainly 
 my desire to reim- 
 burse the losers," 
 replied the dea- 
 con ; * and what- 
 ever turn the affair 
 may take, I cannot 
 
 44 'My child, my child! if the whole world unites in 
 calling you a sinner, the heart of your poor old 
 father will be a sate home for you always only 
 it does ache a little now, Rebecca.' " 
 
 rest easy till this has been done. But you must aid me, for 
 in my distracted condition I am unable to manage a business 
 of this delicacy without provoking suspicions which would 
 annoy me greatly and benefit no one." 
 
 *I shall be most happy, Deacon Starr," replied the officer, 
 
470 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 w to serve you in any way in my power ; and after the decision 
 of the department is received, I will return and attend to the 
 details. Meanwhile I shall hold you responsible for the 
 appearance of your daughter." 
 
 Both father and child grasped warmly the hand of the spe- 
 cial agent as he took his departure, for both regarded him as 
 a friend. 
 
 Four days later he returned. During the interim he had 
 communicated the facts to the department, and received its 
 sanction for what he had done and for what he proposed to do. 
 But what a change those four days had wrought in the appear- 
 ance of Rebecca Starr ! The luster had vanished from her 
 eye, the color from her cheeks, and the elasticity from her step. 
 Pale, haggard, apprehensive, she showed how far the iron had 
 entered her soul. When it was announced that the authori- 
 ties had consented to condone the offense, her face brightened 
 somewhat at the good news, but the deep furrows plowed 
 by mental agony still bore silent witness to the intensity of 
 her suffering. 
 
 It now only remained to settle the losses. During the 
 absence of the officer, Miss Rebecca had made a few addi- 
 tions to the list, which covered all thefts that she could remem- 
 ber, and embraced every case reported to the department, 
 besides many others which first came to the knowledge of the 
 special agent through her confession. Deacon Starr placed 
 in his hands the funds required to indemnify the sufferers, and 
 he set forth on the mission. In a large majority of instances 
 the persons called upon manifested no disposition to inquire 
 why or how their money, or the value of their lost goods, 
 was restored to them by a strange official, either from a mis- 
 taken idea, quite prevalent even among well-informed people, 
 that the post-office department is responsible for the valuables 
 intrusted to its custody, or because the feeling of joy at the 
 recovery of the missing treasures overpowered the weaker 
 emotion of curiosity. A few asked troublesome questions, 
 but were easily bluffed and shaken off. One old gentleman, 
 
PERPLEXING INTERROGATORIES. 47^ 
 
 however, who had long been the active "justice of the peace" 
 for the township, seemed to think that, in virtue of his official 
 station, it was his duty to inquire into all mysterious pro- 
 ceedings, and to suffer nothing outside the ordinary current 
 of events to pass unchallenged. The scenes that took place 
 at his house, and one or two episodes of a subsequent date, 
 are so unique that they will perhaps bear description, though 
 connected incidentally only with the fortunes of Rebecca 
 Starr. 
 
 Nearly all the losses had been satisfactorily settled, only 
 three or four names on the list remaining uncrossed. The 
 next person to be visited in the order of convenience was 
 "Squire Van Buskirk," and thither accordingly the special 
 agent proceeded. The home of the dignitary proved to be a 
 neat cottage or imitation villa, with the traditional veranda 
 in front ; and a sign tacked on one of the posts announced 
 that therein dwelt " George Van Buskirk, Justice of the 
 Peace." 
 
 The latch of the outer gate closed with a sharp, admonitory 
 click as the officer entered the inclosure. The bell was an- 
 swered by a neatly dressed and rather pretty girl of fifteen or 
 sixteen, who invited the stranger into the parlor, and then, 
 with a queer, hesitating look at the folding-doors in the rear 
 of the apartment, stepped out to hunt up the master of the 
 establishment. 
 
 The furniture of the room, though plain and antiquated, 
 was tastefully arranged. A piano stood in one corner, and 
 the vases were filled with freshly cut flowers. While medi- 
 tating on the sad events which, it was to be feared, had 
 blasted forever the prospects of a young and beautiful girl, 
 the visitor was aroused from his reverie by a low, half stifled 
 sigh, as if from a weary soul that in the struggle to suppress 
 a great grief, finding the strain unbearable, had given utter- 
 ance to the moan because absolute repression was longer 
 impossible. Turning from the open window through which 
 he was gazing abstractedly upon the fields, he was surprised 
 
472 
 
 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 to find another person in the room, for no footfall, however 
 gentle, had announced the new arrival. In front of the fold- 
 ing-doors, staring at him intently, stood an elderly woman, 
 dressed in dark material entirely destitute of ornament, with 
 long hair waving freely about her face, and an expression that 
 defied analysis. Once certainly those features had been hand- 
 
 *' Apparently satisfied that no one was near to interrupt the colloquy, she 
 said, Are you the human crittur that wants to see my old man ? ' " 
 
 some, and, notwithstanding the ravages of time and trouble, 
 they were still not uncomely. From the stranger her eye 
 darted to the door and about the apartment as if apprehensive 
 of danger from some unseen source. Apparently satisfied 
 that no one was near to interrupt the colloquy, in an uncul- 
 tivated but by no means disagreeable voice, she broke the 
 
W NO PLACE FOR A MAN OF YOUR CHARACTER." 473 
 
 silence. "Are you the human crittur that wants to see my 
 old man?" 
 
 Under the impression that the girl had been unable to find 
 the " squire," and had sent the quaint old woman as substitute, 
 the visitor bowed graciously, and replied, "Yes, madam, I 
 did wish to see Squire Van Buskirk ; but if you are his wife, 
 as I surmise, I can perhaps " 
 
 Without waiting for the completion of the sentence, she 
 glided forward noiselessly from her position on the opposite 
 side of the room, and, with another deep, low sigh, remarked 
 gently, " Be seated, sir," and at the same time dropped into a 
 chair herself. 
 
 The atmosphere of the room was growing oppressive. "If 
 this is a specimen of the household," thought the gentleman, 
 "the sooner I am off the better." However, not to be too 
 abrupt, he thanked the lady for her courtesy, and obeyed. 
 "Premising," began he, "that I am addressing Mrs. Van Bus- 
 kirk," here he paused for some token of affirmation, but 
 none came, unless another sigh could be so construed, "I 
 have called in reference to a valuable letter mailed to your 
 husband, which, I am informed, failed to reach him. If so, 
 the value of the contents will be refunded." 
 
 ' Sir," said the old lady with severity, "this is no place for a 
 man of your character." 
 
 "Eh! what, my dear madam?" answered he, completely 
 astounded at her sudden and unaccountable change of de- 
 meanor, "you surely must have misunderstood me." 
 
 "No, no no, no!" she exclaimed, waving her hands in 
 promiscuous gesticulation, and sweeping from the table a pile 
 of books, "it is no mistake. It is true true, true." 
 
 Here a reflex movement of her elbow knocked off a glass 
 lamp, which with the shade was shivered to pieces on the 
 floor. Not seeming to notice the catastrophe, she continued, 
 raising her voice to a scream, "'Tis true! Hepzibah Van 
 Buskirk knows you. You shall not touch that clock of mine 
 again. It ain't stopped strikin' since you fixed it. Don't you 
 
474 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 hear it?" She placed one hand to her ear, and listened in- 
 tently. 
 
 The officer felt piqued. Long experience had taught him 
 to bear compliments and petulance with like equanimity, but 
 he was now at a loss to surmise what there was in his appear- 
 ance which caused the matron to mistake him for an itinerant 
 clock-mender. From the first he saw that she was strange and 
 eccentric, and he now began to suspect that she was a lunatic. 
 The surmise ripened into conviction as she rose from the chair, 
 and, standing on one foot, began to crow in a low, measured 
 tone that rapidly swelled in volume till the clamor filled the 
 house. The situation was becoming exceedingly painful to 
 the unbidden guest, when the impromptu concert came to a 
 sudden close at the sound of approaching steps. Breaking 
 off abruptly in the midst of a surpassing effort that might have 
 excited the envy of the noisiest shanghai in the flock, as the 
 familiar footfall caught her ear, she waltzed toward the fold- 
 ing-doors, without a word or look of adieu, and disappeared. 
 
 A few seconds later an old gentleman entered from the hall, 
 and, as he made no allusion to the visible confusion and ruin, 
 the visitor remained equally silent in regard to the manner of 
 his entertainment. "Squire Van Buskirk, I presume?" 
 
 " Yas, sir. What kin I do for yeou? " 
 
 "In May last you lost a letter, squire, containing ten dollars. 
 I am a special agent of the post-office department, and have 
 called to make the amount good." 
 
 "Yeou say I lost a letter with ten dollars in it? Yeou seem 
 to know more abeout my matters than I do. It is kuerious 
 that a total stranger should be prenaterally informed of my 
 affairs, isn't it neow? It falls right into the spear of my judis- 
 viction as justice of the peace to know facks, so that if any 
 adjestification is called for, I can act peromptly." 
 
 "Squire, you are laboring under some misapprehension. 
 There is no legal difficulty in this case. I simply wish to see 
 
 you about a letter written to you by Mr. , and said to 
 
 contain ten dollars." 
 
A RURAL JUSTICE. 
 
 "Yas (what mout I call your name?), I'm aperiently expe- 
 renced on that pint, adzactly, adzactly, yas, yas. But heow 
 a man that don't bee long in these ere parts comes to git enny 
 idee of this, is what prosterates my kalkelashuns. Kum take 
 a cheer. What did yeou say yeour name was? " 
 
 The stranger had not yet given his name, but not wishing 
 to delay business by withholding immaterial " facks," he an- 
 swered, " Sharretts." 
 
 "Yas, wall, Mr. Shattucks, this is rayther an extereadinary 
 biznis of yeourn, and I'm opinionated yeou can't play enny of 
 yeour sharp tricks on me. Yeou compre'nd I'm justice of the 
 peace, and by Cezar I've got to find out heow yeou kum to 
 know I lost a letter when I didn't know it myself. Yeou hav' 
 got to give some 'count of this perceedin' ; for sartain sure, 
 there's suthin' abeout it that needs rektifyin'. Mout I ask who 
 yeou be ? " 
 
 "Certainly, sir. I am an officer of the post-office depart- 
 ment. We have had complaints of losses by mail in this 
 vicinity, and your excellent neighbor, Deacon Starr, the post- 
 master, though not personally responsible, desires for some 
 reason, as might be expected from his just and generous 
 nature, to indemnify the sufferers fully. I have called to 
 repay you. Please write a receipt." 
 
 "No, sir, Mr. Skerry; not one cent of Deekun Starr's 
 money for me. I don't feel sartain it's mine. I don't know 
 that I've lost enny, and heow yeou found it out is what tarnally 
 mysteries me. Here's whar my pints of law kum in. I've 
 bin justice of the peace for mor'n thirty year, and perpose to 
 adjesticate this questi'n 'cordin' to the percedents." 
 
 The worthy magistrate, who had stood so long on the ram- 
 parts of justice, was here interrupted in the midst of his elo- 
 quence. With a sudden bang the folding-doors flew open, and 
 the late hostess pirouetted into the parlor, brandishing an old 
 clock-face with a vehemence that suggested broken crockery, 
 if not broken heads. Not at all disturbed by the warlike 
 demonstration, the squire rose, and simply remarking, "My 
 
476 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 wife *s a leetle off her pins abeout the head ; " he gently dis- 
 armed her, and followed her into the back room, closing the 
 doors behind him. 
 
 " Now is my chance," thought the officer ; and he bolted out 
 of the house with very unusual precipitation. 
 
 It was the work of a moment to untie the horse and jump 
 
 "The squire emerged from the door, and in elaborate legal verbiage commanded 
 him to stop. Not to be outdone* the Amazon of the clock face added a defiant 
 crow." 
 
 into the buggy. As he gathered up the reins, the squire 
 emerged from the door, and in elaborate legal verbiage 
 commanded him to stop. Not to be outdone, the Amazon of 
 the clock-face added a defiant crow by way of chorus. The 
 horse started off at a brisk trot, however, and the cottage 
 with its odd inmates soon disappeared in the distance. 
 
 Other matters so engrossed the time and attention of the 
 
THE JUSTICE OX THE WAR PATH. 477 
 
 special agent that Beulah and its people soon passed out of 
 mind. Several weeks later, however, the subject was recalled 
 by the receipt of a number of letters, addressed to different 
 officials, but forwarded together by a personal friend, the post- 
 master at D . All were the handiwork of the redoubtable 
 
 Squire Van Buskirk, "Justice of the Peace." These, written 
 to the United States marshal, the district attorney, and the 
 postmaster, set forth that events had recently occurred at Beu- 
 lah and vicinity which scandalized the good people, and de- 
 manded thorough investigation at the hands of the authorities. 
 In the language of the legal luminary who now proposed to 
 unearth the conspiracy against the morals of the neighborhood, 
 "A dandy-lookin' chap rid about the kentry in a bran-new 
 kerridge, pulled by a white hoss, kiverd with a new and most 
 exterevigunt harnis, and he purtendid to be payin' up of 
 money stole from the post offis, and altho' as Justice of the 
 Peace I demanded an explenashun of his extereordinery per- 
 cedin's, he feeloniusly disclined to tel enny thing, only that his 
 name was Merricks or Sherricks, and that he was agint of the 
 gf nrul post offis. I hiv no hesetashun in pernouncin' him a 
 most dangrus swindlur and blankmaler, and in deenouncin* 
 that as sich he orter be percedid agin promtorily cordin' to the 
 stetu in sich cases made and pervided. And I do afurm that 
 to the best of my nollige and beleef ther's suthin' rong at 
 Stars post offis, and this chap Shetticks was hir'd to kiver 
 it up." 
 
 The old gentleman seemed to be very much in earnest in 
 the crusade, for shortly after, other missives from his pen, of 
 similar purport, were forwarded to the special agent through 
 friendly officials, whose positions brought them into some ac- 
 quaintance with the real facts. He even wrote to the depart- 
 ment, " exposin' the operashuns of the pertendid agint," and 
 all the letters finally found their way into the hands of the 
 gentleman whom the watchful conservator of the morals of 
 Beulah was determined to squelch. So far from causing an- 
 
478 
 
 noyance, the epistles were a source of great merriment to the 
 little coterie familiar with the secrets of the case. 
 
 Not long after, an opportunity arose for turning the tables on 
 
 the justice. The special agent happening to be called to D , 
 
 was informed by the assistant postmaster that Squire Van 
 Buskirk was in town, stopping at The United States. " Let us 
 go up together, and see if he will recognize me," said the 
 detective. 
 
 "Very well," replied the assistant; and they sauntered forth 
 in company. 
 
 In the reading-room they found the old gentleman seated 
 in an arm-chair, dozing. His stiff, iron-gray hair was cut 
 very short, after the manner of the pilgrim fathers. A quid 
 of tobacco nestled comfortably in his half-opened mouth, while 
 a nose, shaped like the beak of a hawk, was thrust forward 
 as if to perform the part of a sentinel. At the moment no one 
 happened to be near. Tapping him lightly on the shoulder, 
 the detective remarked, " Squire Van Buskirk, I believe." 
 
 The justice wakened with a sudden start, tilted his chair 
 back against the wall, put his hat in his lap, and replied, 
 "Yas, what'll ye hev?" 
 
 "About how much are you worth, sir?" inquired the special 
 agent. 
 
 " Eh ! what ! heow much am I wuth. By Cezar, what's 
 that to yeou?" 
 
 "This much, Squire Van Buskirk. Official business called 
 me to your place several weeks ago. I was engaged in the 
 performance of my duty, and succeeded in discharging it to 
 the satisfaction of every person interested except yourself. 
 You not only manifested at the time an unwarranted, imperti- 
 nent, and reprehensible curiosity, but you have since been 
 flooding the country with letters denouncing me as a black- 
 mailer, and otherwise defaming my character. It is my turn 
 now, and I propose to have satisfaction by suing you for sum- 
 mary damages, and I want to know how much you are worth, 
 
THE TABLES TURNED. 479 
 
 so as to fix the amount of my claim. I shall retain able coun- 
 sel, and proceed with dispatch." 
 
 At this unexpected announcement the justice was filled with 
 amazement and terror. "Hold on, hold on!" he exclaimed, 
 each particular hair standing on end ; " let's adjesticate this 
 questin Christin-like. I didn't know yeou at fust, but I rekernize 
 yeou neow. Yeou'r the agint that fixed things for Deekun 
 Starr." 
 
 "As you now remember me, and also call to mind what you 
 have done in the premises, you understand the reasons for my 
 course. I have in my possession a number of your slandeious 
 letters upon which I propose to base my complaint." 
 
 "Let me see 'em," demanded the justice, eagerly. 
 
 The letters were produced and exhibited. 
 
 " Kin yeou prove the writin' ? " 
 
 "Yes, squire, I can. Your attempt to throw a doubt on 
 their genuineness may seem cunning to you, but it will avail 
 nothing. Again I ask, how much are you worth? If you 
 decline to answer, I can get the information at Beulah." 
 
 At the prospect of impending ruin, the lion of the law and 
 champion of sound morals began to beg for mercy. And he 
 pleaded his cause effectively, for though perverse and obstinate, 
 he was at heart kind and well-meaning. He admitted the 
 authorship of the letters, but urged in extenuation that he was 
 so distracted by the care of a crazy wife that he did not know 
 what he was about. Sometimes he felt as if he was more than 
 half crazy himself. In conclusion he said, "I beg yeour par- 
 ding. Consedcler my troubles and flusteration. For God's 
 sake, don't take what little I hev. I'm nigh on to sixty-four 
 year old, and my work-time is past. If what I hev is took 
 from me, me and my poor crazy wife will both die in the 
 poor-house." 
 
 At this the old man broke down completely. The special 
 agent let him agonize a few minutes, believing that the lesson 
 would be a profitable one. Then, taking him by the hand, he 
 
480 THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 said, "Squire Van Buskirk, I am glad you realize you did 
 wrong in trying to injure an innocent man. You seem to be 
 sincerely sorry. I can assure you I have no desire to harm a 
 hair of your head, and accordingly I shall permit the matter 
 to drop here. But let me urge you to be more careful in 
 future." 
 
 The justice was so rejoiced that he was ready to promise 
 anything. By way of crazy apology, he said, at parting, " I 
 thank yeou for not puttin' me to trouble. I kin only say, if I 
 had the thing to do over agin, I wouldn't do it." 
 
Committing the Crime. 
 
 N a dark winter's 
 night the post-office 
 at Hardee, not far 
 from our western 
 frontier, was bur- 
 glariously entered, 
 and robbed of three 
 registered packages 
 containing, in the 
 aggregate, about one hundred and seventy-five dollars, and 
 of two bundles of ordinary letters. Mr. Albert Parlin, the 
 postmaster, immediately notified John B. Furay, the nearest 
 special agent of the department, who happened at the time to 
 have on hand two very important cases which continued to 
 engross his attention till pushed to successful completion. Six 
 weeks elapsed before it was possible for him to reach the scene 
 of the robbery. 
 
 Parlin, the postmaster, had been long and favorably known to 
 the detective. About sixty years old, ingenuous and upright, 
 his integrity had passed into a proverb. To be " as honest as 
 old Pap Parlin" was the highest praise in the vocabulary of 
 the county. He held the office by the divine right of discovery ; 
 and the public, as the place filled with settlers, came to regard 
 31 
 
482 
 
 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 him as the ideal postmaster, created expressly for the position, 
 and unfit for anything else. 
 
 The burglary drove the poor old man nearly insane, and he 
 felt greatly perplexed and aggrieved that the special agent did 
 not drop all other business to hurry by relays of horses to his 
 rescue. On account of the garrulity of the old gentleman, the 
 detective did not dare to explain the urgency of the work that 
 detained him, and could only give general instructions that 
 every scrap of evidence and information should be carefully 
 treasured up for future use. For the first few days Parlin kept 
 up an incessant bombardment with letters and telegrams ; but 
 finding that the fire produced no visible effect on the move- 
 ments of the special agent, he resolved, in disgust, to conduct 
 
 44 Midnight conclaves were held, notable for wisdom and gush." 
 
 the investigation himself. In pursuance of the new programme, 
 the sheriff of the county, one or two constables, and all the 
 "sharp fellows" of the town, combined to catch the rascal. 
 
ARRESTED ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 483 
 
 Midnight conclaves were held, notable for wisdom and gush. 
 Vain was it for a thief to hope to escape with such an array of 
 talent closing in upon him. Merit soon met its reward. A 
 vagabond was picked up and thrust into jail on the principle 
 that as he was never known to do anything else for a living, 
 he must have done this. The evidence was purely inferential. 
 Though well connected, the fellow had degenerated into a 
 notorious loafer, and was seen hanging around the office about 
 eight o'clock the evening before the burglary. It was under- 
 stood, moreover, that, earlier in the scale of decline, he had 
 been invited to leave the store of a brother-in-law, a most 
 estimable gentleman, for till-tapping. What more proof was 
 required ? The court of Judge Lynch has hanged many a poor 
 wretch on much more slender evidence. In this instance the 
 prisoner was dragged fifty miles or more before a United States 
 commissioner, and, after a hearing of the facts, was discharged, 
 as the prosecution failed to make even a -prima facie case. 
 
 On reaching Hardee, six weeks after the robbery, the detec- 
 tive found that the postmaster and his associates in the investi- 
 gation had failed to develop, or even to discover, a single clue. 
 From previous statements of Parlin he fully believed that the 
 party already arrested was actually the criminal, and that the 
 local authorities had broken down at the preliminary examina- 
 tion from lack of skill in pursuing the trail. When brought to 
 the rack, however, the fellow proved an alibi ^ though in doing 
 so he was compelled to admit that he passed the night in a 
 manner so scandalous that nothing less than the prospect of a 
 prison could have extorted the confession. 
 
 The building occupied as a post-office was of brick, one 
 story high, and about sixteen by forty feet in size. It stood 
 on the north side with the end to the street, which ran east 
 and west, on quite a steep hill-side, the grade rising about ten 
 feet between the front and rear of the structure. The earth 
 had been excavated to make room for the building, so that the 
 soil at the north end fell but little below the eaves. In the west 
 wall, about twenty-five feet from the front, was a window of 
 
484 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 two sashes opening upon a vacant lot, the natural surface of 
 which nearly corresponded with the top of the lower sash. It 
 was protected from the falling earth by a little circular brick 
 wall, the foundation of which rested on the level of the sill. 
 Though unsightly in appearance, it had evidently been cut to 
 give a draught in summer, and was so constructed that the under 
 sash remained immovable, while the upper one could be lowered 
 and raised at pleasure, being held in place by a stick of the 
 proper length set under one corner inside. When the support 
 was taken away, the sash dropped by its own weight. It 
 could not be disturbed from without except by first breaking 
 the glass. 
 
 On the evening before the robbery Parlin made up the mails 
 for the several routes centering at Hardee, all of which were 
 to start early the next morning. It included the issues of two 
 weekly papers published in the village, and sent to the office 
 mostly in single wrappers. The building had once been used as 
 a book-store, and the shelves on the west wall still remained in 
 place. It was the custom of the postmaster to place the mails for 
 each route on the shelves in separate piles, and, the evenings 
 before they were to leave, to conceal outgoing registers under 
 the piles to which they respectively belonged. For this practice 
 he gave two reasons : first, he was then sure not to forget the 
 packages, or send them in the wrong direction; and, second, 
 if any one did break in for purposes of plunder, the thief would 
 not be likely to look for valuables in a place apparently so ex- 
 posed yet really so secure. Ordinary letters were tied up in 
 bundles and laid on top of the newspapers. By nature and 
 habit the postmaster was exceedingly precise in all his methods, 
 uniformly pursuing one settled routine. 
 
 Registered letters for local delivery were kept in the cash 
 drawer under the wicket. Before leaving for the night, it was 
 his invariable custom to count the funds on hand, and to take 
 home everything except nickels, mutilated currency, and a few 
 silver coins that had gradually accumulated. On the evening 
 in question there was no departure from the ordinary course. 
 
APPEARANCES AFTER THE ROBBERY. 485 
 
 The value of the odds and ends left locked up in the drawer 
 amounted to about six dollars in money and ten dollars more 
 in postage stamps. 
 
 No assistant was employed in the office except a daughter 
 of the postmaster, about seventeen years of age, the two 
 attending exclusively both to the postal work and to the news- 
 stand. The regulation forbidding admittance to outsiders was 
 enforced with great strictness, the postal code being rever- 
 enced by " Pap Parlin " second only to the Bible. Business in 
 this establishment ran with the precision of clock-work. 
 
 The night of the robbery he locked the door about half 
 past nine o'clock, as usual, to go home. On returning the 
 next morning a little before daybreak, he first noticed that the 
 upper sash of the west window was down, a stiff, raw breeze 
 pouring in through the aperture ; and on striking a light, 
 further evidences of the late visitation became painfully ap- 
 parent. The cash drawer, pried from its fastenings with a 
 small axe, lay upon the table, but the contents had not been 
 taken, though a portion of the stamps were scattered about 
 the floor. Of the coin, nickels, and mutilated currency, not 
 a cent was missing, the exactness of the postmaster enabling 
 him to decide upon this point without hesitation. The 
 bundles of letters placed on the shelves were gone as well 
 as the registers, but the papers were undisturbed. 
 
 Upon examining the window, he found that a couple of 
 small bottles, left standing on the sill, had been removed, 
 but otherwise the dust on the inner surface had not been 
 disturbed, except in one spot where it betrayed the toe- 
 mark of a large, coarse boot. The glass in the lower corner 
 of the upper sash just above the support was fractured. A 
 slight snow-fall partially covered the ground, but it was not 
 deep enough to give a perfect impression of the boot. With 
 characteristic preciseness the old gentleman had preserved 
 every thing material, and, so far as appearances were con- 
 cerned, had taken minute and exact observations, so that, 
 although six weeks had elapsed, the officer could hardly 
 
486 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 have been better equipped for the investigation had he ar- 
 rived at Hardee the next morning. 
 
 When asked if any one besides the daughter knew where 
 the registers were kept, the postmaster replied that he was 
 sure no one but himself was acquainted with the place 
 of concealment. Ordinarily they were left in the cash 
 drawer, and it was only on evenings preceding tf mail days " 
 that they were taken out and hidden under the papers. The 
 daughter left before him, and he was uniformly alone when 
 the transfer was made. This statement was verified by the 
 young lady herself. 
 
 "How, then, did the fellow whom you arrested find it out? " 
 inquired the officer. 
 
 "I suppose," answered Parlin, "that the rascal hung around 
 the front window near the west wall, and I must have left the 
 inner door ajar, so that he contrived to peek through and dis- 
 cover the secret. I can't explain the matter in any other 
 way, though' I am very careful at such times to keep the 
 door closed. You can infer how particular I have been in 
 guarding the secret from the fact that I never told my 
 daughter, in whom I have the utmost confidence." 
 
 Considerably perplexed but not disheartened, the detec- 
 tive returned to the hotel, had a fire kindled in his room, 
 pulled off his boots and coat, and began to study the facts. 
 A great crime had been committed. The local authorities 
 had exhausted the resources of their ingenuity to discover 
 the criminal without avail. At the same time the public 
 credited him with the possession of some supernatural gift by 
 virtue of which he was expected to succeed where others had 
 failed. Little does the outside world appreciate the anxiety, 
 the heart-ache, and the intense mental strain experienced 
 by a faithful officer whose soul is in his work, on occasions 
 like these. Thoughts, theories, intuitions stream in upon 
 him involuntarily, till the absorption becomes so complete 
 that appetite and sleep are often banished for days. Under 
 the pressure the perceptions become preternaturally acute, 
 
PHILOSOPHICAL EXPERIMENTS. 487 
 
 so that he is sometimes conscious for brief intervals of a 
 power of insight far surpassing the ordinary range. Es- 
 pecially do external facts pilot him back through the plans 
 and motives, the contrivings and apprehensions of the guilty 
 mind that left these marks to betray its workings. 
 
 All the sharp men of the village had been hunting as 
 it were for an object lost in the dark. That it was gone 
 they well knew, but when, where, or how to look for it was 
 the question which had been discussed till the theme was worn 
 threadbare. Through some supersensual vision the detective 
 was popularly supposed to be provided with a lantern to assist 
 in the search. 
 
 One peculiarity of the robbery struck him with great force. 
 Why did not the thief, having the opportunity, appropriate 
 the money and stamps in the cash drawer? This was the 
 first clue, and the reader will see how skillfully it was 
 pursued. 
 
 The detective returned to the post-office for a re-examination 
 of the window, and soon discovered what he believed to be 
 another important point. Having carefully replaced the 
 fragments of the broken glass, he soon decided that the frac- 
 ture was made by a blow from some sharp or pointed heavy 
 instrument, delivered with a short, quick, rebounding tap 
 from the inside, which simply shivered the glass without 
 displacing any of it. Would a pane of glass thus broken 
 actually show upon which side the instrument impinged? 
 The discovery, if real, could easily be verified by experiment. 
 
 Going to a blacksmith's shop, the detective procured a 
 small chunk of scrap-iron, and proceeding thence to a 
 lumber-yard, bought a glazed sash, which he took to a re- 
 tired gulch beyond the outskirts of the village, where he 
 could prosecute philosophical inquiries without fear of annoy- 
 ance or interruption. Experiment fully sustained the theory 
 formed on inspecting the window at the post-office. Before 
 the sash was exhausted, he could in every instance, from the 
 appearance of the fracture, tell from which direction the 
 
488 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 blow came. Where a pane of well-glazed glass is struck 
 quickly with any instrument presenting but a small point 
 of contact, the surface that receives the blow will be pul- 
 verized and look white, while the opposite surface will chip 
 off, the fragments flying away from the point of force, and 
 leaving usually a cone-shaped space behind. The character- 
 istics are unmistakable. 
 
 These experiments demonstrated that the window at the 
 
 " Before the sash was exhausted, he could in every instance, from the ap- 
 pearance of the fracture, tell from which direction the blow came." 
 
 post-office could only have been broken from the inside. 
 Again the detective returned to the office prepared to sub- 
 ject the fragments of glass to still closer scrutiny. The 
 manner in which the piece found upon the floor was 
 chipped in one place along the inner edge, indicated that 
 it had been first pushed out and then back again. The 
 upper fragment found in the walled recess was probably 
 driven thither by the force of the original blow. The 
 
INFERENCES RESPECTING THE ROBBER. 489 
 
 under piece could then be removed by gently working it 
 backward and forward from either side, to suit the conven- 
 ience of the operator. 
 
 The removal of the registers without disarranging the super- 
 incumbent papers showed that the burglar knew exactly where 
 to look for them. Why was the cash drawer pried open? 
 Manifestly because the thief was aware that valuable pack- 
 ages were ordinarily kept there. Why did he not take the 
 money and stamps, for plunder was the only object of the 
 visit, and burglars do not often discard property in so port- 
 able and current a form? Obviously he is some friend of 
 Parlin, sufficiently versed in the regulations of the depart- 
 ment to know that the postmaster is not pecuniarily respon- 
 sible for the contents of letters stolen from his custody, 
 whether registered or ordinary, but that he is responsible 
 for stamps and for the proceeds of their sale. The burglar 
 aimed to so regulate the affair as to rob individuals outside 
 without damaging the pocket of Parlin. Yes, he must be 
 a friend, and a very close friend too, who has had familiar 
 access to the office, and who in preparation for the raid 
 contrived in some way to break the glass while on the in- 
 side. Perhaps he had a false key to the door, in which case 
 he must have smashed the window and escaped that way as 
 a blind. 
 
 At this stage of the investigation, the facts seemed to 
 bear heavily against the old man himself. On the other 
 hand, a pure and exemplary life, hitherto untarnished by 
 the slightest imputation of dishonesty, entitled him to a 
 generous measure of confidence. Besides, persons of exact, 
 methodical habits, whose thoughts and actions run in the 
 grooves of routine, are the last on earth to step outside 
 the familiar ruts for the purpose of committing crime. Such 
 characters not only keep out of the way of temptation, but 
 even when the foundations of virtue are sapped by insidi- 
 ous influences, yield very slowly and only after long re- 
 sistance. 
 
49 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 Guided by the clues already in hand, the detective pro- 
 ceeded to make indirect, cautious inquiries in reference to 
 the family and intimate associates of the postmaster. Be- 
 sides the daughter employed in the office, he had two grown 
 sons, one of whom migrated from the county a long time 
 before, and had not for many months gladdened the home- 
 stead with his presence ; and another, then residing a short 
 distance beyond the limits of the town, who enjoyed the 
 reputation of having been a wild, dare-devil sort of a boy, 
 but who, on marrying a couple of years before, "had settled 
 down into a pretty fair man, though awful poor," as a villager 
 put the case. He had no continuous occupation, but did 
 odd jobs as he could find employment, laboring just about 
 enough to keep actual starvation from the door. Once he 
 acted as clerk in the post-office, but having incurred the 
 displeasure of his father at the time of his marriage, he lost 
 the position permanently. Occasionally, however, " the old 
 man still helped Josh a little," notwithstanding the previous 
 quarrel. 
 
 The detective also learned that, two or three weeks prior 
 to the robbery, the wife of Joshua Parlin, in talking over 
 family affairs, wept bitterly at the poverty which excluded 
 her from the enjoyment of the barest comforts of existence. 
 Since then, in conversation with the same party, no refer- 
 ence whatever had been made to the subject. Wishing to 
 push this line of inquiry still further, he gave his informant, 
 the wife of an honest blacksmith and a perambulating gazette 
 of local intelligence, a ten-dollar note, with instructions to 
 call on the family of young Parlin, and to report what evi- 
 dences she could observe of recent purchases. No time was 
 lost in the execution of the errand. Within an hour the 
 " gazette " returned, crammed with news enough for four 
 editions and an extra. Before removing her bonnet, or tak- 
 ing a seat, she "let her tongue loose," and hardly paused for 
 breath till her stock of discoveries was exhausted. "Why, 
 la sakes alive, I should think I did see something ! She's got 
 
A PERAMBULATING GAZETTE. 
 
 49 I 
 
 a bran new dress, a nice one it is, too, and a new hat, 
 and a new clothes-wringer, and a new baby-crib, don't you 
 think ; and, laws of mercy ! a whole bolt of bleached muslin 
 lying on the bureau. She says they have been down to her 
 uncle's and cousin's, in Washington County, and that the 
 wagon broke near Jericho, where they had a dreadful time, 
 
 " Before removing her bonnet, or taking a seat, she let her tongue loose,' and 
 hardly paused for breath till her stock of discoveries was exhausted." 
 
 and had to stay all night. Her uncle gave them a cow 
 which they left till spring on the farm of a cousin." And 
 thus the messenger ran on like the singer of Horace that, 
 once started, could not be stopped. 
 
492 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 Finally the schedule of items reached an end, when the 
 officer interposed. 
 
 "Madam, you have done well. My most sanguine expec- 
 tations are more than fulfilled. Now I swear you solemnly, 
 by the great stick of Moses, never to mention this matter to a 
 living soul as long as you live. At this time especially an in- 
 discreet word might frustrate all my plans." 
 
 " La," replied the gazette, "trust me for that. I reckon I 
 know how to keep. my mouth shut." 
 
 In less than an hour the detective was on the road to Wash- 
 ington County, thirty-five miles distant. At Jericho, four 
 miles below, he too had business at the blacksmith's shop, and 
 learned that, two or three weeks before, Joshua Parlin had paid 
 four dollars and a half for a new axle. At the store across 
 the way he had also purchased arctic overshoes for himself 
 and wife, at two dollars and a quarter a pair, and a hat for 
 three dollars, making a total expenditure here of twelve dol- 
 lars. 
 
 He pushed on till midnight, and starting again before day- 
 light, took breakfast at the house where the Parlins lodged on 
 the way down. Here eliciting the information that the travel- 
 ers had made a detour by Olivet, " to git a few fixins from the 
 store," as the farmer expressed it, he followed over the same 
 route, tracing a cash expenditure of twenty-seven dollars and 
 sixty cents more. Thence he drove to the house of the cousin 
 who was keeping the cow, and, examining the herd in the role 
 of a cattle-buyer, found that he was wintering two cows in- 
 stead of one, for a " cousin in Hardee, who bought them while 
 on a visit below." Below he accordingly hurried, and before 
 night learned that the animals were bought for twenty-five and 
 thirty dollars respectively, and were paid for in cash. 
 
 Well satisfied with the results of the trip, the officer returned 
 to Hardee, to learn that "Josh " was absent from home, and 
 would not return till the following day. Not wishing to meet 
 any one whom he had seen in Washington County, as the 
 object of the late journey might thus be prematurely exposed, 
 
THE POSTMASTER QUERULOUS. 493 
 
 he drove out twenty miles in the opposite direction, on other 
 post-office business, and returned early the next afternoon. 
 Before night he learned that, since the robbery, young Parlin 
 had actually expended in the village ten dollars for corn, nine 
 dollars for the wringer, eight dollars for a clock, and eight 
 dollars for the crib, besides making two final payments of five 
 dollars each on a sewing-machine. The money traced directly 
 out of his hands during the period reached one hundred and 
 thirty-nine dollars and sixty cents, with a strong presumption 
 that he had spent other small sums which, from the nature of 
 the case, could not easily be tracked. 
 
 Meanwhile the postmaster was greatly disturbed at the sup- 
 posed inaction of the detective, and did not hesitate to express 
 his disappointment and disgust quite freely to the patrons of 
 the office. The feeling of despondency was not shared by 
 the gentleman whose efforts had failed to satisfy the old man. 
 He had succeeded in picking up many important facts ; and 
 although the information was not yet in shape to pass current 
 in a court of justice as legal evidence, it was like gold dust, 
 very precious in itself, and, in the hands of a skillful workman, 
 easily coined into a legal tender that no judge or jury would 
 refuse. 
 
 For three days and two nights the detective had scarcely 
 taken time to eat or to sleep, having driven in a buggy about 
 one hundred and sixty miles, stopping only long enough at 
 different points to gather the facts essential to the successful 
 development of his plans. It was now Saturday evening, and 
 the hour had come for forcing matters to a crisis. 
 
 Shortly after dark he went to the post-office, and taking 
 aside the poor old man who had never done any one a willful 
 wrong, he said to him, 
 
 "Well, Pap Parlin, I am sorry to hear that you have lost 
 faith in me. There are few men whom I hold in higher re- 
 gard than I do you, and one is naturally pained to part with 
 the approval of the good. Yesterday and to-day you have 
 said several hard things about me ; but this I shall not resent. 
 
494 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 I have not been idle, or ' mysterious to no good purpose,' as 
 you may think, and as you rather unadvisedly have said. 
 Where I have been, and what I have done, perhaps you will 
 never know. But now, and right here, I mean business. Be- 
 lieving you to be a man of truth, I ask you to tell me how 
 much money not provisions or clothing, but money you 
 have given your son Joshua since the occurrence of the rob- 
 bery." 
 
 Not quick of perception at best, and somewhat dazed by 
 this sudden and unexpected attack on the flank, the old gentle- 
 man barely saw that the shot was aimed either at himself or at 
 Joshua, but could not decide which. Too conscientious to 
 prevaricate, and too confused to comprehend the object of the 
 trap, he replied, 
 
 "Well, Furay, I don't know what you are trying to get at ; 
 but Til tell you as near as I can remember. I gave him at one 
 time let me see three dollars; at another, two dollars. 
 Once I gave his wife two dollars. O, since then I may have 
 let both together have eight, ten, or possibly twelve dollars ; 
 but, all told, I don't think it would exceed ten." 
 
 " Now, Mr. Parlin, state what other means, if any within 
 your knowledge, Joshua has of obtaining money." 
 
 A light broke upon the old man, the first ray that for him 
 had ever glimmered upon a mystery hitherto inscrutable. Al- 
 most swooning under the blow, he exclaimed pathetically, 
 
 "My God, Furay, you don't think that?" 
 
 "No matter, Mr. Parlin. Do not stop to speculate on any 
 conjectures of mine. Please state exactly what you know." 
 
 " To be candid," answered the postmaster, " so far as I can 
 judge, he has earned but little since then, and his total income 
 could not exceed a very few dollars. Now, for God's sake, 
 my dear friend, tell me what you mean." 
 
 " Mr. Parlin, excuse me for the present for not complying 
 with that request. I have a favor to ask in which we are both 
 interested. You must remain at the office to-night till I return, 
 be it early or late. Do not move a step till I come. If I 
 
APPALLED AT A NAME. 
 
 495 
 
 bring any one with me, you may know that that man is the 
 burglar." 
 
 Provided with a pair of handcuffs and a revolver, for 
 Joshua was reputed to be desperate and dangerous when ex- 
 cited, the officer started for his house. The earth was cov- 
 ered to the depth of a foot with untrodden snow ; and as the 
 storm passed off, the weather turned intensely cold. With 
 overcoat buttoned to chin, he felt rather too much cumbered to 
 meet the possible attack of a desperado ; but there was no al- 
 ternative, and so off he posted alone, reaching the cottage 
 about nine o'clock. The lights were extinguished, and the 
 family in bed. Knocking not too obtrusively, he soon heard 
 a stir within, then the patter of bare feet across the room, fol- 
 lowed by the withdrawal of the bolt. Peering through the 
 small aperture made by the partial opening of the door, the 
 party thus aroused inquired, in a gruff voice, 
 
 "Who's there?" 
 
 "It is I," replied the muffled stranger, bolting in without 
 ceremony, "John B. Furay, special agent of the post-office 
 department. You have heard of me, and know what I have 
 come for. Put on your clothes, and go with me. Quick ! Not 
 a minute to lose ! " 
 
 As the name was announced, the wife, in bed in the next 
 room, as if inspired by uncontrollable terror, raised a deathly 
 scream that filled the house with its clangor, and seemed to 
 ring far out into the gloom of the night. The noise wakened 
 the baby thirteen months old, which added a lusty treble to the 
 chorus. There stood the intruder, enveloped in pitchy dark- 
 ness, and half appalled by the tragic notes of the concert. 
 Joshua was too much unnerved by the unexpected visit to con- 
 trive, if so disposed, any measures of defense. In a few 
 seconds, so quick were her movements, the wife came out 
 partially dressed, with a candle in her hand. The officer 
 then accompanied Josh into the sleeping-room, and stood 
 by while he dressed, not wishing to have the business, sad 
 enough at best, interrupted by nonsense or needless eccen- 
 
49 6 
 
 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 tricities, which, if permitted to develop, might take an unpleas- 
 ant turn. 
 
 The scene that ensued when the unbidden guest was about 
 to depart, with the head of the household in custody, cannot be 
 described. Throwing her arms about the neck of her hus- 
 
 " Put on your clothes, and go with me ! Quick ! Not a minute to lose ! " 
 
 band, the wife cried, the husband cried, the baby cried, the 
 detective cried, while the child soon to be born intensified the 
 pathos of the situation a hundred-fold. War, famine, or pesti- 
 tilence could produce nothing more heart-rending. 
 
 The fact may not generally be known, but in moments of 
 
THE DREAD MAGICIAN COMES. 497 
 
 intense excitement a sudden change from great cold to the 
 heat of a warm room will take the life, the virility, the mag- 
 netic courage out of a man as quickly as boiling water will 
 destroy the dignity of a starched collar. This was what hap- 
 pened to the officer, the extreme difference between the tem- 
 perature without and within completely unnerving him. Per- 
 spiration streamed from every pore, standing in large beads 
 upon his forehead, and the strength of a giant turned to the 
 weakness of a child. 
 
 The array of facts already discovered, all pointing in the 
 same direction, fully convinced the detective that Joshua Parlin 
 was the burglar. By the dim light of the candle he saw that 
 the wife also knew that the husband was guilty, her appre- 
 hensions finding expression in every movement and look. 
 Probably the pair had often discussed the possibilities of dis- 
 covery. More conscientious, and predisposed by the religious 
 tendencies of the female mind to believe that retribution will 
 surely overtake crime, the poor woman had evidently lived in 
 constant fear of the explosion that sooner or later was to shiver 
 the peace of the household. The name " Furay," heard often 
 in the lonely cottage, had become invested with strange ter- 
 rors. Now the dread magician whose phantom had haunted 
 her thoughts by day and her dreams by night, actually stood 
 there, a grim fate, preordained, from which escape was impos- 
 sible. 
 
 The manner of the couple was the more significant from 
 the fact that the object of the visit had not been disclosed. 
 Nothing had been said about an arrest, nor had an allusion 
 even been made to the commission of a crime ; yet the actions 
 of both presupposed a guilty knowledge of the facts. The 
 detective felt that by a bold push he could extort a confession 
 from the wife without resistance ; but under any circumstances 
 his generous nature would recoil from taking advantage of the 
 weakness of woman when a man stood by more deeply in- 
 volved in the wrong, while in the present instance the condition 
 of her health required that she should be rpared all unnecessary 
 32 
 
498 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 agitation. He was now especially desirous to get away from 
 a place where the bare introduction of himself by name had 
 produced such terror. 
 
 Opening the outer door, the officer said, " Come, it is grow- 
 ing late ; we must be off." 
 
 Again clasping her husband about the neck, the wife ex- 
 claimed, "O, Josh, I shall never, n-e-v-e-r see you again; 
 O, I know I shall not ! " 
 
 "Mrs. Parlin, you shall see him again to-night," replied 
 the officer, whose self-possession was now fully restored by 
 the cold. 
 
 The two men started in the direction of the post-office, and, 
 after walking a few minutes in silence, the special agent re- 
 marked, sadly, "Well, my poor fellow, my duties, as you 
 see, are sometimes terribly painful, but what on earth tempted 
 you to draw down this calamity upon the heads of yourself 
 and of your little family ? " 
 
 With considerable coolness he answered, "I am sure I 
 don't know what all this means, and I wish you'd tell me." 
 
 "Joshua, it is too late to attempt to play the game of pre- 
 tended ignorance or innocence. I have been at work on your 
 case, and happily have succeeded in unraveling the facts. 
 You foolishly thought no one would ever find it out ; but I 
 have tracked you, step by step, and now know all. When 
 you resolved to sell yourself, body and soul, to Satan, couldn't 
 you find some other person to rob besides your poor old gray- 
 headed father? " 
 
 " I didn't rob my father. What do you mean by talking in 
 this way ? " 
 
 "Sit down on this log, Josh, and we will see," pointing to a 
 black mass by the roadside, from which the wind had driven 
 the snow. Both sat down, when the officer continued, " How 
 much of that money have you left? Now do not lie to me." 
 
 "What money?" answered he, with an air of assumed 
 indignation. 
 
 "Ah, you miserable rascal, do you suppose I came here 
 
A FROSTY DIALOGUE. 499 
 
 this cold night for sport? What have you been buying prop- 
 erty with latterly?" 
 
 " What property ? " sneeringly. 
 
 " Certainly, Josh, you must take me for an idiot." 
 
 " I've bought no property. What do you mean ? " 
 
 " Do you dare tell me you have acquired no property since 
 you robbed your father's post-office ? " 
 
 "Well, no, not exactly. My wife's uncle gave her a cow." 
 
 " Who has given you money since then ? " 
 
 " My father has given me some." 
 
 "How much?" 
 
 "I don't exactly know." 
 
 "Well, then, about how much?" 
 
 "Not a great deal." 
 
 "No, of course not. I've seen your good, honest father, 
 and know all about that. You are certain, then, you have 
 bought nothing since that event ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir, I am." 
 
 "You didn't buy a baby-crib, did you?" 
 
 "Yes," hesitatingly. 
 
 " You didn't go down to Washington County a few weeks 
 ago, and, breaking the wagon near Jericho, pay four dollars 
 and a half for repairs ? " 
 
 " Y-e-s." 
 
 "And buy two pairs of overshoes, and a hat, paying for 
 them in money?" 
 
 " Y-e-s," very slowly. 
 
 "Well, sir, what else have you bought since then?" 
 
 "Not another thing, as sure as I live." 
 
 "Be careful, Josh, very careful. Before speaking so pos- 
 itively, it may be well to refresh your memory." 
 
 "That's all. I know it." 
 
 " Where did you get the money ? " 
 
 " I borrowed it from a fellow that used to live over in Mis- 
 souri." 
 
 " How much did he let you have ? " 
 
5OO A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 "Twenty-five dollars." 
 
 "Well, Josh, I'll not trouble you to invent a name for your 
 very accommodating friend from Missouri. Did you buy 
 anything at Olivet?" 
 
 " No, sir, I did not." 
 
 "You are sure on that point?" 
 
 "Yes, I am." 
 
 " Tell me about the cow." 
 
 " My wife's uncle made her a present of that." 
 
 " Why didn't you bring her home? " 
 
 Both parties in the dialogue were growing very cold, and 
 the battle threatened to turn on their respective powers of 
 endurance. 
 
 "I had no place to put her in," answered the burglar, with 
 a shiver. 
 
 " No ? Well, that's all you bought? " 
 
 "I didn't buy her." 
 
 "You do not understand me, Josh. Let me state the case 
 again. You mean to say that all the articles you purchased 
 have been enumerated, and that you paid for them out of the 
 twenty-five dollars borrowed from your friend in Missouri?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, that is just exactly what I mean ; and I don't see 
 why I am put to all this trouble." 
 
 "Never mind, Joshua Parlin, I promise you shall be abun- 
 dantly satisfied on that point, further on. Knowledge, infor- 
 mation, facts are a good thing to have, Josh, as I will show 
 you in due time. You have heard of me before?" 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 "What have you heard of me?" 
 
 " Father scolded because you didn't come down and look 
 into the burglary. He thought you could find out who broke 
 into the office. He kept wishing that you would hurry up 
 and catch the fellow." 
 
 "That was real kind in your father. Now, Josh, come 
 down to dots, and tell me what you wished." 
 
 " I don't know as I had much thought about it." 
 
DARKNESS AS A SCREEN. 5OI 
 
 "No?" 
 
 "No, I didn't." 
 
 The winds shrieked through the naked tree-tops, and the 
 darkness threw a friendly screen over the features of the rob- 
 ber. How the officer wished for a few moments of daylight, 
 that he might look down into those false eyes, and force the 
 surrender of the well-guarded secret. But the masked bat- 
 tery must be carried, even by the light of the frosty stars. 
 "Joshua," he continued, " I wonder if all men who steal are 
 also atrocious liars. What do you think about it?" 
 
 " I never thought much about it." 
 
 "Well, there is where we differ, Josh. I have, and am 
 prepared to express an opinion. You are a thief. You 
 robbed the post-office robbed your good, honest father, 
 whose soul is as free from guile as that of the infant in the 
 cradle. It overwhelms me with amazement that, with the 
 whole world before you, you should begin on him. Yes, 
 Josh, you are a thief. You know it, and I know it. What 
 we two know so well in common we can certainly talk about. 
 Up to this time you have uttered nothing but falsehoods. 
 Now I am going to show you how unavailing is the refuge of 
 lies, how great crimes leave footprints at every step. Where 
 did you get the money to pay Tread well, the store-keeper at 
 Olivet, twenty-seven dollars and sixty cents in cash ? Where 
 did you get it, I ask? Come, talk fast." 
 
 "I can explain that," answered the accused, hesitatingly, 
 "but I am getting cold ; " and his teeth chattered. 
 
 " Never mind the cold. I am used to it. I can stand it all 
 night. To follow up that fatal trip to Washington County, 
 why did you lie about the cow ? Why didn't you report truly 
 that, instead of receiving a present of one, you bought two of 
 Timothy R. Davis, paying therefor fifty-five dollars in money? 
 Shall I go on and tell all? I know you are cold out here, 
 but I want the truth from you, and the truth I shall have. 
 Do you think there is any escape from the penalties of sin? 
 Can you break away from the network of facts which I have 
 happily been instrumental in bringing to light?" 
 
5O2 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 "Let's go to a fire somewhere," answered Joshua, despond- 
 ently, "for I am almost frozen." 
 
 "Fire has no charms for me now," replied the detective. 
 " I have borne my suffering during the past week, riding day 
 and night in the terrible cold, without sleep or rest, pursuing 
 your tracks through Washington County. Such is the trouble 
 you have put me to ; and now, do you complain about a little 
 cold? As I said before, we both know all about this matter, 
 and the sooner you speak candidly the better it will be for 
 you. How much of that money have you still left? and is it 
 in your hands, or in the hands of your wife? You must see, 
 by this time, what supreme folly it is to try to keep up this 
 sham longer." 
 
 "Yes, 111 con con fess, it does look pretty rough on 
 me. Let's go to a fire, and I'll tell you all about it, and I'll 
 tell the truth." 
 
 Had there been a place whither the officer could have taken 
 the burglar alone, he would have started instantly ; but there 
 was none, and as yet he had only approached the "ragged 
 edge" very near, it is true, but not so near as to commit 
 himself irretrievably. Hence he answered, decisively, " No, 
 you don't go to a fire till you speak the truth. How much of 
 that money have you left?" 
 
 It will be observed that the detective scrupulously avoided 
 asking the offender directly if he committed the crime. Such 
 a course would have conceded too much, implying an admis- 
 sion of weakness where it was important to appear impreg- 
 nable. The questions all assumed that Joshua was guilty, 
 but touched the vital point obliquely. 
 
 After a brief hesitation, the poor fellow, shivering with 
 cold and fear, stammered out, " I see it is no use, Mr. Furay, 
 to try to hide it. I will tell the truth. I don't think there's 
 more than ten dollars left." 
 
 "Now, Joshua, you begin to act like a man. Which of 
 you has the money?" 
 
 " My wife has it, with the exception of a dollar or two." 
 
THE BURGLAR CONFESSES. 503 
 
 The long struggle was over. " Now we will go to the post- 
 office," said the special agent, "where your father is waiting 
 for us." 
 
 It was nearly midnight when the two men entered the build- 
 ing, the daughter, who refused to leave her father in this trying 
 emergency, opening the door to admit them. Without a word 
 she followed to the room in the rear, where a light stood upon 
 the table. The old man, whose hair was as white as the freshly 
 fallen snow that mantled the fields, sat motionless, his face 
 wearing a ghastly expression of anguish and despair. For a 
 moment no one broke the awful silence. The special agent 
 was the first to speak. In a tone which indicated how deeply 
 the unhappy family shared his sympathies, he said, sorrow- 
 fully, " Mr. Parlin, we are here." 
 
 The father arose with apparent effort, and walked away in 
 silence, when the officer motioned the son to a vacant chair, 
 into which he dropped helplessly. After taking two or three 
 turns up and down the room, the venerable form of Albert 
 Parlin bent over the bowed head of his child, and, scarcely 
 able to articulate, he asked, "Joshua, my son, can you look at 
 me and tell me you are innocent of this great crime ? " 
 
 The son neither raised his eyes, nor uttered a syllable. In 
 that pause the grief-stricken parent read the whole story of 
 the temptation and fall. Turning away, he walked down the 
 aisle behind the boxes, wringing his hands and sobbing, " O, 
 O, my God, my God ! what have I done to deserve this 
 affliction?" 
 
 The daughter ran after him, and, throwing her arms about 
 his neck, exclaimed, between kisses and tears, w Why, father, 
 dear father, he has not said he is guilty ! " 
 
 He folded the girl in his arms, as if in the ruin one precious 
 treasure was still left, and, looking down into her upturned 
 eyes with tender confidence, replied, "O, Dord dear, he is, 
 he is ! If he was innocent, he'd have said so." 
 
 Quick as a gazelle she sprang away, and, rushing down 
 the length of the room, threw herself upon the neck of her 
 
A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 brother, ner pallid face streaming with tears, and, covering 
 him with kisses, ejaculated imploringly, "My darling brother, 
 you did not do it, you did not do it, did you? O, no; you 
 could not, you could not, I know you could not ! " 
 
 To this heart-rending appeal Joshua made no reply, but, 
 dropping his head upon his hands, began to weep. Partially 
 recovering after a short interval, he said, "Father, I want to 
 see you a moment." 
 
 " Quick as a gazelle she sprang away, and, rushing down the length of the room, 
 threw herself upon the neck of her brother." 
 
 At this point, however, the special agent felt called upon to 
 interfere, though with great reluctance, as he realized that 
 under ordinary circumstances it would be pre-eminently proper 
 for the penitent son to go out alone with the outraged parent, 
 and, with none but God present, to fall upon his knees and 
 implore forgiveness. But the case was not yet in a shape to 
 render such a concession allowable. Accordingly he said, 
 
HOW THE DEED WAS DONE. 505 
 
 "Gentlemen, I regret that my duty compels me to object to 
 any private interviews between you. A moment's reflection 
 will show you that I cannot rightfully permit it. The conver- 
 sation must be carried on in my presence, but you can talk 
 freely." 
 
 The youth choked, cleared his throat, and for the first time 
 looking up, began tremulously, "It's no use for me to deny 
 it. I've told Mr. Furay, and now, father, I must tell you. It 
 almost kills me to think how wicked I am, how unworthy of 
 you and Dord. I am guilty. O, what cruel fiend possessed 
 me!" 
 
 The sorrowful group gathered more closely about the fire, 
 when, partly of his own volition and partly in reply to various 
 questions, he told the whole story of the burglary. On the 
 afternoon preceding the crime, he happened to be left in the 
 office a few minutes alone. Moody over the penury that hung 
 like a nightmare upon his little family, he gave way to a mad 
 impulse which had since cost a thousand unavailing regrets. 
 Seizing a tumbler, he wound a coarse towel around it, and 
 struck the window a sharp blow. A small piece was pushed 
 outward so that its edge could be grasped from the external 
 walled recess. A sheet of pasteboard was then placed over 
 the fracture to conceal the mischief. This preliminary work 
 was done in the daytime for fear that the sound of breaking 
 glass in the night might attract attention and lead to dis- 
 covery. 
 
 Late in the evening he returned through the deserted and 
 silent street to complete the job. It was the work of a mo- 
 ment to remove the shattered fragments of glass and to lower 
 the upper sash. Although the postmaster was not aware of 
 it, Joshua had stealthily watched his movements, and knew 
 just where to look for valuable packages. He pried open the 
 cash drawer only to find that it held no registers. Creeping 
 along in the dark to the piles of newspapers on the side- 
 shelves, he ran his hand underneath and discovered three. 
 Seizing these and several packages of ordinary letters, he 
 
506 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 made his exit through the window, and hurried home, a 
 stranger thenceforth to happiness. 
 
 After a restless night, Joshua rose early, and having kin- 
 dled a fire, sat down by the kitchen-stove to examine the 
 booty. The letters were tossed into the flames as fast as 
 opened, very few except the registers containing anything of 
 value. 
 
 The secret of the newly-gotten wealth the burglar found it 
 impossible to keep. Beset by his wife to tell where he ob- 
 tained so much money, he finally admitted to her the robbery. 
 From that hour peace was banished from their habitation, the 
 poor woman, shocked and terrified, looking forward to speedy 
 retribution as inevitable. Often the wife awoke from troubled 
 dreams to discuss with the husband the chances of detection, 
 always expressing a firm belief that the Lord would not per- 
 mit such an act to remain hidden, but would aid the " mail 
 agent " to find it out. When the officer, clad in her imagina- 
 tion with the attributes of the Avenger, did really appear, the 
 long dreaded visit, as previously described, drove the poor 
 woman to the verge of distraction. 
 
 The father and daughter listened in silent agony to the 
 recital, the grief of the young woman having become too 
 deep even for tears. Joshua Parlin, after the ice was fairly 
 broken, seemed to find relief in the fullness of his confession. 
 Occasionally the special agent interpolated a question with the 
 view of throwing additional light upon some obscure point in 
 the narrative, but the deathlike stillness was broken by few 
 interruptions. 
 
 Nothing burns with a fiercer flame than a guilty secret in 
 the bosom of a novice in crime. The hunger for partnership 
 in the fatal knowledge is so intense that not infrequently the 
 burdened spirit voluntarily communicates the truth to some 
 trusted friend, hoping to lighten the load by dividing it. So 
 Joshua Parlin was not satisfied till the little group knew all 
 that he knew about this dark and torturesome affair. 
 
MERCY FOR THE PENITENT. 507 
 
 It was very late when the story of the burglar came to an 
 end. The special agent had promised Mrs. Parlin that she 
 should see her husband again that night, and back they ac- 
 cordingly trudged through the snow. The parting between 
 them was very painful. Said the detective to her, aS the two 
 men were about to leave the second time, " I promise to do all 
 in my power to have your husband restored to you as soon 
 as it can be done under the law. If at any time during his 
 absence you are threatened with want, let me know, and my 
 purse shall be freely open to you." 
 
 Both promises were faithfully kept. The same night the 
 special agent left Hardee with the prisoner, who the next day 
 was lodged in jail in a distant part of the state, a confessed 
 felon. 
 
 Albert Parlin refunded all the stolen money, and, when the 
 trial came on, refused to employ counsel to defend the son who 
 had dishonored the name, leaving the conduct of the case 
 entirely to the discretion of the special agent. After the jury 
 had been called, and the penitent had entered a plea of guilty, 
 Mr. Furay arose and made an earnest appeal to the court in 
 behalf of clemency. The judge, out of the fullness of his 
 heart, did what he had never done before in the case of a 
 party convicted of robbing the mails, gave the minimum sen- 
 tence allowed by the law one year in the penitentiary. 
 
 Having served out his term, the prisoner returned home, 
 and has since led an honest, industrious, and reputable life. 
 The entire family are devoted in their attachment to John B. 
 Furay, knowing that he tempered justice with mercy, and 
 aimed to make the burden bear as lightly upon them as the 
 dignity of the broken law would permit. 
 
 It is a somewhat singular fact that honorable and truthful 
 officers almost invariably win the sympathies and lasting good- 
 will of the prisoners whom they arrest, unless these are hard- 
 ened, soulless criminals whose better natures are deadened 
 by vice. While all men should be dealt with truthfully, there 
 
508 A MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY. 
 
 is no reason why the penitent thief should not also be treated 
 kindly. Let the poor wretch feel that he is not friendless or 
 forsaken, that, through pure aims and virtuous deeds, the path 
 is still open to the favor of man and to the blessing of God. 
 
 "Teach me to feel another's woe, 
 
 To hide the fault I see ; 
 That mercy I to others show, 
 That mercy show to me." 
 
'N the early days of recon- 
 struction, after a ride of four 
 hundred miles, the cars left 
 a special agent of the post- 
 office department about mid- 
 night at a village of two or 
 three thousand inhabitants in 
 the heart of Alabama. The 
 rain came down in sheets. 
 Guided by a dingy lantern 
 suspended in the vestibule, 
 he made his way to the near- 
 est hotel, which stood a few 
 feet from the railroad track. 
 Southeni hotels at that pe- 
 riod, more especially away 
 from the leading centers of 
 trade, were the standing hor- 
 ror of the unfortunate itiner- 
 ants who were compelled by 
 the exigencies of business to depend on their cheer. First- 
 class in extortions, and so poor in everything else as to 
 belong to no class whatever, recognized in the nomenclature 
 of travelers, they were patronized by the self-regardful only 
 from necessity. The unhappy mortals whose pursuits kept 
 
5IO THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 them constantly on the wing gradually settled down to 
 an acceptance of discomfort and bad fare with the stolidity 
 which, under a beneficent law of nature, comes to deaden 
 the sensibilities by habitual contact with remediless ills. 
 As the country recovered from the desolations of war, the 
 hotels improved also, so that the hardships referred to are no 
 longer experienced. 
 
 " An African with a tallow dip led the way to the sleeping apartment." 
 
 An African with a tallow dip led the way to the sleeping- 
 apartment. It was located in front, and was apparently the 
 choice room of the establishment. Several broken window- 
 panes admitted the driving rain and wintery winds, the 
 water standing in broad pools on the naked floor. It was 
 a cold night, and the bed was very thin. Having planted 
 the chair which held his clothing in the center of a min- 
 iature lake to protect it from invasion, the guest resigned 
 
CHARACTERISTICS OF JUDGE PERIWINKLE. 
 
 himself to such sleep as the hardness of the couch would 
 permit. 
 
 About the middle of the next forenoon the storm abated, 
 and he sallied forth in search of the party whose commu- 
 nications to the department had sent him thither. The 
 gravamen of the charge was that the postmaster, a lady, 
 was guilty of prying into the correspondence of the com- 
 plainant, delaying and suppressing it. He urged the post- 
 master-general to dispatch an agent from Washington at 
 once to investigate the trouble, and promised to make star- 
 tling disclosures on his arrival. According to the letter of 
 complaint, the terrible little woman who presided over the 
 mail-bags had put a virtual embargo on communications 
 between the writer and the outside world. The court was in 
 session, and the person aggrieved was one of the lawyers in 
 attendance. 
 
 On reaching the venerable rattle-trap where justice or 
 injustice was dispensed, the officer asked the bailiff to re- 
 quest Mr. Periwinkle to step to the door. That gentleman 
 proved to be a white-headed old man of perhaps sixty, with a 
 protuberant mouth, a prominent but thin nose of the Roman 
 profile, and an expression of countenance that blended the 
 characteristics of the fox and the ape. 
 
 Said the stranger, "Good morning, judge" (in Alabama 
 every lawyer in colloquial intercourse is called "judge," 
 while the rest of mankind, except generals, are embraced 
 under the generic title of "colonel"). "I have the letter 
 addressed by you to the postmaster-general, and have come 
 to investigate the charges." 
 
 The "judge" cleared his throat several times, and was 
 evidently much embarrassed. The prompt notice taken of 
 his complaint appeared to surprise him. He commenced by 
 enumerating the various dignities conferred upon him in 
 times past through the suffrages of his fellow-citizens, and 
 the positions he then filled under the patronage of the Fed- 
 eral power. His patriotism knew no bounds. Wherever 
 
512 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 there was an office of emolument or trust to be disposed of, 
 he stood ready like a veteran soldier to rush into the breach, 
 regardless alike of the sneers and jeers of the "enemies 
 of the government." He believed in everybody connected 
 with the administration and Congress, and in everything 
 which they did. At the same time he was ready to incur 
 any sacrifice in the way of accepting office. 
 
 After a while the stranger interrupted the stream of his 
 volubility with the remark, "Well, judge, I have come to 
 inquire into your grievances. Please give an explicit state- 
 ment of the facts." 
 
 " Have you been to the post-office? " he inquired. 
 
 " Not yet," said the agent. " Before calling on an official 
 against whom serious charges are preferred in general terms, 
 I deem it a duty to myself and to the department to obtain 
 exact information in regard to the nature of the offense." 
 
 Again the old gentleman cleared his throat, and, with eyes 
 cast vacantly on the floor, devoted a brief interval to silent 
 meditation. 
 
 Rousing from the reverie, he continued, "You will do me 
 a great favor, placing me under lasting obligations, if you 
 will leave town without letting the postmaster know you have 
 been here, or informing any one else of your business. It 
 is true I have had reasons for complaint, but she is on the 
 whole quite an estimable woman, and has influential friends. 
 Besides, a disturbance just now would stir up bad blood 
 and make unpleasantness. I am very glad you came. Tell 
 the postmaster-general, and the secretary of the treasury, 
 and the attorney-general, and the President, that if there 
 is anything in the world I can do for the government, to 
 call on me freely, and they shall command my services. 
 O, how I love the glorious Union the stars and the 
 stripes the grandest nation the sun ever shone on ! It is 
 the duty of every good citizen to make any and all sac- 
 rifices to preserve and perpetuate it. But," shaking a long, 
 bony finger in the face of the astonished listener, and 
 
THE AMERICAN EAGLE^. 513 
 
 dropping his -voice to a confidential whisper, "the people' 
 here cannot be trusted. They hate the government. The 
 snake is scotched, not killed. 1 Unless they are kept in the 
 background, we shall have another war I repeat it, an- 
 other war. Yet many of them would do anything, or swear 
 to any kind of bath, for the sake of getting office. Will you' 
 trust them and imperil all that has been won by the outpour- 
 ing of millions of treasure ._and_ , oceans^ ojf blood? I shall 
 be most happy to advise the government and its agents. 
 Perhaps in the course of business in Alabama you may 
 require legal assistance. If so, command me. Rest assured;, 
 I can be depended on." 
 
 Everything earthly must come to an end, and so did th0 
 oration of Benjamin Franklin Periwinkle. One seldom enf 
 counters in a man of years and experience so transparent 
 a humbug. Under other circumstances his rodomontade 
 might have amused one; but, with a great deal of impor- 
 tant work demanding immediate attention, the special agent 
 had traveled four hundred miles on a fool's errand as it 
 turned out, had tossed during the long hours of the previous 
 night on a bed hard as the primitive rocks, and had give|k 
 blood freely to the occupants who held the territory by rignjt 
 of pre-emption, so that he .was in no mood to be entertained 
 by the gush even of so eminent a patriot. The whistle, sucty 
 as it was, cost too much. Besides, after opening from a 
 masked battery on a defenseless woman, the coward lacked 
 the nerve to meet the issue, and, when, confronted with an 
 opportunity to justify his assertions, beat an ignominious 
 retreat. 
 
 Turning from the old wretch with 1 mingled feelings of 
 indignation and disgust, the agent proceeded to the post- 
 office. The postmaster, middle-aged, intelligent, and incisive, 
 was in attendance. Introducing himself as an agent of the 
 department, he told her without preamble that he had come 1 
 quite a distance to investigate serious charges pertaining 
 to the management of the office. Betraying no trepidation 1 
 33 
 
5*4 
 
 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 or embarrassment, she modestly inquired what the charges 
 were. 
 
 He replied, "I have in my pocket a communication from 
 a citizen to the department, wherein he accuses you of open- 
 ing letters for the purpose of prying into his affairs, and also 
 of suppressing them in some cases altogether." 
 
 The hot blood mounted to her cheeks. Said she, "I 
 
 " With no small degree of ill-suppressed wrath, she continued, 'The old rep- 
 robate lies from beginning to end.' " 
 
 understand it now : there is but one man in this community 
 mean enough to attack an unprotected woman, and that is 
 old Ben Periwinkle." 
 
 " I have been trying," said the officer, ff to learn from him 
 the nature of the trouble, but as he evades giving specific 
 facts to sustain the charges, I have come to you for enlight- 
 enment." 
 
THE MOTIVES OF PERIWINKLE. 515 
 
 The document in question was handed her for perusal. 
 With no small degree of ill-suppressed wrath, she continued, 
 "The old reprobate lies from beginning to end. I never 
 opened a letter, or detained one. I have tried to do my duty 
 faithfully. The people here will tell you so. I come early, 
 and stay late, striving in every way to permit the existence 
 of no cause for complaint." 
 
 " Why is it Judge Periwinkle is so much exercised?" asked 
 the investigator. 
 
 * The old fool," she replied, " is constantly writing to Chief 
 Justice Chase, General Grant, and other prominent men, and 
 because they do not answer the letters, he imagines I steal 
 them. If they take no notice of his scribblings, I certainly 
 cannot write replies for them. If I call spirits from the vasty 
 deep, they will not come. Periwinkle receives promptly 
 every letter that reaches this office addressed to him." 
 
 The officer had pursued the investigation far enough to see 
 why the judge did not care to come in conflict with the post- 
 master. Besides having no case, or semblance of a case, he 
 was no match for her sharp wit and ready tongue. The 
 accuser having abandoned his charges, and the rest of the 
 community being satisfied with the management of the office, 
 nothing remained for the agent in that locality save to while 
 away the hours till the return train arrived at two o'clock the 
 next morning. 
 
 Inquiries confirmed the correctness of the judge's enumeration 
 in reference to the number and variety of responsible positions 
 he had managed to absorb. Yet, like a hungry cur, he was 
 whining piteously for more. His thirst for office was insa- 
 tiable, and, judging from the current episode in his career, he 
 scrupled at no means to carry his ends. Why he, invited an 
 investigation, when he dared not confront a woman with his 
 flimsy accusations, and even trembled for fear she should learn 
 that an agent had come for the purpose, is a mystery, im- 
 plying the presence of motives and impulses which find no lodg- 
 ment in a well-balanced mind. A sane person cannot account 
 
516 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 rationally for the vagaries of the insane. With an ill-defined 
 notion of the methods by which departmental business is con- 
 ducted, he may have conjectured that he was making friends' 
 and capital at head-quarters by espionage in the name of loy- 
 alty on the acts of his neighbors. If so, in this instance the 
 venture proved a poor investment, for the officer took partic- 
 ular pains to ventilate the performances of "Judge " Benjamin 
 Franklin Periwinkle where the information would "do the 
 most good." The facts needed no comment. The orbits of 
 the agent and the patriot never intersected afterwards, but 
 from that day the fortunes of the professional office-hunter 
 began to wane. 
 
 A few months later, the same special agent was sent on a 
 similar errand to a town of about the same size in the northern 
 part of Alabama. It was his first visit to the place, and his 
 knowledge of the controversy to be inquired into was derived 
 entirely from the papers forwarded from the department. 
 These, though ex parte, were calculated at first sight to pro- 
 duce a very unfavorable impression in regard to the postmas- 
 ter. It was noticeable, however, even from the documents, 
 that the agitation was evidently instigated and kept up by a 
 single hand. The petition praying for the removal of the 
 incumbent bore but thirteen signatures, and those in a style 
 of chirography which indicated that the writers were illiterate 
 and uninfluential. The master spirit of the movement was 
 one Digem, who, like the hero of the previous sketch, carried 
 on his shoulders the weight of numerous official dignities, 
 and for the sake of the country, and in the cause of sound 
 government, was willing to have the burden still further aug- 
 mented- Unlike the timid, subservient, mild-mannered Perif 
 winkle, Digem was bold, impetuous, and aggressive. A thin, 
 weird old man, he faltered at no peril, throwing firebrands* 
 
AGENT B. R. F. AND A. L. 
 
 517 
 
 arrows, and death into the camp of his foes with the zest of a 
 school-boy at play. 
 
 Among the papers were several letters written by him to 
 the department. He alleged that the postmaster was disloyal, 
 disobliging, and in every way unfit for the office. Nor did 
 he confine himself to vague generalities, but boldly asserted 
 that on a certain Saturday night the postmaster, in connection 
 with two other persons, endeavored to excite a mob for the 
 purpose of breaking up 
 a meeting of the Union 
 League, on the pretext 
 that the negroes were 
 plotting to burn the 
 town. A Doctor Cow- 
 ley was given as au- 
 thority for the asser- 
 tion. He further stated 
 it to be the "general 
 belief" that "this man " 
 was at the head of a 
 conspiracy which had 
 attempted to assassi- 
 nate him several 
 months previously. 
 This rioter and cut- 
 throat was also in the 
 habit of suppressing 
 letters and public doc- 
 uments, even going aboard the trains to take them from the 
 hands of the route agents. 
 
 But the big gun the columbiad of the assailants -was 
 an affidavit from the local agent of the freedmen's bureau, 
 who in fact appended to his official signature ithe following 
 cabalistic letters : w Ag't B. R. F. & A. L." It seemed to be 
 assumed that a name capable of sustaining such an array 
 of alphabetical decorations would crush through all imped- 
 
 Digem. 
 
THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 iments with the momentum of a cannon-ball. The affidavit 
 covered two pages of letter-sheet, and among other charges 
 recited that the deponent had personally known the post- 
 master for fifteen or twenty years ; that during the war he 
 had been a hearty sympathizer with the rebellion, giving it 
 all the aid in his power ; that he had contributed freely 
 toward the organization of a military force before the Con- 
 federacy had even a de facto government ; that he was still 
 an unrepentant ^and boisterous rebel, who prostituted his offi- 
 cial position for the purpose of embarrassing Unionists and 
 freedmen ; that in his belief he had not discharged his duties 
 in accordance with the regulations of the department ; and 
 that the public interests demanded his removal. The doc- 
 ument was duly subscribed and sworn to. 
 
 The agent called first on Mr. Twombly, the postmaster, 
 and found him a gentleman in appearance and address. He 
 explained the object of the visit, handing him the papers for 
 perusal. After looking them over carefully, Mr. Twombly 
 remarked, "I am very glad you have come, and trust you 
 will make this examination thorough. From vague threats 
 circulating through the community, I surmised that some devil- 
 ment was going on, but did not suppose that these rascals, 
 unscrupulous as they are, would dare put their names to such 
 atrocious falsehoods. I appreciate the kindness of the de- 
 partment in not acting without inquiry, and before the exam- 
 ination is closed you also will appreciate, I think, the wisdom 
 of the precaution." 
 
 "Are the men," inquired the officer, "whose names appear 
 on this petition reputable citizens? " 
 
 "I want you to see and converse with every one of them," 
 answered Twombly. "Digem is unfortunately absent from 
 town, but the rest are here, and can probably be drummed up 
 without trouble. Most of them will be found loafing around 
 the liquor saloons. As I am mayor, I will deputize a marshal 
 to go with you in the search, or will have them brought into 
 my office, or will render whatever aid I can in any other 
 course you may prefer." 
 
RAGAMUFFINS TO THE FRONT. 519 
 
 A runner was sent out to invite the petitioners to meet the 
 investigator. As they straggled in, one after another, their 
 appearance was strikingly suggestive of Falstaff's recruits ; 
 yet they were a good-natured set of ragamuffins, answering 
 questions freely, without reserve or evasion. All agreed that 
 the office, under the management of Mr. Twombly, was con- 
 ducted well and impartially ; that they had heard no com- 
 plaints against the postmaster, and knew of no cause for his 
 removal. Several explained that their signatures had been 
 procured for the petition by false representations. They were 
 told that Mr. Twombly was about to resign, and were asked 
 to join in designating a successor. With the crowd came also 
 the applicant for the place, supported by the petitioners. He 
 appeared to be a good-natured, easy-going sot, of the Rip 
 Van Winkle school one of the last men that an intelligent 
 community would select to fill any position of responsibility. 
 With perfect candor, he admitted that he could give no reason 
 whatever why he should be substituted for the actual in- 
 cumbent. 
 
 Considerable difficulty was experienced in finding the 
 bureau agent who had sworn to the cumulative charges 
 against Mr. Twombly. If his affidavit was true, the post- 
 master was a perjurer liable to all the pains and penalties of 
 the crime ; for at that time Federal officials were required to 
 take the famous test oath, w r hich had been worded with stu- 
 dious care for the purpose of excluding from the public service 
 all who had directly or remotely participated in the war 
 against the Union. The disabling clause ran thus : 
 
 " And I do further solemnly swear that I have never voluntarily borne arms 
 against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof ; that I have 
 voluntarily given no aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons 
 engaged in armed hostility thereto ; that I have neither sought, nor accepted, 
 nor attempted to exercise the functions of any office whatever, under any 
 authority, or pretended authority, in hostility to the United States ; that I 
 have not yielded a voluntary support to any pretended government, author- 
 ity, power, or constitution within the United States, hostile or inimical 
 thereto." 
 
5 2 THE PATRIOTS QF '67. 
 
 It was apparent that one of these two men had committed 
 deliberate perjury. After a Jong search, the town marshal 
 discovered Darnell, the bureau agent, and brought him in. 
 The fellow came reluctantly, and was far from happy at the 
 prospect of being "interviewed." As he took a seat in the ; 
 little coterie of interested parties drawn together in the prog- 
 ress of the inquiry, he was pale and tremulous, terrified like 
 Saul by the specter whose visitation he had helped to invoke. 
 When the fatal affidavit was penned under the inspiration ( of 
 Digem and whiskey, he did not imagine it would ever return 
 to trouble his peace; but, like many others, he learned too 
 late that falsehood, like a double-edged sword, cuts both ways. 
 After reading the 'paper aloud, slowly and deliberately, so 
 that each specification might be brought out with distinctness, 
 the agent asked if the charges were true. 
 
 "They are false," he replied, "from beginning to end," 
 
 "From personal knowledge, Mr. Darnell, or from informa- 
 tion that has come to ; you through others, do you think Mr. 
 Twombly was disqualified from taking the ' test oath' ? " 
 
 " No, sir. I have always understood that he was a good 
 Unionist, and that during .the, war he acted consistently on 
 that line." 
 
 " Has there been anything illegal, improper, or unfair in the 
 management of the office since he took control of it ; and if 
 so, what?" 
 
 " I 'have always regarded Mr. Twombly as an excellent 
 postmaster," he answered. "There may have been trivial 
 complaints, but, so far, _as I know^ these have arisen wholly 
 from personal spite and disappointment, and have no real 
 foundation. Efforts may have been made to prejudice against 
 him the minds of the freedmen, who are ignorant and easily 
 influenced ; but if such a movement has been made, I have 
 had no share in it." 
 
 "You repeat, Mr. Darnell, that the affidavit which I have 
 read here is false ? " 
 
 "Yes, "said he; "to tne best of my knowledge and belief, 
 
THE PERJURER, 
 
 521 
 
 &11 the charges are false. Mr. Twombly is an entirely differ- 
 ent kind of a man." 
 
 "Did you have anything to do, Mr. Darnell, with the get- 
 ting up of that affidavit? " 
 
 " Nothing," he replied. " I never saw or heard of it 
 before." 
 
 j Giving him the paper, w Is that your handwriting ? " the 
 investigator continued. 
 
 Darnell now pre- 
 sented a most pitiable 
 aspect, his counte- 
 nance whitening to a 
 ghastly pallor as he 
 stammered forth, 
 
 " It looks like it ; but 
 if it is, I was so drunk 
 when I wrote it that I /%, 
 have no recollection of M 
 it whatever. It must ' 
 be my writing, and this 
 is the only way in 
 which it can be ac- 
 counted for, as I am a 
 truthful man, and in 
 my right mind could 
 never have subscribed 
 to such falsehoods." ; 
 
 Trembling with agitation, he turned to the accused and to 
 others in the room, pathetically appealing to them to bear tes- 
 timony to his general good character, and appearing very 
 grateful when they coincided in the statement that he was 
 often so drunk as to be unconscious probably of what he was 
 doing. The abjectness of the poor wretch converted indigna- 
 tion to pity, robbing even righteous resentment of its sting. 
 If his sworn testimony was palpably falser his paltry attempt 
 at explanation was equally so ; .for the affidavit was penned in. 
 
 Mr. Darnell. 
 
522 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 a clear, firm hand, and throughout bore marks of careful 
 preparation. The body as well as the signature were in the 
 writing of Darnell. Without doubt this was one of the most 
 sober acts he had performed for a number of years. Having 
 passed the crisis, he inquired, "Are you through with me?" 
 and, being answered in the affirmative, picked up his hat, 
 and, pale and dejected, slunk out of sight like a convicted 
 felon. As an agent of the freedmen's bureau, this man had 
 been intrusted with the distribution of large quantities of sup- 
 plies, and with other responsibilities of a delicate nature, 
 calling for the exercise of sobriety, tact, intelligence, and 
 scrupulous honesty. According to the concurrent testimony 
 of the citizens, whom the pending investigation drew together 
 either casually or as witnesses, he had failed lamentably in 
 every particular, numerous instances of peculation and oppres- 
 sion being mentioned. In due time the facts were brought to 
 the attention of Major-General Pope, then commanding the 
 military district, who immediately dismissed him from service 
 on the ground that a person capable of concocting slanderous 
 affidavits in a state of oblivious intoxication, could labor with 
 more profit to the country in quite a different sphere. 
 
 To avoid the possibility of imposition, the agent consulted 
 union citizens, Federal officers, and public documents in ref- 
 erence to the antecedents of the postmaster, learning that 
 by common consent he was selected for the position as the 
 most suitable person who could unqualifiedly take the oath. He 
 appeared to be held in high estimation by all classes, the 
 crusade against him having been instigated exclusively by 
 Digem. 
 
 Of this fiery old gentleman, war waged by harangues 
 within the safe limits of bloodshed, was the natural element. 
 He gloried in military rule, and was a firm believer in the 
 maxim, Inter arma leges silent. Having procured a large 
 number of envelopes ornamented with the franks of a senator 
 from New England and a congressman from Ohio, he at- 
 tempted, in violation of law, to use them to cover an 
 
MALICE THWARTED. 523 
 
 extensive personal and political correspondence. With a 
 similar disregard for the Statutes at Large, he also undertook 
 to address and mail franked documents from various post- 
 offices in Alabama, including that at his residence. Mr. 
 Twombly, having more regard for the law than for the good- 
 will of this economical disseminator of intelligence, politely 
 directed his attention to the code, and, as required by the 
 regulations of the department, forwarded the matter ille- 
 gally franked to the dead-letter office. Frustrated in his 
 efforts to defraud the revenues through the medium of the 
 post-office, he tried to accomplish the same end by handing 
 the packages to the route agents aboard the trains, who, 
 under instructions from the postmaster, refused to receive 
 them. Not to be outdone, he determined at all hazards to 
 secure the removal of the officer whose vigilance thwarted 
 his schemes. 
 
 A single point for investigation remained. Digem repre- 
 sented that on a specified Saturday night, Mr. Twombly 
 joined with others in inciting a mob to break up a meeting 
 of the Union League, citing for authority Doctor Cowley. 
 The doctor not only denied having made such a statement, 
 but declared that he had never heard of the matter before, 
 the item being new to him. The president of the league, a 
 reputable colored man, testified that, as mayor, Mr. Twombly, 
 though opposed on principle to secret organizations, had al- 
 ways treated them well and kindly. 
 
 Thus the entire array of charges concocted to crush the 
 postmaster crumbled to dust. Mr. Twombly continued to 
 fill the position to the satisfaction of the community, and 
 Digem continued to gnaw a file with growing venom till, 
 not long after, he tottered to the grave, breathing forth 
 slaughter to the bitter end. 
 
 Incidents like the foregoing, where the naked facts look 
 like extravagant caricatures, might be multiplied almost in- 
 
524 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 definitely. In long established and well regulated commu- 
 nities, affairs moving forward with even pace are seldom 
 thrown out of gear by abnormal forces. To a considerable 
 degree society becomes organically moral, treating the crimi- 
 nal classes as no integral part of itself, but as dangerous 
 excrescences to be repressed or extirpated. Raiders upon 
 the public meet with no kind of sympathy or toleration, but 
 are hunted down like wild beasts and punished without pity. 
 Thieves and cut- throats are compelled to hide in obscure 
 corners, and to carry on their nefarious work under cover 
 of darkness and secrecy. Revolutions, however, bring them 
 to, the surface in swarms, and for a while at least they fatten 
 on the general ruin. 
 
 ( ;At the period referred to, the South was passing through 
 & great transition, painfully conscious of present hardships, 
 and upborne by no prophetic vision of relief and prosperity 
 in the future. So rapid was the whirl of events and so com- 
 plete the exclusion from positions of authority of the men who 
 had long monopolized the functions of government, that tem- 
 porary paralysis fell upon the people, and the fiery spirits that, 
 during four years of bloody 'conflict, had shrunk from no risks 
 ^nd paled at no dangers, -sunk down helplessly and hope- 
 lessly beneath the oppression of misgovernment. The endur- 
 ajice strained to its utmost tension by the waning fortunes of 
 war, when overcome, gave way entirely. 
 
 According to the medieval philosophers, "Nature abhors a 
 vacuum." Wherever opportunities arise for taking short cuts 
 to preferment and wealth, adventurers stream in to fill the 
 rjlaces like air into an exhausted receiver. Rascals with a 
 penchant for politics, banking on the profound gratitude of 
 the ' country toward the soldiers whose heroism had saved 
 it from dismemberment, and which was still extended, though 
 in a less degree, to the men who remained at the South to fur- 
 ther the work of restoration, "stealing the livery of heaven to 
 se'rve the devil in/' used the most sacred sympathies of the 
 nation as a screen to protect their villanies. Plotting under 
 
AFTER THE WAR. ;< 525 
 
 cover of intense loyalty to the government, and able in many 
 cases to overthrow opposition by the persistent use of hard 
 names, they succeeded in many localities in gaining >a brief, 
 ascendency, which, while winning for them no permanent 
 benefit, brought great scandal upon the noble cause they 
 graced. Active members of vigilance committees whose 
 ness it was in the sad winter preceding the war to drive the. 
 friends of the Union in terror from their homes, having expe- 
 rienced a change of heart with the downfall of the confeder- 
 acy, now plundered the people while shouting the praises of 
 the republic. As impudence is much more aggressive than 
 worth, they pushed aside wherever it was possible both Fed-? 
 eral soldiers and long-tried Southern Unionists, as not sum% 
 ciently sound for the exigencies of the hour. Falsehood^ 
 slander, and fraud, thinly veneered with professions of ex- 
 travagant and exclusive loyalty, for a while were the winning 
 cards in the desperate play for power and pelf. 
 
 If unsavory stories regarding former misdeeds perchance 
 followed the embryo statesman to his newly selected home, 
 he could point to a ready, and generally a satisfactory expla- 
 nation, in the supposed malice of the "rebels." Such was 
 the convenient scapegoat that was made to bear away into 
 the wilderness the evidence of a multitude of sins. It was 
 not difficult to hide the facts of a troublesome record, or to 
 conceal schemes of future villany under cover of the preva- 
 lent disorder. 
 
 Happily the evil, like all evils of mushroom growth, passed 
 into rapid decay. The penitentiary absorbed a fair share of the 
 miscreants. Some sought safety in voluntary exile. Many, 
 having squandered their ill-gotten gains, are now wandering 
 as vagabonds on the face of the earth. " The strong hours 
 conquer." Time is the great avenger. 
 
 It would be false and cruelly unjust to intimate that the 
 migratory movement southward after the war was made up to 
 any great extent of bad material, or that it was inspired by 
 improper motives. Large numbers of northern men went 
 
526 THE PATRIOTS OF '67. 
 
 thither to follow legitimate pursuits by honorable methods. 
 Many became identified with the somewhat complex scheme 
 of reconstruction, filling both State and Federal offices with 
 honor to themselves and advantage to the public. Justly 
 claiming that the whole country belongs equally to all its 
 citizens, they had no apologies to offer for standing up as 
 the champions of political doctrines that grated harshly upon 
 unfamiliar ears. In the presence of temptations on one 
 side, and of opprobium on the other, they have continued to 
 follow the line of duty honestly and courageously, till in 
 many cases they have overcome the most inveterate preju- 
 dices, and have conquered places in the respect and esteem 
 of those who were once ready to fight their opinions with 
 fire. 
 
T WAS a bitterly 
 cold day. The cut- 
 ting wind blew bois- 
 terously, and whis- 
 tled through every 
 crevice of the Old 
 Dutch Church on Nas- 
 sau Street, which, in 
 the changes of time, 
 had been transformed 
 into a post-office. Al- 
 though in the height of 
 the busy season, the pave- 
 ments were compara- 
 tively deserted. A few 
 pedestrians, protected by 
 overcoats, shawls, and 
 
 ' As the stranger entered, he found the pro- other wrappings, hurried 
 prietor engaged at hia trade." , ... - , 
 
 along as if fate depended 
 
 on speed. Clouds of fine, frozen dust swept by to the ad- 
 ditional discomfort of travelers. Overhead, the sky looked 
 gray and gloomy, as if the weight of snow buried in its bosom 
 oppressed it like some dark secret. It was one of those days 
 when the more fortunate classes of society appreciate to the 
 full the cosy comforts of home, and when, too, the houseless 
 and hungry shiver anew at each fresh blast, and look for- 
 
528 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 ward with one solitary hope to the barren warmth of the 
 grave. 
 
 Before a bright coal-grate in one of the rooms of the Nassau 
 Street post-office a gentleman was examining a huge package 
 of papers, and at intervals giving sundry directions to a clerk. 
 Having just returned from a successful trip in the service of 
 the government, he was reading the correspondence which had 
 accumulated during his absence, and deciding upon the first 
 step to be taken in each of the multitudinous cases submitted 
 for his action. 
 
 " Ah ! " thought he, as a blast of more than ordinary fierce- 
 ness howled at the window, " how lucky I was to reach home 
 a day ahead of the polar wave." 
 
 Just then a quick rap was heard at the door. 
 
 "Come in," answered the inmate. 
 
 A messenger from the telegraph office entered, and delivered 
 a dispatch. It read thus : 
 
 "To B. K. SHARRETTS, Special Agent Post-Office Depart- 
 ment, New York City. 
 "Come to Frostburgh at once. Urgent case. 
 
 " W. A. ARROW, U. S. Dist. Att'y." 
 
 The situation was trying ; but Mr. Sharretts is an officer 
 who never at the call of duty pauses to consider matters of 
 personal convenience or comfort. His resolution was instantly 
 taken. The United States attorney would not summon him 
 so pressingly unless in his judgment the emergency, whatever 
 it might be, demanded his immediate presence. Accordingly, 
 other business was dropped to make hasty preparations for 
 the journey. In three hours from the receipt of the telegram, 
 the special agent was hurrying northward by the fast express. 
 Meanwhile, 
 
 "Announced by all the trumpets of the sky. 
 Arrives the snow; and driving o'er the fields 
 Seems nowhere to alight; the whited air 
 Hides hills and woods, the river and the heaven." 
 
STOPPED BY A SNOW-DRIFT. 529 
 
 The train flew past villages and cities. After watching 
 awhile the frantic gambols of the snowflakes, the officer 
 yielded to a feeling of drowsiness, and fell asleep. After a nap 
 of uncertain length, suddenly the engine gave a shrill whistle, 
 and with a jar that awakened the somnolent passengers the 
 train came to a stop. Night had fallen, and the concussion 
 extinguishing the lamps, a scene of confusion followed. The 
 more timorous thought of collisions, and stretched their sleepy 
 limbs to see if the bones were still unbroken. It was soon 
 learned that the locomotive had plunged headlong into a heavy 
 drift, where it was likely to remain during the rest of the night. 
 Whatever hopes of extrication may at first have animated the 
 more sanguine were soon dissipated by the rapidly falling 
 flakes, which quickly filled the passage behind as well as be- 
 fore, completing the barricade. 
 
 It was six miles to the nearest station. Although supperless 
 and hungry, no passenger would have the hardihood to at- 
 tempt the journey on such a night, over a road buried beneath 
 the drifts, and in the teeth of a driving storm. The only 
 alternative was to accept the situation with the best grace 
 possible. 
 
 To crown the sufferings of the unfortunate travelers, the 
 fires from lack of fuel gradually sunk lower and lower, till 
 little more than the ashes remained. Probably some remem- 
 ber that night as the most uncomfortable they ever passed. 
 
 In the gray of the morning, engines crept up from both 
 directions to the relief of the imprisoned train. After an hour 
 or two of vigorous shoveling, the passage was cleared, and 
 once more they were free. Without further interruption the 
 traveler reached Frostburgh, and, after riding a mile in an 
 open sleigh, with the thermometer ten degrees below zero, 
 found a temporary haven at the village hotel, where a thorough 
 ablution and a hot breakfast restored his customary serenity. 
 
 Thus refreshed, he proceeded to the office of the United 
 States district attorney, to learn the nature of the trouble that 
 prompted the message. Mr. Arrow was in. After the inter- 
 
 34 
 
53O OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 change of the ordinary courtesies, they came directly to the 
 business in hand. With the single exception of the substitu- 
 tion of fictitious for real names, the facts throughout are given 
 as they occurred. 
 
 It appeared that William Garmo had for many years held 
 the position of postmaster at Forsyth, a small village twenty- 
 one miles from Frostburgh. During the period, notwith- 
 standing an occasional growl from some dissatisfied patron of 
 the office, nothing to the discredit of the incumbent had hitherto 
 assumed tangible form. A short time before, however, a 
 mysterious loss had occurred under circumstances which led 
 the public generally to believe that William Garmo was the 
 thief. A letter containing eleven twenty-dollar bills, issued 
 by the Faneuil Hall Bank of Boston, and addressed to Mr. 
 Aminadab Luffer at Forsyth. was proven by incontestable evi- 
 dence to have reached that office, but there all trace of it was 
 lost. When the party addressed called for his mail, this letter 
 was not given to him, though he had been anxiously expecting 
 the remittance for a number of days, and had more than once 
 mentioned the fact to the postmaster. 
 
 Not hearing from his correspondent, Mr. Luffer wrote a 
 letter of inquiry, and was informed in reply, that on a certain 
 date, the two hundred and twenty dollars as described had been 
 mailed to him. During the interval the tax-collector received 
 from Mr. Garmo two twenty-dollar bills of the Faneuil Hall 
 Bank. By diligent inquiries Mr. Luffer learned from two or 
 three credible parties, that about the time the expected remit- 
 tance should have arrived, a letter inclosed in a long envelope 
 of the official size, somewhat mutilated at the end, and bearing 
 his address, was seen inside the office. As he had received no 
 communication corresponding to the description, he inferred 
 that this must be the valuable packet, and the conclusion 
 was corroborated by the subsequent statement of the remitter. 
 Although it could not be shown that the numbers of the notes 
 paid out by Mr. Garmo were identical with the numbers in- 
 closed to Mr. Luffer, yet twenty-dollar bills of the Faneuil Hall 
 
MR. LUFFER WANTS HIS MONEY. 531 
 
 Bank were such a rarity in the neighborhood, that the public 
 generally required no additional evidence to convince them 
 that, overpowered by the temptation, the postmaster had ap- 
 propriated to his own use the contents of the letter. Aminadab 
 openly accused Garmo of stealing his money, and demanded 
 its return. When that official, denying all knowledge of the 
 loss, declined to make it good, the sufferer simultaneously 
 began a civil suit in the state courts for the recovery of the 
 amount, and started a petition for the removal of the post- 
 master. The evidence, though circumstantial, seemed so 
 strong to the United States attorney, that he felt it to be a duty 
 to take prompt action, and accordingly sent for the special 
 agent by telegraph. 
 
 After giving an outline of the case, Mr. Arrow added, by way 
 of qualification, that he was personally acquainted with Mr. 
 Garmo, whose reputation up to the time of this unhappy event 
 had, so far as he knew, been unblemished. The charge had 
 filled him with surprise, but it seemed to be too well supported 
 by the facts to be allowed to pass unnoticed by the govern- 
 ment. The demands of justice are impartial and inexorable. 
 If William Garmo had sinned, William Garmo must suffer the 
 penalty. 
 
 Provided with a warrant for the arrest of the accused, to be 
 used if the evidence on close sifting was found to sustain the 
 charge beyond reasonable doubt, the special agent prepared, 
 without a moment of needless delay, for the long, cold, and 
 dreary ride. The polar wave, sweeping across the continent 
 from the Rocky Mountains, was just about at the point of cul- 
 mination. Having procured a sleigh with a sturdy span of 
 horses, and the companionship of the assistant postmaster at 
 Frostburgh, who was also to act as pilot, they were soon 
 driving at a rapid pace along the banks of the St. Lawrence, 
 so well protected by wraps and robes that the hyperborean 
 blasts were scarcely felt. 
 
 For some distance the road was in fine condition, and being 
 the favorite drive of the town, was thronged with gay pleasure- 
 
532 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 seekers. The silvery tinkling of bells near and far, the sharp 
 crackle of the snow beneath the runners of the vehicles, and, 
 above all, the stimulus of the clear, pure air, so exhilarated 
 the officer, that, while the panorama lasted, he entirely forgot 
 the fatigues of the past twenty-four hours, as well as the pain- 
 ful business before him. 
 
 The first five miles of the journey were quickly accomplished, 
 and there they diverged from the beaten highway into an un- 
 frequented by-road. The plain behind was as smooth and level 
 as a billiard-table, but in front a succession of spurs intersected 
 the track. Over the greater part of the route the surface of 
 the deep snow was unbroken save by the passage of log sleds, 
 which left two deep, parallel cuts in the crust, and a hollow 
 trail in the centre, made by the huge tree-trunks as these were 
 dragged from the forest to the saw-mills. As a consequence, 
 the progress of the travelers was beset with difficulty and even 
 a slight smack of danger. Upsets were not unfrequent ; and 
 as the gentleman from Frostburgh was w twice as thin " as the 
 special agent, according to the phraseology of the Milesian, 
 the sleigh uniformly careened to the same side, landing the 
 heavy weight at the bottom, with the assistant postmaster and 
 the other contents of the vehicle on top. The horses, though 
 free and spirited, had evidently been trained to expect acci- 
 dents of this character, for with each overturn they instantly 
 stopped, and stood patiently till the status quo was restored. 
 
 When the travelers reached Forsyth, the day was far ad- 
 vanced, and they were nearly frozen. By the external applica- 
 tion of ice-water to his benumbed extremities, and the inward ap- 
 plication of hot drinks, whether of coffee or something weaker 
 the record makes no mention, the agent of the post-office de- 
 partment was soon thawed out and ready again for work. 
 
 In the present investigation it was unnecessary for the agent 
 to conceal his official character, or to consume time in efforts 
 to entrap the supposed thief while actually engaged in the per- 
 petration of a fresh robbery. One question alone demanded 
 answer : Did the postmaster steal the letter containing the 
 
INTERVIEWING THE LANDLORD. 533 
 
 two hundred and twenty dollars mailed to Aminadab Luffer? 
 If so, it might be his first offense, committed in a moment of 
 weakness, and bitterly lamented afterwards ; but the law knows 
 no distinction between the initial crime and the fiftieth. 
 
 As a preliminary step, he desired to learn how Mr. Garmo 
 stood in the community, and what opinion the neighbors en- 
 tertained in regard to the particular transaction which had 
 caused unparalleled excitement in the locality, and formed the 
 uppermost topic of conversation. The village hotel-keeper 
 had been commended to him as a person of shrewdness, judg- 
 ment, and candor, who would be likel}' to absorb all the cur- 
 rent gossip, and reflect with tolerable accuracy the general 
 sentiment of the public. A brief conversation with that digni- 
 tary, on matters of common interest, satisfied the detective that 
 he could not go to a better source in quest of the desired in- 
 formation. He accordingly explained the object of his mission, 
 and asked for a confidential but unreserved statement in 
 reference to the antecedents of the postmaster, and the facts 
 of the supposed robbery. 
 
 The proprietor, remarking in a self-congratulatory manner, 
 by way of preface, W I thought I knew what brought you 
 here," proceeded, in answer to various questions, to describe 
 the character and surroundings of Mr. Garmo. He said that 
 till the recent unhappy occurrence his reputation had always 
 been excellent, not a serious word having ever been whispered 
 against his fair fame. In point of worldly gear, his circum- 
 stances were good. His wife was a Christian woman of high 
 character and accomplishments, beautiful, intelligent, amiable, 
 whom all respected and loved. Two sons, aged respectively 
 fifteen and twelve, were the brightest as well as the best- 
 trained boys in the village. In brief, the family in every 
 respect was a model for imitation. 
 
 Besides discharging the duties of postmaster, Mr. Garmo 
 carried on the business of harness-maker; and the revenue 
 from both sources was supposed to yield a handsome income. 
 So far as known, he never ventured even upon the edge of 
 
534 
 
 OUT OF THE DEEPS, 
 
 the dangerous sea of speculation, thus exposing himself to an 
 under-current of temptation which too often lures to ruin the 
 well-intentioned but weak. In the pecuniary circumstances of 
 the man no motive could be found for the commission of the 
 theft. K Yet," continued the innkeeper, w this is a dead sure 
 thing on him ; and, although I am truly sorry, I s'pose he'll 
 have to be put through." 
 
 " 'Yet,' continued the innkeeper, * this is a dead sure thing on him; and, although 
 I am truly sorry, I s'pose he'll have to be put through.' 
 
 Further inquiry elicited the information that upon the day 
 of the supposed robbery a soldier was buried at Forsyth and 
 an ox slaughtered two unusual occurrences, which served 
 both to identify the date and to collect in the village a con- 
 course of people from the surrounding country. It was sup- 
 posed that Garmo took advantage of the confusion and excite- 
 ment to cover the commission of the crime. 
 
THE POSTMASTER AT HOME. 535 
 
 At this stage of the inquiry the prospect looked dark for 
 Mr. Garmo. Now thoroughly posted in all the facts known 
 to the public, the detective proceeded to the post-office to inter- 
 view the party whose reputation, whether deservedly or not, 
 seemed to be forever blasted. The office was kept in a small 
 room partitioned off from the work-shop. A glance discov- 
 ered that it was neat and orderly, a fact indicating, so far as it 
 went, that the incumbent took pride in the business, and would 
 be likely to perform its duties with fidelity. As the stranger 
 entered, he found the proprietor emplo}^ed at his trade. The 
 man looked up, and their eyes met. Accustomed to read coun- 
 tenances with an insight that approaches divination, the detec- 
 tive instantaneously decided that the face before him was pe- 
 culiarly open and honest. As salutations were exchanged, 
 the voice and manner of the harness-maker confirmed the 
 favorable impression. 
 
 * Are you Mr. Garmo the postmaster?" inquired the special 
 agent. 
 
 " Yes, sir," was the reply. 
 
 "Well, sir, I have to inform you that I am a special agent 
 of the post-office department, and the object of my visit will, 
 I presume, be readily surmised by you." 
 
 "Yes, sir," said he, with a deep-drawn sigh ; " I expected it." 
 
 With the view of testing the resiliency of the postmaster, he 
 resolved to deliver a heavy blow, and to closely watch the 
 effect. 
 
 "Such being the case, Mr. Garmo, I conclude no formality 
 is necessary, and I am compelled to request you to accompany 
 me to Frostburgh at once." 
 
 K Well, sir, I am ready to go ; but as true as I have a soul 
 to be saved or lost, I am innocent of the crime charged upon 
 me." 
 
 This was uttered in a low, tremulous tone, so sorrow-laden 
 that it sounded like the last plaint from a broken heart. At 
 the same time an expression of rayless agony, the outcome of 
 days and nights of continuous anguish, overspread his features, 
 
OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 as if the final spark of hope, after a long and terrible but 
 losing struggle, was now extinguished forever. 
 
 The sympathies of the detective, deep, tender, and respon- 
 sive, though few would suspect the fact, were profoundly 
 moved. He answered with perceptible emotion, 
 
 "I feel sincerely sorry for you, Mr. Garmo, and earnestly 
 trust that the investigation will establish your entire innocence 
 of all complicity in this most wretched and melancholy affair." 
 
 w No, sir, no, sir, it never will," he exclaimed. "Though I 
 may be declared guiltless, the stigma will remain, leaving me a 
 branded and ruined man. O, my God, my God ! what have I 
 done to bring this distress upon me and mine? Compared with 
 this horrible torture, death on the rack would be happiness ! " 
 
 His words expired in convulsive sobbing. An outflow of 
 tears having partially restored his composure, he resumed in a 
 voice frequently interrupted by spasms of choking, 
 
 "You cannot tell, sir, what thoughts rack my poor brain 
 during the long and sleepless night. Suicide is sinful in the 
 sight of God, and dreadful to think about. Yet, were I alone 
 in the world, I might be driven to it. But my good, dear wife ! 
 my brave, noble boys ! I want to be with them, if not here, 
 hereafter. Look at my poor suffering wife. She is nearly 
 crazed. Look at her, and may our blessed Father save you 
 from such agony." 
 
 Trembling like an aspen leaf, as if barely able to stand, he 
 pointed toward a window in the adjoining house. A woman 
 of commanding form and of a face divinely beautiful in its 
 unutterable sadness, paced the floor, unconscious of the pres- 
 ence of a stranger, unconscious of everything except the woe 
 that lay like a mountain upon her crushed and bleeding heart. 
 
 The despair in that countenance acted upon the brain of the 
 detective like a draught of magic potency. The effect was 
 electric. His nerves thrilled, and his excited heart-throbs 
 seemed to articulate "There is no crime in this household." 
 
 Despite the damning circumstances which enveloped the un- 
 fortunate man, the inspiration came down with resistless power. 
 
A NEW LEAD. 537 
 
 He felt, he knew that the postmaster was unjustly accused; 
 and grasping his hand, exclaimed from a heart full to over- 
 flowing, 
 
 " Mr. Garmo, I believe you are innocent, and I think I can 
 help you to establish the fact here in your own home. Come, 
 let us sit down and talk the matter over calmly." 
 
 The assurance of the detective acted like a sedative upon 
 the shattered nerves of the accused. He soon regained a tol- 
 erable degree of composure, answering the questions put to 
 him candidly, without manifesting any disposition to withhold 
 the facts. He was assisted in the post-office by his elder son, 
 who was in charge the day when the Luffer letter went astray. 
 The younger boy occasionally aided, though both were legally 
 incompetent, being under sixteen years of age. 
 
 On the day so fatal to the peace of this family, Mr. Garmo 
 assisted at the funeral ceremonies of the soldier who returned 
 home wounded from the Army of the Potomac, to die among 
 friends. According to the best of his recollection he was so 
 busily occupied elsewhere that he did not visit the office at all. 
 He had questioned his boys about the letter, but they could re- 
 member nothing in regard to it, though it was rumored about 
 the village that one of them was seen to handle that day a 
 large letter, through a torn end of which money was observed 
 inside. Such in substance was all the father appeared to know 
 about the mysterious loss. A patient, passive, timorous man, he 
 wilted at the first rude breath of 'suspicion, lacking the courage 
 to grapple the charge and throttle it at the outset. Conduct 
 dictated by constitutional faint-heartedness was hastily construed 
 by the public as a tacit admission of guilt. 
 
 On learning how the duties of the office were performed, 
 the agent conjectured that the elder son, having probably seen 
 the mone}' while left alone in charge of the business, could 
 not resist the temptation to take it. Without assigning a reason 
 for the request, he accordingly indicated to the father a desire 
 to converse with the boy alone. He was sent for, and soon 
 made his appearance. Taking him into a side-room, under 
 
538 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 the impression that he was the real culprit, the agent labored 
 assiduously to extort an acknowledgment of guilt. Said he, 
 
 "James, I have come a long distance on a very sad errand. 
 Your good, kind father, whom you love so dearly, is accused 
 of stealing. He is the postmaster, and has to bear the blame 
 of every wrong done in the office. When you commit an 
 error, he suffers for it ; your poor father may not know any- 
 thing about it, yet the punishment falls on him. It will crush 
 you by and by, too, for God sees and never forgets. Yes, he 
 will have to be arrested, and tried before a great many people, 
 and sent to prison, to languish for years in a grated cell behind 
 iron bars. When he is gone, what will become of your sweet, 
 gentle mother, whose heart is already broken? She cannot 
 bear the anguish. She will die. With your father in prison 
 and your mother in the grave, what is there for you and your 
 little brother to look forward to? How much better to confess 
 and save them. You are young yet ; and although the crime is 
 great, the neighbors will forgive it ; and if you do right hereafter, 
 God will also forgive it. Now, James, tell me the truth, and 
 save your poor, agonized parents. You know how dreadful 
 are their sufferings. Do not permit their misery to continue 
 any longer. What did you do with that letter for Mr. LufFer?" 
 
 w I do not know anything about the letter," answered James, 
 after the officer had exhausted the powers of pathos. 
 
 "James, James, I am astonished to find one so young as you, 
 so hardened in crime. Only fifteen years old, and already a 
 thief and a liar! What will become of you? If you live, 
 what a monster of wickedness you will grow into ! I have 
 never seen such a case before, and hope never to see another." 
 
 The words were terrible ; but the officer was following a 
 blind trail, determined at all hazards to reach the truth. If the 
 boy was guilty, he deserved it; if innocent, the arrows, though 
 dipped in gall, were sure to glance harmless from the armor 
 of honesty, to be lost and forgotten. Again the lad replied, 
 
 " I do not know anything about the letter. If I did, I would 
 tell you. I can't tell what I don't know." 
 
f 
 
 A DUBIOUS EXPLANATION. 539 
 
 To every fresh charge he answered in substantially the same 
 terms, till the questioner became satisfied that the youth was 
 really as ignorant of the affair as he claimed to be. Convinced 
 that it would be a waste of labor to work longer at that lead, 
 he said, 
 
 "Well, James, you may go now. Send your younger 
 brother to me." 
 
 The detective was greatly puzzled. He tried over and over 
 to build up a theory to suit the facts ; but the repeated attempts 
 only led to still deeper perplexities. Without being able to 
 give a satisfactory reason for the conclusion, he was already 
 convinced that neither Garmo nor the older boy had purloined 
 the letter. And yet the letter was gone. Suddenly it occurred 
 to him that he had omitted to speak to the postmaster about 
 the money paid to the tax-collector. Here was an ugly fact 
 on the very threshold of the inquiry, which might bar out the 
 entry of confidence, and show that the previous expressions 
 of trust in the honesty of that official were ill-advised and 
 premature. He instantly beckoned him into the private room, 
 and watching with the alertness of a hawk the effect of the 
 words, remarked, 
 
 "I forgot to ask you, Mr. Garmo, from whom you obtained 
 the Faneuil Hall Bank bills with which you paid your taxes." 
 
 Without the slightest hesitation he replied, 
 
 "From Mr. Silas Rafferty." 
 
 "Who is Mr. Silas Rafferty?" 
 
 "A cattle-buyer from Massachusetts, who comes this way 
 two or three times a year to purchase stock." 
 
 "What transactions had you with Mr. Rafferty?" 
 
 "I had a bill against him for harness and harness-mending." 
 
 "Where is he now?" 
 
 " I don't know." 
 
 "When did you see him last?" 
 
 *" I do not remember to have seen him since he paid me the 
 bill. He may have returned to Massachusetts. He is only 
 here at odd intervals." 
 
54 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 Here was a weak spot in the case ; but it did not shake the 
 conclusion of the detective. 
 
 At this juncture the younger son entered, and the father 
 was asked to withdraw. Before a word was uttered, the little 
 fellow burst into tears, and sobbed so piteously that all efforts 
 to comfort him proved futile. At length the officer began to 
 wonder if the real perpetrator of all the mischief stood before 
 him. Finding that tones of tenderness failed to soothe the 
 child, he changed his tactics, and assuming a sternness which 
 he did not feel, said peremptorily, 
 
 " Stop your crying at once, and answer my questions. What 
 is your name?" 
 
 "Willie Garmo, sir," he replied. 
 
 "Now, Willie," continued the officer, "I want you to sit 
 down beside me. I know you are a good boy, and am sure 
 you will give straightforward answers to the questions I am 
 going to ask you. Your poor father is in trouble, and your 
 mamma 
 
 At this point the child rose from his seat, and placing his 
 little hand on the knee of the detective, looked up trustfully, 
 as if catching a gleam of sunshine through a rift in the 
 clouds. The boy was remarkably handsome, with a frank, 
 open, ingenuous countenance, the spiritual beauty of which 
 had never been marred by falsehood or guile. The man 
 upon whose breast the storms of many years had beaten, was 
 drawn toward the little fellow by a resistless fascination. In a 
 long and eventful experience he never appreciated before 
 what dignity, impressiveness, and power may lie enshrined in 
 the face of a sinless child. With quick intuition the boy 
 caught the look of sympathy, and nestled more closely under 
 the shelter of his new friend. 
 
 "Please, sir," he began, "none of us stole the letter." 
 
 "What letter?" queried the officer, as not a word had before 
 been uttered on the subject. 
 
 "Why, the letter Mr. Luffer says papa stole," he replied. 
 w None of us took it ; but papa and mamma are almost crazy 
 
THE BOY AND THE GRECIAN BEND, 
 
 541 
 
 about it. They don't eat or sleep; and I am sure it will kill 
 them. When brother or I go out, the boys shout ' letter-thief! ' 
 after us. They snowball us and break our windows, so that 
 we are afraid and ashamed to be seen on the streets. O, if 
 you could only know how my dear mamma suffers, I am sure 
 you would pity her ! " 
 
 * Willie," asked the officer gently, " have you tried to think 
 how the letter may have been lost?" 
 
 "Yes, sir, I have. I believe a boy across the street know r s 
 something about it ; but he won't tell, because he is mad at 
 brother and me." 
 
 "What is the name of the boy?" 
 
 "Frank Potwin, sir." 
 
 Further inquiries elicited 
 the information that on the 
 black day for the Garmo fam- 
 ily, Frank quarreled with a 
 comrade at the slaughter- 
 house. After exchanging 
 hard words, the belligerents 
 clinched. In the tussle, Frank 
 was overpowered and by 
 main force was seated on an 
 iron kettle which happened to 
 stand conveniently near. The 
 
 tripod, narrow at the top, bellied out into the familiar form of 
 such utensils, below. As the fat, rotund lad was pressed down 
 still harder in the struggle, he became impacted in the kettle 
 like the cork in a champagne-bottle. When permitted to rise 
 up, the ornament still clung to him, laying the foundation for 
 a magnificent display of the Grecian bend. The spectators 
 laughed and shouted immoderately at the novel sight, which 
 served to still further intensify the exasperation of the van- 
 quished youth. James Garmo took quite a conspicuous part 
 in the fun, so that Frank was particularly incensed against 
 him. When, a few days later, the scandal of the lost letter 
 
 He became impacted in the kettle like 
 the cork in a champagne-bottle." 
 
OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 began to agitate the public, a capital opportunity to retaliate 
 was thrown in his way, which he improved to the utmost. 
 Frank led the snowballing parties, and practised lustily at 
 shouting "letter-thief." On one occasion he intimated to 
 Willie Garmo, in a boastful, tantalizing way, that he knew 
 something about the letter, but wouldn't tell. Willie men- 
 tioned the circumstance at home, but none of the family paid 
 any attention to the matter, regarding it merely as a piece of 
 childish badinage. The special agent, accustomed to permit 
 no incident, however trifling it might appear, to pass un- 
 noticed, resolved to see Master Frank, to learn the meaning 
 of his talk. He accordingly inquired, " Willie, where can I 
 find Frank Potwin ? " 
 
 " He lives just above that cooper shop," answered Willie, 
 pointing diagonally across the way ; " and there he is now." 
 
 In the direction indicated, a rough-looking youth was saunter- 
 ing lazily along, basket in hand, evidently bound to a neigh- 
 boring grocery for supplies. In an instant the plans of the 
 officer were laid. Waiting till the lad had proceeded a suffi- 
 cient distance to prevent the famity at home from seeing the 
 subsequent movements, he followed rapidly behind, and laying 
 his hand lightly on the shoulder of the late belligerent, saluted 
 him in a perfectly familiar and matter-of-fact tone, "Why, 
 how do you do, Frank? How are all at home?" 
 
 Looking up in surprise, the youngster replied, 
 
 w I don't know you." 
 
 "O yes, you do, Frank. Don't you remember I came up 
 when you had that fight at the slaughter-house. They used you 
 very meanly. I wanted to thrash the fellow who put you in the 
 kettle. He was a great deal bigger than you, and ought to 
 have been ashamed of himself. You hit hard, though." 
 
 By this time the attention of Master Frank was fully aroused. 
 A strongly built, square-jawed, round-eyed little fellow, he 
 reveled in fisticuffs as the highest entertainment the village 
 afforded. The implied compliment to his method of delivering 
 blows at an antagonist, was evidently received with keen relish. 
 
A CHANCE SHOT. 
 
 543 
 
 But the countenance of the juvenile boxer betrayed a decided 
 state of mental mystification. Here was a man who knew 
 about him, but whom he could not remember. Without allow- 
 ing him a moment for the 
 recovery of his scattered 
 thoughts, the detective 
 continued : " Don't you 
 recollect, Frank, that I 
 was at the post-office 
 when you took Mr. Luf- 
 fer's letter ? " 
 
 This was a desperate 
 venture, but it proved a 
 safe one, for in an instant 
 he replied, "I didn't get 
 the letter. It was Tony 
 Eldridge. That was be- 
 fore he went to Brier Hill 
 to live." 
 
 " So it was," answered 
 the detective, with non- 
 chalance, as if slowly re- " ' y es > y u do > 
 covering incidents which had partially escaped from the mem- 
 ory. " So it was." 
 
 "Yes," said Frank ; " when he got it out he showed it to me, 
 and I saw the money, for the end was all tor'd. It was a big, 
 fat letter, an' I tol' him he orter keep it." 
 
 A tremor of excitement ran through the frame of the officer, 
 for he felt that he was on the verge of an important discovery. 
 Frank had obviously told all he knew about the matter, so that 
 it was useless to spend more time in pumping at that spring. 
 He accordingly dismissed the lad with some trite observation 
 entirely foreign to the subject in hand, and the little fellow, 
 glad to be free again, went on, whistling unconcernedly, to 
 finish his errand. 
 
 The agent recrossed the street, and returned to the post- 
 
544 UT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 office to confer with Mr. Garmo. " Do you know," he in- 
 quired, "a boy named Tony Eldridge ?" 
 
 "Yes," replied the postmaster*, " he used to live in the vil- 
 lage here. I believe he has moved to Brier Hill. I haven't 
 seen him for some time." 
 
 " Do you think you can find him ? " 
 
 " I guess so. I'll try, if you wish it. Why do you want him ? " 
 
 "Through him," answered the detective, "I hope to get 
 news of the lost letter. Hitch up your team, and drive for your 
 life to Brier Hill. Bring the boy nolens volens, but do not 
 intimate in any way who wants him or what he is wanted for." 
 
 The postmaster required no spurs to urge him on. Putting 
 on an overcoat, he shot out of the door and was off. In an 
 incredibly short time he returned, bringing a well-grown youth 
 whom the agent correctly surmised to be Tony Eldridge. As 
 the stranger leaped from the sleigh, he caught him by the 
 arm, and hurried him into the side-room to get him away from 
 a number of people acquaintances, and, perhaps, friends 
 who had congregated about the entrance to the post office. 
 Closing the door of the private apartment, the agent prepared 
 for business. His first conjecture was, that if the fellow really 
 took the letter as stated by Frank Potwin, he had destroyed it 
 after appropriating the contents. Assuming the truth of the 
 theory, would the guilty party at this late day admit the fact, 
 or deny everything ? If, as was probable, he decided upon 
 the latter policy, what evidence had the detective except the 
 childish statement of Frank Potwin ? Shortly before, he seemed 
 to be sailing before the breeze, over smooth waters, under a 
 bright sky ; but now, when the critical moment arrived, a thick 
 fog obscured the fair prospect, leaving it doubtful in what 
 direction to steer for the desired haven. 
 
 A glance sufficed to discover that Tony had a tell-tale face. 
 At any rate, in the contest of wits, the rude country boy would 
 be likely to prove a very unequal match for the trained man 
 of affairs. The officer determined to surprise the truth out of 
 him by an unexpected and vigorous attack, and accordingly 
 
ANOTHER FROSTY RIDE. 545 
 
 demanded, in a harsh, peremptory voice, " What did you do, 
 sir, with the letter for Mr. Luffer, which you took from this 
 post-office the day the soldier was buried ? " 
 
 The youth hesitated a moment, not, apparently, because 
 anything troubled his conscience, but for the purpose of re- 
 freshing his memory, and then replied, composedly, as if the 
 transaction was one of commonplace occurrence, " Why, I 
 gave it to Mrs. Bliss." 
 
 w Who is Mrs. Bligs?" 
 
 "She is an old lady living at Round Bay. A good many 
 have their mail left there." 
 
 The postmaster was now invited to join the conference. It 
 appeared that Mrs. Bliss, an elderly lady of great excellence 
 of character, resided in a back settlement several miles distant. 
 Her house, located near the junction of two important roads, 
 was the focal point of the neighborhood, letters, papers, and 
 other packets being left there to await the call of the owners. 
 Mr. Luffer lived near by, and had long been in the habit of 
 having his mail left at her house, whoever went to Forsyth 
 bringing back everything that belonged to the community. 
 
 "Well," remarked the special agent, "you must both go 
 with me to Round Bay, to learn what Mrs. Bliss remembers 
 about the letter." The three jumped into the sleigh, drew the 
 buffalo-robe around them, and were off on a fast trot. The 
 cold was still intense, and w rude Boreas, blustering railer," 
 seemed to sweep down without obstruction from his home at 
 the north pole. 
 
 " Sharp wind ! keen wind ! cutting as word arrows, 
 Empty thy quiver-full ! Pass by ! What is it to thee 
 That in some mortal eyes life's whole bright circle narrows 
 To one misery? " 
 
 Thus far everything worked favorably, and the omens were 
 auspicious for a happy issue of the inquiry. On the road they 
 soon met a traveler who was recognized as the son of Mr. 
 Silas Rafferty, the Massachusetts drover, from whom Mr. 
 Garmo, according to his own statement, received the two 
 35 
 
546 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 twenty-dollar bills on the Faneuil Hall Bank, which were sub- 
 sequently paid to the tax-collector, making one of the strongest 
 links in the chain of evidence against him. The sleigh was 
 brought to a stop, and the officer briefly explained the charac- 
 ter of the information which he desired to obtain. 
 
 After relieving his vocal organs of a flood of tobacco-juice, 
 the youth, applying to his immediate paternal ancestor an epithet 
 not intended to be irreverent, replied, "Wall, the old man kin 
 tell you better about it than me. He'll be along directly. He 
 drove over to the hollow there, to say a word or two to a man 
 he's been dickerin' with, and won't be hindered a minute. 
 There he comes now." 
 
 Just then a short, stout man drove up in the dusk, and 
 stopped his horse with a loud "whoa ! " an effort entirely super- 
 fluous, as the animal seemed much more inclined to stand than 
 to move. Without waiting for the formality of an introduc- 
 tion, the special agent began : " Mr. Rafferty, I am very glad 
 to meet you. Mr. Garmo, the postmaster, is in trouble about 
 a lost letter, and you may be able to aid in clearing up the 
 mystery." 
 
 " In trouble? " ejaculated the drover, interrogatively ; "what 
 do you mean? I have heard nothing." 
 
 The agent answered the question by asking another. "When 
 did you reach town, Mr. Rafferty?" 
 
 "I came to-day, and hope to get off to-morrow; but what's 
 the trouble?" 
 
 In a few words the matter was explained, all of which was; 
 news to the honest cattle-buyer. 
 
 "Wall," said he, "so far as I'm consarn'd, the statement of 
 Mr. Garmo is correct in every partic'lar. I've got the receipt 
 in my pocket, and some more bills of the same sort." 
 
 "I am sorry to trouble you," answered the agent, "but as this 
 is a matter of great importance to Mr. Garmo, I should like 
 to see the papers with my own eyes." 
 
 "Very well," replied the drover, "I can easily satisfy you." 
 
 The officer jumped out, and sprang to the side of Mr. Raf- 
 
AN IMPORTANT CONFIRMATION. 
 
 547 
 
 ferty, who produced a capacious pocket-book, and there, sure 
 enough, were several bills of the same denomination on the 
 same bank, and a receipt for thirty-eight dollars and ten cents, 
 signed by William Garrno. The twilight was fast deepening 
 
 " The officer jumped out, and sprang to the side of Mr. Hafferty." 
 
 into darkness, but the eager reader, aided by the reflection 
 from the pure white snow, was enabled to decipher the writing. 
 Thus the story of the postmaster was fully corroborated both 
 by the testimony of the drover and by the contents of the 
 pocket-book. 
 
 It was certainly a remarkable coincidence that the detective 
 
548 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 and the cattle-buyer, after a journey of several hundred miles 
 on the part of each, should arrive at the same time in a remote 
 and secluded neighborhood, to meet on the only day when the 
 two could be thrown together in a way likely to further the 
 ends of the investigation. The historiographer cannot, like 
 the writer of romance, group characters and events to suit the 
 plot, but is compelled, in dealing with hard, uncompromising 
 facts, to report them as they occur, whether the incidents fit 
 into the narrative artistically or not. Perhaps no pursuit in 
 real life so abounds in strange situations and unexpected but 
 logical denouements as the business of the detective. That 
 the sin of the evil-doer, though sunk w deeper than e'er plum- 
 met sounded," will find him out, receives in his round of 
 experience repeated and startling exemplifications. Here, on 
 the other hand, occurs a conjunction, perfectly natural in one 
 view, yet very extraordinary in another, which contributes 
 materially to lift from the shoulders of innocence, a burden of 
 odium none the less heavy because undeserved. 
 
 ' There is a divinity that shapes our ends, 
 Rough-hew them how we will." 
 
 With the infinite resources of Omniscience and Omnipo- 
 tence arrayed against the evil-doer, it is marvelous that any 
 man dare take the first step in a career of villany. With all 
 the powers of Heaven enlisted on the side of truth and justice, 
 it is almost equally strange that the consciously right ever 
 despair even when the prospect looks blackest. Human vision 
 cannot see the end, cannot indeed penetrate at all into the 
 bosom of futurity ; but, in the order of nature, troubles arising 
 from no fault of the sufferer, form the most evanescent of 
 clouds, intercepting for a moment only the light from the divine 
 presence. Failure to recognize the law, old as time and broad 
 as the universe, continually folding us in its beneficence, springs 
 from our inherent short-sightedness. 
 
 Parting from the drover with light hearts and renewed con- 
 fidence in the successful issue of the present enterprise, the 
 
AN ANTIQUE HOME. 549 
 
 party from Forsyth, pressing on to Round Bay, soon drew 
 rein in front of an old-fashioned house with gables and pro- 
 jecting eaves such as swallows love in summer. An ancient 
 oaken door, divided into an upper and lower half, and built 
 obviously to serve as a barricade against the Indians in case 
 of need, closed the front entrance. The rat-tat-tat of the 
 callers brought speed}' answer, the door being opened with a 
 warm welcome by the mistress of the establishment, a woman 
 in the early winter of life, whose lovely face bore record to 
 countless acts of beneficence. In a silvery voice she invited 
 the party to "walk in," when the detective scrutinized sharply 
 but quietly the exterior of the next figure to appear in this 
 singular drama. Of medium height, slightly inclined to em- 
 bonpoint, with a full face surmounting a double chin, hair 
 of soft, dark brown that had been stroked so caressingly by 
 Father Time that hardly a white thread left trace of his finger- 
 marks, and a countenance of remarkable sweetness and be- 
 nevolence, Mrs. Bliss was recognized at once as the good 
 angel of the neighborhood, whom the young consulted in their 
 joys, and to whom the troubled came with the burden of their 
 sorrows, assured of finding in her presence both sympathy and 
 consolation. Her eyes had lost little of their early lustre. In 
 fact, her general person forcibly illustrated the preservative 
 power of equanimity and goodness. Yet it could be seen at 
 once that she had enjoyed few advantages of education or 
 society, and that her culture, such as it was, was the spon- 
 taneous outgrowth of a pure and noble soul. 
 
 In crossing the threshold into the interior of the cottage, the 
 visitor seemed to be translated from the nineteenth century 
 back to the depths of the medieval period. Flames from a fire- 
 place broad and deep enough to roast an ox, cast a ruddy light 
 upon the antique furniture, upon the flitches of bacon, skeins 
 of yarn, bunches of thyme and other medicinal herbs that 
 hung from the raftered ceiling, and danced in bright reflections 
 upon the polished oaken floor, bare of carpet and almost pain- 
 fully clean. Here was all the simplicity, varied only by the 
 
55 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 greater abundance of comfort, of the times when Saxons and 
 Normans were struggling for mastery on the soil of " Merrie 
 England." 
 
 As soon as the party were cosily seated around the open 
 fire, the special agent explained to Mrs. Bliss the object of the 
 visit, and how far and favorably the investigation had pro- 
 gressed. Said he, " I trust, madam, you will be able to furnish 
 the only link now lacking in the chain of evidence. Do you 
 remember anything about the letter for Mr. Luffer ? " 
 
 " Really," she replied, " I do not. A great many are left here 
 first and last, but I do not remember any one in particular." 
 
 Tony Eldridge then spoke up. " Don't you recollect, Mrs. 
 Bliss ? I was going to Forsyth with a load of oats that day, 
 when you called after me and asked me to bring down the 
 mail from the post-office ; and don't you recollect when I came 
 back I brought a big letter, torn on the end, which I did up in 
 a newspaper to keep the money from dropping out ? " 
 
 Unlike her beauty, the memory of the old lady was fast 
 fading, and she replied, after trying in vain to recall the van- 
 ished circumstance, "Very likely, Tony, you brought me such 
 a letter, but I don't remember anything about it. I don't, 
 indeed." 
 
 The agent was not a little annoyed and perplexed at the un- 
 favorable turn in the current of developments. While debating 
 mentally on the step to be taken next, his attention was at- 
 tracted by a wheezing, gasping noise to a corner of the room 
 partially concealed by the shadow of the huge chimney, where 
 a unique apparition, resembling most an animated telescope, 
 seemed to rise, joint by joint, in the obscurity. As the officer 
 watched the gradual evolution of the figure, he observed that 
 the object was bifurcated below and crowned with a human 
 head above. Near the base of the rafters, the upward move- 
 ment came to a stop, when a man, extremely tall, slender, and 
 stooping, was outlined in the dusky light. Having completed 
 the unfolding process, the ghostly form, in Smallweedian 
 voice, began, 
 
AN ANIMATED TELESCOPE. 55 1 
 
 "Yes, mammy, ugh ! ugh ! I recommember Tony's bring- 
 ing the letter, ugh ! ugh ! 'cause I wondered who was sending 
 oats to market so late. You and Lyddy (a little grand- 
 daughter) went out when Tony holler'd and brought in the 
 letter and a newspa-per, and you said they were for Luffer. 
 And that's all Tony had, ugh ! ugh ! " 
 
 Having delivered this long, but under the circumstances 
 highly interesting speech, the telescope closed section by 
 section. The memory of Mrs. Bliss having been jogged by 
 her husband, for such was the relation the tall man bore to 
 her, placed her chin between the thumb and index-finger 
 of the left hand, and thought the matter over. All at once 
 the circumstance seemed to come back in perfect freshness. 
 With animated countenance and sparkling eye, she exclaimed, 
 w O, yes, yes, yes, I know now. I took the letter, and folded 
 the paper about it like a little basket, and brought the corners 
 together so it could be carried safely. I gave it to Julie 
 Luffer, Mr. Luffer's little girl, and told her to go home by 
 the lane; but the little thing didn't mind. She would go 
 across the lots, and I 'spect she dropped out the letter in 
 clim'in' the fences. I remember the facts now just as they 
 occurred." 
 
 At length rose the truth, though crushed to earth and 
 ground in dust by the heels of hard and thoughtless men. 
 Step by step, by evidence that could not be impeached or 
 questioned, the letter, whose hitherto unaccountable disap- 
 pearance had brought so many troubles upon the house of 
 Garmo, had now been traced from the post-office into the 
 hands of a member of Mr. LufFer's own family. Once 
 more William Garmo could stand up before the world with 
 garments unspotted. When the last cord was cut which 
 bound the load of undeserved obloquy to the back of the 
 postmaster, and it rolled away like the pack from the 
 shoulders of Christian, he almost ran wild with delight. 
 The special agent under whose guidance the battle had been 
 fought, and by whose skill the victory had been won, though 
 
552 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 more temperate in its outward manifestation, shared fully in 
 the general joy. 
 
 One thing only seemed wanting to complete the circle 
 of happiness, and that was the presence of Mr. Luffer. 
 The detective did not doubt for a moment that he would be 
 equally pleased with the rest at the vindication of Mr. 
 Garmo, an old neighbor and friend. As he lived but a 
 short distance away, he was sent for and soon made his 
 appearance. The gentleman was evidently surprised to en- 
 counter in company with a stranger, the person whom he 
 was hunting down with suits and petitions ; 
 but to reassure him and give him a chance 
 to participate in the rejoicing, the agent 
 briefly narrated the events of the day, which 
 demonstrated conclusively the guiltlessness 
 of the postmaster. The intelligence pro- 
 duced an effect entirely unexpected. To the 
 amazement of the officer, Aminadab pre- 
 
 Aminadab Luffer. 
 
 tended to disbelieve the whole story, adding 
 in an extremely offensive manner, "Who are you, anyhow? 
 It is d n strange none of these wonderful discoveries were 
 made before you came. You may think I am green." 
 Of Aminadab the poet might truly say : 
 
 " Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort, 
 As if he mock'd himself, and scor'd his spirit, 
 That could be mov'd to smile at anything." 
 
 Naturally weak, the man had one overpowering passion 
 that lent to his character a deceptive show of strength. 
 Avarice mastered his thoughts, driving him onward to acts 
 which little comported with his native prudence and timidity. 
 
 Aminadab had not yet taken a seat, but stood in the middle 
 of the floor holding in a temporizing way the chair placed 
 there for his convenience. The fire-light played queerly 
 on his face, exaggerating perhaps the repulsive features of 
 a countenance unprepossessing at best. A crop of short, 
 
A REPULSIVE WRETCH. 553 
 
 coarse, red hair rivaled the flames in brilliancy of hue, and 
 admirably matched the color of his nose ; a narrow upper 
 lip utterly refused to cover a ragged set of teeth ; while two 
 cold, cruel eyes kept winking and blinking as if the lids in 
 very shame strove to close the curtains upon the abject mean- 
 ness of the soul within. A short, stout body propped upon 
 a pair of bow-legs completed the tout-ensemble of Aminadab 
 Luffer. 
 
 The insulting tones of the wretch still rung in the ears 
 of the detective, who eyed him with ineffable disgust as 
 the most repulsive and dastardly creature, outside of the 
 professedly criminal classes, whom fate had ever thrown in 
 his path. Several comparisons, by no means complimentary, 
 at once suggested themselves. As particularly pertinent to 
 the situation he thought of the man Charles Lamb in his 
 stuttering fashion used to tell about. "A certain sect have 
 a belief that when a child is b-born, the soul of a dying m-m- 
 man passes into the child. Now when N was b-born, 
 n-nobody died." Then he recalled the comparison, expres- 
 sive but a little mixed, uttered by a jolly jack-tar to a 
 messmate in speaking of a disreputable acquaintance : " How 
 I wish I had as much tobacco as he looks like the devil." 
 
 Meanwhile Aminadab had been massing his feeble mental 
 forces for a fresh assault. Turning to the stranger, he broke 
 forth again, "What, in the name of h " (mentioning a 
 locality supposed to have been set apart for the special use 
 and benefit of such characters) "brought you here to mix 
 up in our affairs and make trouble?" 
 
 Incensed by the vulgar manner and intemperate language 
 of Aminadab, the officer rose up and made two or three 
 strides across the room with the purpose of knocking him 
 down. In excuse for this sudden outbreak of almost un- 
 controllable passion, it must be remembered that he had 
 not slept for forty hours, and that his feelings were wrought 
 up to the highest tension by the incidents of the day. In 
 such a frame of mind one is in no humor to bear insults with 
 
554 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 meekness. Aminadab staggered back, conscious that he had 
 gone too far. 
 
 Seeing that trouble was brewing, Mrs. Bliss, by a quick 
 move, threw herself between the angry combatants, and 
 opened a vigorous fire upon the party in the wrong. "For 
 
 Aminadab in danger. 
 
 the good Lord's sake, Mr. LufFer, what makes you talk so ! 
 What'll these people think to hear you go on in this way? 
 I know the letter you're talking about come here. Tony 
 Eldridge brung it down from the post-office. I gave it and 
 a newspaper to your little daughter to take home. If you 
 didn't get it, she must have lost it ; and when the snow goes 
 
AMINADAB SEEKS ADVICE. 555 
 
 off, I guess you'll find it Alongside some of the fences she 
 clim'd over." 
 
 The explicit statement of Mrs. Bliss, buttressed as it was 
 by a mass of overwhelming concurrent evidence, seemed to 
 leave no hook to hang a doubt on. Aminadab, however, 
 pretended to still remain incredulous. Quitting the barri- 
 cade behind the chair, he paced the floor like a caged hyena 
 for a few minutes, and then turning suddenly to the officer, 
 as if struck by a new plan, remarked, in a much more 
 respectful tone than heretofore, " I would like to speak with 
 you privately in the next room." 
 
 "Well, sir," replied that gentleman, "I am at your ser- 
 vice ; " and followed into another apartment, closing the door 
 behind. 
 
 The agent broke the silence by asking, " What have you to 
 say, sir?" 
 
 "I am almost dumb with surprise," he replied, "at the 
 turn things have taken, and I want your advice as to what 
 I should do. I was so sure, and so was everybody else, 
 that Garmo stole the money, and (sotto vocc) I don't know 
 but he did yet, that I went to Frostburgh and brought suit 
 against him for the amount. I also started a petition for 
 his removal, which was filled with signers. I had good 
 proof, too, that Garmo paid away some of my money. Now 
 here you come, and in one day upset everything by making 
 it appear that the letter was brought to this house and given 
 to one of my children. If your conclusions are correct, 
 how is it the facts were not found out before? How can 
 you see where the rest of us were blind ? " 
 
 "The principal reason, I presume," replied the agent, to 
 whom the various incisive proceedings enumerated by the 
 speaker were already well known, "is, that every one who 
 heard the stories afloat believed with you, and accepting their 
 truthfulness without question, took no pains to get at the facts. 
 I came hither for the specific purpose of finding out the ex- 
 act truth, and, thank the Lord, I have succeeded." 
 
OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 "Yes, yes, h'm, h'm," replied Aminadab, clearing his 
 throat. "What shall I do about it?" 
 
 " I have no advice to give, Mr. LufFer ; but if I were in 
 your place, I would go to Mr. Garmo, I would take him by 
 the hand, and would say, 'My old friend and neighbor, for- 
 give me for what I have said and done in this matter. I had 
 what I supposed to be undeniable proof of your dishonesty, 
 and in this belief was sustained by the general opinion of the 
 community. Now that the mystery is explained and your 
 innocence established, I ask your pardon. Allow me to be 
 the first to congratulate you.' This is the only reparation 
 you can make for the injury done to Mr. Garmo, and this 
 much at least is due to him. Your mistake was a natural 
 one, and the apology ought, under the circumstances, be 
 amply satisfactory." 
 
 The manly suggestion of the officer made no visible im- 
 pression upon the mind of Aminadab. With the snarl of a 
 cur, he replied, " I'll be d d if I do ! " 
 
 "Then, sir," answered the officer, "it is needless to pro- 
 long our conference. In this private interview I have not 
 obtruded upon you either my presence or counsel. At your 
 solicitation I came into this room, and at your solicitation I 
 have spoken. Our conceptions of what is due from man to 
 man differ so widely that nothing I can say is likely to prove 
 serviceable to you." He then started for the door. 
 
 At that moment Aminadab was evidently tortured by con- 
 flicting emotions. Perhaps the latent spark of humanity, 
 forgotten from long disuse, and buried under a mountain of 
 avarice and greed, like Enceladus under .^Etna, made a final 
 effort to reach the hardened heart. Raising the palm of the 
 right hand to his forehead, and looking downward in an 
 attitude of meditation, he exclaimed, " Do not go yet." 
 
 The special agent stopped and inquired, " What will you 
 have?" 
 
 If better feelings were struggling for transitory mastery in 
 the soul of the miser, the contest was brief, the selfishness 
 
PERPLEXITY OF THE PERSECUTOR. 557 
 
 long nourished quickly resuming full sway. The nature of 
 the mental conflict was outlined in the next remark. " I do 
 not know about all this. It may be so ; it may not. I can't 
 tell. Anyhow, a man who can do what you have done to- 
 day, ought to be able to show a fellow a way out of trouble." 
 
 Aminadab began to realize that in the measures taken 
 for the punishment of the postmaster he had gone too fast 
 and too far, and his present aim appeared to be to find some 
 plan for throwing off the load of responsibility and oppro- 
 brium. 
 
 As might be inferred, the special agent was in no humor to 
 assist. He said, " Mr. Luffer, it is not in my power to aid 
 you, for the simple reason that our ideas of duty are totally 
 diverse. I am off for Frostburgh at once. My official 
 mission really ended at Forsyth when I learned that your 
 letter had been delivered to Tony Eldridge. By a custom 
 repeatedly sanctioned by you he was authorized to receive 
 it. When it passed into his hands, the responsibility of the 
 postmaster and the supervision of the department ceased. 
 Finding, however, the family of Mr. Garmo overwhelmed 
 by distress, ostracized in the community where they had al- 
 ways lived, and subjected to cruel persecution, I determined 
 to remain till I sifted the matter to the bottom, never surmis- 
 ing for a moment that any individual would throw the slightest 
 obstacle in the way. Do you know the boy, Mr. Luffer, who 
 gave the letter to Mrs. Bliss?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Aminadab. "He used to go to school to 
 me." 
 
 "Well, sir," queried the agent, "do you think that boy 
 would lie, and by telling the story he has, render himself 
 liable to arrest?" 
 
 Aminadab made no reply, but gave his shoulders an elab- 
 orate shrug. 
 
 " Sir," resumed the officer, " I have no hesitation in ex- 
 pressing the opinion that you are a very bad man. If you 
 know the lad, why don't you speak out instead of attempting 
 
558 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 to stab his reputation by a covert and cowardly distortion of 
 your person. I might add that such gestures do not become 
 your style of beauty, but forbear, as it is not my province to 
 quarrel with nature. Fortunately no words or acts of yours 
 can injure Tony Eldridge in my estimation. I know he has 
 told the truth. I know also that Mr. Bliss has told the 
 truth. I have now finished my work here, and am happy to 
 say that nothing I have ever done has given me more satis- 
 faction." 
 
 During the conference the merry jingling of bells was 
 heard in the street ; and as the officer returned to the com- 
 mon sitting-room, he was surprised to see quite a crowd of 
 people entering through the front door. It proved to be a 
 party of ladies and gentlemen on the way home from a public 
 entertainment. As the house of Mrs. Bliss was a general ren- 
 dezvous, they had stopped to exchange greetings. 
 
 " Well," thought the special agent, " this is certainly a day of 
 happy coincidences. As the news of the supposed criminal- 
 ity of Garmo has been spread broadcast through the county, 
 and commented upon in every household, here is an admirable 
 opportunity to send the antidote after the poison." 
 
 Stepping into the midst of the company, without introduc- 
 tion or ceremony, he began : "Ladies and gentlemen, permit 
 a stranger to say a few words to you. Doubtless you have all 
 heard of the crime alleged to have been committed by this 
 neighbor of yours, Mr. William Garmo, postmaster at For- 
 syth. From my observations to-day, I infer that, throughout 
 a circuit of many miles, hardly a man, woman, or child can 
 be found who does not believe him guilty. As a consequence, 
 public odium rests heavily upon him, and through him upon 
 his grief-stricken family. For his sake, for their sake, for 
 your sake, I am happy to say that he is innocent. I am a 
 special agent of the post-office department, and came a long 
 distance to investigate this case. I have discovered that the 
 lost letter was brought from Forsyth to this very house by Tony 
 Eldridge, and was here placed by Mrs. Bliss herself in the 
 
DEMONSTRATIONS AT FORSYTH. 559 
 
 hands of a child of Mr. Luffer. Both individuals remember 
 the facts distinctly, and there can be no mistake about the 
 accuracy of their statements. I have also seen the man who 
 paid Mr. Garmo the bills supposed to have been stolen from 
 this very troublesome letter. The entire mystery surrounding 
 the transaction has been explained, and the vindication of the 
 postmaster at Forsyth is complete. I have spoken much more 
 at length than I intended to. In conclusion, allow me to so- 
 licit your co-operation in freeing the reputation of this gentle- 
 man from the stain that temporarily rests upon it. On the 
 way to your respective homes stop at every house where the 
 lights are still burning, even wake up the inmates if neces- 
 sary, and proclaim the facts, so that this worthy but greatly 
 wronged man may be immediately reinstated in the good opin- 
 ion of all." 
 
 The remarks of the officer were received with a wild out- 
 burst of enthusiasm. The company, irrespective of age and 
 sex, pressing around William Garmo, threatened to drown 
 him in a storm of tears and congratulations. In an instant 
 the branded outcast soared upward to the pinnacle of popular 
 favor. 
 
 But the night was wearing away, and the company soon 
 began to disperse. "Come, we must go," said the agent; 
 and, taking violent possession of the postmaster, he hurried 
 him off to the sleigh. 
 
 It was ten o'clock when they drove up to the door of the 
 hotel at Forsyth, but the good news had preceded them. The 
 inn was thronged with villagers waiting to welcome the post- 
 master. They cheered, vociferated, and otherwise manifested 
 their excitement in many original and fantastic ways. As 
 might be expected, those lately most loud and bitter in denun- 
 ciation were now foremost in felicitations. 
 
 A lusty old farmer, considerably under the influence of 
 Bourbon, seizing the hand of Garmo with the gripe of a vise, 
 expressed the sentiment that seemed to be uppermost, " I knew 
 you didn't do it, Billy. It's all right now. Come and take 
 
OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 something. Throw care to the dogs. Bury your bother under 
 the snow, to go off with the first freshet." 
 
 So great was the revulsion of feeling that the poor post- 
 master was almost delirious with excitement. The crowd 
 hurried him to the bar, and might have tempted him to cross 
 
 Garmo receiving the congratulations of his friends. 
 
 the bounds of prudence, had not the watchfulness of the 
 special agent prevented. At that moment the thoughts of 
 the stranger were not with the noisy throng, but with the ago- 
 nized wife and children. Taking Garmo by the arm, he said, 
 " You must now tell your friends good-night. I will see you 
 home, and must then start for Frostburgh." 
 
THE RETURN OF HAPPINESS. 561 
 
 The villagers now surrounded the special agent, and pro- 
 tested against the proposed journey. " Pray, do not leave us 
 to-night ! " exclaimed one. 
 
 " What are you made of," said another, w to think of starting 
 on a journey of twenty miles at this hour, after such a glori- 
 ous day's work as you have done? Stay with us, and we'll 
 have a regular celebration to-morrow." 
 
 "You forget," chimed in a third, "that the thermometer is 
 below zero, and you may perish on the road." 
 
 Telling the landlord to have the horses in readiness, and 
 bidding the assembled company adieu, he started across the 
 street arm-in-arm with the postmaster. As they entered the 
 house, the wife rose and struggled to control her feelings. 
 Advancing a few steps toward her, the officer said, " Madam, 
 I bring back to you your husband as pure in character and 
 spotless in reputation as when he led you to the marriage 
 altar. The letter has been traced into the family of Mr. 
 LufFer. All the dark and perplexing circumstances connected 
 with it have been fully explained. Your sorrow is at an end." 
 
 Although previously informed of the favorable result of 
 the investigation, the announcement overpowered her. She 
 reeled, and, before assistance could reach her, fell to the floor. 
 Instantly a number of females rushed in, and, from their 
 apparent solicitude for her welfare, one might have inferred 
 that an angel band had descended from the gates of paradise 
 to minister to a beloved sister in distress. Alas, during the 
 long weeks of anguish and darkness, now happily drawn to a 
 close, the same women had kept studiously aloof! 
 
 After a while Mrs. Garmo recovered, when the intruders 
 were respectfully requested to retire. The sons were then 
 awakened and called in. To them the story was briefly told. 
 The little family gathered lovingly about the detective, listen- 
 ing with rapt attention to every word. A subdued and holy 
 joy irradiated the faces lately overcast with hopeless gloom. 
 James and Willie clung to him as if they could not bear to 
 have their benefactor depart. But the sacred spell must be 
 
 36 
 
562 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 broken. Night had already worn into the short hours of 
 morning, and the moment of separation had come. At this 
 juncture Mrs. Garmo, 
 
 " Grace in all her steps, heaven in her eye, 
 In every gesture dignity and love," 
 
 threw her arms around the neck of the detective, and imprinted 
 a heaven-born kiss upon his forehead. " God bless you, God 
 bless you ! " was the prayer that went up in tearful accents 
 from the lips of the united household. 
 
 In the bright moonlight the journey of twenty-one miles was 
 quickly and safely accomplished, a faint blush of red tingeing 
 the eastern sky as the travelers alighted at the hotel in Frost- 
 burgh. In twenty minutes the officer was in bed fast asleep. 
 The nap, however, was not destined to be lengthy or re- 
 freshing. Hardly had the weary brain entered the land of 
 dreams when a storm of rude raps rattled against the cham- 
 ber-door. Under the impression that the hotel porter had 
 blunderingly awakened the wrong passenger, the sleeper 
 aroused sufficiently to mutter a mild malediction, and, turning 
 upon the other side, instantly dropped again into the state of 
 unconsciousness. At such times the imagination, relieved of 
 the guidance of reason, works with wonderful rapidity. In a 
 few seconds the dreamer passed through all the horrors of a 
 great conflagration. He seemed to be on the topmost floor of 
 an immense building, with every avenue of escape cut off by 
 the flames. After rushing hither and thither in vain search 
 for an outlet, he was borne down in the final crash, and, while 
 falling through space, was awakened a second time by a 
 fusilade of heavy knocks upon the door. 
 
 With the painful impressions of the nightmare still upon him, 
 he called out sharply, "Who 's there? " still supposing that the 
 disturber of his slumbers had made a mistake. 
 
 "It's me," answered a squeaky voice not entirely unfamiliar. 
 
 " And who is me ? " queried the agent. 
 
 " Mr. Luffer," replied the man outside. 
 
REAPPEARANCE OF LUFFER. 563 
 
 Sure enough, when the door opened, that extraordinary 
 individual wriggled with a worm-like movement into the room. 
 Once in, he stood motionless, cap in hand, humble as a serf, 
 gazing abstractedly at the rarefied attire of the rudely awak- 
 ened sleeper. As the costume of the inmate was decidedly 
 Spartan, he did not care to prolong the interview unnecessarily 
 in the frosty air. Accordingly, after waiting in vain for the 
 visitor to propound the object of this unseasonable interrup- 
 tion, he asked, 
 
 "What will you have, Mr. Luffer?" 
 
 "Well," replied that worthy, "I have thought the matter all 
 over, and have come to the conclusion to do the right thing. 
 I called to ask you to go with me to see my lawyer to have the 
 suit against Garmo withdrawn." 
 
 Supposing that the professions of amendment were genuine, 
 the agent said, with much more kindliness than he had hith- 
 erto felt for the creature, "I shall be happy to meet you at the 
 
 office of Mr. V at ten o'clock ; " and thereupon bowed out 
 
 the intruder. Ringing for a servant, he gave directions to be 
 called at half past nine, and till that hour slept without further 
 disturbance. 
 
 At the appointed time he called at the office of the lawyer 
 a gentleman of great excellence of character who has since 
 passed on to his final rest. Aminadab was already on hand. 
 After a little preliminary conversation, the special agent re- 
 marked that he dropped in at the request of Mr. Luffer, who 
 wished to do justice to an old neighbor whose innocence of a 
 suspected crime had been clearly established the day before. 
 
 " How is this ? " inquired the lawyer. " Luffer tells me he 
 still believes in the guilt of Garmo, but, as you advised him 
 to withdraw the suit that in your opinion cannot be maintained 
 in face of the extraordinary evidence developed in some mys- 
 terious manner by your visit, he came to Frostburgh to carry 
 the suggestion into effect." 
 
 The officer divined in a moment the sinister motive that 
 prompted the lying wretch to follow him. He desired to save 
 
564 OUT OF THE DEEPS. 
 
 counsel-fees, and invented the story to mask his mercenary 
 purpose. 
 
 " Mr. V ," began the agent, " pardon me if I use strong 
 
 language, for I cannot repress the indignation I feel at the 
 conduct of this false, cowardly, despicable creature. He 
 knows that the postmaster at Forsyth is innocent. The state- 
 ment that he comes by my advice to withdraw the suit is an 
 unmitigated lie, told with the design of cheating you out of 
 your fees. I trust you will make him pay to the last farthing, 
 for a man who can persecute a neighbor as he has persecuted 
 Garmo, deserves no consideration whatever." 
 
 The officer then gave a resume of the facts, which entirely 
 satisfied the mind of the lawyer of the blamelessness of the 
 
 postmaster. Mr. V expressed great gratification at the 
 
 result of the inquiry, heartily thanking the agent of the de- 
 partment. 
 
 Aminadab, writhing like a scotched snake, hardly knew in 
 which direction to strike next. Baffled at every point, the 
 insolence which supplied the place of courage was fast oozing 
 away. Turning in a deprecatory manner to the lawyer, he 
 said, "This man blames me for trying to find my lost letter. 
 If I have good reasons for believing that a postmaster steals, 
 am I to be made odious for saying so ? " 
 
 "Let me answer that question," replied the agent. "Every 
 citizen, in duty to himself and the public, ought to report 
 promptly all losses occurring in the mails, and, in cases of 
 dishonesty, to co-operate in bringing the thieves to punish- 
 ment. But this does not justify one in making reckless accu- 
 sations, or in trifling with the fair fame of others. Least of 
 all does it excuse one for pursuing as a felon an official proved 
 to be innocent." 
 
 Subsequently the special agent called at the office of the 
 district attorney, the dispatch from whom, it will be remem- 
 bered, brought him to Frostburgh. A brief statement to him 
 closed the connection of the detective with this remarkable 
 case. 
 
THE LOST LETTER FOUND. 565 
 
 The affair shows the peril of relying too confidently upon 
 circumstantial evidence. Had Garmo been arrested and 
 brought to trial without a thorough sifting of the facts, he 
 might have been convicted. Even if acquitted, the cordon 
 of proof enveloped him so closely that many would have 
 believed him guilty, and his prospects would have been 
 blasted. The reputations, the liberties, and the lives of many 
 innocent persons have been sacrificed, where similar thor- 
 oughness and skill in winnowing the evidence would have 
 prevented the horrible mistakes in the administration of jus- 
 tice. It is the province of the detective to protect the right as 
 well as to expose the wrong. 
 
 When the spring came, and the warm breezes melted the 
 snows on the banks of the St. Lawrence, a stained, water- 
 soaked package was picked up in a fence corner between the 
 houses of Mrs. Bliss and Mr. LufFer. It proved to be a letter 
 containing eleven twenty-dollar bills, on the Faneuil Hall 
 Bank, in good state of preservation. The faded superscrip- 
 tion showed that it belonged to Aminadab Luffer, and the 
 inclosed missive explained the rest. 
 
 The discovery was a severe blow to Aminadab, for he had 
 not ceased to assert the belief that William Garmo stole the 
 money, and that by some " hocus-pocus " the detective contin- 
 ued to hide the theft. "For," he inquired triumphantly, as 
 if the proposition admitted of no controversy, " are not all 
 detectives rascals?" 
 
 When the missing letter with the inclosures intact was 
 placed in his hands, not a breath of contrition, or a kind word 
 for the man whom he had so cruelly wronged, escaped from 
 his lips. Scourged by evil thoughts and groveling ambitions, 
 he walks the earth in moral solitude with the brand upon his 
 brow. 
 
 "The wretch, concentered all in self, 
 Living shall forfeit fair renown, 
 And, doubly dying, shall go down 
 To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, 
 Unwept, unhonor'd, and unsung." 
 
IN CONCLUSION. 
 
 THE post-office department counts its employes by thousands 
 and by tens of thousands. The " certainty, celerity, and 
 security," which characterize the operations of this vast estab- 
 lishment, show how faithfully the work, in the main, is per- 
 formed. The system, however, is not exempt from the 
 imperfections incident to all human enterprises. Some who 
 are not honest gain admission to the ranks, and the books of 
 the division of mail depredations record the numbers that are 
 yearly apprehended in the commission of crime. 
 
 While it may appear ungracious for a writer to assume that 
 any among his readers are liable to the weaknesses which 
 permit so many to stumble and to fall, there is a class, small 
 in comparison with the whole number associated in the work 
 of handling the mails, who need to be specially warned by the 
 teachings of example. Very few, after entering upon a course 
 of dishonesty, ever stop voluntarily. The theory of detection 
 in the postal service is based on the assumption that the thief 
 will continue to steal, for the " appetite grows by what it feeds 
 on." As every finger-mark, however cunningly disguised, 
 points to the guilty hand, exposure and punishment, under a 
 thoroughly organized system of supervision, follow as a 
 necessary sequence. 
 
 But considerations far above the mere fear of retribution 
 
568 IN CONCLUSION. 
 
 should lead one under all circumstances to cleave steadfastly 
 to the right. Though the tempter offer the kingdoms of the 
 earth and the glory of them for a single act of pollution, the 
 bribe must be spurned. Wrong acts poison character, deaden 
 conscience, debauch the sensibilities, and pilot the way with 
 dread certainty to ever-deepening abysses, not because others 
 discover them or God sees them, but because the fatal knowl- 
 edge dwells in the heart of the guilty. Within, hidden per- 
 haps from the suspicion of the world, the awful hieroglyphics 
 are traced in letters of flame, ready to blaze forth on some day 
 of judgment, near or far, compelling the soul to pronounce its 
 own sentence of condemnation. 
 
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