THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
ALLAN PINKERTON'S
GREAT DETECTIVE BOOKS
1. MOLLIE MAGUIRES AND DETECTIVES.
2. STRIKERS, COMMUNISTS, AND DETECTIVES.
3. CRIMINAL REMINISCENCES AND DETECTIVES.
4. THE MODEL TOWN AND DETECTIVES.
5. SPIRITUALISTS AND DETECTIVES.
6 EXPRESSMEN AND DETECTIVES.
7. THE SOMNAMBULIST AND DETECTIVES.
8. CLAUDE MKLNOTTE AS A DETECTIVE.
9. MISSISSIPPI OUTLAWS AND DETECTIVES.
10. GYPSIES AND DETECTIVES.
11. BUC1IOLZ AND DETECTIVES.
12. THE RAILROAD FORGER AND DETECTIVES.
18. BANK ROBBERS AND DETECTIVES.
14. BURGLAR'S FATE AND DETECTIVES.
15. A DOUBLE LIFE AND DETECTIVES.
These wonderful Detective Stories by Allan Pinkcrton are
having an unprecedented success. Their s:ii<; far
exceeding one hundred tho;i.-amt copies. " The
interest which the reader feels from the outset
is intense and resistless ; he is swept along
by the narrative, held by it. whether
he will or no."
All beautifully illustrated, and published uniform wilh this
volume. Price $\.~,0 each. Sold by all booksellers, and
eeutj'rt<! by mail, on receipt of price, by
G. W. CAliLETON & CO., Publishers,
New York.
MISSISSIPPI OUTLAWS
AND THE
DETECTIVES.
DON PEDRO AND THE DETECTIVES.
POISONER AND THE DETECTIVES.
BY
ALLAN PINKtfRTON,
AUTHOR OP
'THE EXPRESSMAN AND THE DETECTIVE," "THE MODEL TOWS
AND THE DETECTIVES," "THE SPIRITUALISTS AND THE
DETECTIVES," "THE MOLL1E MAGUIKES AND THE
DETECTIVES," "STRIKERS, COMMUNISTS,
TRAMPS AND DETECTIVES,"
ETC., ETC., ETC.
NEW YORK:
G. IV. Billing ham\ Publisher,
SUCCESSOR TO G. W. CARLETON & Co.
LONDON : S. LOW, SON & CO.
MDCCCLXXXVIl.
COPYRIGHT
BY
ALLAN PINKERTON,
1879.
SAMUEL STODDEB, Tno\r
STKKKOTYPKIS, PlUNTING AND I!(K)K lifNni.N'G CO.
90 ANN STREET, N. "V. >;. y.
College
Library
CONTENTS.
MISSISSIPPI OUTLAWS AND THE DETECTtYES.
CHAPTER I. FAOI
A daring Express Robbery. Mr. Pinkerton appealed to. Cane-brakes and
cane-fed People. Annoying delays and Amateur Detective* 9
CHAPTER II.
Difficulties. Blind Trails and False Scents. A Series of Illustrations show-
ing the Number of Officious People and Confidence Men that often seek
Notoriety and Profit througk important Detective Operations 21
CHAPTER III.
M Old Hicks," a drunken Planter, is entertained by a Hunting-Party. Les-
ter's Landing. Its Grocery-Store and Mysterious Merchants. -A danger-
ous Situation. The unfortunate Escape of Two of the Robbers 32
CHAPTER IV.
The Captured Ruffians are desired for Guides, but dare not join in the
h for the Outlaws. One of the Robbers is Taken, but subsequently
K -d from the Amateur Detectives. Another Clue suddenly fails 44
CHAPTER V.
A Rich Lead Struck at Last 50
CHAPTER VI.
The Mother of the Farringtona, bi-ing arrested, boasts that her Sons "Will
never be taken Alive." Another Unfortunate Blunder by Amateur De-
tectivee. An interesting Fate intended for the l>
Pinkerton captures the Murderer of a Negro in Union City, proving "a
very good Fellow for a Yankee." 56
CIIAP/TER VH.
The Scene of Action transferred to Missouri. The Chase becoming Hot 68
CHAPTER VIII.
A determined Party of Horsemen. The Outlaws surrounded and the Birds
caged. A Parley. The burning Cabin. Its Occupants finally surrender. 80
CHAPTER IX.
Barton's Confession. The Express liohberies, and the Outlaw's subsequent
ieiuvx fully set forth therein. A Clue that had been suddenly
dropped taken up with so much Profit 91
CIIAI'TKU X.
A terrible Stru^c for Life or Deatli upon the Transfer-boat "Illinois."
" Overboard!" One less Desperado. Fourth and Last Robber taken. . . 101
CHAPTER XI.
in the Drama approaching. A new Character appears. The
Citi/.ensof Union City sudde > have important business on
baud. The Vigilantes and their Work. The End 114
DON PEDRO AND THE DETECTIVES.
CIIAI'TKU I.
A fraudulent Scheme contemplated. A dashing Peruvian Don and Donna.
Mr. i'inkei-ton engaged by Senator Muirhead to uuvail
the mystery of his Life 125
CHAPTER II.
Madnnie Sevier. Widow, of Chicago, and Monsieur Lesparre, of Bordeaux,
Mr. Pinkerton, as a Laborer, anxious for a Job,
oriu Mansion 148
1116241
Vi CONTENTS.
CHAPTER ITT. TAGH
Monsieur Le.=parre, having a lu'enJivn memory, becomes Fervid-able to Don
Pedro. Diamond fields and droll An n an
unfortunate Predicament. The grand Hcfeption clo-r- with a happy
Arrangement that the gay Sefior and Scuora shall dine with Mr. Pinker-
ton's Detectives on the n 158
< 'HAITI-IK IV.
Madame Sevier and Her Work. Unaccountable Coquettlshnesa between
Man and Wife. A Startling Scheme. Illustrating the Rashness of
American Business Men aud the Supreme Assurance of Don Pedro 170
CHAPTER V.
The third Detective is made welcome at Dun Pedro's. The Sefior is paid the
first half-million dollars from the great Diamond Company. How Don
Pedro is "working " his diamond mines 18$
CHAPTER VI.
An unexpected Meeting and a startling Recognition. An old friend some-
what disturbs the Equanimity of Don Pedro. The Detectives fix their
Attention upon Pietro Bernard! 005
CHAPTER VII.
Pietro Bernard! and the Detective become warm Friends. A TSte-a-tete
worth one thousand dollars 219
CHAPTER VIII.
Don Pedro anxious for Pietro Bernardi's absence. " Coppering the Jack
and playing the Ace and Queen open." Bernard! Quieted, and he subse-
quently departs richer by five thousand dollars 238
CHAPTER IX.
Important Info-mation from the Peruvian Government. Arrival In (: '
of the Peruvian Minister and Consul. In Consultation." Robbing I'< IIT
to pay Paul. "Mr. Pinkerton's Card Is presented. Jnan Sanchez, I arrest
you, and yon are my Prisoner. Mr. Pinkerton not " For Sale." 249
CHAPTER X.
The Fete Champetre. A grand Carnival. The disappointed married Lover.
A vain Request. Unmasked ! An indignant Deacon. Don Pedro taken
to Pern in a man-of-war, where he is convicted and sentenced to fifteen
years Imprisonment 265
THE POISONER AND THE DETECTIVES.
CHAPTER I.
Mr. Pinkerton at a Water-cure becomes interested in a Conple, one of whom
subsequently causes the Detective Operation from which this Story is
written. A wealthy ship-owner and his son. The son " l-'ound dead."
Mr. Pinkerton secured to solve the Mystery. Chicago after the Fire 288
CHAPTER II.
The Detectives at work. Mrs. Sanford described. Charlie, the Policeman.
Mrs. Sanford develops Interest in Government Bonds. Chicago Relief
and Aid Benefits. Mrs. Sanford's Story of Trafton's Death 298
CHAPTER III.
The dangerous Side of the Woman's Character. Robert A. Pinkerton as
Adamson. the drunken, but wealthy Stranger, has a violent Struggle to
escape from Mrs. Sanford. and is afterwards robbed. Detective lugham
arrested, but very shortly liberated 319
CHAPTER IV.
Connecting Links. Mrs. Sanford's Ability as an Imitator of Actors. One
Detective tears himself away from her, and another takes his Place.
Mrs. Sanford's mind frequently burdened with the subject of Murder... 340
CHAPTER V.
A moneyed young Texan becomes oneof Mis. Sanford's I,< >dgi -rs. The bonds
are seen and their Numbers taken by the Detective*. Mrs. Sanford ar-
rested. She is found guilty of ' Involuntary Manslaughter." an>
tenced to the Illinois IVnit> ntiary for live years. Mr. Pinkertou's
Theory of the Manner in which Traf ton was murdered 854
PREFACE.
IN presenting to the public another volume, of my
detective stories, I would call the attention of the reader
to the fact, that these stories are literally written from
facts and incidents which have come under my own
observation, or been worked up by officers acting di-
rectly under my instructions.
The Mississippi River has for many years more
especially since the close of the war been infested by
a class of men who never would try to get an honest
living, but would prey upon their neighbors or attack
the property of southern railroads and express com-
panies ; these marauders could be seen any day prowl-
ing along the banks of the Mississippi, in fact, the shores
and immediate neighborhood were peopled by just such
a class, who cared not how they obtained a living ; for
the crimes they committed, they often suffered infinitely
worse punishment, more so than any suffering which
could hare been entailed on them from leading a poor
but honest life.
Vlll PREFACE.
The story of the "Mississippi OUTLAWS AND THH
DETECTIVES " is written to illustrate incidents which
took place in the southern section of the country at no
rery remote date.
" DON PEDEO AND THE DETECTIVES " is another story
of detective experience, which came under my own
observation and management ; it is a truthful narrative,
and shows that some men are worse than known crimi-
nals, and can squander the money they have obtained
by false pretenses, in a very lavish manner.
" THE POISONER AND THE DETECTIVES " is a well-
known bit of dete'ctive experience, which, when read,
will be recognized by any one who ever takes an inter-
est in crime, and the bringing to justice its perpetrators.
The reader must remember that fictitious names are
used in all of these stories, otherwise the facts are
plainly and truthfully told as they occurred.
ALLAV PINKERTON.
April, 1879.
THE MISSISSIPPI OUTLAWS
AND
TIKE IDIETIEOTIVES.
CHAPTER I.
A daring Express Robbery, Mr. Ptnkerton appealed
to. Cane-brakes and cane-fed People. Atti.>i/!n<i
Delays and Amateur Detectives.
rpHE southern and border states, since the close
-L of the war of the rebellion, have been the
frequent scenes of extensive and audacious rob-
beries. This has been largely owing to the
sparsely-settled condition of certain districts, to
the disorder and lawlessness generated by the
war, and to the temptations offered by the care-
lessness of many persons having large sums in-
trusted to their care in transit through lonely and
desolate localities.
The express companies have always been fav-
orite objects of attack by thieves of every grade,
from the embezzling cashier to the petty sneak-
11 lief, and some of the operations connected with
tin* detection of this class of criminals aiv
the. most dilliciiH and dan-vions that II;L.
10 A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY.
been intrusted to me. Probably a no more n-rk-
less and desperate body of men were ever bunded
together in a civilized community than those who
were brought to my attention in 1871 by the
Southern Express Company's officers in Memphis;
and I consider the successful termination of my
efforts in this case as of the greatest value to the
people of the South and West. The whole affair
was conducted with such a limited force, and
under such adverse circumstances, that I take
pride in here recording the history of the affair
and my connection with it. Though I maintained
a general supervision of the operation, my eldest
son, William A. Pinkerton, was the person hav-
ing immediate charge of the matter, and to his
energy, perseverance, and sagacity is mainly at-
tributable our success.
Some time in the latter part of July, 1871, an
express messenger on the Mobile and Ohio Rail-
road was overpowered by three men at Moscow^
Kentucky, and his safe was robbed of about six-
teen hundred dollars. The manner of effecting
the robbery was a very bold one, showing the
presence of men of experience in crime. The loss
was not heavy, but the company made every ef-
fort to discover the robbers, in the hope of bring-
ing them to a severe punishment as a warning to
other criminals. In spite, however, of the efforts
of two of my men, who were immediately sent to
the scene of the robbery, the guilty parties es-
ruped into the almost impenetrable swamps along
the Mississippi liivr, ;md the chase was reluct-
A DARING KXPRKSS ROBBERY. 1)
antly abandoned, as it was impossible to tell where
they would come out or cross the river. The
amount stolen was not sufficiently large to war
rant the expenditure of much time or money in
the pursuit of the thieves, and my men were soon
wholly withdrawn from the operation. In order,
however, to guard against a repetition of such a
raid, an extra man was placed in each express car
to act as guard to the regular messenger. It was
considered that two men, well armed, ought to be
surely able to protect the company against further
loss, and everything ran smoothly until October 21,
1871. At this time, the money shipments by ex-
press were very heavy, as a rule, and orders were
given that special care should be exercised by all
the employes having money packages in charge.
The northern-bound train on the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad was due at Union City, Tennessee,
about half-past seven o'clock in the evening. At
this point the northern and southern-bound trains
usually passed each other, and stopped long
enough for supper, the train arriving first being
the one to take the side track ready to pull out.
Saturday evening, October 21st, the northern
bound train arrived on time, stopped at the
station long enough to let the passengers go to
supper, and then took the side track to await tin-
arrival of the train bound south. As soon as the
sidetrack was reached the conductor, engineer.
fireman, hrakenian. and express messenger went
to supper, leaving the train deserted except by
the express guard, named George Thompson, and
12 A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY.
a fow passengers. The local express agent came
up at this moment, gave his packages to Thomp-
son, receiving his receipt therefor, and returned
to the station. This action was directly cent rai-y
to the rules of the company, which forbade the
messenger to leave the car during his whole run,
or to go to sleep; also, the guard was forbidden to
transact any business, or to have possession of
the safe key. Martin Crowley, the messenger,
had given his key to Thompson, however, to
enable him to attend to the business of the local
agent while Crowley was away at supper. In
accordance with Thompson's request, Crowley
sent a negro porter to the express car with
Thompson's supper on a tray, and the porter,
after handing the tray to Thompson, turned to
walk away. As he did so, he saw two men spring
into the partly open door of the express car, and,
almost immediately, the train began to back.
The negro knew that something was wrong, and
he hurried to the station to give the alarm. By
the time he arrived there, however, the train was
backing at a moderate speed, and was well beyond
the reach of pursuit on foot.
Meantime, the guard, having received his sup-
per from the negro porter, turned his back to the
door to set the tray down. Before reaching the
desk, he heard a noise at the door, and turning,
he was confronted by two men, one of whom held
a revolver at his head, while the other seized his
throat. Thompson was a young man, and, not
b^ing accustomed to meet such hard characters,
A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY. 13
he was badly frightened. He immediately gave
up the safe key and helped one of the men to un-
lock the safe. Having taken all the money out
of the safe, one of the robbers took also the con-
tents of Thompson's pocket-book; but here the
other man interfered, insisting that the guard's
money be returned to him, which was done. Xo
conversation took place, but when the safe had
been carefully examined and all the money it con-
tained taken, one of the men stepped to the door
and swung a lantern once or twice. The train,
which had been backing at a moderate rate of
speed, now stopped, and the two men jumped off,
telling Thompson to stay where he was and keep
quiet. When the conductor, engineer, and other
persons, whom the porter had alarmed, reached
the train, they found everything in order except
the safe, into which poor Thompson was vainly
peering in the hope of discovering that some por-
tion of the funds might have been overlooked.
The men had disappeared in the thick woods, and
no trace of them was found except a small car-
pet-bag containing potatoes and bread. The
amount missing from the safe was about six
thousand dollars in currency.
A 1 though the robbery was at once reported to Mr.
M. J. O'Brien, the General Superintendent, by tel-
egraph, no action seems to have been taken until
the folio \ving Wednesday four days later when
Mr. OT.n'en sent me a brief telegram announcing
tho rohhery, and requesting me to come to Univii
City in person, if possible, and if not, to send
14 A DARING EXPRKSS IIOU15KRY..
eldest son, William A. Pmkurton. The telegiaph
was used freely for the next two days, and \vhile
my son was gathering clues and making his prep-
arations, we learned most of the facts by letter.
William arrived in Union City on Saturday, just
one week after the robbery had been committed,
and he instantly began to gather information from
every available source. Except the statements of
the negro porter and Thompson, the guard, as
condensed in the account heretofore given, little
information could be obtained, as so few persons
were about the train when it began to move off.
While two or three had seen the men who had
entered the car, no one had seen who had rur
the locomotive, and there was, therefore, no cer-
tainty as to the number of persons engaged in
the job. One passenger had seen two men walk-
ing toward the engine in a- suspicious mannei\
and, as his description of these two was entirely
different from that given of the men who had
entered the car, it was fair to presume that they
had been a part of the gang. Still, no one had
seen them get on the engine, and it was not cer-
tain that they had had anything to do with the
affair. At the end of three days, however, Wil-
liam had collected sufficient information to sat-
isfy himself that either four or five men had been
at work together; and, by collating the various
descriptions he received, he obtained a pretty fair
idea of the party.
The first thing which struck him was the simi-
larity of this robbery to the one which had occurred
A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY. 15
exactly three months before at Moscow, Kentucky.
The appearance of the men and their actions had
bc/eii precisely like those of the Moscow party, and
it was evident that they had been emboldened to a
second venture by the ease with which they had
carried through their former scheme. One thing
was imperative: the capture of the whole gang
would be necessary to insure the safety of the ex-
press company's property in the future. Indeed,
it was a mere piece of good fortune that the loss
in this instance was not irreparable, for the
amount of money carried on the southern-bound
train was eighty thousand dollars, and the robbers
would have obtained this large amount if the
southern-bound train had chanced to arrive first.
The robbery was clearly one which no common
tramp or sneak-thief would have dared to attempt,
and William saw immediately the difficulties of
his work. Before proceeding with the incidents
of the operation, I must give some idea of the
country and the people living there, since no-ine
would otherwise comprehend one-half of the ob-
stacles and dangers which were involved in a
search for the criminals in that vicinity.
The southwestern part of Kentucky and the
northwestern part of Tennessee are about as des-
olate portions of the world as are inhabited by a
civilized people. There seems to have been some
convulsion of the earth at this point, which is
sunk so far below the general level of the whole
country as to make it a perpetual swamp. The
annual overflow of the Ohio and Mi;-si.-H|pi lays
16 A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY.
the country under water for a distance of many
miles, while even in the dryest season, the mo
rasses, sunken lakes, and dense cane-brakes, ren-
der it almost impassable, except for people who
have been thoroughly acquainted with the locality
for years.
The sunken lakes are natural curiosities in them-
selves, and, although they have attracted consid-
erable attention from scientific men, no satisfac-
tory explanation of their causes and phenomena
has been found. The country is full of game and
the water is alive with fish, so that the necessities
of life are easily obtainable. The cane-brakes are
wonderful growths of bamboo cane, and they
sometimes cover strips of country as much as
seventy miles long. In the spring-time, the water
rises to such a height that a skiff can navigate
freely above and through the tops of the cane;
but in dry weather, the stalks grow so closely to-
gether that the brake becomes impenetrable to
man or beast, except by winding tortuously
around the clumps through the comparatively
thin portions of the undergrowth. To search for
any one wishing to remain concealed therein is
like the proverbial attempt to look for a needle in
a hay-stack, since a man can pass within ten
yards of another without seeing him or being
aware of his presence. The only roads which
traverse these places are mere cattle paths, which
begin at no place and run no where; and, unless a
man^be thoroughly acquainted with the country*
he can never li-H where any given path will lead
him.
A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY. 17
The people around the towns, such as Hickman,
Union City, Dyersburg, and Moscow, are a highly
respectable and well-educated class ; but in the
low, swampy country, in the cane brake and along
the river, they are not, as a rule, a very agreeable
class to live among. Of course, here, as in all
other places, there are many intelligent, reliable,
honorable men, but the great mass of the cane-
brake population are ignorant and brutal. The
term which they apply to their stock is also emi-
nently appropriate to designate the people : they
are " cane-fed." It is the custom to turn the cat-
tle into the. cane to feed when it is young and
tender, and, as the amount of nutriment thus
obtained is not veiy large, the "cane-fed " animals
bear about the same relation to grain-fed stock
that the people in that vicinity bear to the resident s
of healthy, prosperous, and educated communities.
The larger portion of the population may be classed
as "poor whites," and they constitute a peculiar
variety of the human species. The men are tall,
loose- jointed, and dyspeptic ; they bear a marked
resemblance to the vegetable productions of the
vicinity, being rapid of growth, prolific, and gen-
< i . illy worthless. Their education consists mainly
of woodcraft and rifle-shooting ; their proficiency
in both of these branches is sometimes astonish-
ing, and it is frequently said of their most ex-
pert hunters that they seem to have been born
shot-gun or rifle in hand. Accomplishments they
have none, except the rare instances where a few
tunes upon the banjo have been learned from the
18 A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY.
negroes. Their tastes are few and simple, whisky,
snuff, hog, and hominy being the necessities and
luxuries of life ; that is, whisky and snuff are the
necessities, all other things being secondaiy con-
siderations. In their sober moods, they are frank,
rough, and courageous ; yet, even then, there is
little about them to excite other feelings than
those of pity and aversion. When full of bad
whisky, however, they are apt to become quar-
relsome and brutal, so that no man can feel sure
of his safety in their company. An affront, real
or imaginary, will then be apt to cause bloodshed,
even if the insulted party has to bushwhack his
enemy from a secure covert on the roadside as he
is returning to his home. Every man goes armed,
and, though fair fights in broad daylight are rare,
cold-blooded murders are not infrequent. The
law is seldom invoked to settle private differences,
and, in fact, the functions of the legal officials are
practically very limited in their influence. If a
coroner ever sits upon a corpse, it is understood
that he has done his whole duty by recording a
verdict that ' ' the deceased came to his death at
the hands of some person or persons unknown."
The women, like the men, are tall, thin, and
round-shouldered. Up to the age of sixteen they
sometimes are quite pretty, though sallow and
Lifeless always ; after that period, they become
gaunt, emaciated, and yellow. Whisky hath
charms for them, also, but their favorite dissipa-
tion is snuff -dipping. They marry very early and
bear children nearly every year, so that the size
A DARING EXPRESS ROBBERY. 19
of many of these West Tennessee families is often
enormous. The father exercises patriarchal con-
trol over his whole household until the daughters
are married and the sons old enough and strong
enough to defy the parental authority as enforced
by a hickory rod. The wife never escapes the ap-
plication of this potent instrument of marital dis-
cipline ; and, indeed, should a husband fail to
make frequent use of it for the correction of his
better hah , he would probably soon learn that his
dutiful spouse could find a use for it on his own
person.
Throughout this whole district, the people suf-
fer from fever and ague for nine months of the
year, and dyspepsia seems hereditary. Their phy
sicians, however, usually require no further edu-
cation than is requisite to attend fractured limbs
and gun-shot wounds, the whole school of medi-
cine being limited to three specifics : quinine,
calomel, and whisky.
As before stated, it should be understood that
the foregoing description applies to the majority
of the inhabitants of the low swamp lands only,
and not to the residents in and about the towns ;
even in the cane country itself are to be found oc-
casionally men of education, ability, and good
character, and to several of them William was
largely indebted for assistance and i*f ormation.
There was one redeeming feature also to the
character of the "cane-fed" population; in the
main they were honest, and they would do all in
then- power to break up a thiering gang, even if
20 A DARING EXPKKSS ROBBERY.
they had to hang a few of its members as a warn-
ing to the rest. I was thus able to trust them to
a certain extent, though the fear which they had
of this band of desperadoes rather kept their
naturally honest impulses in check for a time.
William was thoroughly acquainted with the
character of the people, and he knew what a
difficult task had been set before him, especially
as he was allowed no other detectives of my force
to assist him, the express company being de-
sirous of conducting the operation as economically
as possible. Among the large number of men
employed directly by the company were two or
three good men, but the majority were even
worse than useless, and the expense of the affair
was finally much greater than as if only my own
men had been employed. Besides the fact that
William was thus continually working with
strange men, he was harassed by large numbers
of amateur detectives, to whose stories the com-
pany's officers too often lent a ready ear. Indeed,
every express agent in Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Missouri seemed impressed with the idea that he
was a naturally gifted detective, and many were
the annoying delays which resulted from their
interference.
BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. 21
CHAPTER H.
Difficulties. Blind Trails and False Scents. A Scries
of Illustrations showing the Number of Offictou*
People and Confidence Men that often seek Noto-
riety and Profit through important Detective Opera-
tions.
THE art of detecting crime cannot be learned
in a day, nor can the man of business un-
derstand, without previous experience in the hab-
its of criminals, the expedients which the boldest
class of law-breakers adopt; hence none but skilled
detectives can hope to cope with them. Yet often
my clients insist on some certain method of pro-
cedure wholly contrary to my judgment and ex-
perience, until the total failure of their plan
convinces them that there can be but one
thoroughly successful mode of detection, namely,
to submit the case to a skilled detective of char-
acter and standing, and allow him to act according
to his judgment.
The range of investigation in such a case as this
robbery will often extend from New York to San
Francisco, and unless one mind gathers up the
clues, classifies the information, and determines
the general plan, there will be continual error and
delay. Such a state of affairs frequently occurred
during this operation, and much time and money
were spent upon matters too trifling even for con-
sideration.
22 BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS.
The principal of a detective agency, from his
long experience with criminals, learns the ear-
marks of different classes of men, and he is of ten
able to determine the name of the guilty party in
any given robbery by the manner in which the job
was done. He can readily see whether a novice
in crime was engaged, and also whether any col-
lusion existed between the parties robbed and the
criminals; and so, when he sees the traces of a
bold, skillful, and experienced man, he knows that
it is useless to track down some insignificant
sneak-thief, simply because the latter happens to
have been in the vicinity. Yet, neither will he
slight the smallest clue if there is a bare chance
that any valuable fact may be obtained from it.
But the sine qud non is that he, and he alone,
shall direct the whole affair. A divided responsi-
bility simply doubles the criminal's opportunities
for escape.
Among the many difficulties of the detective's
work, none are more embarrassing than the early
development of false clues. In the stories here-
tofore published, the direct steps leading to the
detection and arrest of the criminals have b<rn
related, without referring to the innumerabJe
other investigations, which were progressing sim-
ultaneously, and which, though involving the
expenditure of much thought, time, and money,
proved after all to be of no value whatever in
developing any evidence in the case. In this
operation, such instances were of frequent occur-
rence, and I propose to mention a few of them to
BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. 23
show how wide is the range of the detective's
inquiries, and also the annoying delays to which
lie is often subjected by the inconsiderate zeal
and interference of outside parties. " These latter
may be indeed, they generally are well mean-
ing people, anxious to serve the cause of justice;
though, on the other hand, they are sometimes
spiteful meddlers, striving to fix suspicion upon
some personal enemy.
The plan of detection which alone can insure
success, must be one which neither forgets nor
neglects anything. In investigating any alleged
crime > the first questions to be considered are:
1. Has any crime been perpetrated, and, if so,
what? 2. What was the object sought thereby?
The matter of tune, place, and means employed
must then be carefully noted, and finally we come
to consider: 1. Who are the criminals? 2. Where
are they now? 3. How can they be taken?
The fact that a crime has been committed is
generally apparent, though there have been
cases in which the determination of that point re-
quires as much skill as the whole remainder of
the operation. Such was the case in the detec-
tion of Mrs. Pattmore's murder, related in my
story of ' ' The Murderer and the Fortune Teller. "
The object of a crime is also sometimes obscure,
and, where such are the circumstances, the de-
tection of the criminal is apt to be one of the most
difficult of all operations. Having once solved
these two difficulties satisfactorily, however, and
having observed the relative bearings of time,
24 BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS.
place, and means to the crime itself, the question
of individuals is the important one to be deter-
mined. It often happens that there is no conceal-
ment of identity, the problem to be solved being
simply the way to catch the guilty parties; but,
on the other hand, the greatest skill, experience,
patience, and perseverance are sometimes required
to discover, first of all, the persons engaged in the
crime. Indeed, an operation is often divisible
into two distinct methods of action, the first being
to find out the identity of the criminals, the sec-
ond to follow up and capture them.
In the course of a blind trail, such as we were
obliged to travel in the case of this express rob-
bery, it was impossible to know whence the men
had come or whither they had gone ; hence, I
was forced to take up every trifling clue and fol-
low it to the end. Even after I was satisfied in
my own mind of the identity of the criminals, tho
agents and officers of the express company were
continually finding mares' nests which they
wished investigated, and the operation was some-
times greatly hindered on this account. As an
example of the number of discouragements which
the detective must always expect to encounter, I
propose to mention some of the false scents which
we were forced to follow during this operation.
Three or four days after William's arrival in
Union City, he was informed by the superin-
tendent of the express company having charge
of the operation, that there was a young man in
Moscow who could give important information
BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. 25
relative to the first robbery at that place. This
young man, Thomas Carr by name, was a lawyer
who had once had fine prospects, but he had be-
come very dissipated, and he finally had been taken
seriously ill, so that he had lost his practice. On
recovering his health he had reformed his habits,
but he had found great difficulty in winning back
clients, and his income was hardly enough to
support him. On learning that this impecuni-
ous lawyer had valuable information, William
strongly suspected that it would amount to little
more than a good lie, invented to obtain money
from the express Company; nevertheless, he sent
for the young man and heard his story.
According to Carr, a man named John Wither-
spoon had visited him about six weeks before,
and had asked him whether he would like to get
a large sum of money. Carr replied affirmatively,
of course, and wished to know how it could .be
obtained. Witherspoon had said that the express
company could be robbed very easily by boarding
a train at any water-tank, overpowering the mes-
senger, and making him open the safe. Wither-
Bpoon also had said that he and several others
had robbed a train at Moscow some weeks before,
and that they had got only sixteen hundred dol-
lars, but that they should do better next time.
He had asked Carr to go to Cairo and find out
when there would be a large shipment of money
to the South; then Carr was to take the same
1 i-a in and give a signal to the rest of the party on
arriving at the designated spot.
a
26 BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS.
On hearing Carr's story, William sent him
to Moscow with instructions to renew his inti-
macy with Witherspoon, and to report any n<
he might learn at once; in case it should prove
to be of any value, the company would pay him
well for his services. It is hardly necessary to add
that Mr. Cajjr, having failed to get, as he had
hoped, a roving commission as detective at the
company's expense, was not heard from again,
his bonanza of news having run out very quickly
on discovering that no money was to be paid in
advance.
The next case was a more plausible one, and
William began its investigation with the feeling
that something might be developed therefrom.
It was learned that a former express messenger
named Robert Trunnion, who had been dis-
charged several months before, had been hanging
around Columbus, Kentucky, ever since. While
in conversation with the clerk of a second-class
hotel, Trunnion had spoken of the ease with
which a few determined men could board an ex-
press car, throw a blanket over the messenger's
head, and then rob the safe. The clerk said that
Trunnion had made the suggestion to him twice,
and the second time he had given Trunnion a
piece of his mind for making such a proposition.
Trunnion had then said he was only fooling, and
that he did not mean anything by it. William
learned that Trunnion was then engaged in selling
trees for a nursery at Clinton, Kentucky, and that
he was regarded as a half -cracked, boasting fool,
BUND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. 27
who might he anything bad, if he were influenced
by bold, unscrupulous men. William therefore
paid a visit to Mr. Trumiion, whom he found to
be a very high-toned youth, too fiery -tempered
and sensitive to submit to any questioning as to
his words or actions. In a very brief space ol:
time, however, his lordly tone came down to a
very humble acknowledgment that he had used
the language attributed to him; but he protested
that he had meant nothing; in short, his confes-
sion was not only complete, but exceedingly
candid; he admitted that he was a gas-bag and a
fool, without discretion enough to keep his tongue
from getting him into trouble continually; and,
having clearly shown that he was nowhere in the
vicinity of either robbery, he asked humbly not
to be held responsible for being a born idiot.
William was satisfied that the fellow had told
the truth, and, after scaring him out of all his
high-toned pride, he let him go, with a severe
lecture on the danger of talking too much.
On the nineteenth of November, when the iden-
tity of the robbers had been fully established,
William was called away to luka, Mississippi, on
information received from Mr. O'Brien, the gen-
eral superintendent of the express company, that
a man named Santon had seen the leader of the
party in that place, jjst a week before. Santon
represented that he knew the man well, having
IK rn acquainted with him for years in Cairo, and
that he could not be mistaken, as he had spokon
with him on the day mentioned. William found
28 BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS.
that the man Santon was a natural liar, who could
not tell the truth even when it was for his inter-
est to do so. The descriptions of the various rob-
bers had been scattered Broadcast everywhere,
and none of them were represented as over thirty-
five years of age; yet Santon said that his man
was over fifty years old, and that he had been a
pilot on the Mississippi for years. This was a
case not an infrequent one, either where peo-
ple talk and lie about a crime for the sole purpose
of getting a little temporary notoriety. Owing to
various accidents and railway detentions, Wil-
liam lost three days in going to hunt up this lying
fellow's testimony.
Perhaps the most impudent of all the stories
brought to the express company's officers was
that of a man named Swing, living at Columbus,
Kentucky. He sent a friend to Union City to tell
them that he could give them a valuable clue to
the identity of the robbers, and William accom-
panied this friend back to Columbus. On the
way, William drew out all that Swing's friend
knew about the matter, and satisfied himself
that Swing's sole object in sending word to the
officers of the company was to get them to do a
piece of detective work for him. It appeared that
his nephew had stolen one of his horses just after
the robbery, and he intended to tell the company's
officers that this nephew had been engaged in tho
robbery; then if the company captured the
nephew, Swing hoped to get back his horse. A
truly brilliant scheme it was, but, unfortunately
BLIND TRAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. W
for his expectations, William could not be misled
by his plausible story; and, if he ever recovered
his horse, he did so without the assistance of the
express company. Nevertheless, he took Wil-
liam away from his work for nearly a whole day,
at a time when his presence was almost indis-
pensable.
Another peculiar phase of a detective's experi-
ence is, that while following up one set of crim-
inals, he may accidentally unearth the evidences
of some other crime; occasionally it happens that
he is able to arrest the criminals thus unexpect-
edly discovered, but too often they take the alarm
and escape before the interested parties can be put
in possession of the facts. About two weeks after
the Union City robbery, in the course of my ex-
tended inquiries by telegraph, I came across a
pair of suspicious characters in Kansas City, Mis-
souri. I learned that two fine-looking women
had arrived in that city with about eight thousand
dollars in five, ten, and twenty dollar bills, which
they were trying to exchange for bills of a larger
denomination. The women were well dressed,
but they were evidently of loose character, and
the possession of so much money by two females
of that class excited suspicion instantly in the
minds of the bankers to whom they applied, and
they could not make the desired exchange. One
of the women was a blonde and the other was a
brunette. They were about of the same height,
and they dressed in such marked contrast as to
set each other off to the best advantage; i
30 BLIND TRAILS -AND FALSE SCENTS.
their dresses seemed to have attracted so much
attention that I could gain very little acquaintance
with their personal appearance. I could not con-
nect them in any way with the robbery at Union
City, nor with any other recent crime, though 1
had little doubt that the money they had with
them was the proceeds of some criminal transac-
tion; still, having my hands full at that time, it
would have been impossible for me to look after
them, even had I thought best to do so. As it is my
practice to undertake investigations only when
engaged for the purpose by some responsible per-
son, I did not waste any time in endeavoring to
discover the source whence these women obtained
their money; though, of course, had I learned
enough about them to suspect them of complicity
in any specific crime, I should have reported my
suspicions to the parties interested, to enable them
to take such action as they might have seen fit.
The most important of all the false clues
brought out in this investigation was presented
by a noted confidence man and horse-thief named
Charles Lavalle, alias Hildebrand. I call it the
most important, not because I considered it of any
value at the time, but because it illustrates one of
the most profitable forms of confidence operation,
and because the express company, by refusing to
accept my advice in the matter, were put to a
large expense with no possibility of a return.
Very shortly after the Union City robbery, a
letter was received from a man in Kansas City,
calling himself Charles Lavalle. The writer
BLIND TliAILS AND FALSE SCENTS. 31
claimed that he had been with the gang who had
robbed the train, but that they had refused to
divide with him, and so, out of revenge, he was
anxious to bring them to punishment. He claimed
further that he was then in the confidence of an-
other party, who were soon going to make another
raid upon the express company somewhere be-
tween New Orleans and Mobile.
The plausibility of his story was such that he
obtained quite a large sum from the express
company to enable him to follow up and re-
main with the gang of thieves with whom
he professed to be associated. No news was
received from him, however, and at length
I was requested to put a "shadow" upon
his track. My operative followed him to
St. Joseph, Missouri, and thence to Quincy, Illi-
nois, but, during two weeks of close investigation,
no trace of the villains in Lavalle's company could
be found, and he was never seen in the society of
any known burglars or thieves. It was soon evi-
dent that he was playing upon the express com-
pany a well-worn confidence game, which has
been attempted probably eveiy time a large rob-
bery has occurred in the last fifteen years. He
became very importunate for more money while
in Quincy, as he stated that the gang to which
he belonged were ready to start for New Orleans;
but, finding that his appeals were useless, and
that no more money would be advanced until
some of his party were actually discovered and
trapped through his agf>ncy,*he soon ceased writ-
insr,
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
The foregoing are only a few of the insfanoeg
in which our attention was diverted from the
real criminals; and, although the efforts of my
operatives were rarely misdirected in any one af-
fair for any length of time, still these false alarms
were always a source of great annoyance and em-
barrassment.
CHAPTER III.
"Old Hicks" a drunken Planter, is entertained by a
Hunting-party. Lester's Landing. Its Groc< ///-
store and Mysterious Merchants. A d<nif/;i-<ins
Situation and a desperate Encounter. The unfor-
tunate Escape of Two of the Robbers.
ONE of the most direct sources of information
relative to the party was found in the per-
son of an old planter, named Hicks, who lived
some distance down the track of the railroad. He
was in the habit of visiting Union City very fre-
quently, and he usually rounded off his day's
pleasure by becoming jovially drunk, in which
condition he would start for his home, walking
down the railroad track. He had been in Union
City all of Friday before the robbery, and about
ten o'clock in the evening he was in a state of
happy inebriety, ready to "hail fellow, well met,"
with any person he might encounter.
On his way home, about three-quarters of a mile
west of Union City, tie saw a camp-fire bui ning a
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS. 3ft
short distance from the track, and around it w* re
gathered five men. They hailed him, and asked
him to take a drink ; and as this was an invitation
which Hicks could not refuse, even from the devil
himself, he joined them, drank with them, and
danced a hornpipe for their edification. Hicks
acknowledged in his account of meeting them, that
by the time they had made him dance for thein>
he was heartily frightened at their looks and talk.
He heard one of them say that they wanted ten
thousand at least, but he could not tell what the
remark referred to. He asked them why they
were camping out, and one, who seemed to be the
leader of the party, said they were out hunting.
1 'Yes," continued another one, " I am out hunt-
ing for somebody's girl, and when I find her we
are going to run away together."
At this, they all laughed, as if there was some
hidden meaning in his words.
Hicks described all of the men, three of them
quite minutely ; but the fourth was evidently the
same as the second, and the fifth was lying down
asleep all the time, so that Hicks could not tell
much about him. They were armed with large
navy revolvers, which they wore in belts, and
their clothing was quite good. The tall man, who
seemed to be the leader, related an account of a
deer-hunt in which he had participated, in Fay-
ette county, Illinois, on the Kaskaskia river, and
when, lie mentioned the place, the others scowled
and winked ;ii him, as if to stop him. Hick^ said
that the\ s.vmed to IK- familiar with Cincinnati.
34: MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
Louisville, Evansville, and other northern citie^
and that they talked somewhat like Yankees.
He remained with them until about midnight,
when a negro came down the track. Hicks and
the negro then went on together to Hicks's house,
leaving the five men still camped in the woods.
Other persons reported having seen the same
party in the same vicinity several times before
the night of the robbery, though some had seen
only two, others three and four ; but no one, ex-
cept Hicks, had seen five. The accounts given by
the persons near the train when the robbery oc-
curred did not show the presence of more than
three persons, though possibly there might have
been a fourth. The descriptions of the suspected
parties were quite varied in some respects ; yet
the general tenor of them was to the same effect,
and, as no one knew who these persons were, it
was quite certain that this quartette of strangers
had committed the robbery.
In the case of the Moscow robbery, we had
strongly suspected two notorious thieves, named
Jack Nelson and Miles Ogle, so that my first ac-
tion, on learning of this second affair in the same
vicinity, was to telegraph to my correspondents
and agents throughout the country, to leam
whether either of these men had been seen lately.
I could gain no news whatever, except from St.
Louis, whence an answer was returned to the
effect that Nelson was said to be stopping some-
where in the country back of Hickman, Kon-
tucky. Ogle's wife was in St. Louis, and she hud
MYSTERIOUS A1KKCI1ANTS. 35
been seen by a detective walking and talking earn
estly with a strange man a short time previous.
The information about Nelson was important,
since, if true, it showed that he was in the imme-
diate neighborhood of the points where the rob-
beries had occurred. The man seen with Mrs.
Ogle might have been one of the party, sent by
her husband to appoint a future rendezvous. The
description of the tall, dark man, mentioned by
Hicks and others, tallied very closely with Ogle's
appearance. My son, William, was well advised
of these facts, and, as soon as he had obtained the
statements of every one acquainted with any of
the occurrences at the time of the robbery, he was
ready for action.
His first inquiries were directed toward discov-
ering where Nelson was staying near Hickman,
and he learned in a very short time that this ru-
mor had no truth in it. While making search for
Nelson, however, he heard of a low grocery-store
at Lester's Landing, about twelve miles below
Hickman on the Mississippi River. The store
was situated four miles from any other house in
a sparsely settled countiy, where the amount of
legitimate trade would hardly amount to twelve
hundred dollars per year. It was said to be the
resort of a very low class of men, and the propri-
dors passed for river gamblers.
On William's ret urn to Union City from Hick
man, lie derided to mak- a visit to this grocery-
store to learn something about the men who 1're-
it. Havin noi I' liis <>\\n m-n with
36 MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
him, he chose one of the express company's de-
tectives, named Patrick Connell, to accompany
him, and, on the last day of October, they star-led
on horseback, with an old resident named Bledsoe
for a guide. On arriving at the house of a well-to-
do planter, named Wilson Merrick, they obtained
considerable information about the men who kept
the store and the people who visited it.
Mr. Merrick said that a man named John Wes-
ley Lester kept a wood-yard on the Mississippi,
and the spot was called Lester's Landing. About
three or four months before, three men arrived
there and obtained leave from Lester to put up a
store, which they stocked with groceries and
whisky. The men gave their names as J. H.
Clark, Ed. J. Russell, and William Barton, and
they seemed to have some means, as the store
did only a limfted business, except in whisky.
They were all men of ability and determination,
and, as they were always well armed, the people
of the cane-brake country were rather afraid of
them. Nothing positive was known against
them, but it was suspected from their looks and
actions that they were Northern desperadoes lying
quiet for a time. They seemed to be well ac-
quainted in Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis,
Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, but they
were careful never to give any hint of their pre-
vious place of residence in the hearing of stran-
gers. Mr. Merrick had, however, heard Russell
say that he had once run a stationary engine in
Missouri, and from occasional expressions by
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS. 37
Barton it would appear that the latter had onco
worked on a railroad in some capacity. They
dressed quite well, and treated strangers politely,
though not cordially. Although they were all
three rather hard drinkers, they never became
intoxicated, and they seemed to understand each
other well enough not to quarrel among them-
selves. Clark was the oldest of the party, hut
Eussell seemed to be the leader, Barton being ap-
parently quite a young man. They stated that
they intended to exchange groceries for fish and
game, and ship the latter articles to St. Louis
and Memphis.
From the description of the men, William be-
gan to suspect that they formed a portion of the
party of robbers, and he determined to push on
at once. He induced a young man named Gor-
don to go with him as guide and to assist in mak-
ing the arrest of these men, if he should deem it
advisable. By hard riding they succeeded in
reaching Lester's Landing before nightfall, but
the twilight was fast fading as they came out of
the dense underbrush and cane-brake into the
clearing around Lester's log-cabin.
The spot was dreary and forlorn in the extreme.
The river was then nearly at low water, and its
muddy current skirted one side of the clearing at
a distance of about thirty yards from the house.
The wood-yard and landing at the water's level
were some ten or fifteen feet below the rising
ground u i ton which the house stood. Thestoiv
was n shanty of rough pine boards with one door
38 MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
aiid one window, and it stood at the head of lh*
diagonal path leading from the landing to the high
ground. A short distance back was a rail fence
surrounding Lester's house and corn-field, and
back of this clearing, about one hundred yards
from the house, was a dense cane-brake. The
corn-stalks had never been cut, and, as they grew
very high and thick within twenty feet of the
house, they offered a good cover to any one ap-
proaching or retreating through them. A rough
log barn stood a short distance inside the rail
fence, and, like the house, it was raised severa 1
feet above the ground, on account of the annua*
overflow of the whole tract. The house was a
rather large building built of logs, the chinks be-
ing partly filled with mud, but it was in a dilapi-
dated condition, the roof being leaky and the
sides partly open, where the mud had fallen out
from between the timbers.
On entering the clearing, William's party rode
up to the store and tried to enter, but, finding
the door locked, they approached the house. At
the rail fence, William and Connell dismounted,
leaving Gordon and Bledsoe to hold their horses.
Up to this time, they had seen no signs of life
about the place, and they began to think that the
birds had flown. The quiet and the absence of men
about the clearing did not prevent William from
I'xoi-cisiiii:; his usual caution in approaching the
house; but he did consider it unnecessary to take
any stronger force into an apparently unoccupied
log-cabin, where at most he had only vague sus
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS. 39
picions of finding the objects of his search;
hence, he left Gordon and Bledsoe behind. Know-
ing the general construction of this class of
houses to be the same, he sent Connell to the rear,
while he entered the front door. A wide hall d-i
vided the house through the center, and the occu-
pants of the house were in the room on the right.
William's door leading into the room opened
from this hall, while Connell's was a direct en-
trance from the back porch, and there were no
other doors to the room.
As the two strangers entered simultaneously,
five men, a woman, and a girl started to their
feet and demanded what they wanted. The
situation was evidently one of great danger to
the detectives ; one glance at the men, coupled
with the fierce tones of their inquiries, showed
William that he had entered a den of snakes
without adequate force ; but it was too late to
retreat, and he replied that they were strangers
who, having lost their way, desired information.
The scene was a striking one, and it remains as
vividly in William's mind to-day, as if it had
occurred but yesterday. In the center of th -
room, opposite him, was a broad fireplace, in
which the smouldering logs feebly burned and
gave forth the only light in the room. In one
corner stood several shot-guns, and in another,
four or five heavy axes. Grouped about near
the fire, in different attitudes of snrprise, defiance,
and alarm, were the occupants of tin 4 cabin,
while to tho left, in the half-open door stood
40 MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
Connell. The flickering flame of the inUen wood
gave a most unsatisfactory light, in which they
all seemed nearly as dark as negroes, so that
William asked the woman to light a candle. She
replied that they had none, and at the same
moment a young fellow tried to slip by Connell,
but he was promptly stopped. Another la'
powerful man, whose name afterward proved to
be Burtine, again demanded, with several oaths,
what their business was.
" I've told you once that I want some informa-
tion," replied William, "and now I intend to
have you stop here until I can take a look at your
faces."
WTiile William was making them stand up in
line against the wall, one of the largest drew a
navy revolver quickly and fired straight at
William's stomach, the ball just cutting the flesh
on his left side. At the same instant, the young
fellow previously mentioned, darted out the door,
Connell having sprang to William's side, thinking
him seriously wounded. ConnelTs approach pre-
vented William from returning the fire of the
tall man, who had jumped for the door also the
moment he had fired. William fired two shots
at him through the doorway, and Connell followed
hmi instantly, on seeing that William was un-
hurt. Once outside, the tall fellow sprang behind
a large cottonwood tree and fired back at Connell
and William, who were in full view on the porrh.
The second shot struck Council in the pit of t he
stomach, and ho fell backward. At this monu at.
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS. 41
the powerful ruffian, Burtine, seized William
from behind and tried to drag him down, at the
same time calling for a shot-gun "to finish the
Yankee ." Turning suddenly upon
his assailant, William raised his revolver, a heavy
Tranter, and brought it down twice, with all his
force, upon Burtine's head. The man staggered
at the first blow and fell at the second, so that,
by leveling his revolver at the other two, William
was able to cow them into submission. The
affray had passed so quickly that it was wholly
over before Gordon and Bledsoe could reach the
house, though they had sprung from their horses
on hearing the first shot.
The two men had escaped by this time into the
dense cane-brake back of the house, and it was
necessary to attend to those who had been se-
cured, and to examine the injuries of Connell and
Burtine. The latter's head was in a pretty bad
condition, though no serious results were likely
to follow, while Connell had escaped a mortal
wound by the merest hair's breadth. He was
dressed in a heavy suit of Kentucky jeans, with
large iron buttons down the front of the coat.
The ball had struck one of these buttons, and, in-
stead of passing straight through his vitals, it had
glanced around his side, cutting a deep flesh fur-
row nearly to the small of his back, where it had
gone out. The shock of the blow had stunned
him somewhat, the button having been forced
edgewise some distance into the flesh, but his
wound was very trifling, and he was able to go
42 MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS.
on with the search with very little inconvenience.
Having captured three out of the five inmates of
the cabin, William felt as though ho had done as
much as could have been expected of two men
under such circumstances, and he then began a
search of the premises to see whether any evi-
dence of their connection with the robbery could
be found. Absolutely no clue whatever was ob-
tained in the cabin and barn, nor did the store
afford any better results so far as the robbery was
concerned, but on this point William was already
satisfied, and he was anxious to get all informa-
tion possible about these so-called storekeepers.
In the store, he found bills and invoices showing
that the stock of goods had been purchased in
Evansville, but there was no other writing of any
character except some scribbling, apparently done
in an idle moment, upon some fragments of
paper in a drawer. On one was written: "Mrs.
Kate Graham, Farmington, 111."; and on another,
amid many repetitions of the name, " Kate Gra-
ham," were the words, "My dear cousin."
Having found very little of value, the party ro
turned to the three prisoners and closely exam-
ined them. To William's intense chagrin, he
found that these men were, undoubtedly, mere
wood-choppers living with Lester and having no
connection with the proprietors of the store.
Although desperate, brutal, and reckless, ready
for a fight at all times, as shown in this affray,
they were clearly not the train robbers, while it
was equally evident that the two who had escaped
were the guilty parties.
MYSTERIOUS MERCHANTS. 43
William learned that the young man who had
first slipped out was Barton, and the man who
had done the shooting was Russell. Clark, they
said, had taken the steamer for Cape Girardeau,
Missouri, two days before, accompanied by a
married woman, named Slaughter. The descrip-
tion of the train robbers tallied so well with the
appearance of Barton and Russell, that, talcing
their actions into consideration, there could no
longer be any doubt of their complicity in the
affair, and it was highly provoking that these
two should have escaped. Still, it was an acci-
dent which could hardly have been avoided. The
fact that the express company would not consent
to the employment of a larger force of detectives
was the principal cause of this misfortune, for it
could have been prevented easily, had William
been accompanied by two more good men of my
force.
As it was, two detectives, dropping unexpect-
edly upon a nest of five villainous-looking men in
the dark, could have hardly hoped to do better
than to secure three of them. It could not have
been supposed that they would know which were
the important ones to capture, especially as they
could not distinguish one from another in the
uncertain light. Indeed, as afterward appeared,
they were fortunate in having escaped alive, for
the close approach to fatal wounds, which thrv
both received, showed how deadly had been the
intentions of the man Russell, while Burtine had
evidently intended that they should never leave
the house alive.
44 THE CAPTURED RUFFIANS.
It may be supposed that the shooting on both
sides was none of the best, but it must be remem-
bered that it began without warning, "and was
over in two minutes. It cannot be expected that
snap-shooting, even at close quarters, should be
very accurate; yet it was afterward learned that
Russell's escape had been about as narrow as
William's, two balls having passed through his
clothes and grazed his flesh.
CHAPTER IV.
The Captured Ruffians are desired for Guides, but dare
not join in the Search for the Outlaws. One of
the Mobbers is Taken, but subsequently Escapes from
the Amateur defectives. Another Clue suddc;J>/
Fails.
HAVING searched the whole place, and sat-
isfied himself that the men captured had
had no connection with the robbery or the rob-
bers, William offered them one hundred dollars
to act as guides through the cane-brake to arrest
Barton and Russell. They said they could not if
they would, since no man could find his way
there in broad daylight, much less at night. They
further admitted that they dare not attempt it, as
Russeh 1 would kill them if they learned of their
action. It was now pitch dark, and after a vain
THE CAPTURED RUFFIANS. 45
attempt to beat through the cane in search of tho
fugitives, William decided to return to Mr. Mer-
rick's until next day.
The next morning at daybreak he started back
for Lester's, accompanied by a number of the
cane-brake population, all of whom were anxious
to secure the one hundred dollars reward. They
had long suspected the men at tho store of being
desperadoes, but they had had a wholesome fear
of them on account of their fierce ways and their
reckless habit of drawing their revolvers on slight
provocation.
On arriving at Lester's, the party found that
Lester had returned from Hickman during tho
night. He was a treacherous-looking scoundrel,
and his reputation was bad, although he had
never been caught in any crime in that vicinity.
His name, John Wesley Lester, showed that he
must have once belonged to a pious Methodist
family, and, indeed, he claimed to have once
been a Methodist preacher himself. He had
sunken eyes, milky white, and his hair was lank
and long; his complexion was dark, cheeks hol-
low, chin pointed, and forehead low. His man-
ner was fawning and obsequious to those above
Mm, and he looked and acted like a second
" Uriah Heap." He pretended to know nothing
of Russell, Clark, and Barton, except that they
had come to his place in July, built the store
there, and had been around the landing more or
less ever since. He said that he knew nothing
against them, except that they were gamblers,
46 THE CAPTURED RUFFIANS.
and that they often went off on gambling excur-
sions, during one of which, according to their
own statements, they had killed a man in a quar-
rel.
William learned from Lester's daughter that
Barton had returned during the night to get a
shawl, blanket, and two shot-guns. He had
told her that Kussell was hurt pretty badly, but
that they intended to take the first packet down
the river. From other parties William learned
that the packet Julia had passed down dining the
night, and had stopped at a point about seven
miles below, having been hailed from the bank.
He did not place much faith in the theory that the
men had taken passage by the Julia, for the rea-
son that Lester's girl was too anxious to tell the
story of the route Barton proposed taking. He
discovered that Barton had been paying lover-like
attentions to the girl, and he believed that Bar-
ton had instructed her to say that he intended
tuking the next packet, in order to give them a false
scent. Having set the men of the neighborhood
at work searching for Kussell and Barton, Wil-
liam returned to Union City.
From Hickman Connell was sent to Cape
Girardeau, Missouri, to capture Clark, who was
said to have gone there three days before.
On the arrival of William in Union City, the
superintendent telegraphed to me the result o
William's visit to Lester's Landing, and au-
thorized me to send an operative to Farmington,
Illinois, to hunt up Mrs. Kate Graham, and lean)
THE CAPTUKED RUFFIANS. 47
what she could tell about Russjll, Clark, and
Barton. A man was sent there the next day, and
he had no difficulty in finding Mrs. Graham, who
proved to be the wife of a highly respectable
business man. She was a member of the church,
and was held in high esteem by every one ac-
quainted with her. My agent, therefore, ca]led
upon her without any circumlocution or deception,
and asked to see her on business. She was con-
fined to her room by illness, but she saw him
for a few minutes, and answered his questions so
frankly that there was no doubt she was tellmg
the truth. She stated that she was not ac-
quainted with any one living at Lester's Landing;
that she did not know, nor ever had known, any
persons of the names given (Eussell, Clark, and
Barton); and that she knew no one who would
answer to their descriptions. This clue seemed 10
come to an end very quickly, yet it afterward
proved to be the means by which we captured one
of the gang, and it was a striking instance of the
necessity for the most careful and minute inquiry
upon every point of news obtained, especially
upon those received directly from the criminals
themselves.
On the 3d of November, Connell went with a
constable to the house of Mrs. Gully, the mother
of Clark's companion, Mrs. Slaughter, and there
he found them both. Clark was surprised by the
officers, but he made a bold fight, and was over-
powered with difficulty. When finally haml-
cull'ed and searched, a navy revolver and fifty
48 THE CAPTURED RUFFIANS.
dollars in money were taken from him; he
then taken nine miles on horseback to Cape Girar-
deau, where Connell obtained a light wagon to
drive sixteen miles to Allenville, on the railroad
leading to Hickman. On this trip Connell made
the mistake of trusting to handcuffs alone, in-
stead of securely fastening his prisoner's feet
with rope. The idea that one man in handcuffs
could escape from two active, unimpeded men did
not, however, occur to Connell, and so the con-
stable drove the horse, while Clark and Connell
occupied the back seat. In justice to Connell, it
should be stated that he had been constantly in
the saddle for several days in raw and rainy
weather, and had had very little sleep for two
nights previous.
About nine o'clock in the evening, when only a
mile from Allenville, Clark suddenly made a leap
out of the wagon. The horse was jogging along
at a good trot, and, though Connell sprang after
his prisoner instantly, it was a couple of minutes
before the constable could follow. As he ran,
Connell fired at the dim figure disappearing in
the thick brush; but the next instant he pitched
headlong into a deep mud-hole, and, by the time
he got* out, the cylinder of his revolver was
choked with mud, and Clark was far in advance.
The chase was kept up as long as the pursuers
were able to distinguish the direction of his flight,
but, in tho darkness of the gloomy woods, it was
impossible to follow an athletic fellow like Clark
with any hope of success. Connell returned to
THE CAPTURED RUFFIANS. 49
Union City very much crestfallen, and reported
his misfortune. My first feeling, on learning the
news, was one of deep regret and anxiety at the
loss of one of the leaders of the gang; my second
thought was one of profound thankfulness that
my men were in no way responsible for it. The
situation was an illustration of the disappoint-
ments and difficulties which are so often met in a
detective's experience; and, though I felt some-
what discouraged, I was more than ever deter-
mined that none of these men should eventually
escape, even though it should be necessary to fol-
low them for months.
The desire of the express company to employ
as few as possible of my operatives embarrassed
me exceedingly, for William was obliged to de-
pend upon strangers, and he had little confidence
in their ability or discretion. He was now satis-
fied of the identity of the parties he was in search
of, and all that he needed was a small force of ex-
perienced and reliable men.
Had I been limited and interfered with in the
Maroney case, described in " The Expressman and
the Detective," as I was in this, there is no doubt
that I might have failed to capture the criminal ;
but the cordial cooperation and support of the
Adams Express Company gave me a fail* oppor-
tunity to work to good advantage, and victory
was the result.
60 A RICH LEAD.
CHAPTER V.
A Rich Lead Struck at Last,
"TTTILLIAM was quite sure, from the reputa-
VV tion and actions of Eussell, Clark, and
Barton, that they had been the leaders in the rob-
bery, and he believed that Lester could give im-
portant information about them ; he therefore
caused Lester to be brought to Union City, and,
on November 5, he succeeded in getting a state-
ment of the doings of these men since Lester had
known them. The important points developed
were as follows :
They came to Lester's Landing in the middle of
July, and built their store. They were rarely
there together, as they would go off for two or
three weeks at a time, leaving Barton or Clark in
charge, and sometimes putting Lester in as store-
keeper during the absence of all three. On one
occasion, Eussell showed him a pocket-book con-
taining nearly one thousand dollars, which he
thought he had lost, but which he found under a
rail fence where he had hidden it ; the other men,
also, seemed to have plenty of money. About
the middle of October, the three storekeepers
went away, and were gone until October 24, thr< >e
days after the robbery, on which day Lester met
Clark and Barton walking toward his house, on
the way from Hickman. They seemed quite ex
A RICH LEAD. 51
cited, and said ti.At they had been engaged in a
difficulty, but they did not state what it was
They asked him whether he had seen Russell re-
cently, and also whether there was a skiff at his
landing; both questions were answered nega-
tively, and they passed on toward the store, while
Lester continued his walk to Hickman. On his
return at night, he found that Clark and Barton
had been across the river all day, scouting the
Missouri shore for Eussell, and that shortly after
their return, Russell had come across the river in
a skiff. Russell said that he had been shot, but
that he was not much hurt, and he did not seem
to act as if he had been hurt at all. Sunday morn-
ing, October 29, Clark took passage in a steamer
for Cape Girardeau, having Mrs. Slaughter in
company, and it was understood that he was go-
ing with Mrs. Slaughter to the house of her
mother, nine miles from the Cape. Tuesday
evening, William and Connell arrived at Lester's,
the fight took place, and Barton and Russell
escaped. After the detectives had gone back to
Campbell's, Barton returned to the house an^
obtained a shawl, blanket, and two shot-guns ;
he said that they would never be taken alive, bu*.
that Russell had been badly wounded by one oi
11 10 detectives. William had left two men at the
kind ing the next day to capture the men if they
returned, but they were afraid to attempt it, a]
though they had a good opportunity that night.
Ku-soll came into the house alone, showing n
signs of having been wounded, and said that h<
52 A RICH LEAD.
and Barton had joined four friends, who were
outside waiting for him ; that they were all well
mounted and armed, and that they intended to
kill any one who should betray them or attempt
their capture. He added that they intended to
make their way on horseback to Alabama, and
that they were strong enough to fight their way
through, if necessary. Of course, Eussell's object
was to frighten the detectives and others who
were searching for him, as he had no one with
him except Barton.
Among other points of value in Lester's state-
ment, was some incidental information relative
to the men, which he had learned during the time
they boarded with him. He had heard Clark say
that his mother lived sixty miles back of Nash-
ville, and Russell had once run a stationary engine
in Missouri. Lester was shown the satchel found
on the engine after the robbery, and he recog-
nized it as having been left at his house once by
a wood-chopper named Bill Taylor, who lived in
the cane-brake, some distance below him. He
said that the three men each carried a navy re-
volver and a derringer, while Eussell had also a
new, large-sized Smith & Wesson revolver.
Meantime, the telegraph had been used con-
stantly to learn something about the three men,
Kussell, Clark, and Barton, fronr. whatever source
information could be obtained. Barton was well
known in Nashville, New Madrid, and Union
City. He was quite young, but he had been in-
volved in a stabbing affray in Nashville, and was
A RICH LEAD. 53
regarded as a desperate character. He had been
respectably brought up by Major Landis, General
Agent of the Nashville and Northwestern Rail-
road, and had been given a place in the employ
of that road, with good prospects for promotion.
Having become dissipated and hardened, he had
been discharged from his position, and Major
Landis had cast him off ; thenceforward, his
career had been rapid in the downward direction.
With regard to the other two men, little could
be learned, until a rich lead was struck on the
seventh of November. The corrected descriptions
of the different parties having been sent to all the
agents of the express company, Mr. Charles Pink,
agent at Cairo, recognized Russell as a man who
had sent eight hundred dollars in currency from
Cairo to Mrs. M. Farrington, Gillem Station, Ten-
nessee, on the eleventh of September, and who
had then started, according to his own statement,
for his home in Illinois. Mr. Pink also stated
that the chief of police in Cairo claimed to know
Russell, and to be able to find him for a suffi-
cient consideration. Not having any use for the
services of this disinterested officer, his offer was
politely declined.
The superintendent of the express company
was strongly impressed with the belief that Rus-
sell and Barton were lurking around Lester's, and
so, while William went to Nashville to see what
could be learned about Barton and his compan-
ions, a number of men were hired to scour the
country, hunt through the brake, and guard the
54 A RICH LEAD.
Mississippi ferries, while Connell and Crowley,
the express messenger, were placed on the Mis-
souri bank, to scout that side of the river. I may
say here, en passant, that, with the exception of
the two named, these men were a source not only
of great unnecessary expense to the company,
but of vexation and hindrance to William. In
most cases, their scouting consisted in riding the
high-roads from one tavern to another, and in
order to have something to show for their work,
they would bring in every species of wild and
foolish rumor that they could discover or invent.
As the superintendent frequently desired that
these reports should be investigated, much valu-
able time was thus wasted. These men were not
only employed without my advice, but they were
retained long after I had urgently requested the
discharge of the whole party, and I had great
difficulty in obtaining their discharge, even after
I was positively sure that the robbers had crossed
the Mississippi and escaped into Missouri.
William spent one day in Nashville, and then
went to Gillem Station, where he learned that
Mrs. Farrington, to whom Eussell had sent eight
hundred dollars from Cairo, lived on an old, worn-
out farm, and passed for a rich widow. She had
three sons Hillary, Levi, and t Peter, the latter
being quite young. Hillary and Levi Farrington
uore a very bad reputation, having been mixed
up in all kinds of fights and quarrels for a num-
ber of years. They were suspected of horse-
stealing and counterfeiting . but most people were
A RICH LEAD. 55
afraid of them, and they had never been arrested
in that vicinity. William here learned, also, that
Barton had been a frequent visitor at the Farring-
tons', and that he was as bad as the others.
While at Gillem Station, William met Pete Far-
ringtou, the youngest of the three brothers, and
his resemblance to Eussell, whose face William
had seen by the dim firelight and the flash of his
pistol in the cabin at Lester's Landing, caused a
sudden possibility to flash across his mind. He
reasoned out the connection of the different facts
about as follows :
' 'Eussell was, undoubtedly, one of the Moscow
and Union City robbers, and he obtained a con-
siderable share of the plunder ; two months after
the first robbery, I find that he sent eight hun-
dred dollars to Mrs. Farrington ; this establishes
the connection of those two persons. Barton was
one of the actors in both robberies, also, and I
find that he was formerly intimate with Mrs.
Farrington and her sons ; another link. Pete
Farrington bears a strong resemblance to Russell,
their peculiar Roman noses, with a lump in the
middle, being exactly alike, and this creates a
strong presumption that they belong to the same
family. Now, Russell and Clark were so similar
in their general appearance, that many people
who have seen them together believe them to
have been brothers. Hillary and Levi Farring-
ton, I am told, also closely resemble each other,
and they have not been seen about here for some
months, they being, according to their mother's
66 ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
account., in Texas. The chain of evidence is very
complete ; what if Russell and Clark should prove
to be the Farrington brothers*! "
CHAPTER VI.
The Mother of the Farringtons, being arrested, boasts
that her Sons " Willnever be taken Alive." Another
Unfortunate Blunder by Amateur Detectives. An,
interesting Fate intended for the Detectives. Wil-
liam A. Pinkerton captures the Murderer of a iVtf/ro
in Union City, proving " a very good Fellow for
a Yankee." An Unfortunate Publication. -AY//-
ger - Wool Swamp and its Outlaws.
THE more William thought about it, the more
convinced he became that his theory was
correct, and he took steps to verify his suspicions
by placing a watch upon Mrs. Farrington's move-
ments. He also made arrangements to get pos-
session of any letters that might come for her,
and then, being hastily recalled by the superin-
tendent of the express company, he hurried back
to Union City.
He there learned that, during his absence, Clark
had talked with both Lester and his wife. The
latter had warned him of his danger, and he had
then disappeared in the cane-brake. The UK ;/
stationed at Lester's for the express purp<
arresting any of the robbers who might come
there, had been either unaware of Clark's visit
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. : 7
or else they had been afraid to attempt his cap-
ture, and he had escaped again when almost
within our grasp. William had, therefore, been
called back by telegraph to take charge of the
men engaged in beating through the cane-brake,
as it had been clearly demonstrated that, without
a determined leader, these men w- re no more
useful than a flock of sheep. The hunt went on
for several days with no results whatever, while
at the same time scouts patroled the highways,
and other men kept watch upon the ferries and
fords for many miles around.
While this was going on, the express agent at
Gillem Station was keeping a close watch upon
Mrs. Farrington, when suddenly she announced
-her intention of going to join her sons in Texas.
Instead of sending word to William at once, the
agent began operations on his own account, and
when Mrs. Farrington arrived at Waverly, Ten-
nessee, he caused her arrest. She had started
with two new wagons and a complete outfit for
an overland journey of some length, so that her
progress could not have been very rapid, and
nothing would have been lost by waiting for in-
structions ; but the insane desire to play detective
seemed to overpower all other considerations in
the minds of the company's agents, and she was
arrested by the slu-rifT and a posse of citizens.
Her salutation to the officer who stopped her set-
tlcd !hr quesiion of identify at once, for, on being
told that she would be obliged to let him search
her wagons for certain men, she replied :
8*
58 ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
;< Oh ! yes ; I know what you want. You would
like to find my two sons and Barton for the ex-
press robbery ; but you will never catch them, for
they are not now in this country, and they will
never be taken alive."
This piece of information led the express agent
to take the only sensible step of his whole proceed-
ing. Mrs. Farrington had two negro families
with her, some of whom had belonged to her be-
fore the war ; and, with the personal attachment
noticeable in many of the colored people, they
were now desirous of going West with her. It
occurred to the agent that some of them, from
their confidential relations to the family, might
be able to give some information as to the where-
abouts of the boys. The negroes were, therefore,
taken separately and closely examined, until one
of the men was urgently persuaded to reveal
what he knew. He said that Levi, Hillary, and
Barton had committed the robbery, and that they
had since been at Mrs. Farrington's together.
According to an agreement between the mother
and her sons, she was to start for Texas, passing
through Nigger- Wool Swamp, on the west side of
the Mississippi, and the two eldest sons were to
meet her in the swamp, when they would deter-
mine where to go.
The agent also learned that the men had ar-
rived at their mother's house Friday evening, No-
vember 10, and that a man who had gone there
to sell her a wagon had been met by Hillary Far-
rington with a shot-gun ; on seeing that it was a
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. 59
neighbor, however, Hillary had lowered his gun
and allowed him to come in. It was also learned
that the three desperadoes had been seen at the
house of the Farringtons' uncle, named Douglas,
on Hurricane Creek, about ten miles from Wav-
erly ; again, on Monday, they had been noticed
at Hurricane Mills, making their way to Fowler's
Landing, on the Tennessee Kiver between Flor-
ence and Johnsonville, fourteen miles from the
last-named place. It was evident that they in-
tended to strike across the country below Reel's
Foot Lake, and cross the Mississippi at some point
between Columbus and Memphis. The men were
all well mounted and armed, and they had
(hanged their personal appearance somewhat by
altering the arrangement of their hair, whiskers,
and beards.
The arrest of Mrs. Farrington was a most un-
fortunate blunder, since it disclosed to the crim-
inals how close had been their pursuit, while little
really important information was obtained. It
was a good illustration of the danger of taking
;my decided step in a criminal investigation be-
fore knowing to a certainty that some good result
would be obtained. The parties thus learned that
we were not only aware of their identity, but
also that we were very close upon their track, and
the danger, as well as the difficulty, of the case
was laruvly increased. These men were despera-
does of the most reckless type, and they would
not Irive hesitated a moment to lie in ambush
and kill their |nu>uers, if they had found it pos-
sihle |o do 80.
60 ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
In order to intercept the fugitives before -each-
ing the swampy country near the Mississippi, the
number of scouts and patrolling parties was in-
creased by the superintendent of the express
company, and two men, named Ball and Bleclsoe,
were engaged to follow Mrs. Farrington on horse-
back until her sons should join her in Nigger -
Woo*l Swamp. This would have been a sensible
and necessary move if the right kind of men had
been employed ; but the selection of untrained
men for the delicate and important work of
"shadowing" such an experienced gang of vil-
lains was risky in the extreme. Had they ever
met Barton and the Farringtons, the latter would
have undoubtedly murdered both of them with-
out scruple ; but there was 110 danger of such a
meeting, since the robbers, and Mrs. Farrington
also, were perfectly aware of the presence of their
pursuers from the start. Indeed, they afterward
stated that it had been their intention to have led
the detectives on as far *as the wild, unsettled
country of Western Missouri, and to have then
hanged them in some unfrequented spot, placing
the inscription "Horse-thief" upon each of the
bodies. Subsequent events prevented them from
carrying out this plan, but there was no doubt
that they would have taken that or some other
equally daring means of ridding themselves of
pursuit. The manner in which Ball and Bledsoe
exposed their intentions wherever they went
showed the inexperience of both men in such
work ; for, along the whole route over which
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. 61
they passed, they were known as officers track-
ing a band of thieves ; and we afterward learned
that, while they were innocently and unsuspect-
ingly following Mrs. Farrington, two of the men,
Barton and Clark, were almost continually watch-
ing them. However, they had been started on
their mission by the superintendent before Wil-
liam could make any other arrangements, as he
,vas away at Lester's Landing when the chase
began.
From William's reports to me, I saw the use-
lessness of maintaining such a body of men in
the work of scouting, watching ferries, and beat-
ing the cane-brake, for the reason that no good
could come of it. I knew that if the robbers could
escape from Lester's Landing and make their
way to Gillem Station once, they could do it
again. Clark (or Hillary Farrington) had been at
Lester's early Thursday morning, while guards
were stationed all about ; yet, on Saturday morn-
ing he was at his mother's farm, and no one had
even seen him on the way. This convinced me
that they had such a knowledge of the country
as to make it impossible to stop them by any sys-
tem of guards or patrols, and I therefore wrote
several letters asking that the superintendent dis
charge this expensive force at once, and allow me
to manage the whole operation by my own plans
and with my own men. While William, there-
fore, was at work with indefatigable energy and
perseverance, scouting and following up all the
reports brought in by the vast army of volun
02 ANO'IHEK UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
detectives in the company's employ, we were t)oth
satisfied that the method adopted was useless, and
that even the ferry guards would discover noth-
ing. Knowing the character of the three desper-
adoes, I had no doubt of their sagacity in avoid-
ing observation and pursuit ; they would never
try to cross without knowing positively whether
the ferry was guarded, and if there should be any
real danger, they would undoubtedly steal a skiff
and make their horses swim across the river, a
feat of no great risk in the then low condition of
the water.
About this time an incident occurred which
added greatly to William's popularity in Union
City, and gained for him the respect and kindly
feeling of the community. On Sunday two
roughs, having drank enough bad whisky to be
absolutely fiendish, began to beat an old and inof-
fensive negro whom they happened to meet. A
merchant, named Blakemore, who was passing at
the time, stopped to remonstrate with the ruffians,
when one of them turned and plunged a knife
into his stomach, inflicting a wound which caused
his death next day. The murderer was the terror
of the town, and so great was the fear of him
that he would have probably escaped had not
William appeared on the street as he rushed
away flourishing his bloody knife and threaten-
ing to kill any one who should stand in his way.
The sight of William's heavy revolver leveled at
his head, backed by the certainty which he saw
in William's face that death or .surrender was his
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. 63
only alternative, caused him to choose the latter,
and he w^s lodged in jail to await his trial foi
murder. The people of the town were quite en-
thusiastic over the way in which William had
brought the fellow to bay, and then compelled
his surrender ; and they even went so far as to
say that he was " a good fellow, a very good fel-
low indeed for a Yankee."
On the twentieth of November an unfortunate
publicity was given to our operations by the pub-
lication in the Union City Journal of a long his
tory of the Farringtons, showing their whole
career of crime, and terminating with an account
of their latest exploit, as developed by our inves-
tigations in and about Union City. It is unneces-
sary to state the source whence this information
was derived, further than to say that it was not
obtained from any member of my force. It was
a very dangerous piece of news to be published,
since it might have wholly overthrown all our
plans, besides involving the death of two or three
men engaged in the operation ; fortunately, the
robbers were undoubtedly across the Mississippi
by that time, and beyond the reach of newspapers
for some weeks at least.
On the same day that this matter was published,
Mrs. Farrington crossed the Mississippi River at
Bird's Point, opposite Cairo, and the fact was re-
ported to William and to me by telegraph. We
had previously learned that Mrs. Farrington h.<l
relatives in Springfield, Missouri, and in Dade
County, in the same State, and the probal.il .
64 ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
were that, instead of going to Texas, she \vas
going to visit in one of these places. Meanwhile,
though my opinion was that her sons intended to
rejoin her somewhere, either in Nigger -Wool
Swamp or at her place of destination, I had no
certainty that such was their intention ; and,
bearing in mind the warning they had received
by her arrest at Waveiiy (and possibly by read-
ing the newspaper article previously mentioned),
I felt that every clue must be carefully traced,
even though it might lead in an exactly opposite
direction from that in which our previous suspi-
cions had caused us to look. My correspondents
and agents in Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis,
and New Orleans were, therefore, kept on the
alert to capture the men if they should venture
into those cities, while I held three determined
men ready to go at once in pursuit of Mrs. Far-
rington, in case she should take the route through
Nigger- Wool Swamp.
It will be remembered that one of the negroes
accompanying Mrs. Farrington had stated that
her sons were to join her in that swamp ; now,
there were three possibilities about this state-
ment : first, the negro might have lied ; second,
he might have been so informed by the old lady
on purpose to give a false scent in case he should
be questioned ; and, third, while their intention
might have been to meet there, subsequent c vents
might have altered their plans. Still, thinking
the subject over carefully, I decided that sho
would not take so difficult a course unless sho
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. f>j
really intended to meet her sons there. My rea-
sons for so thinking were based upon the nature
of the place, and, to comprehend my solicitude
about Nigger -Wool Swamp, a description of it
will be necessary.
The swamp is more than seventy miles long by
about thirty-five miles wide, and, as a piece of
bottomless ooze, its superior cannot be found in
the United States. There are just two roads
crossing it, one running from Hall's Ferry, at
Point Pleasant, Missouri, and the other from
Mitchell's Ferry, thirty-five miles below. These
roads are mere bog-paths in themselves, being
heavily overlaid with underbrush and corduroy
logs, yet they afford the only means of crossing
this vast morass. The period of the annual over-
flow turns it into a turbid, sluggish lake, the roads
being then deeply buried under water ; but even
in the dryest seasons the greater portion of the
swamp is a bottomless slime of mud and putre-
fying vegetation. Large tracts of thickly- wooded
land are contained within the limits of the swamp,
and these constitute a semi -substantial basis for
the two roads which run through them ; but even
these clumps are impassable at most seasons,
except along the artificially- constructed roads.
Sometimes, for miles and miles, nothing but tho
rankest of swamp- vegetation is seen, growing in
wild profusion and covering the treacherous ooze
with a close network of leaves and brai.<-lv <,
until the surface looks firm enough to be tal.
for solid ground ; but should any unfortunate
66 ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER.
traveler venture to cross such a spot, his limbs
would be clogged by these clinging water-plants,
his feet would find no secure resting-place, and,
sinking rapidly deeper and deeper into the mire,
his bones would find a sepulcher where nothing
but a general natural convulsion would ever dis-
turb them.
Still, there are occasional islands of firm ground
through this section, and these have become the
resort of lawless characters of every nationality
and degree of crime. Over the entrance to Nig-
ger-Wool Swamp might be placed, with perfect
truthfulness, the motto: "Who enters here
leaves hope behind." Each man is a law unto
himself, and he must maintain his rights by the
strong arm and the ready shot-gun. In one thing
only are the dwellers of the swamp united,
namely : a bitter and deadly resistance to the
law. No officer of justice ventures therein to
perform any of the duties of his office ; unless
backed by a powerful body of determined men,
he would never return alive, and, if so accompa-
nied, he would never succeed in catching a
glimpse of any criminal whom he might be
seeking.
About the middle of the swamp, the two roads
cross each other at a spot called " The Gates," and
every person traveling through either way must
pass this place. Knowing this fact, I felt sure
that Mrs. Farrington would await the arrival ol
her sons at " The Gates," in case she entered the
ewamp, and I determined that, in such an event,
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE BLUNDER. 67
I should try to capture them there. I was fully
aware of the danger of such an attempt, but I
knew that to take the bull by the horns is some-
times the safest means of overpowering him. To
send officers to that point with the avowed pur-
pose of arresting any one, would be equivalent to
sending them to their certain death, and I had no
intention of doing anything of the kind ; but I
had men of my force who could visit Nigger-
Wool Swamp for the professed purpose of hiding
there from pursuit for alleged crimes, and, when
the moment came for action, I did not doubt that
they would bring out their men before the neigh-
boring outlaws could discover their object.
Everything depended upon the course Mrs. Far-
rington should take on leaving the Mississippi
River, since by striking north from the point
where she crossed, she could skirt the edge of the
swamp, while if she turned south toward Point
Pleasant, I should know that she intended to
carry out her original programme. This question
was quickly settled, however, not only by the re-
ports of the scouts, Ball and Bledsoe, who were
following Mrs. Farrington, but also by an unex-
pected piece of intelligence from Gillein Station.
Mrs. Farrington moved about twenty or twenty-
five miles each day, and, from the faot that she
went north to Fredericktown, there was no doubt
that she had changed her plan of meeting
sonj in Nigger- Wool Swamp.
68 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
CHAPTER VII.
The Scene of Action transferred to Missouri. Tfa
Chase becoming Hot.
ON the twenty-.second of November, William
learned that a letter had arrived at Gillem
Station, postmarked Verona, Missouri, November
13, and he immediately took measures to obtain
this letter. Three days later he learned its con-
tents, which were of such an important character
as to give a new direction to our efforts. The letter
read as follows:
"VERONA, Mo., Nov. 13, 1871.
" MY DEAR COUSIN:
' ' I seat myself to answer your kind letter, which
came to hand last evening, and was glad to hear
from you, and hear you was well and doing well.
I have nothing new to write, only that we are all
well at present, hoping that when these few lines
come to hand they may find you well and doing
well as ever, as you say you have been doing very
well. It must be a good thing if it could stay so.
Sometimes it was well and sometimes it wasn't,
but I hope it will stay so, as you say it is a soft
thing as soft as things gets to be. I would like
to see something like that, you bet. You talk like
it can't be beat. That is the thing to take; in. 1
think, and I know you think it, for I saw your
THE CHASE BECOMING HOT. G9
name. I guess I did see you. You kno^\ Mr.
Orapmel? He is a, great fellow; you bet it is so.
1 have nothing more to write at present, as you
sa id you are going to start out here. You' said you
was coming by here. Cousin, if you do come by,
we don't live where we did when you were here;
we li vi 5 two miles nearer Verona. Come the same
road. We live now half mile oft the road on John
Ellis' place. You can find out where we live any-
where. Come out the same road you did when
you came before. John Timothy has just come
out here; has been out here about thr^e weeks.
He is well satisfied here. So I will close for this
time.
" From your cousin,
" J. M. DURHAM.
" M. F. sends her love to all of the family. Ex-
cuse my bad writing and bad spelling."
It was evident that Mrs. Farrington had pre-
viously written to her cousin informing him of
her intention to visit him soon, and this letter
was intended to direct her to the new location.
The allusions in the letter to the "good thing" in
which she was engaged showed that the writer
had been made aware of the Farringtons' success
xpress robbers, and that he quite approved of
their operations.
On reading this letter, William sent a copyio
me immediately, and suggested that one or two
good men be sent to Verona to get work near this
man Durham, and to get into the confidence of
70 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
the family, so that, when Mrs. Farrington should
arrive, she would not bo likely to suspect any one
who had come before her. I fully approved of
William's plan, and, on the last day of Novem-
ber, Detectives George W. Cottrell arid Arthur C.
Marriott started for Verona. I inferred that the
people in that vicinity were rather lawless and
despei ate characters, from the fact that Durham
spoke of "John Timothy " being well satisfied
there. On the principle that ' ' birds of a feather
flock together," I judged the Farringtons,the Dur-
hams, and this fellow Timothy to belong to the
same type of people; hence, I concluded that, if
Durham and Timothy were satisfied with the
country, the people living there must be congenial
spirits, especially since Mrs. Farrington was about
to make a place of refuge in that vicinity.
My two men were detained a day in St. Louis,
and they did not arrive in Verona until the sec-
ond of December. The first thing they noticed
about the town was the total absence of liquor sa-
loons, and a few minutes' conversation with one
or two of the citizens convinced them that no
more orderly, honest, law-abiding community ex-
isted in Missouri than the population of Lawrence
County. This discovery made a marked change
m their plans necessary, as my instructions to
them had been based upon the supposition that
4 hey would find a number of robbers, horse-
thieves, and counterfeiters around Verona, and
that they would be easily able to get Durham's
confidenq} by appearing as reckless and desperate
THE CHASE BECOMING HOT. 71
as any one. They had each prepared a choice au-
tobiography for use among the residents, and, ac-
cording to their own intended accounts of them-
selves, two greater scoundrels never went un-
hung.
All this was necessarily useless in the changed
circumstances surrounding them. To attempt the
role of criminal characters, hiding from justice,
would quickly cause their banishment from the
place, or possibly their arrest, and a new plan
was essential. Their instructions had been that
they should not put any confidence in any one,
and they were obliged to invent a plausible rea-
son for their presence there; also to have some
business which would enable them to ride about
the country, making inquiries and scouting foi
Mrs. Farrington and her sons.
Finding that the railroad company had a land
agent in Verona, Cottrell decided to represent
themselves as would-be purchasers of land. This
would give them an excuse for going all over the
county, examining different farms and unim-
proved tracts. They were introduced to Mr.
Purdy, the land agent, by the hotel clerk, and
from him they obtained a map of the county. It
was then agreed that Mr. Purdy should go out
with Cottrell and Marriott on Tuesday, December
5, to look at some pieces of property which the
railroad company wished to sell. During Sunday
and Monday both of the detectives were trying to
ti where Durham lived, but no one seemed to
know; neither could any one tell them anything
72 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
about John Ellis, upon whose farm Durham had
said he was living. The idea that Mrs. Farrington
was rapidly pushing west, toward Durham's place,
made Cottrell very anxious to begin operations
as quickly as possible, since, if she should arrive
before the detectives were established in the vicin-
ity, there would be great difficulty in working
into her confidence, as she would instantly sus-
pect their true character; whereas, if she should
find them already there, she would have no pos-
sible occasion to distrust them. They therefore
thought best to confide the real object of their
visit to Mr. Purdy, the land agent, and to ask his
advice and assistance. Mr. Purdy had been an
officer in the Union army during the war of the
rebellion, and had settled in Verona at the close
of the war. He was evidently an honorable man,
who would always be found on the side of law
and order, and as he was very popular in Verona,
he would be able to give them a great deal of as-
sistance in capturing the Farrington party. On
communicating with me by telegraph on this
point, they ^tated the facts briefly, and I author-
ized them to confer with Mr. Purdy on the sub-
ject, at the same time forwarding full instruc-
tions by letter.
On Tuesday, therefore, they told the whole
story to Mr. Purdy, and showed him their cre-
el 3iitials. He was quite astonished at their reve-
lations, but he was very hearty and sincere in his
expressions of good will toward them, and he
promised to aid them in every possible way. He
THE CHASE BECOMING HOT. 73
knew John Ellis quite well, having sold him the
farm on which he was living, and he had heard of
Durham, who hired a small portion of the Ellis
farm. He said that if force should be necessary
to capture the Farrington party, he could raise
fifty determined men in ten minutes to help the
officers. He said that after the war Verona had
been a very bad place for a short time, but that,
as Eastern men began to settle there, the respect-
able people had tried to drive out the hard cases;
this had been slow work at first, but they event-
ually had been completely successful; they not
only had driven out the dangerous characters, but
they had closed all the liquor saloons also; and
now, having once got rid of them, they would
take care not to let any of that class of people
back again.
Mr. Purdy was called away for a day or two on
business, but he promised, on his return, to go
with the detectives to Durham's place, and, mean-
time, he said he would speak of them as gentle-
men who intended buying land in that section,
and who wished to ride over the country until
they found a place which satisfied them. During
the next three days, therefore, they learned
nothing new, their time being occupied in scout-
ing the road along which they expected Mrs. Far-
rington to come.
Thus tin- tirsl week of December passed, and
the operation was not progressing very favorably
anywhere. Ball and Bledsoe had reported Mrs.
Farrington's route up to the thirtieth of November,
74 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
and she had moved quite rapidly up to that date,
but nothing had been learned since, and I expected
to hear of her arrival at Verona every day. She
had gone from Cairo to Frederickstown, Missouri,
and thence to Ironton; then, instead of following a
direct road, she had struck up north to Potosi, in
Washington County; again taking a westerly
route, she had passed through Steelville, Crawford
County, and on the thirtieth of November, she
had camped at Waynesville, Pulaski County.
Beyond this we knew nothing of her movements,
although by the eighth of December she had had
ample time to reach Verona.
William had spent this week in following up a
clue received from Louisville, Kentucky. It will
be remembered that about November 9, a pair of
dashing women had been reported as having
visited the banks in Kansas City, trying to get
large bills for about eight thousand dollars in small
bills. I had not believed the story at that time,
and therefore had taken no steps to follow them.
When William learned from Louisville, however,
that a woman named Annie Martin, whom Levi
Farrington had been in the habit of supporting
on the proceeds of his robberies, had been stay-
ing there with another woman named Lillie
Baker, who had sustained the same relations to
Barton, it occurred to him that these might have-
been the women who were said to have been in
Kansas City with so much money. He started
at once for Louisville, at the same time f
graphing to me his suspicions in the matter, and I
1HE CHASE BECOMING HOT. 75
f
began inquiries again in Kansas City by telegraph.
I could learn very little except from the teller of
one bank, who described the women as well as he
could remember their appearance; but the descrip-
tion was not accurate enough to determine
whether these two women had or had not been
Annie Martin and Lillie Baker. Tn Louisville,
however, William learned that these women had
been there recently, and they had appeared to be
well supplied with money. They had not re-
mained very long, but had gone to New Orleans,
where they were then living in good style. As
Mr. O'Brien, the general superintendent of the
express company, was in New Orleans, the in-
formation was sent to him, and he agreed to have
a sharp watch kept to discover Farrington and
Barton, in case they should follow these women.
On the eighth of December, Cottrell, Marriott,
and Mr. Purdy started on horseback to visit John
Ellis's farm, where the Durhams lived. About a
mile before arriving there, they met a farmer
named Wisbey, who was a neighbor of Ellis and
the Durhams. Without letting him into their con-
fidence, they talked with him a long time, and
i;i ndually drew out a number of important facts.
The Durham family consisted of two brothers and
a young sister living with their mother, old Mrs.
Durham, and they rented a small house on a part
of the Ellis farm. Nothing positive had ever born
discovered against the character of either James
or Tilman Durham, but the neighbors had a poor
opinion of them, and kept a pretty close watch
76 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
upon their actions. During the previous fall a
young man had visited them for soi^e time, and
his description was exactly that of Levi Farring-
ton; but Wisbey could not tell his name, though
he promised to learn it, and let Mr. Purdy kno\\
Mr. Wisbey was a downright honest, intelligent,
man, and Mr. Purdy asked him to learn everything
possible about the Durhams and their visitors; in
case any wagons should arrive, it was agreed that
he should send word to Mr. Purdy instantly.
There was no occasion for telling him the whole
story, as he was quite willing to undertake the
trust on the strength of Mr. Purdy 's request, with-
out asking further particulars; and, as he was a
thoroughly discreet man, there was little danger
that he would betray his mission by idle talking.
The detectives and Mr. Purdy then returned to
Verona, it being considered undesirable that they
should visit the-- Durhams, lest they might pos-
sibly excite suspicion.
The day following their visit to Wisbey, he ar-
rived in Verona and told Cottrell that he had
sent his son-in-law, Mr. Stone, to see Jim Durham,
and the latter had said that he was expecting the
arrival of some relatives very soon. He had
learned further that the young man who had
visited Durham in the latter part of the previous
September had given his name as Levi Farrington,
and had passed as the beau of the young Durham
girl. In speaking of him, Jim Durham had told
Mr. Stone that he did not wish his sister to marry
Farrington, as the latter was a dangerous man.
THE CHASE BECOMING HOT. 77
and had recently killed a man in a quarrel, while
those who stood about were too much afraid of
him to arrest him. Mr. Wisbey then returned
home, with instructions to alternate with Mr.
Stone in secretly watching Durham's place, so that
every occurrence might be at once reported.
On the tenth of December I received a dispatch
from Mr. O'Brien, saying that i he express agent
at Springfield, Missouri, had telegraphed to him
on the eighth that the wagons of Mrs. Farrington's
party had camped five miles from Springfield, and
that the three men were known to be sixty miles
south of Rolla. Mr. O'Brien therefore requested
me to send a good detective to meet Conuell in
St. Louis, whence they would go together to cap-
ture the men at Eolla. I at once sent one of my
best men, named Martin Galway, with instruc-
tions to join Connell, and, in case the Eolla report
should prove to be a false alarm, they were to go
on to Verona to assist Cottrell and Marriott. I
had hardly completed my instructions to Galway,
ere I received a telegram in cipher from Cottrell,
as follows:
"Levi Farrington and a man calling himself
George Cousins are at Durham's. They came on
Thursday evening. Shall I arrest them ? I can
get all the help I need."
I immediately replied, also by a cipher dispatch,
as follows:
"Are you sure it is Levi Farrington? His
brother and Barton will probably be at Verona
soon. We must get the whole. I think they
78 THE CHASE BECOMING HOT.
will come from Douglas County. Probably Con-
nell and Galway will be with you by Monday 01
Tuesday night; they can identify the men. Mrs.
Farrington will be at Durham's by Sunday night
or Monday morning. Keep a cool, clear head, anc*
advise with Purdy. Have written by mail to-
night. Keep me posted. . William will arrive by
Tuesday."
At the same time I wrote full instructions to
Cottrell, ordering him to keep a close watch upon
the men at Durham's, but to take no action until
William should arrive, unless they attempted to
go away. I did not alter Galway's instructions,
but I telegraphed to William to start for Verona
at once, to take charge of the operations there.
The chase was now becoming hot, and a few days
would decide the question of success or failure. I
had reason to believe that the outlaws would not
be taken without a desperate resistance, and I
was anxious to have William present to direct
the attack.
On Sunday, the tenth dottrell and Marriott
rode out to see Wisbey, who met them just out-
side of Verona and informed them that Levi
Farrington had arrived at Jim Durham's late
Thursday night, accompanied by a young man
named George Cousins. They did not receive
my reply to their telegram announcing this fact
until late that day, and so they could do nothing
toward satisfying themselves as to Levi Farring-
ton's identity until next morning, when they
visited Wisbey at his own house. Mr. Stone,
THE CHASE BECOMING HOT. 79
Wisbey's son-in-law, had met a man named
Smothers, who worked for Jim Durham, and
Smothers had told him all about the two men
who had just arrived. According to their own
account, they had left Mrs. Farrington at Ash
Grove, in Greene County, where she was going to
buy a farm, Levi having given her five thousand
dollars for that purpose; Levi and Cousins were
on their way to Kansas, where they intended to
settle down to raise cattle; Levi's brother was
said to be at Lester's Landing for the purpose of
selling off a stock of groceries which they owned
there. Both men were well armed, having three
navy revolvers and a shot-gun.
When this news was transmitted to me by
telegraph, I decided that this man Cousins must
be Barton, and that Hillary Farrington might pos-
sibly be at Lester's Landing, as they said. I
therefore telegraphed to William, who I knew
would be in St. Louis that day, en route to
Verona, that he had better, take Connell and
Galway back to Lester's to capture Hillary,
while Cottrell and Marriott undertook the arrest
of Levi and Barton at Durham's. I also sent a
dispatch to Cottrell to take no steps for their ar-
rest until after William should have captured
Hillary.
William, having previously thoroughly ex-
amined the contents of the store at Lester's,
knew that they were not worth over two hundred
dollars, and he telegraphed me to that effect,
suggesting that it was improbable that Hillary
80 THE OUTLAWS SURROU1TOED.
should run so much risk for so small a sum. On
learning this fact, I coincided with him, and
ordered him to go on to Verona, as I had originally
intended. I desired that he should keep the
Durham place carefully watched until the arrival
of the other Farrington, who, I helieved, would
soon join the rest of the party; then, in case he
arrived, we should get all three together; but, if
the other two should show any signs of moving
off, they could be taken at any time.
Mr. O'Brien obtained requisitions from the
Governor of Tennessee on the Governor of Mis-
souri for the three men, and I felt that success
was only delayed a day or two at most.
CHAPTER VHI.
A determined Party of Horsemen. The Outlaws sur-
rounded and the JSirds caged, A Parley. An
affecting Scene. The burning Cabin. Its Occu-
pants finally surrender.
"TTTHILE the telegrams were flying back and
VV forth on Tuesday, the twelfth, Cottrell
and Marriott were busily engaged. Early that
morning Mr. Stone came to Verona, and told
them that he had learned that Farrington and
cousins intended to leave Durham's for the In-
dian Territory the next day. The news was
doubtless authentic, Stone having heard it from
THE OUTLAWS SUK11OUNDED. 81
Smothers, who had said that Farrington had told
him so himself. It was clearly impossible to wail
for William's arrival, as, by that time, the men
might be safely hidden in the wild country to tho
westward. Instant action was absolutely neces
sary, and Cottrell so informed Mr. Purdy, who
soon gathered a force of eight men. Very little
would have been needed to obtain even a larger
number of recruits, for, had Mr. Purdy and the
detectives publicly told the story of the men
whom they wished to capture, there would have
been plenty of eager volunteers, all anxious to
aid in ridding the country of such a band of out-
laws. It was not deemed advisable, however, to
summon a large posse, lest the news might
spread so fast as to reach the ears of the crimi-
nals before the detectives could surround them ;
on this account only a few reliable men were let
into the secret, and they left town singly and in
pairs to avoid observation, having a rendezvous
outside.
Just before starting, Mr. Purdy received a dis-
patch from the general land agent, ordering him
to Pearce City instantly, as several purchasers of
land were awaiting him there ; although he tried
to have his visit postponed one day, he was un-
successful, his orders being imperatively repeated
by telegraph, and so he was unable to accompany
the detectives and citizens on their expedition to
Durham's. The party of eight met the detec-
tives outside the town, and they were joined on
their way by three others, who lived on the road.
4*
82 THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED.
They were all substantial business men or
farmers, but they were accustomed to a life in
the saddle, and they had all borne arms during
the war on one side or the other. In spite of
their present peaceful occupations they were not
a body who could be trifled with, and it was evi-
dent that any gang of desperadoes would find
their match in these cool, determined, law-abid-
ing men.
A few miles from Verona they met a young
lady riding a large brown mule, but none of the
men in the party knew her. CottreD felt sure,
however, that she was Durham's sister, and that
she was riding Farrington's mule. The descrip-
tions he had received of the girl from Stone and
Wisbey coincided exactly with her appearance,
while the mule could not be mistaken. He there-
fore sent a man back to watch her, lest she
should have taken alarm at so large a cavalcade
of armed men. She rode on to Verona, however,
without showing any signs of uneasiness, and
the scout soon overtook the party.
On arriving one mile from Wisbey's, Marriott
went on to Stone's house with six men, while
Cottrell went to Wisbey's with the other five.
Stone and Wisbey soon gathered a number of
the neighbors, among whom was John Ellis, who
owned the house and land where the Durhams
were living; he was a very highly respected citi-
zen, and was not at all displeased at the idea of
getting rid of his semi-disreputable tenants. The-
iii;m;igrment of the affair was then unpnimoiisly
THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED. * 83
voted to Cottrell, and the party rode rapidly
toward the Durham house. It was situated at
the edge of a clearing, with underbrush and
woodland close to it on three sides, so that great
caution was necessary, lest the villains should
see them approaching, and escape into the woods.
At a reasonable distance from the house, there-
fore, the party divided, a part, under Marriott's
direction, dismounting and making their way to
the rear of the house on foot. When sufficient
time had elapsed to enable the latter party to
surround the house, Cottrell, with the remainder,
dashed up to the front of the house and spread
out, so as to make sure that no one should escape.
As they approached, a man, who proved to be
Jim Durham, appeared on the porch and asked
what they wanted; to which Cottrell replied that
he wanted the men in the house.
The words had hardly passed his lips ere Barton
sprang into the open doorway with a navy revolvt r
leveled at Cottrell; but, seeing that the latter, as
well as several others, had him covered, he shut
the door quickly and started for the back of the
house. By this time, however, the cordon of
guards had drawn close' around, and, as he
emerged at the rear, he found himself confronted
by half a dozen determined men, who ordered
him to surrender. He then hastily tried to cl
the back door also, and pointed his revolver
through the crack; but the discharge of several
shots, which struck close to him, caused him to
withdraw his pistol and lightly close the dour. It
84 THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED.
was evident that the birds were caged a G las( , and
it was now only a question of time when they
would be taken; as it was only one o'clock in the
afternoon, there were still four hours of daylight
to conduct the siege.
Jim Durham, when he saw the rifles and revolv-
ers of so large a force pointed at him, was thor-
oughly frightened, and he begged piteously that
they would not shoot him. Cottrell placed his
men behind trees, fences, and other protections,
so as to be safe from any attempt to pick them off
by the men in the house, and yet to guard every
means of exit from the place; he then called Jim
Durham out and searched him, finding nothing
but a single-barreled pistol. He then sent Jim to
the door of the house to summon the men inside
to surrender, telling them that he was determined
to have them alive if possible, but if not, dead.
They refused to surrender, saying that they
would kill any man who should approach the
house. When Durham brought back their an-
swer, Cottrell sent word that he would give them
five minutes in which to decide whether they
would yield peaceably or be burned out and shot
;o death. Just then Mrs. Durham, the mother
)f the Durham boys, begged Cottrell to allow
ler to go speak to Farrington and Barton, as she
jelieved she could induce them to surrender.
Accordingly, she went to the front window and
implored them not to have the house burned
down, as all her household goods would be de-
stroyed. They replied that they might as weU
THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED 85
die inside as to come out and be shot down. Cot-
trell sent back word that they should be treated
like all other prisoners if they would pass out
their arms and surrender quietly; but if they
tried to fight or resist, they would surely be
killed.
As they still refused, Jim Durham was sent to
barricade the doors with fence rails, so that they
should not be able to rush out unexpectedly. ' He
whined and complained that the men inside would
shoot him, but he was obliged to go, and though
they did threaten him, he was able to crawl up
and lay the rails without getting within range.
The house was a solid log cabin, with only two
doors and very few windows, so that it was pos-
sible to approach it in one or two directions with-
out exposure to a fire from within. When the
doors had been securely barricaded, Cottrell or-
dered him to get on the roof, which was a com-
mon shingle roof, and set fire to the house. Mrs.
Durham was carrying on at a great rate, first
begging Farrington to surrender, and then pray-
ing to Cottrell not to burn her property. John
Ellis, to whom the house belonged, gave full per-
mission to burn it, and a fire was built in the
open air to make brands to set it afire.
Mrs. Durham was allowed to make one more
appeal to the ruffians inside, but they would not
listen to her entreaties. They asked her, how
ever, what kind of a looking man Cottrell A-
and what he wanted to arrest them for. Cottrell
was standing near enough to hear thft question,
86 THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED.
and after Mrs. Durham had described his appear-
ance, he told them that he wanted them foi an
express robbery; that he would treat them kindly
if they should yield peaceably; but if they should
refuse this, his last offer, he should set fire to the
house and shoot them down as they ran out. He
said he had no wish to kill them, but that he was
determined they should not escape; rather than
allow them to get away, he would have them
shot on sight; but they would be protected and
brought to trial if they would surrender.
To this they replied that they intended killing
some of their besiegers first, anyhow. Finding
further parley useless, therefore, Cottrell gave
the order to burn the building, and Durham was
forced to carry the embers and brands to burn
his own premises. Just at this time, the young
girl, whom they had met riding a mule toward
Verona, rode up to the house and asked what
was the matter. As Cottrell had surmised, this
was Miss Durham, and she was very much
frightened at what she saw.
The afternoon sun was buried in a deep bank
of clouds, so that the twilight was rapidly draw-
ing on, there being just enough light to show the
barricaded doors, the deserted porch, and the de-
termined men scattered around, with shot-guns
and rifles pointed at the low log cabin, above
which a frightened man stood out in bold relief
against the sky, tearing off the shingles and
piling them upon a glowing flame at his feet.
Everything was now hushed in deathly silence,
THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED. 87
and it needed no explanation for any one to un-
derstand that a bloody tragedy was about to occur
if that flame should be allowed to envelop the
building. It was now the prison of its two oc-
cupants, but only a short time would elapse
before it would be their tomb.
On seeing the situation, Miss Durham asked to
be allowed to speak to the men, as she said she
knew they would listen to her. On Cottrell's re-
fusal to hold any more parley with them, she
burst into tears, threw her arms around his neck,
and implored him to let her speak to Barton just
once, if only for five minutes. Finally, seeing
that most of his party wished to give the girl a
chance to speak to her sweetheart, Cottrell said
that she could have three minutes to obtain their
nuns; if they surrendered immediately, the fire
should be put out; but, if they should still refuse,
their last chance of saving the house and their
lives would be gone. Miss Durham then went to
the window, and talked with the men in the most
imploring manner, urging them not to sacrifice
themselves, as they would surely do if they re-
in; i ii lod in the burning house. Her entreaties did
not seem to affect them at first; and, as the
il; nnes were then beginning to gather strength,
Cottrell ordered her to come away from the
house, and leave them to their fate. She ma<le
one more appeal, and P>;uton handed her a navy
revolver: 1hen Farriiigton did the same, and she
brought them to Cottrell, saying that they would
surrender if they rould he suiv \liat their h
88 THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED.
would be spared. Cottrell told her to go back
and get the rest of their arms, and assure them
that they should be taken to Tennessee for trial.
She soon returned with another revolver and a
shot-gun, and said that the men would come out.
Cottrell therefore removed the rails, opened 1 he
front door, and called them out Barton coming
first, and then Farrington. The latter proved to
be Hillary, not Levi, as he had called himself. It
was not known why he had used his brother's
name, but it was supposed that Hillary had taken
his name to enable him to prove an alibi in case
he should be arrested.
Cottrell's party first secured the prisoners with
ropes, and then assisted Jim Durham to extinguish
the fire on the roof ; the latter was quite rotten,
and it had burned so slowly that very little damage
had been done. The prisoners were thoroughly
searched, but nothing of any consequence
found upon them, the total of their funds being
less than three dollars. A prolonged search
through the house revealed nothing of importance,
except the fact that it was quite an arsenal for
arms, there being found six navy revolvers, t \vo
double-barreled shot-guns, and a Spencer repeat-
ing rifle. The siege had lasted nearly three hours,
and, another hour having been spent in searching
the house and saddling their animals, it was nearly
dark by the time they started for Verona. Far-
rington and Barton were carefully tied upon the
horse and mule respectively, and, after thanking
the neighboring farmers for their assistance, ( < .1 -
THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED. 89
trell took the road back, accompanied bj the
eleven men who belonged in and about Verona.
The greatest care was taken that the prisoners
should have no opportunity for escape, and they
were informed that any attempt to get away
would be the signal for riddling them with bullets.
"While riding along* Cottrell learned from Bar-
ton that the party had been very lucky in finding
the two men in the house, since their usual cus-
tom had been to spend the days in the woods,
coming in only at night to sleep. On this occa-
sion, however, the weather was so cold that they
were spending the day indoors.
When asked why they had not surrendered be-
fore, they both made the same reply, namely:
that they believed the posse of citizens intended
either to shoot them immediately, or to hang
them after a trial by lynch law.
On arriving in Verona early in the evening, the
prisoners were securely tied up with ropes, and
Cottrell alternated during the night with Marriott
in watching them. A blacksmith was also called
up, and shortly after midnight he completed two
pair of leg shackles, with which they were fast-
ened together. My men were greatly fatigued,
1 laving ridden a large number of miles every day
for a week, and the excitement of the affair
added, of course, to their prostration, but they
resolutely paced the floor in alternate four-hour
watches, determined that no possible loophole for
escape should again be afforded to such daring
villains as these two.
90 THE OUTLAWS SURROUNDED.
The result of the expedition was, of course,
transmitted to me in telegraphic cipher at once;
but the arrest was kept secret for the time, in or-
der to prevent a knowledge of it coming to Levi
Farrington, who was still at large. According to
Barton, Levi was concealed somewhere in Ten-
nessee, but this statement was proof positive that
he was not in Tennessee at all, since Barton's ob-
ject in telling anything about him was evidently
intended to mislead us; hence, no faith was
put in his story, and other steps were taken to
capture Levi.
William arrived in Verona on the morning
after the fight, and he prepared to return with
the prisoners to St. Louis by the noon train. It
was supposed that Levi Farrington was also on
his way to the rendezvous at Durham's farm,
and that he would probably approach by the
direct road through Douglas County. Cottrell
and Marriott were left, therefore, to attend to
Levi and the old lady, whose whereabouts were
still uncertain. William saw most of the citi-
zens engaged in the affair, and heartily thanked
them for their aid; being questioned as to whether
they should receive the reward of one thousand
dollars offered by the express company for the
capture of the two Farringtons and Barton, he
informed them that he considered them entitled
to it, and that he should recommend its payment .
but that the matter would be decided by the offi-
cers of the company. I may here anticipate
events somewhat to state that tho company paid
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 91
fcho citizens and farmers a liberal amount for theii
services in capturing the robbers, and a sottle-
ment was made which was satisfactory to all par-
ties.
William left Verona about noon of the day he
arrived, taking Hillary Farrington and Barton
with him, under guard of Galway and Connell.
On arriving in St. Louis, he separated the prison-
ers in order to induce Barton to confess; and,
after a long conversation, in which he showed
Barton how conclusive was the evidence against
all three of the men, he obtained a very full con-
fession, of which the greater part is here giveii
exactly as it was taken down from Barton's lips.
CHAPTER IX.
Barton's Confession. The Express Robberies and the.
Outlaws' subsequent Experiences fully set forth there-
in. A Clue that had been suddenly dropped ii'km.
up with so much Profit, that, after a desperate Strug-
gle, another Desperado is Captured.
11 T AM twenty- two years of age," said Barton,
-L " and my native place was Columbus, Mis-
sissippi. When quite young, I left home and
took to following the army. About five or six
years ago I moved to Normandy, Tennessee, and
lived with the family of Major Land is, and t\vn
or three years later, I went to work on the Nash-
92 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
\ille and Northwestern Railroad as a brakeman,
remaining as such over two years. About three
years since I formed thf acquaintance of Hillary
and Levi Farrington, at Waverly, Tennessee.
These are the men otherwise known as J. H.
Clark and Edward J. Russell. Afterward I opened
a saloon in Nashville, and Levi Harrington vis-
ited me there several times. Last April or May
he was arrested on suspicion of counterfeiting,
but as there was no case against him, he was dis-
charged. After a short time, I went down to visit
Levi at Mrs. Farrington's; she lived at the head
of Tumbling Run Creek, twelve miles back of Gil-
lem Station. Hillary was in jail at Memphis at
that time, charged with murder and horse-steal-
ing. When he got out of jail, Levi, Hillary, and
myself all made a trip to Little Rock, Arkan-
sas, gambling by throwing three-card monte, and
we won about thirteen hundred dollars; we tlr-n
returned to Gillem Station, where we remained
until the twenty-first of July, this year. During
this time, Levi, who frequently rode back and
forth on the express trains, spoke of the feasibil-
ity of robbing them.
" On the morning of July 21, Levi, Hillary, and
myself left Gillem Station for the purpose of rob-
bing the express train at some of the stations
cither on that road or on the Mobile and Ohio
Railroad. At Union City we changed cars, and
arrived at Moscow just after dark. The plan was,
that we all three should enter the car and over-
power the messenger; but Levi and Hillary were
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 93
tho only ones who entered. I remained on the
platform of the first passenger coach and kept
watch. When the train was passing the water
tank, they slacked up the speed, and we all
jumped off and struck for the woods. The mes-
senger had nothing whatever to do with this
robbery, so far as I was ever informed.
"As I said before, we struck into the woods
and reached the river just above Hickman, where
wo stole a fisherman's skiff, and all three of us
started down the river. Finding that we were
pursued, we left tho skiff on the Tennessee shore,
near Island Number Ten. We then took the
fiver road and walked back as far as Lester's
Landing, arriving there about dinner-time, July
23. Levi divided the money, giving me one-third
of one thousand dollars, which was all, he said,
in the safe, although I always believed there wa.i
more.
"So far as I know, neither of the Farringtons
had ever met Lester before, and I am sure that I
had never set eyes on him until we went to his
place at this time. *0n account of the spot being
so lonely and isolated, Hillary proposed that we
put up a store there, as it would be a good cover
for our actual business. We started the store,
and applied to the postmaster to establish a post-
office, to be known as Lester's Landing ; our ob-
jort in this move was, of course, to give an addod
color of respectability and boiw fid- nu-iiii'-s to
our transactions. From this time until the mid-
dle of October, I remained at the store nearly jJJ
94 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
the time ; Hillary was also there most of the time,
but Levi very seldom. During one of the latter's
western trips, he said he had bcvn out to see his
Aunt Durham.
''Along in October, Levi proposed that we
again strike the express company when the train
stopped for supper at Union City. Hillary had
been in the habit of riding back and forth on the
engine, and he understood how to run a train.
Levi suggested that we take a man named BiU
Taylor into the robbery with us ; he was then
employed chopping wood for Lester, and when
Levi approached him on the subject he agreed to
go. Levi left Lester's a few days before the rob-
bery. Hillary and I did not leave until the nine-
teenth, when we went up to Columbus by steamer,
taking along a large quantity of fish. Having
sold our fish, we took the train for Union City,
where we arrived the same evening. On getting
off the train, we met Levi and Bill Taylor on the
platform, and the only conversation which took
place was when Levi asked why we had not ar-
rived sooner, to which we replied that we came
as soon as we could. The next morning we met
again, having slept in separate places so as not to
attract attention, and went down, the road some
distance toward Hickman. While camped in the
woods that evening, about ten o'clock, an old
man named Hicks came along with a bottle of
whisky and stopped at our camp-fire quite a
time. There were present Hillary, Levi, myself.
and Bill Taylor. We remained in the woods all
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 95
that night. The next day we moved further into
the woods toward Hickman, and at night, just at
dark, we came back to Union City.
" We had been there only a few minutes when
the up train came along; she stopped and backed
down a little ways, when all the train hands left
her and went to supper. Hillary and Taylor
then boarded the engine, and Levi and myself
jumped aboard the express car. The messenger
was eating his supper when we went in, and,
seeing Levi point a Derringer at him, he ex-
claimed: 'Don't shoot me ! I will surrender.'
Levi compelled him to unlock the safe, and we
took all the money. Levi then swung the mes-
senger's lantern, and the train stopped, when we
all jumped off and started down the railroad to
Hickman. Our intention was to go to the wood-
yard near Union City, and steal a ride on a freight
train to Hickman. We hid under the platform
at the wood-yard, and while there Levi acciden-
tally shot himself in the thigh; but the wound
was very slight, and it hardly interfered with his
walking. As the freight train did not stop, we
were obliged to walk to Hickman, where we ar-
rived Sunday night. We had had some provis-
ions when we first camped out, which Bill Tay-
lor had carried in a valise; but he had left the
valise and all its contents on the engine, so that
we had very little to eat.
"While in the woods we divided the money,
but Levi, who carried it, showed up only twenty
three hundred dollars.
96 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
" Sunday night we stole a skiff in Hickman
and went down the river to James' Bayou, and
while there, on Monday morning, wo saw Mes-
senger Cross, whose car had been robbed, making
inquiries about us in a grocery-store. We then
started off on foot, going down the river on the
Missouri shore. About a mile below James'
Bayou we found the skiff which we had previously
set adrift, and which had evidently been picked
up by some one. Taking this skiff again, Hillary,
Taylor, and I dropped down to a point about a mile
above Lester's, leaving Levi on the Missouri shore,
where we started from. We landed on the Ten-
nessee shore, and walked down the river road a
short distance, when Taylor left us, remaining in
the woods. Hillary and I met Lester on the
road soon afterward, and told him that we had
come down on a steamboat which was then tied
up, on account of the heavy fog. Lcvi arrived
next day, having come across the river with a
fisherman.
"The following Sunday, October 29, Hillary
left on a steamboat, taking with him a woman
named Slaughter, with whom he said he was go-
ing to Davidson's wood-yard, nine miles above
Cape Girardeau. He expected to return in a few
days.
' ' The next thing of any importance which oc-
< urred was on the Tuesday night following, when
Messrs. Pinkerton and Connell rode up to Lester's
house. At the first glance, I thought they were
officers, and Levi told me that he thought the
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 97
tiame. I saw him pull his pistol out of his
pocket before getting out of his chair."
[The moment Connell opened the door, Levi
knew that he was a detective, having seen him
acting in that capacity in Memphis, when Hil-
lary was arrested for horse-stealing the previous
spring.]
' ' When I made my escape from Lester's house, "
continued Barton, " I ran right back through the
cornfield; I heard all the . shooting, but did not
see it. In a short time Levi joined me in the
cane-brake back of the cornfield. Levi told me
that he had had a shooting match with the two
officers, but he did not know whether he had hit
either of them or not; they had not hit him, but
he had had a very narrow escape.
" After awhile we slipped up to the house, and
saw that the officers were gone; so we went in,
got our supper, and took our pistols, besides a
shawl and blanket. We then got an old skiff,
crossed the river, and slept in the woods on the
Missouri shore. The next day we remained under
cover until nightfall, when we recrossed the river,
and went through the woods to Union City,
spending Wednesday night and Thursday in the
woods on the way. On Thursday night we took
the train from Union City to Gillem Station. The
conductor of the train was Conductor Roberts, on
whose run I had formerly been brakeman; and,
being afraid he might recognize ine, I laid down
in my seat and covered up my face, while Levi
paid both fares. We arrived at Gillem Station
5
98 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
about three o'clock in the morning, and reached
Mrs. Farrington's house about daylight.
"I gave Mrs. Farrington five hundred and fifty
dollars in money to keep for me, this amount
being the proceeds of both express robberies, and
she still has it in her possession. Before leaving
Lester's, Hillary had given most of his money to
Levi to take to their mother to keep for him, and
Levi left with her nearly the whole of his share of
the plunder also.
"We had been at Mrs. Farrington's a week
when Hillary arrived. Before this, we all thought
that the officers had captured him, and we were
quite surprised to see him safe. He said that
Detective Connell had arrested him at Mrs. Gully's,
and that he had made his escape by jumping out
of Connell's wagon into a thicket near Allenville;
he had then gone right back to the house where
he had left Mrs. Slaughter, where he got a pistol
and some money, and had his irons removed.
"At the time Hillary arrived at Mrs. Farring-
ton's, the old lady had been gone a day and a night
on her way to Texas or Missouri. It was under-
stood that Levi and I were to meet her some-
where on the road, or at Holton's farm, near the
line between Lawrence and Dade Counties, Mis-
souri. The day after Hillary arrived, we started
for Missouri; I was riding a sorrel horse; Hillary,
a chestnut-sorrel horse; and Levi, a large brown
mule. We spent two days at the house of Mr*
Douglas, near Mrs. Farrington's, and then crossed
the Tennessee Kiver at Cuba. We crossed the
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 99
Mississippi River by the last ferryboat on Friday
evening, November 10, at Hall's Ferry, opposite
Point Pleasant, Missouri. We saw no men on
guard at the ferries. We struck right out through
Nigger- Wool Swamp to Bloomfield, where Levi
left us. He said he was going to Farmington,
Illinois, as that was a good place to keep under
cover. After he left us, nothing important oc-
curred until our arrest. We knew where Mrs.
Farrington was eveiy night, and also knew all
about the two men who were following her; we
did not mind letting them follow her, as they
could not have captured us, and we could have
shaken them off at any time if we had wanted to
do so.
"Levi and Hillary frequently spoke of making
other raids upon the express company, and said
what a soft thing it was. It was my intention to
separate from them as soon as I could get my
money from the old lady, as I wished to return to
my friends below Columbus, Mississippi.
"The foregoing is all I know of the Farring-
tons or the express robberies.
(Signed), ' * WILLIAM BARTON. "
It will be observed how completely this confes-
sion corroborated our investigations, there being
IV w new points learned. The information that
Mrs. Farrington had possession of nearly all the
stolen money was valuable, and I sent instruc-
tions to Cottrell, at once, to attach all of her
property in the name of the Southern Express
100 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
Company, if it could be done. But the most im-
portant feature brought out was the hiding-
place of Levi Farrington, which was given as
Farmington, Illinois. It will be remembered that
William found, at the store at Lester's Landing,
some pieces of paper, upon which was scribbled,
1 v Kate Graham, Farmington, Illinois;" that I
sent a detective to that place to see Mrs. Graham ;
that the latter answered, with every evidence of
truthfulness, that she did not know Eussell,
Clark, or Barton ; and that the clue was dropped
immediately. From Barton, however, William
learned that Mrs. Kate Graham was a cousin of
the Farringtons, and that, being a highly respect-
able and conscientious woman, she knew nothing
of their aliases, nor of their crimes. It was there
that Levi Farrington had gone to hide. Barton's
confession was made on the fourteenth, and
William instantly sent me a cipher dispatch con-
taining the important features of it. By the
evening train of that day, my other son, Robert
A. Pinkerton, took passage for Farmington, ac-
companied by Detective W. T. Brown, of my
force. They arrived there about noon the next
day, and soon learned that Levi Farrington was
staying with his relatives. Having presented
letters of introduction to one or two influential
inen, Robert obtained an introduction to the
city marshal, who promised to give all the aid in
his power to arrest Farrington.
About two o'clock they saw the latter coming
down the street, and, by previous arrangement,
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 101
Robert allowed Levi to pass him, both walking
toward Brown and the marshal. Levi Farring-
ton was a veiy powerful man, standing six feet
in his stockings, with a frame and muscles in
proportion to his size. Remembering the desper-
ate character of the man, Robert did not deem it
advisable to give him any chance to draw a
weapon or show fight; he therefore followed
Farrington closely until he was about ten feet
from the marshal, and then, springing at him,
he pinioned the desperado's arms by clasping him
tightly around the body just at the elbows.
Farrington did not stop to question the cause of
this proceeding he knew the reason of his seiz-
ure well enough but, gathering his whole
strength, he made one jump away from the
two officers who were approaching in front, and
landed nearly in the middle of the street, taking
Robert along with him. Robert clung to him
like a vise, however, and before he could make
another such an effort, the other two were upon
him. A terrible struggle now ensued in the
street, during which both Robert and Brown were
badly bruised by being rolled upon and kicked by
their powerful prisoner. Robert knew that Far-
rington was desperate enough to fight to the
bitter end, and that he would kill as many as he
could before being killed himself; to release his
arms, therefore, would enable him to draw a
weapon, as he was undoubtedly well armed, hence
Robert never relaxed his hold. Having a profes-
sional pride in securing his prisoner alive, more-
102 BARTON'S CONFESSION.
over, he did not wish to resort to extreme measures
except to save the lives of other persons, and, a<?
a large crowd had gathered around the moment
the struggle began, there would have been evident
danger in allowing him an instant's freedom
Over and over they rolled together, therefore,
Farrington striving with all his strength to break
Robert's clasp upon his arms, while the other two
officers were doing their best to pinion his legs.
After a ten minutes' struggle, they succeeded at
length in holding him down and sitting upon his
legs until he could be tied with ropes. By this
time, the whole party were pretty thoroughly
exhausted, but, after resting a few minutes to
recover their breath, the officers got handcuffs on
their prisoner's wrists, and took him to the rail-
road station, where he was searched. Little
money was found on his person, but he had a large
revolver, two Derringer pistols, and a large dirk
concealed about him. He was then placed in the
freight office, while Brown and Mr. Graham, Mrs.
Kate Graham's husband, went to the latter's
house to get Levi's baggage. On their return,
the whole party took passage for Chicago, whei e
they did not arrive until next day, owing to the
failure to make connections. In Levrs valise
were found two revolvers, some jewelry, and a
very large sum of money.
They arrived so late on Saturday that there
was no train for Cairo before the following even-
ing, and meantime the prisoner required the
most careful watching, as none of our handcuff a
BARTON'S CONFESSION. 103
were large enough to fit his wrists without cut-
ting into the flesh. Eobert and Brown were com-
pletely prostrated by the strain upon their muscles
and the injuries they had received, so that they
felt the effects of the struggle for several days.
The moment that Eobert arrived in Chicago
with his prisoner, the latter was taken to the
First Precinct police station, where he was placed
in a cell for safe keeping. During the afternoon
it was learned that he had sent for a lawyer to
obtain a writ of habeas corpus. The arrest had
been made without any warrant, and no requisi-
tion had been obtained for use in Illinois, as I had
expected to capture all three of the men in Mis-
souri. Should Farrington succeed in getting the
desired writ, I should be forced to give up my
hold upon him, and, before the requisition of the
Governor of Tennessee upon the Governor of Il-
linois could be received, he would be probably
beyond the reach of pursuit.
I therefore procured a closed vehicle and took
the prisoner out for a drive, .carefully bound, with
two reliable men as guards. The afternoon was
thus spent, and, after dark, there being no longer
any object in driving around the suburbs of the
city, Farrington was taken to my office and kept
all night. He behaved very well, and did not
seem anxious to get away by force. He tried,
however, to induce Robert to let him go, telling
him that it would be worth a very large amount
of money to him to do so. Finding his offers dis-
regarded, he appeared to take his arrest very
104 A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
coolly, saying that he guessed he had monpy
enough to see him through.
On Sunday evening, Robert and Brown took
him to the railroad station, and the party em-
barked for Cairo.
CHAPTER X.
A terrible Struggle for Life or Death upon the Transfer-
boat "Illinois." "Overboard!" One less ^Des-
perado. The Fourth and Last Robber taken.
AFTER Barton had made his confession
to William in St. Louis, the prisoners,
Hillary Farrington and Barton, were kept separate,
as the latter was afraid that Hillary would find
some means of killing him. About midnight of
Thursday, December fourteenth, they all took
passage by railroad for Cairo, and there they im-
mediately went on board the large transfer-boat
to Columbus, Kentucky. All the detectives were
thoroughly worn out from excitement and loss of
sleep, but they did not for an insant relax their
vigilant watch upon their prisoners. William
had been talking for some time with HilLuy,
trying to obtain a confession and to learn what
had been done with the money secured at the !
robberies. From the questions that William
asked, Hillary soon learned, or surmised, that
Barton had confessed. He was terribly enraged
A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 105
ac this, and without doubt he would have killed
Barton if he could have got at him; but being
unable to do so, his fury was all turned upon his
captors.
My son hoped by threatening to have Mrs.
Farrington arrested and imprisoned, to induce
Hillary to give up his share of the plunder rather
than have his mother punished. This threat
seemed to infuriate him beyond anything, and he
swore that he would have his revenge on William
if he had to wait twenty years for it. After sitting
sullenly thinking on the subject for a time, he
said he was cold, and wanted to get a drink.
William therefore offered to go with him into the
baivroom, and they walked toward the forward
end of the saloon, leaving Galway and Barton
seated together. Connell had gone into the
water-closet a few moments before, but, as there
was a detective with each of the prisoners, no
attempt at escape was anticipated.
The steamer was the powerfully -built transfer-
boat " Illinois," and she was running with great
speed, her ponderous wheels revolving at an un-
usually rapid rate. The bar-room was situated
just forward of the saloon, after passing through
the barber shop, and it could be entered from the
saloon or through a door leading upon the guards,
iust forward of the paddle-box.
As they were about to enter the barber shop
from the saloon, Hillary drew back, saying that
lu did not want to go that way, as there were
Borne men in that room whom lie knew. Thoy
5*
100 A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
therefore went out upon the guards to walk along
to the outer door of the bar-room. The space
was narrow, and the rail quite low, so that it
would not have been at all difficult for a man to
spring overboard, even though he were in irons.
This idea occurred to William, but he did not
trouble himself about it, since he knew that the
heavy strokes of the paddle-wheel would instantly
kill any one who might attempt such a thing.
William wore a loose-fitting sack coat with large
pockets, in one of which he earned a heavy army
revolver, which he had taken from Hillary, his
own revolver being in his belt. In walking it
was his habit to put his hand on the butt of this
army revolver, which protruded somewhat f^om
the pocket. On reaching the door, however, he
took his right hand from the pistol to turn the
knob. This was a careless action, of which he
never would have been guilty, had he been less
fatigued, mentally and physically, but, being so
used up as to act almost mechanically, his habit-
ual though tfulness was momentarily absent, and
he was caught off his guard for an instant in a
manner which nearly cost him his life. It should
be understood that the scene which ensued oc-
curred so rapidly as to occupy less time in its
passage than is required to read about it, and that
during those few seconds a struggle of life and
death was going on.
Hardly had William's hand touched the door-
knob ere he felt the pistol drawn out of his coat
pocket. He knew there was but one person who
A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 107
could have done it, and that person was a perfect
devil thirsting for his blood. Turning like a
flash, he seized Farrington by both wrists, just as
the latter was trying to cock the pistol; then
there was a terrible contest. The pistol was in
Farrington's hands, which were held so close to-
gether by the irons as to make it impossible to
wrench one away from the other; it was pointed
directly at William's head, and should Farring-
ton succeed in cocking it, William's death would
be instantaneous. All his energies, therefore,
were directed toward keeping Farrington's hands
far enough apart to prevent him from drawing
back the hammer. The space was too narrow to
permit of such a struggle without one party or
the other being forced back upon the rail, and, in
a moment, William had lifted his lighter antago-
nist from the deck, pressing him against the rail-
ing, and at the same time shouting for assistance.
In response to his call, Connell came running out
in dishabille, with his pistol in one hand and his
pantaloons in the other. At this moment the
cold muzzle of the pistol was pressed against
William's temple, and he heard the click of the
hammer as his desperate prisoner succeeded in
drawing it back. He made a violent plunge for-
ward, ducking his head as he did so, and simulta-
neously the pistol exploded close to his ear, the
ball ploughing a little f urrow in the scalp, while the
powdei scon-hod his neck and hair. Staggering
back stunned and dizzy for a moment, he was
caught by Connell, who asked whether he \va&
108 A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
much hurt He soon gathered his senses, and,
finding his wound to be only trifling, he asked
what had become of Farrington. Connell pointed
overboard, and no further answer was necessary;
no man dropping in front of those wheels could
ha ye lived for an instant, and, even had he not
been struck, he could not have kept himself up in
the rapid current then running filled with fine ice.
By this time the bar-room, barber shop, and sa-
loon had been emptied of their occupants, and
the boat had been stopped to see whether the man
could be picked up; but, as this was clearly hope-
less, the trip was soon resumed. Council's arrival
had been most opportune for William, since he
had caught the weapon the moment it was dis-
charged, and succeeded in changing the course of
the bullet sufficiently to save William's life.
Thinking, however, that William had been killed,
Connell had struck Parrington on the head with
his pistol almost simultaneously with the explo-
sion, and the blow, aided by the plunge which
William m?de forward in endeavoring to dodge
the pistol-shot, had sent Farrington over the rail
into the water, where he was undoubtedly killed
the next instant by the paddle-wheels.
The fact of the man's death was so absolutely
certain that no person could doubt it, if acquainted
with the circumstances; yet there were not want-
ing people who insinuated that he had been
allowed to escape by jumping overboard ai.d
swimming ashore. The absurdity of such a story
is manifest, for, even supposing that his irons had
A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 109
been removed, and that he had escaped injury
from the paddle-wheels, he never could have
swam ashore at the spot where the affair occurred.
The nearest point of the river bank was more than
three hundred yards away, and the current at that
place was running off the shore; besides, the
night was very cold, and the water was covered
with a film of ice, so that after five minutes' im-
mersion in it, a man would have become wholly
numbed and insensible.
Barton was not at all surprised when he heard
of Hillary Farrington's death, for he said that he
knew Hillary so well that he had expected
nothing else from the time he was taken; he was
so desperate that his intention undoubtedly had
been to have seized William and dragged him
overboard; but, seeing the pistol, another idoa
had probably occurred to him. Barton said that
had Hillary succeeded in killing William, he would
have gone up to the pilot-house with the revolver,
and forced the pilot to land him immediately;
once on shore, his knowledge of the country
would have enabled him to escape again. What-
ever had been his plans, however, he had failed
in his attempt at murder, and had paid the
penalty of his rashness with his life.
The Test of the party went on to Columbus,
where they took passage for Union City, arriving
there Friday morning.
About this time, Mr. Ball, who had been sent
to follow the wagon train of Mrs. Farrington, re-
ported, after u silence of several days, that he had
110 A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
traced her into the Indian Territory. In point of
fact, she was settled at Ash Grove, near Mount
Vernon, in Greene County, Missouri, and had
been there ever since Hillary and Barton had left
her before their arrest at Durham's. It will thus
be seen how fortunate it was that I had not
trusted to Ball and Bledsoe to keep track of Mrs.
Farrington, since they had utterly lost the trail,
and had followed another set of wagons for sev-
eral days as far as the Indian Territory; when,
probably suspecting that he had made a mistake,
Ball telegraphed to the express company's officers
for instructions. He was then ordered to return at
once with Bledsoe, the whole party having been
captured by that time.
While speaking of Mrs. Farrington, I may as
well give an account of all our dealings with her,
irrespective of the chronological order of the
story :
Having received Barton's order upon her for all
of the wagons and stock, and for five hundred
and fifty dollars in money, Cottrell endeavored to
attach her property in a civil suit. She insisted
that she had none of Barton's money indeed,
that she had no money at all and she refused to
give up anything. At last, finding that he could
not legally attach her property, Cottrell took the
bold step of arresting her for receiving stolen
goods. She was taken to Mount Vernon, where
she engaged a lawyer to defend her, and then, of
course, Cottrell was also obliged to employ a legaj
adviser. At length, a compromise was effected,
A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. Ill
by which Mrs. Farrington was allo tved to retain
a small portion of the property ; Cottrell then
took possession of the remainder as agent of the
express company, and Mrs. Farrington was dis-
charged from custody. After selling some of the
animals, Cottrell shipped all the remaining chat-
tels to St. Louis, where the agent of the express
company took charge of them. The two detec-
tives then returned to Chicago, and no further
attention was paid to Mrs. Farrington.
On Saturday, after the arrival of William's
party, with Barton, in Union City, Detectives
Galway and Connell started out to arrest Bill
Taylor, the fourth one of the party of robbers.
This man was a long, lank, round-shouldered
fellow, with putty face, long, straggling hair and
beard, and a vacant expression of countenance,
who lived by hunting and chopping wood, below
Lester's Landing, in the vicinity of Keel's Foot
Lake. William had been satisfied of his com-
plicity in the robbery for some time previous to
ilM> arrest of the others, but he had not arrested
him for the reason that he was sure of picking
him up whenever he wished to do so; and, know-
ing Taylor to have been merely a weak accom-
plice, he was anxious to secure the leaders in the
crime first. Barton's confession made the sus-
picion of Taylor's guilt a certainty, and so Gal-
way and Connell were sent to arrest him.
At Mr. Merrick's they obtained a good guide,
and four other citizens joined them, so that they
had quite a formidable party. After visiting sev
112 A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
eral houses in the cane-brake, they learned where
Taylor was staying, and, on going there, they
saw him looking at them from a front window.
Galway asked Taylor to come down a few min-
utes to give them some information, and Taylor
unsuspectingly complied. He had been allowed
to go free so long, and had so often talked with
William and others about the robbery, that he
did not imagine their object on this occasion.
On coming into the yard, therefore, he greeted
the men cordially, supposing them to be a party
scouting for the other robbers, of whose arrest he
had not heard. When he saw a couple of navy
revolvers close to his head, and heard an order to
throw up his hands, he surrendered without a
word. He was evidently badly frightened, but
he would not confess having had any part in the
robbery, and he refused to tell where his share of
the money was concealed. He was placed on
Council's horse and taken to Merrick's, where
another horse was obtained, and the party went
on to Hickman; thence he was taken by wagon
to Union City, arriving there about midnight of
Saturday. Both Barton and Taylor were placed
in rooms in the hotel, where they were carefully
watched night and day by my detectives, the
county jail being almost useless as a place for
keeping prisoners.
On learning that the whole party had been ar-
rested, Taylor made a very full confession of all
the circumstances connected with the robbery,
and the movements of the robbers after it had
A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 113
occurred. He confirmed Barton's account in every
particular, but revealed nothing new of any im-
portance. His share of the stolen money had
been only about one hundred and fifty dollars,
as Levi had made him believe that they had ob-
tained only six hundred dollars in all. About
fifty dollars were found on Taylor's person ; the
rest he had spent. He said that Levi Farrington
had hidden all the checks, drafts, and unnegotia-
ble paper underneath an old log in the woods,
but that he could not tell where the log was, nor
find it, since it was not marked in any way, nor
had they taken any bearings by which to remem-
ber it. He gave an account of the evening when
Hicks, the tipsy planter, came to their camp-fire,
which agreed exactly with the previous state-
ments of Hicks and Barton; but one slight re-
mark in his confession seemed to account for the
fifth man mentioned by Hicks. Taylor said
that during most of the time Hicks was at their
camp, one or two of the party were lying on the
ground with their feet toward the fire, and that
there was a log of wood lying beside them.
Now, it is probable that Hicks was just drunk
enough to be unable to tell the difference be-
tween a man and a log, especially as, in his de-
scription of the men, he gave the appearance ol
Hillary Farrington twice as belonging to differ-
ent persons. Hicks's vision was somewhat un-
certain that night, evidently.
114 THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA.
CHAPTER XI.
The last Scene in the Drama approaching A new Char-
acter appears. The Citizens of Union City suddenly
seem to have important business on hand. The
Vigilantes and their Work. Their Bullets and Judge
Lynch administer a quietus to Levi Farrington and
David Towler. The End.
THE last scene in this drama seemed about to
end in the complete defeat of the whole
gang of villains and the triumph of law and jus-
tice, when a new character came upon the stage,
and the curtain fell upon a bloody tragedy. That
substantial justice was done cannot be denied,
though the manner of its execution was beyond
and outside all forms of law. It was a striking
instance of the manner in which an outraged
community, particularly in the West and South,
will arrive at a satisfactory settlement of import-
ant questions without the intervention of courts,
juries, or lawyers. The court of Judge Lynch
makes mistakes occasionally, but it rarely ad-
mits of an appeal from its decision.
Robert arrived in Union City with Levi Far-
rington on Monday, December eighteenth, and
he took his prisoner to the hotel for safe keeping,
with the others. They were kept in separate
rooms, and a detective remained with each of
them constantly. William spent several hours
with Levi Farrington, trying to induce him to
THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA. 115
tell where he had hidden the stolen papers, and
also what he had done with his share of 'the
money, of which he had undoubtedly retained
the greater part. Finally he agreed to return all
the papers, and about twenty-five hundred dollars
besides, on condition that he should receive a
sentence of only five years in the penitentiary on
entering a plea of guilty. Having agreed to this
arrangement, William went to his room, which
was a large one, with several beds, occupied by
Robert, Brown, and Connell. As the men of my
force were all pretty well used up, Taylor and
Barton were placed in the same room, with Gal-
way guarding them, while Farrington, being
such a desperate feUow, was put in another
room, with three of the Union City policemen as
guards.
Soon after the arrival of Robert with Levi Far-
rington, a man, named David Towler, tried to
gel admission to Farrington's room. On being
denied, he was very insolent, and he insisted on
seeing Farrington alone. Finding that this would
not be permitted, he went away cursing the
officers and swearing to be revenged. His actions
naturally attracted the attention of the police,
and caused him to be regarded with a great deal
of suspicion, as a probable member of the Far-
rington party of robbers. About eleven o'clock
that night, a policeman, named Benjamin Kline,
discovered this man Towler with a drawn revol-
ver, skulking behind a car standing on the side
track near the depot. He immediately called for
116 THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA.
ihe railroad company's night watchman, and tho
two approached the thief to arrest him. Tho
man instantly shot Kline through the lungs, and
then shot Moran, the watchman. Kline's wound
was mortal, and he died in a few minutes, while
Moran was supposed to be fatally hurt also. The
pistol-shots quickly drew a crowd, and a fr\v
determined men gave chase to the murderer.
After quite a long pursuit he was captured, and
brought back to the station where Kline had just
died. A justice of the peace held a preliminary
examination at once, and the prisoner, David
Towler, was held for murder, without bail. He
was known to be a low, desperate fellow, who
had been imprisoned for horse-stealing and other
kindred crimes, until he was regarded almost as
an outlaw. He had long lived near Keel's Foot
Lake, and while there he had become acquainted
with the Farringtons. That their friendship was
more than that of two casual acquaintances was
shown by an important circumstance discovered
by William. It will be remembered that when
Levi Farrington stopped in Cairo to send eight
hundred dollars to his mother, he purchased two
of the largest-sized Smith & Wesson revolvers.
They were exact fac-similes of each other, and
were numbered 1,278 and 1,279 respectively. At
the time of Levi's arrest, only one of these revol-
vers was found, and he said that he had given
away the other to a friend, retaining number
1,279 himself. When Towler was captured,
William happened to notice that his revolver was
THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA. 117
similar to the one Levi had carried. This would
have been nothing to be remarked under ordinary
circumstances, since there were, undoubtedly,
many of these revolvers in use, all exactly alike
except in number ; but William connected this
man Towler's appearance in Union City with the
arrival of the express robbers, and the new revol-
ver caught his eye at once. On closely examining
it, his suspicions were fully confirmed : it was
numbered 1,278, and was, without question, the
mate to Levi's, bought by him in Cairo and given
to Towler.
When this news became known to the throng
of citizens whom the shooting of Kline and Moraii
had drawn together, the feeling against all the
prisoners became intense, and when Towler was
committed by the justice to the guard of the men
who were watching Levi, the citizens began to
depart very suddenly, as if they either had im-
portant business elsewhere, or were in a hurry to
get home. By midnight the town was quiet, and
after a visit to the guards, to caution them to be
extra vigilant, William and Robert retired to their
room, together with Brown and Council.
Young Kline, whom Towler had murdered, was
very highly esteemed in Union City, and his death
at the hands of an outlaw would have aroused
deep indignation at any time ; but just now there
were additional reasons why the affair should ex-
vito a desire for summary vengeance upou his
assin. It had been shown that Towler must
have formerly been on intimate terms with the
118 THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA.
Farringtons, and these latter were well known ag
desperadoes, whose hand was turned against every
man; hence, the crimes of the whole party were
considered as a sort of partnership affair, for
which each member of the firm was individually
liable. But, besides the natural indignation of
the law-abiding citizens for the crimes committed
by these men, there was a widespread sense of
insecurity so long as they were in that vicinity.
Towler had remarked, w^hen captured, that he
would soon be out again, and all the prisoners
bore themselves with an air of bravado, as if they
had no fear nor expectation of punishment. It
was believed that a number of friends of the gang
among the desperadoes living in Nigger- Wool
Swamp and near Eeel's Foot Lake intended to at-
tempt the rescue of the whole party of express
robbers, before they could be consigned to a secure
place of confinement. The citizens who had
risked their lives to capture Towler and the others,
who had turned out in time to see poor Kline die
in agony, were determined that nothing should
occur to prevent justice from reaching the crim-
inals, and exacting the fullest penalty for their
numerous crimes; hence the sudden departure of
the throng who had attended Towler's preliminary
examination before the justice. They did not go
to their homes, but gathered in a secluded place,
and formed a Committee of Safety. The question
as to what course would best protect the lives
and property of the community was then dis-
cussed, and a conclusion was soon reached, with-
out a dissenting voice.
THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA. 119
Throughout the town all was hushed in the
usual stillness of a winter's night; no lights were
burning anywhere, save in an occasional sick-
chamber, and sleep seemed to have fallen alike
upon the just and unjust. In one room of the
hotel were Barton and Taylor, guarded byGalway
and an employe of the express company, while
near by was the room where Levi Farrington
and David Towler were watched by three of the
city policemen. A dim light burned in each room,
and, while the guards paced the floor in their
stocking feet, the prisoners lay on their beds in
deep slumber. Not a memory of the past, full as
it was of scenes of crime and blood, came to break
their repose; not a thought of the future, with
its possibilities of punishment, caused them to
lose one moment of their customary rest. Fear
they had never known; remorse was long since
forgotten; unconscious or careless of then: im-
pending doom, they slept the night away.
About two o'clock there was a stealthy gather-
ing of masked men at the door of the hotel, and,
at a given signal from the leader, a certain num-
ber slipped up-stairs with little noise, and filled the
corridor from which the prisoners' rooms opened.
So sudden was their appearance and so quiet their
approach that even the wakeful guards scarce
In ard them until the doors were forced open.
Then the policy of silence was dropped, and a
rush upon the guards was made. A battery of
pistols, suddenly confronted them, and, as resist-
ance was clearly impossible, an unconditional
120 THE LAST SCENE IN THE DKAMA.
surrender was at once made. The bursting in of
the doors awakened William and Eobert, who
hastily sprang up, and, without stopping to put
on any clothing, opened their door, pistol in hand.
This move, however, had been anticipated by the
vigilantes, and a dozen or more pistols were thrust
in then: faces as they appeared in the doorway.
"Go back, Pinkerton, we don't want to hurt
you, r/ said one of the men outside, and they were
pushed back into the room, while the door was
hastily closed in their faces.
To resist such a body with the few men at his
command, William knew, would be suicidal, and
he did not especially care to sacrifice himself in
the interest of such a villainous band as those
whom the vigilantes were seeking. The four de-
tectives, therefore, dressed themselves and re-
mained in their room awaiting further develop-
ments.
Having overpowered the guards, the leader of
the vigilantes ordered the removal of Towler, and,
as the latter was hustled out of the door, Levi
Farrington knew that his hour had come. Stand-
ing up and facing the remainder of the crowd,
who had withdrawn to the further side of the
room, he defied them all, and told them to fire
away. A volley of pistol-shots was the reply to
his words, and a rattling fire continued for two
or three minutes; when it ceased, Levi Farring-
ton was no more, his body having been struck by
more than thirty balls, almost any one of which
would have been instantaneously fatal. His
THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA. 121
body was left where it fell, and the room was
soon deserted as the party hastened after the de-
tachment which had Towler in charge. The
whole affair was over in ten minutes, and when
the detectives again left their room none of the
masked party were to be seen. Levi Farring-
ton's body was found in his room, but no trace of
Towler could be discovered. Finding that the
excitement was over, the detectives returned to
bed, leaving Barton and Taylor still carefully
guarded. The former had slept through the con
fusion and noise without even a start or restless
jnovement, but Taylor was terribly frightened,
and he fully expected to be lynched also.
The next morning at breakfast, William was
informed that the body of Towler had been found
hanging to a tree near the graveyard, and, on
going to the spot, they found him as represented.
At the coroner's inquest little testimony could be
obtained further than that one man had been shot
to death and the other hung by parties unknown,
and the verdict was rendered accordingly. There
was naturally considerable excitement over the
affair for two or three days, but the general ver-
dict was, "Served 'em right." However violent
had been their taking off, there were few who
did not feel that society demanded their death,
not only as a punishment for their past crimes,
but as a means of security in the future. Be-
lieving that a sentence to the penitentiary was
wholly inadequate, and that their escape there-
from was not only possible, but probable, the cit-
6
122 THE LAST SCENE IN % THE DRAMA.
izens preferred to take no risks of future rob-
beries and murders by these desperadoes, and
they therefore took the most effectual method of
preventing their occurrence. Their action was
illegal, it is true, but then it was just which is a
more important consideration sometimes.
On the following Friday, Barton and Taylor
had their preliminary hearing before a justice,
when they waived examination, and were com-
mitted for trial in default of bail in the sum of
ten thousand dollars each. Upon the representa-
tion to the justice that the county jail was an
unsafe place to confine the prisoners, permission
was obtained to remove them to the jail in Mem-
phis; the proper papers were made out, and the
transfer was made under William's management.
The death of Levi Farrington made the recovery
of the missing checks, papers, and money an im-
possibility, since neither Barton nor Taylor were
able to conduct the officers to the place where
they were hidden. Barton gave the company a
bill of sale of the goods in the store at Lester's
Landing, however, and an assignment of all debts
due the firm, from which about five or six hun-
dred dollars were eventually realized. Eobert
and Brown attended to this matter and returned
to Chicago. Wilham was on duty until the two
remaining prisoners were safely lodged in jail in
Memphis, and then, having settled up all the
business of which he had had charge, he also re-
turned home.
At the next term of court in Obion County,
THE LAST SCENE IN THE DRAMA. 123
Tennessee, Barton and Taylor pleaded guilty of
grand larceny, and were each sentenced to five
years' confinement at hard labor in the peniten-
tiary. Thus, out of a party of four engaged in
this robbery, two were finally brought to trial
and appropriately punished, while the other two
would have been so punished also, had not a
higher penalty been demanded by the circum-
stances of their cases, aggravated by their own
brutal and revengeful dispositions. No reminis-
cence in my experience shows a more striking
illustration of the certainty of retribution for
crime than does the career and fate of these out-
laws of the Southwest.
THE END.
PEDRO AND THE DETECTIVES,
CHAPTER I.
A Fraudulent Scheme contemplated. A Dashing Peru-
man Don and Donna. A Regal Forger. Mr.
Pinkerton engaged by Senator Muirhead to unveil
the Mystery of his Life. The Don and Donna
Morito arrive at G-loster. " Personnel " of Gloster's
"First Families.''''
rpHE history of crimes against prosperity is of
vital interest to the public. The ingenuity
of thieves, burglars, forgers, and confidence men
is active and incessant, so that their plans are
often successful even against the experience and
precautions of men of the most wary and cautious
character. This seems to be especially true when
the amounts at stake are large, for petty attempts
to defraud are so frequent, that when a criminal
plays for a large sum, the suspicion of the capi-
talist is wholly allayed by the improbability that
a mere swindler should undertake an operation
of such magnitude. Indeed, in many cases the
cupidity of the victim is so great that the sharper
h.irdly offers the bait ere it is swallowed by some
confiding simpleton. Hence, as a warning for
the future, the lessons of past frauds possess no
small degree of interest and value to the world \
[188]
126 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
and as there is no portion of society free from
the depredations of these schemers, their various
wiles and snares cannot be exposed too often.
More than twenty years ago, the city of
Gloster was one of the most thriving cities of the
West. Controlling the interior trade to a large
extent, its interests were of the most varied cha-
racter, and its inhabitants were already distin-
guished as being more cosmopolitan than those
of any other city in the Union, except New York.
They had imbibed, perhaps, some of the genius
of the prairies, and their scorn of petty methods
of doing business, their breadth of charity and
hearty hospitality, were as boundless as the great
plains of which the city was the business center
at that time. Among such a people, a plausible
adventurer had a fine field of operation, and I
was not surprised when I was asked to go to
Gloster in the latter part of the winter to investi-
gate the character of some persons who were
living there.
The application came from Senator Muirhead,
a man whom I had long known, both in his pub-
lic and private life. His suspicions were of the
vaguest possible character, and a hasty examina-
tion of the case failed to convince me that they
were well founded; yet he was convinced in his
own mind that there was a fraudulent scheme in
contemplation, and his positive conviction had
great weight with me. The Senator's interest in
the case had led him to make extensive inquiries
into the antecedents of these parties, but he was
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 127
unable io trace them further back than their arri
val in New York, several months before. There
they had suddenly appeared in society with a
great display of wealth, stating that they had
been traveling in Europe for some time, and were
gradually making their way back to Peru, where
they lived. Don Pedro P. L. do Morito and his
wife, having enjoyed life in New York for several
months, now proposed to spend at least a year in
Gloster, and it was this couple whose charactei
was suspected by the Senator. Indeed, he felt
sure that, at least, they were traveling under a^
sumed names, and certain coincidences led him
to believe that they were adroit swindlers of the
most capable, dangerous type. He had discovered
a chain of circumstantial evidence which needed
only one link to make a clear connection between
certain crimes and these fascinating Peruvians,
and it was for the purpose of discovering this
link that he had requested my aid. In brief, his
suspicions were, that after innumerable frauds in
other countries, this plausible pair had settled in
Gloster to add to their ill-gotten wealth by some
new scheme of villainy. His theoretic history of
the man, derived from various sources, mainly
newspapers in which crimes had been described
bearing the same style of workmanship, was as
follows.
Jose Gomez, a cadet of the ancient Brazilian
family of that name, began life with a fine phys-
ique, ample mental endowments, and a high so-
cial position. He was the heir-exped-mt of a
128 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
valuable estate, and no pains were spared upon
his education. As he grew to manhood, how-
ever, his habits became such as to excite the
gravest apprehensions as to his future, and by
the time he was thirty years of age he was a
reckless libertine, gambler, and spendthrift. Find-
ing that his source of supplies was about to be
cut off by his family, he obtained large sums of
money by means of forged paper, with which he
fled from Rio Janeiro to Lima, Peru. His where-
abouts were not discovered for a long time, but
when the information was received, the Brazilian
Government made an effort to obtain his extra-
dition. He was living in fine style in Lima, un-
der the assumed name of Juan Sanchez, and, in
some way, he was warned of his danger. Before
any steps had been taken to expose or arrest him,
he perpetrated another series of forgeries, by
which he obtained a large amount of money, and
then wholly disappeared. The aggregate of his
forgeries was so great that a considerable no-
toriety attached to the case, and the facts were
published in full in the leading newspapers of
this country.
About the time of the great rush to California,
after the gold discoveries there, a gentleman
known as Don Jose Michel appeared in San Fran-
cisco, where he lived in regal splendor; indeed,
his extravagance was so great as to make him
conspicuous even among the reckless throng who
filled the Golden City. After wasting a fortune
with a prodigal hand, however, he suddenly van-
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 129
ished, and, although little was known positively
on the subject, it was commonly understood that
he had swindled a number of bankers and cap-
italists by worthless notes, drafts, and checks,
many of which were wholly or partly forged.
The men thus defrauded kept the matter quiet,
both because they were ashamed to acknowledge
how easily they had been imposed upon, and be-
cause they hoped to facilitate the capture of the
criminal by working in secret. The incidents
were related to Senator Muirhead in a casual con-
versation with a friend who had recently re-
turned from the Pacific coast, and the description
given of Don Jose Michel tallied exactly with
that of Juan Sanchez and Jose Gomez.
By an odd coincidence, the month after the de-
parture of Don Jose Michel from San Francisco,
a brilliant gentleman of nearly the same name
appeared in Quito, Ecuador, where he pursued a
course so exactly similar in character to that of
Gomez, Sanchez, and Michel, that it was not diffi-
cult to imagine that that ubiquitous person was
identical with the elegant Don Pedro Michel who
created such a brief excitement in Quito, termi-
nating with forgeiy and a hasty flight.
About two years previous to the time of which
I write, a wealthy Brazilian arrived in London,
and became a great favorite in society. His wife
was a bountiful Spaniard, and her exquisite taste,
courtesy, and knowledge of the world wore highly
appreciated ly tho select circle of aristocracy into
which she and her husband were soon admit!* .1
6*
130 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
Don Jos6 Arias was the name of this gentleman
and he was soon known in nearly every drawing-
room in Belgravia. He was introduced by the
Brazilian charge d'affaires, in the absence of the
Minister Resident, and this semi-official guarantee
of his position in Brazil gave him a passport every-
where. It was not strange, therefore, that such a
handsome, refined, and agreeable couple should
be cordially and hospitably received, especially as
their wealth was undoubtedly enormous, while
their manners showed that they had been born in
the purple of aristocracy. It was a sad shock to
society when it was learned that Don Jose and
Donna Maria had absconded suddenly, taking with
them about fifty thousand pounds sterling, ob-
tained by forgery. It was then learned that the
Brazilian legation had been the victim of forged
documents also, though the intimate acquaintance
of Don Jose with the policy and statecraft of
Brazil in many important affairs had contributed
largely to his success in deceiving the young
diplomat who was temporarily in charge of the
legation.
It was not until more than a year after this oc-
currence that Don Pedro P. L. de Morito arrived
in New York, with his beautiful wife, Donna
Lucia. They did not stop long in New York after
their arrival, but spent the latter part of the sum-
mer in the White Mountains in a very retired
manner, although they lived in the best style
that the place afforded. In August, they made
a hasty trip to Washington and back to New
A VRAUDULENT SCHEME. 131
York again, where the_y o?pvmamore pretentious
mode of life than they had chosen theretofore.
Don Pedro kept a yacht elegantly fitted up, and
his horses were the best that money could ob-
tain. His bachelor suppers were models of epi-
curean perfection, and when his wife gave a re-
ception, everything was in the best taste and
style. While visiting Washington, Don Pedro
had met Senator Muirhead, who had gone there
for a few days on public business, and the ac-
quaintance was renewed in New York, where the
Senator had some private interests demanding
his attention. Something had led the Senator to
connect Don Pedro with Gomez, Sanchez, Michel,
and Arias, and though the idea was a vague one
in his mind, it was sufficiently fixed to cause him
to institute inquiries into Seiior Morito's antece-
dents. As previously stated, nothing could be
learned of him previous to his arrival in New
York, and the only circumstance which could
possibly be regarded as suspicious was, that both
in Washington and New York he had avoided
meeting the Peruvian Minister and other fellow-
countrymen.
The peculiarity of the case interested me, and,
after a long conversation with the Senator, I
agreed to unravel the slight mystery surrounding
the parties, and to make a complete review of
their past history so far as it might be possible
obtain it. No harm could result from such a
course, whether they were honest or the revei
and r,o, having decided upon a simple plan, 1
132 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
turned to Chicago to splc^u the persons to repre-
sent me in Gloster.
My preliminary survey of the field had brought
me into contact with many of the most fashion
able people in Gloster; and, as I foresaw that my
operatives would be called upon to move in the
best society while engaged in this investigation, I
obtained as extended information about the mem-
bers of the creme de la creme as possible. Since
many of them will figure conspicuously in the
incidents of this story, a brief description of the
leaders will be necessary.
One of the wealthiest men of Gloster was a
bachelor, named Henry 0. Mather. He was
about fifty years old, but he still retained much
of the fire of youth, and he was one of the most
popular members of society. - At an early day in
the history of the Great West he had settled at
Gloster, where he had invested largely in unim-
proved lands; and, by forethought and good
judgment in his speculations, he had rapidly in-
creased his property in extent and value, until,
at this time, he was one of the few millionaires
west of the Alleghanies. About three years pre-
vious to the time of which I write, he had in-
vested largely in the new railroad schemes then
organized, and his importance as a railway mag-
nate was recognized throughout the whole coun-
try. His reputation as a shrewd business man
made him a species of authority among his 1V1-
low- townspeople, and few persons would havo
ventured to distrust the safety of any enterprise
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 133
in which he was actively interested. Indeed, so
complete was the confidence of most men in him,
that it was not considered necessary in buying
real estate to trace the title further back than to
Ht'nry 0. Mather, a deed from him being consid-
ered as secure as a patent from the government.
Personally he was a very agreeable man, being
gallant without affectation, and brilliant without
priggishness. His figure was of medium height,
compactly built, and he carried himself with an
erect bearing and springy gait, which greatly
aided in deceiving strangers as to his age. His
hair was brown, turning gradually to gray, and
he wore full gray side- whiskers. His features
were quite pleasing Except the mouth, which was
rather large and sensual. On the whole, he was
a man with uncommon ability to please when he
felt disposed to exert himself, and his great
wealth was an additional charm which soci
was not slow to recognize. He owned a largo
house, occupying the whole of a square in the
most fashionable part of the city, and his sister-
in-luw was installed as its mistress.
Richard Perkins was an Englishman who had
long lived in Gloster, where he owned the largest
l)ic\\ cry in the West. He was of middle height,
but being quite fleshy, his gait was a kind of
waddle the reverse of elegant or dignified. His
smooth, round, jovial face was strongly expres-
sive of an appreciation of the good things of this
world, and ho rarely denied himself any indul-
grnro Iliat passion craved and that money could
procure.
134 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
It was while Mather and Perkins were on their
annual visit to New York that they met Senor
Morito and his beautiful wife, Donna Lucia.
The distinguished foreigners soon made a com-
plete conquest of both the western gentlemen,
who invited them in the most cordial manner to
visit Gloster at their earliest convenience.
The delights of New York society were enjoyed
for several months by these wealthy and aristo-
cratic foreigners before they were able to keep
the promise made to Mather and Perkins ; for
they were entertained by the old Knickerbocker
families of Manhattan in a princely style. They
were the guests of the most exclusive circles of
the city, and everywhere fhey displayed suck,
perfect courtesy, good breeding, and savoir faire,
that it was evident they were accustomed to
wealth and high social position. They had ele-
gant apartments in the leading hotel of the city,
and their cash expenditures showed the posses-
sion of an unlimited fortune. They finally tore
themselves away from New York, arriving in
Gloster during the comparatively dull season of
Lent. Here their fame had become known in
society through the incessant praises of Mather
and Perkins, and their reception into the highest
circles was coincident with their arrival. The
unanimous verdict of those who made their ac-
quaintance was, that Gloster had never enter-
tained two more thoroughly pleasing guests than
the Don and Donna Morito.
Don Pedro was about forty years of age, but
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 135
he had all the brilliancy and ease of a man of
thirty. His figure was very fine, being slightly
above the medium height, erect, compact, and
muscular. His hands and feet were small and
elegantly shaped, but WI.TO not effeminate. His
rich oliye complexion was in admirable harmony
with his soft black eyes and deep red lips. His
face was a good oval, without being unmanly,
and his black, glossy hair was beautifully curly
and wavy. He wore side-whiskers and a long
moustache, beneath which his smile, the ladies
said, was faultless. Like most South Americans,
he seemed too lazy to be unamiable, and his gen-
eral style was that of a man who, having pos-
sessed wealth always, would be perfectly lost,
without it.
Ponna Lucia was a fine specimen of Spanish
ba ity, education, and refinement. It was easy
to see that she possessed more force of character
than her husband, and that her passionate nature
was like a volcano, which might burst forth at
any time, driving her to the most dangerous
courses if it took possession of her. A detailed
description of such a woman is an impossibility.
In general, she was a beauty of the Andalusian
type, as nearly perfect in form and feature as can
be conceived; but her expression was of an infi-
nite variety of characters, each one giving the
precise shade of meaning most applicable to the
time, place, person, and sentiment. In short, she
was so near perfection that nearly all the men she
11H.-1 Were in lov<- wilh hn, ;m<l mil. i-iitlis of
136 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
them more than half believed that she regretted
her marriage for their sake. Nevertheless, she
kept all admirers at a certain distance, which
only bewitched them the more.
At the time of which I write, Don Pedro was
so much pleased with Gloster, that he had rented
a large residence in a very fashionable locality,
and was making preparations to spend a y far-
there. The charming manner in which they had
entertained their friends at the hotel was ample
guarantee that when the Don and Donna were
established in their new home, they would sur-
patss anything in the way of festivities ever seen
in Gioster; hence, all the best society of the place
rejoiced greatly at the arrival of this new Con-
stellation in the social firmament.
Among the bachelors most noted in salons and
parlors of the city were Daniel McCarthy and
Charles Sylvanus, the former a lawyer, and the
latter a journalist. McCarthy was an Irishman,
of brilliant talents and ready wit. Although still
comparatively a young man, he was the county
persecuting attorney, and was considered one of
the foremost lawyers of the city. He was v<
blocking and good-hearted, and his natural
lefty made him a most entertaining companion .
While speaking in court, and often in society, he
had a habit of running his fingers through his
long, thick hair, which he would also, at times,
throw back with a peculiar jerk of his head.
This habit was especially frequent when he be-
came deeply interested in his subject, and tho
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 137
spectators could always tell whether Dau was
doing his best, even when they could not hear his
words.
Sylvanus was editor and part proprietor of an
evening newspaper. As a journalist he was not
above mediocrity, but he was well received in
society, w^here even a moderate allowance of
brains will suffice for success.
A conspicuous member of society and a pillar
of the Swedenborgian church was Mr. John Pres-
ton, a banker and capitalist. With a book of
Swedenborgian revelations in one hand and a
bundle of tax titles in the other, he w^ould fre-
quently orate to a crowd of unbelievers, from a
text drawn from his book, in a manner calculated
to quite convert them, were it not that they knew
he was only working up a fresh head of steam to
enable him to grind the faces of the poor upon
whose property he held tax titles. In fact, many
people were of the opinion that this man was a
dangerous character, in spite of his pretense of
piety, his ostentatious charity, and his assump-
tion of the role of a professional philanthropist.
They insinuated that a man could afford to give
largely to an astronomical society, a college, an,
academy of sciences, and other objects of educa-
tion, when he had appropriated many thousands
of dollars belonging to the school fund to his own
use; that he could easily contribute freely to his
church, when he used the church property in his
own interests and managed the society to suit
himself ; and that there was no great amount of
138 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
philanthropy in giving a few hundred dollars to
miscellaneous charities, when he made ten times
the amount in shaving notes at usurious interest
and acquiring land by means only one remove
from actual theft; these things were becoming so
notorious that a man of less indomitable brass
than John Preston would have long since been
sent to Coventry, if not to jail; but he revolved
on his own center, sublimely indifferent to the
attacks of his enemies, for whom, by the way, he
used to pray with most fervent unction. His
wife was a pleasant, motherly woman, who gave
liberally to charitable objects, and who regarded
her husband as one of the saints of the earth.
There were three children a young man and
two girls. The former gave no promise of either
ability, probity, or ambition, and there was about
him a noticeable air of deficiency in both mental
and moral worth. The girls were commonplace
nonentities, with no pretensions to beauty or
grace.
One of the most prominent citizens of Gloster
was a wealthy tanner, named Charles H. Sanders.
Having foreseen at an early day the great pro-
gress which the city would make in population
and importance, he had invested largely in tracts
of unimproved land, which he held against all
offers to purchase until his real estate was more
extended and valuable than that of any other
property-owner in the city. Personally he w.-is
very thin and angular, with such a sickly look
that his death seemed possible any lay, though
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 139
his constitution was of that character which
might hold out much longer than that of a more
robust type. His wife was a very charming
woman, and they had two young daughters, who
gave promise of considerable beauty when they
should arrive at maturity.
Mr. Thomas Burke and his wife were, perhaps,
the most general favorites in Gloster society.
Mr. Burke was tall and well built, and his large
head and commanding appearance made him con-
spicuous in any group. He had a broad, high
forehead, heavy eyebrows, deep-set black eyes, a
Roman nose, and a heavy black moustache, which
completely covered his mouth . His straight, black
hair, high cheek-bones, and swarthy complexion,
gave him slightly the look of having Indian blood
in his veins; but the rest of his features were un-
mistakably Celtic, and the moment he spoke, the-
Irishman stood confessed. He was a man of such
extensive reading and general information that
few persons excelled him in conversation. His
wife was also cultivated and intelligent, so that
either as guest or hostess she was equally agree-
able and popular. They had a large family of
bright and interesting children.
One of the social curiosities of the city was
known as Deacon Humphrey. He was a striking
instance of the importance which self-complacent
mediocrity can obtair in a newly-settled com-
munity, in spite of ponderous stupidity. His
large head gave him his only excuse for profess-
ing to have brains, and his air of preoccupation
140 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
made him in appearance the personification
of wisdom; indeed, a witty journalist, who had
sounded the depths of Humphrey's ignoraivc'.
once said that "no man could be as wise as
Humphrey looked" No better condensation (f
this character in a few words could be made. He
was part proprietor of a morning newspaper, and
at times, to the dismay of the other stockholders,
he aspired to the editorial tripod. The mighty
lucubrations of his intellect were generally as-
signed to the waste-basket, and in the city it was
well known that his influence in the columns of
the paper was absolutely nothing, though in the
country he was still regarded with awe by the
bucolic mind. He was generally known as
" Deacon " from his honorary occupancy of that
office in a Presbyterian church. Mrs. Humphrey
was seldom seen, being in poor health almost con-
stantly, but their only daughter, Jennie, was one
of the foremost of the fashionable of the dilet-
tanti of the city. Indeed, it was confidently an-
ticipated that, some day, Miss Jennie would burst
forth as a full-blown authoress, and overpower an
expectant public with the radiance of her intel-
lect and the elegance of her style.
No description of Gloster celebrities would be
complete without that of Ethan Allen Benson,
Esq., formerly Member of Congress, and late
Minister Plenipotentiary at an important Euro-
pean court. The suggestion having once been
made to him by some waggish diplomat that he
resembled the first Napoleon, he was ever after-
A FRAUDULENT SCHEME. 141
ward desirous of drawing attention to this fan-
cied resemblance. He was a vain, i Ussy, conse-
quential politician, whose principal strength was
in the ward caucus and the saloon.
Judge Peter B. Taylor was another old settler,
and he was frequently seen in social circles in
spite of his age. His forehead was very broad
indeed, but his face tapered so rapidly to a
pointed chin as to make his head wedge-shaped-
He had coarse, faded hair, but no whiskers nor
beard, and only a scrubby, gray moustache. He
had a singular habit of working his eyes inde-
pendently of each other, and the effect upon a
stranger who was not aware of this peculiarity
was sometimes startling. His mouth was quite
large, one side appearing larger than the other,
and his lower lip slightly protruded, giving him a
very harsh and forbidding appearance. He had
at one time occupied a seat on the judicial bench,
but few persons could understand on what
grounds he deserved the office, unless it were
that people believed the adage about a poor law-
yer making a good judge. He was quite wealthy,
and his business was that of a money leaner and
real estate speculator. He was considered to be
very pious and charitable on Sunday; during
the rest of the week no Shylock ever demanded
his pound of flesh more relentlessly than he his
three per cent, a month.
It was among a society of which the foregoing
were shining rights, that I was to operate at the
request of Senator Muirhead. On returning to
142 A FRAUDULENT SCHEME.
Chicago from Gloster, I gave a great deal of
thought to the case, for there was so little to act
upon that none of the ordinary plans could be
depended upon. During his stay in this country,
Don Pedro had apparently acted in a perfectly
honorable manner toward every one, and it
would be impossible to proceed against him le-
gally in the United States for crimes committed
elsewhere, until the aggrieved parties should take
the necessary steps for his extradition ; with sev-
eral of the countries in which he was supposed to
have committed his crimes we had no extradition
treaty, and nothing could be done here to arrest
or punish him ; hence, the task of exposing his
previous career might be fruitless, even though
the Senator's suspicions should be confirmed in
every particular. Nothing whatever could be
adduced against his character since his arrival in
the United States, and I was, therefore, confined
to the prevention of future frauds rather than
the detection of old ones. The primary object of
my efforts was thus made to be the discovery of
the Don's intentions, as, without some slight
forecast of his plans, I might be unable to cir-
cumvent them. Accordingly, I decided that I
must furnish him with a friend who would be
sufficiently intimate with him to become his
trusted companion and adviser. 1 . At the same
time, it would be essential to learn as much as
possible relative to the previous career of both
the Don and Donna, for it might be desirable to
use a little moral suasion with them by showing
MR. PINKERTON AS A -ABORER. 14"
that their history was known. This plan would
involve no injustice to them, for, if innocent of
wrong-doing, they would never know that they
had been under surveillance ; while f if guilty,
they deserved no consideration.
CHAPTER II.
Madame Sevier, Widow, of Chicago, and Monsieur
Lesparre, of Bordeaux, also arrive at Gloster.
Mr. Phikerton, as a Laborer, anxious for a Job,
inspects the Morito Mansion. A Tender Scene,
resulting in Profit to the fascinating Seftortt.
Madame /Sevier is installed as a Guest at Don
Pedro's.
MY first action in this affair was to detail a
man to "shadow" Don Pedro and the
Donna until the detectives chosen for the more
difficult portions of the work should he in a posi
tion to take notice of all their movements. As
three detectives would require some little prepa-
ration to gain the position I desired them to fill, I
hastened to select them and give them their
instructions. For this mission I detailed a
married couple, who had been several years in
my employ. Mr. and Mrs. Rosel were natives of
France, and as they had been constantly in my
service almost from the time of their arrival in
this country, I felt sure they would not b;i recog-
nized as detectives by any one in the city of
144 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
Gloster. They were peoplo of more than average
intelligence and education, with a natural refine-
ment which would be especially desirable in the
prosecution of this case. In a few days all their
preparations were completed, and they went to
Gloster by different routes.
Mrs. Rosel was not handsome, but she had a
good figure, and she was very attractive, on ac-
count of her dashing, spirited ways, and because
she could assume a deep interest in every one
whom she met. She spoke English with so slight
an accent that it was only noticed as an added
charm to her winning conversation. I instructed
"her to represent herself in Gloster as Madame
Sevier, the widow of a lace merchant, lately of
Chicago, where he had carried on a moderate
business. His death had thrown his affairs into
-some confusion, but the estate would be settled
up soon, leaving a comfortable fortune to his
widow. Madame Sevier did not like the climate
of Chicago, and therefore she had decided to
remain in Gloster until her business affairs \vcr<>
settled, when she would probably return to her
relatives in France. I intended that she should
mix in society as much as would be consistent
with her character as a widow, and that she
should endeavor to become intimate with Donna
Lucia.
Mr. Rosel was to make a slight detour, arriving
in Gloster from the east. He would be known
as Monsieur Girard Lesparre, and his ostensible
character was to be that of a man of moderate
MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER. 145
capital from Bordeaux, looking for a favorable
opportunity to invest some of his means in a
profitable business.
I followed the Eosels in a day or two, and found
tli at Monsieur Lesparre was pleasantly located
at a fashionable family hotel, while Madame
Sevier had taken apartments in a stylish board-
ing-house only a few doors from the handsome
residence which the Moritos were to occupy.
This was quite satisfactory, and I turned my
attention to the examination of the reports made
by my ' ' shadow. " The reports were very monot-
onous in character, except as evidences Of the
popularity of the Don and Donna. The dull days
of Lent had just passed, and the close of the
season was now more crowded with parties and
balls than the earlier portion had been. The
presence of two such distinguished guests as Don
Pedro and Donna Lucia contributed largely to the
reasons for this rush of gayety, and they were
overwhelmed with visitors and invitations. Mr.
Mather had set the example by giving a large
dinner-party in their honor, followed in the even-
ing by a grand ball; and they had so charmed
tlio other leaders of society that no entertainment
was considered complete without the presence,
of Don Pedro P. L. de Morito and his beautiful
wife.
On leaving my hotel to visit the house which
Don Pedro was fitting- up for his residence, I met
Charlie Morton, the United States Commissioner
of Gloster. Morion was a capable lawyer and $
7
14:6 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
shrewd politician. He was equally attentive to
ladies as to gentlemen, and it was well known
that Charlie would never slight any one who
could cast or influence a vote. His acquaintance
extended through all classes, from the lowest to
t&e highest, and few men were more generally
popular. His powers of observation were only
equaled by his tact, so that, while he saw all
that went on about him, he never talked indis-
creetly. He and I were quite intimate, and we
chatted for some time about various people before
I succeeded in bringing up the names of those in
Gloster in whom I was just then most interested.
" I suppose you are quite glad that the gay sea-
son is over, Charlie," I said, interrogatively. "As
usual, you will not have many social events of
any consequence after Lent, I presume? "
"Oh! yes, indeed," he replied; "we shall be
more active in society for the next month or two
than ever before. You see, we have two wealthy
and aristocratic Peruvians visiting Gloster, and
they are so fascinating that they have quite taken
our people by storm. They have been accus
tomed to the finest society of Europe and South
America, so that we are put upon our mettle to
show how well Gloster can compare in wealth
luxury, and refinement with older cities at home
and abroad."
" Are they then such remarkable lions ? " I
asked, "or do people run after them simply bo-
cause they are rich foreigners ? "
" Of course their wealth and foreign birth
MR. HNKERTON AS A LABORER. 147
would cause many people to pay them attention/'
said Morton ; " but their popularity is something
exceptional, and is undoubtedly due to their per-
fect knowledge of all the courtesies and customs
of modern society, to their charming manners,
and largely to their personal good looks. Senor
Morito has fascinated all the ladies, while nearly
every man in society is in love with the Senora. "
"Well, take care of yourself, my boy," I said,
jokingly. "If the lovely Donna causes Charlie
Morton to strike his colors, she must be danger-
ous indeed."
After leaving Morton, I sauntered along to the
house which Don Pedro had rented, and which
was now nearly ready for occupancy. It was a
large residence, with ample grounds fronting on
the principal avenue, and its imposing front of
heavy columns gave it a striking appearance as
compared with the more commonplace stone
fronts around it. While I was glancing curiously
about, a truck arrived laden with costly furniture.
I was rather roughly dressed, and the driver
asked me if I wanted a job of work. I accepted
his offer to aid in carrying the furniture into the
house, as I was anxious to examine the interior.
After finishing the job, the furniture salesman
took me over the house to show off the elegance
with which it was decorated and furnished. It
was certainly ;i model of good taste, while the
paintings, statuary, frescoing, and articles of
bijouterie were evidences of enormous expendi-
tures. Having obtained a thorough knowledge
148 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
of the plan of the house, I withdrew, receiving
fifty cents for my labor.
The time when Don Pedro was to occupy hig
residence was to be signalized by a grand recep-
tion held therein, and the invitations were already
out. Meantime entertainments were given by
John Preston, Alexander Mclntyre, and Charles
H. Sanders. The latter's reception was especially
brilliant, and those who knew Mr. Sanders's par-
simonious character were much surprised at his
profuse expenditure for the occasion. I soon
afterwards obtained an explanation of this un-
usual liberality, by hearing another banker casu-
ally remark that Don Pedro had withdrawn a
part of his funds from New York, and had de
posited them in Mr. Sanders's bank. This gave
me a hint, and I immediately acted upon it. Be-
ing well acquainted with a number of bankers, I
visited several of them, and talked about various
business men of Gloster, as if I were desirous of
getting information about their commercial stand-
ing and credit. In each case I succeeded in learn-
ing the extent to which Don Pedro had deposited
money in bank. The total amount then due him
by the three houses with whom he had made de-
posits was about $17,000, although his original
deposits had amounted to more than double that
sum. Heavy drafts to pay his current expenses
and to furnish his house had largely reduced his
available cash, though he still had an ample sum
011 hand. Knowing how enormous his expenses
were, I felt sure that he would reach the end of
MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER. 149
his bank account in a short time, unless he should
have other funds, of whose existence I was un
aware. If this sum of seventeen thousand dol-
lars represented his total capital, however, ho
would soon show whether he was what he
claimed to be, or an adventurer; for, in the
former case, he would draw money from his
Peruvian estates, and, in the latter, he would ac-
complish some great swindle. I was, therefore,
anxious to put my detectives at work as quickly
as possible to enable me to learn something defi-
nite of his intentions.
Madame Sevier was making quite rapid progress
in her new quarters. Mrs. Courtney, the lady
who kept the house, was a widow of some means,
who took boarders to enable her to educate her
children in the best manner. She was highly re-
garded by every one, and her visiting-list included
all the most fashionable people in the city. Sho
soon became greatly interested in Madame Sevier,
and through her assistance the Madame made
the acquaintance of a number of the families
living in the neighborhood. As the rage for for-
eigners was at its height just then, Madame Sevier
soon became highly popular, and she was invited
to several entertainments, where she met Don
Pedro and Donna Lucia. The latter, finding that
Madame Sevier was to be her near neighbor in
her new residence, became very intimate with
her, especially as Donna Lucia was desirous of
reviving her knowledge and practice of the French
language. Consequently, when Don Pedro's ar-
150 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
rangements were all completed and the
house occupied, Madame Sevier used to drop in
for a few minutes' chat every day. As she was
a very capable manager, she was frequently able
to give Donna Lucia valuable hints about her
household affairs, especially with reference to the
approaching reception.
Ever since the arrival of the Moritos, Mr. Henry
0. Mather had been a constant attendant upon
the Donna. His attentions had not been so pub-
licly marked as to have created scandal; but he
had been so assiduous in paying his regards, that
he was much more intimate than Mrs. Grundy
would have thought strictly proper. He was in
the habit of calling very frequently, and he often
took the Don and Donna out for a drive. Some-
times the party Would consist wholly of ladies,
and occasionally the Donna accompanied him
alone. In short, he became a sort of intimate
friend of the family, welcome at all times, with-
out the necessity of invitation or ceremony.
One day, Madame Sevier went in to see Donna
Lucia in the afternoon, and was told by the ser-
vant that she would find the Donna in the library.
Without permitting the servant to announce her,
she passed on toward the room mentioned ; but,
as she approached the door, hearing voices with-
in, she paused a moment to see who was with
Donna Lucia. The room was in a very retire!
part of the house, and she was able to take a po-
sition close to the partly open door without the
probability of being noticed by any one. She
MR PINKERTON AS A LABORER. 151
was thus enabled to overhear a highly interesting
( onversatioii between the Donna and Henry 0.
Mather, who had evidently arrived only a mo-
ment or two before her.
"You are not in good spirits to-day, Donna
Lucia ? " questioned Mather, sympathetically.
"No, Mr. Mather; I have my troubles at
times, like other people, but I try not to let
others see them."
" Then you do not care for sympathy, Senora,"
said Mather, with a tender sigh ; " I see that you
have been in tears, and it grieves me to think
that I cannot save you from the painful things
which cause you to cry."
" Oh ! Mr. Mather, I do appreciate your kind-
ness, I assure you," said the Donna, also sighing
deeply ; " I am almost tempted to ask your ad-
vice, for I feel that you are truly my friend ; but
I am afraid you will think I have been naughty
in having exposed myself to such annoyances."
" No, indeed, my dear Donna," replied the mil-
lionaire, quite enraptured at this evident token
of her confidence in him; " I know that you are
too lovely to be anything but ah angel, and I
shall be only too happy to give you advice upon
any subject that you confide to me."
As the conversation was becoming highly in-
teresting, the tones of the parties being of a
really lover-like tenderness, Madame Sevier took
a hasty glimpse through the door, and saw that
she could watch as well as listen, unperceived.
Mather was standing beside the Donna, bending
152 MB. PINKEBTON AS A LABORER.
oveiyher and looking into her face, while she had
her head half turned away, as if in coy hide-
eision.
"Well, Mr. Mather
" Why do you address me always so formally?
Can you not call me Henry?" asked Mather,
boldly.
" How would it sound if any one should hear
me ? " said the Donna, casting down her eyes and
playing with her watch-chain.
" But when we are alone no one can hear
you," replied Mather. " Won't you call me
Henry when we have an occasional tete-a-
tete?"
"Well, then you must be very discreet, Hen-
ry," answered she, looking up, blushing and hes-
itating as she spoke.
" I will be discretion itself," said the now
wholly infatuated Mather, with a look 01
triumph; and to show that he accepted the con-
ditions of the agreement, he sealed it by raising
her hand to his lips.
"Oh! fie! fie!" she exclaimed; "is it thus that
you show your discretion? I shall be obliged
to retract my promise if you become so rash.
Now, sit down beside me, and be more polite in
future."
" I will not be so hasty again, my dear Donna ;
but my pleasure was so great that I was some-
what beside myself. Now tell me what it was
that caused your troubles."
"Well, Mr. Math "
MK. PIXKERTON AS A LABORER. 153
" No, no ; not ' Mr. Mather ; ' recollect your
promise," interrupted Mather, as he saw she hes-
itated to call him by his first name.
"Well, then, Henry, I have been very thought-
less and extravagant, and I do not know what to
do. You see, I have always spent money for
everything I needed without regard to cost ; for
my own fortune was ample for everything, and
Pedro would give me any amount that I might
desire. But last month a draft for six thousand
pounds, which was sent me by my trustees, was
lost on the way, and so I have used up all my
own funds. Having run up several large bills in
New York, I asked Pedro to pay them, and ho
did so; but he said that, having ordered his fac-
tors to send him no more money until his arrival
in Callao, he should be somewhat embarrassed
until he heard from them again. His sudden
determination to fit up and occupy a residence
here has exhausted all his available funds except
a few thousand dollars for current expenses, and
he requested me not to make any large purchases
until one of us should receive a remittance from
our estates. Well, you see, I expected surely to
have received a large sum before now, and so I
made purchases without regard to consequences;
the result is, that I am deeply in debt, my money
has not arrived, and I am afraid to tell Pedro,
because he will not forgive me for running in
debt and disobeying him. Unfortunately, I have
done both these things, and L am momentarily in
fear that some of the bills will be sent to him
154: MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
Now, my dear Henry, you see that I have good
cause to look sad and cry."
As she finished, the Donna began to whimpei
and put her handkerchief to her eyes in so touch-
ing a manner that Mather was quite overpow-
ered. The artistic expression with which she
hastily called him her "dear Henry" was the
finishing touch to an already powerful attack,
and he surrendered completely.
"My dear Donna," he exclaimed, seizing her
hand in both of his, "how glad I am that you
confided in me. I will see that you are not
troubled by another anxious thought in this mat-
ter. Tell me how much you need to settle all
your indebtedness."
" Indeed, Henry, I cannot let you do anything
of the kind," she protested, feebly. " Why, it is a
very large sum in all, and it may be several
months before I can repay you."
"Now don't talk about payment, but just tell
me how much you need," replied Mather.
" The large bills amount to over four thousand
dollars, and there are a number of small ones
which I have not figured up," she said, thought-
fully.
"Well, then, I will bring you around five
thousand dollars to-morrow, and you can pay
the bills without any one knowing where the
money comes from," said Mather, again kissing
her hand.
"Oh! you dear, good fellow!" exclaimed the
Donna; and, overcome by his generous response
MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER. 155
to her request, she threw her arms about hib neck
and kissed him several times.
"There, there," she continued, releasing her-
self and coquettishly tapping his lips with her
hand, "I dc n't know how I came to do such a
thing, but you were so kind that I couldn't help
it."
"If that is the case," said the overjoyed
Mather, " I will add five thousand more to have
a similar expression of your gratitude."
" Will you, really? I believe I am half in love
with you," she murmured, as she allowed him to
embrace her a second time, and press burning;
kisses on her lips.
The ringing of the door-bell interrupted their
happiness, and Madame Sevier hastily retired to
the drawing-room, into which other visitors were
shown by the servant. Donna Lucia soon en-
tered, perfectly self-possessed, and greeted all her
friends with her usual ease and cordiality. Mr.
Mather probably passed out by the library en-
trance, for he did not appear in the parlor. The
ladies conversed together for some time, one of
the important subjects of their talk being the
troubles of household management. Donna Lucia
complained bitterly that her servants robbed her,
and that they were careless, dirty, and impudent.
She knew very little about housekeeping, and
every domestic in her employ took advantage of
her. She added that, as soon as her housewann-
ing was over, she intended to get, if possible, a
lady who would bo a member of the family, and
156 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
who would relieve her of the management of th
house.
"Now," said she, in her most winning man-
ner, "here is Madame Sevier, who has nothing
to occupy her time, who is a natural manager of
other people, and who is BO agreeable that she
would" be a positive charm to any housenold; and
I hare been ffoinking,. positively, of asking her to
take charge of my whole establishment, and help
me entertain my guests. What should you think,
Madame Sevier, of such a request ? "
The opportunity of becoming domesticated in
the Morito mansion was thus afforded to one of
my detectives, but she knew better than to
accept at once. She therefore professed to treat
it as a pleasantry, and said that she had no doubt
that she should succeed as a housekeeper, but
whether she could add anything of attraction to
such a charming home was greatly to be doubted.
The other ladies, however, thought the idea an
admirable one, and they aU urged Madame Sevier
to adopt it. Having once broached the subject,
Donna Lucia again spoke of it with the greatest
interest, showing, by her arguments and deter-
mination to coax Madame Sevier to decide favor-
ably, that slie had thought about such a plan bo-
fore, and that she was really in earnest in her re-
quest. Finally, Madame Sevier said that she saw
no objection to accepting the offer, as she really
enjoyed taking care of a large establishment, but
she ftvas not prepared to accept it at once, and
she would -wait a few days to reflect upon it. It
MR. PIFKERTON AS A LABORER. 157
was then agreed that she should give her decision
at the grand reception to be given as a house-
warming.
This part of my plan had worked admirably,
and I felt confident of my eventual success in
learning all about the affairs of the Morito
family. The method by which Donna Lucia had
obtained ten thousand dollars from Mr. Mather
was a decided confirmation of Senator Muirhoad's
suspicions; though there was nothing in the
transaction which could make her liable to pun-
ishment by law, and as there was no danger that
her victim would ever appear against her, I paid
no further attention to this episode.
I ordered Madame Sevier to accept Donna
Lucia's offer on the following terms: she should
have full authority over all the female servants in
the house; she should have charge of the ordering
of all articles for household use; she should be
considered in the same light as a guest, so far as
social intercourse went; she should go and come
as she chose, without regard to the duties of the
./age; and she should receive no salary. This
last point she was to insist upon, as necessary
to preserve her feeling of independence, and
liable her to occupy her time as she might see
fit.
As the day approached for the Moritos' recep-
tion, all Gloster's best society were filled with
pleasurable excitement and anticipation, as tho
preparations were known to be far more magnifi-
cent than those for any similar entertainment
158 MR. PINKERTON AS A LABORER.
since Gloster was settled. As Monsieur Lesparra
had already made Don Pedro's acquaintance,
and had received an invitation, I felt sure that
I should be thoroughly informed as to all the
occurrences of the evening, and so I awaited de
velopments.
The employment of detectives to penetrate into
the social life and domestic surroundings of any
family is strongly repugnant to my sense of pro-
priety, and I rarely countenance the practice, if I
can possibly attain my object in any other way.
I dislike to feel that I am trespassing upon the
privacy of any man's home, even though that
man may be a criminal. The idea of introducing
a spy into a household is opposed to the spirit of
our free American institutions, violating, as it
does, the unwritten law that "a man's house is
his castle ; " hence, I never resort to such a measure,
except in extreme cases. I saw, however, that
there was no other means of protecting the inter-
ests of my client, Senator Muirhead ; he was
acting disinterestedly in the case, to save his con-
stituents from being defrauded, and I could only
prevent the threatened swindle by learning in
advance the exact plan of operation proposed by
the suspected person.
I was careful, however, to employ my most
discreet and cautious agents, in order that I should
quickly learn whether the Senator's suspicions
were based on fact ; in case I should find that the
suspected parties were innocent, I was determined
to withdraw instantly. They would not
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT. 159
suffer any injustice, for my employes would keep
their discoveries secret from every one except my-
self, and no one would ever know that they had
been the objects of suspicion.
CHAPTER III.
Monsieur Z*esparre, having a retentive memory, becomes
serviceable to Don Pedro. Diamond Fields and
droll Americans. A pompous Judge in an unfor-
tunate Predicament. The grand Reception closes
with the happy Arrangement that the gay Senor
and SeHora shall dine with Mr. Pinkerton's Detec-
tives on the next evening.
day of the reception was unusually pleas-
ant, and at nightfall the full moon rose to
add h'er splendor to the attractiveness of the
evening. The Morito mansion was ablaze with
wax candles, gaslight being considered too com-
mon for use on such an occasion. From the street
to the door was a passageway of double canvas,
with an opening at the sidewalk to prevent inter-
ference with passers. This opening was brilliantly
lighted, and was hung with flags, pennants, and
flowers, artistically arranged so as to give the
guests a charming prospect when alighting from
their carriages. The rooms of the house needed
no decoration beyond that already given by the
frescoes and paintings adorning the walls and
n-ilings. Nevertheless, flowers wore abundantly
100 AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT.
distributed about the spacious apartments. The
beautiful conservatory contained a superb foun-
tain, whose jets and sprays gare forth exquisite
odor and rippling music. Everywhere through-
out the house the most artistic grouping of
furniture, pictures, and statuary could be seen,
and the variety of taste displayed was only
equaled by the unity of arrangements as a
whole. At ten o'clock the guests began to arrive,
and as the throng of carriages became thicker,
it seemed as if the house wou)d be over-crowded.
This did not happen to any noticeable degree,
however, as the whole of two floors were thrown
open to accommodate the guests. The music
was furnished by the best musicians of the city,
and the supper was a miracle of epicurean excel-
lence, Delmonico having sent one of his chief
assistants from New York to superintend its
preparation. Never had Gloster seen an' affair
where such elegance and good taste had been
displayed; even the smallest details were perfect,
and the Don and Donna received innumerable
congratulations and good wishes from their
guests.
During his brief stay in Gloster, Monsieur Le-
sparre had been very active in forming acquaint-
ances, and he was already well known in society,
lie had a very retentive memory, and, when once
introduced to any gentleman, he immediately
t ok pains to learn everything possible about him.
By careful observation and perseverance, he had
learned the general history of a very large num-
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT. 161
ber of the leading people in society, and his droll
comments and half -sarcastic criticism of them,
expressed sotto voce to the Don on various occa-
sions, had caught the latter's attention. The
Don therefore frequently singled out Lesparre for
a companion in society, in order to obtain infor-
mation about the social and business standing of
various people.
" You see, my dear Lesparre," said the Don,
" I am such a poor judge of character that I am
liable to be imposed upon unless I know some-
thing about the previous history of people who
seek my friendship. And, as I have a miserable
memory for faces, names, places, and everything
else, it is a great pleasure to find some one who
can keep me posted as to the status of the people
I meet. You must let me see as much of you as
possible, for, being both foreigners, we ought to
have a common bond of sympathy."
"It will give me great pleasure," replied Le-
sparre. " Of course our friends here are very at-
tentive; but then, you know, they lack the polish
one meets in European salons, and they are too
apt to obtrude their business into their social
relations."
" Exactly; I agree with you perfectly, and it is
for that reason that I enjoy a conversation with
a gentleman of Continental education and tastes.
It is wonderful how keen these Americans are in
their pursuit of the 'Almighty Dollar.' Why,
only a week ofr two ago, I happened to mention
to Mr. Mather and a few others, that some of my
162 AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT.
estates in the Peruvian Andes contained extensive
diamond fields, when they began to upbraid me
for not working them and adding to my already
ample revenue. They seemed positively shocked
when I told them, that I saw no reason for in-
creasing my income, as I had as much money as
I could use now. They insisted that I was doing
a positive wrong to my fellow mortals in refusing
to burden myself with a new enterprise, and I
assure you they were quite in earnest in their re-
monstrances. Ah! how droll they are, Monsieur
Lesparre! "
"Yes, indeed, I have found the same spirit
even with reference to my humble means," re-
plied Lesparre. "They want me to invest in
something right away, and I have very many
disinterested offers of advice; but they cannot
understand my delay, and they think I am throw-
ing away so many good chances by waiting.
Now, I should be content to settle down for a
year, before investing, just to examine at length
all the openings offered me; but I doubt whether
I could afford to do that, unless I could obtain a
satisfactory salaried position, and I feel that that
is impossible. There are very few such positions
as I would be willing to accept, as I do not care
to be tied down to regular duties."
The gentlemen had stepped into the supper-
room while this conversation was going on, and
were about to take a glass of wine together.
Lesparre's last remark seemed to give a sudden
idea to Don Pedro, and he sipped his wine in
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT 163
silence for a moment or two. Then he said,
inquiringly:
"I suppose you would like a position of a re-
sptmsible character, where your knowledge of
commercial and financial affairs would be avail-
able, but where your whole time would not be
absorbed?"
4k i~es, that was my wish/' answered Lesparre;
"but, of course, I do not expect to realize my
hopes."
" Possibly you may, Monsieur Lesparre," said
Don Pedro; "but let us leave the subject of busi-
s until to-morrow, when I should like to talk
with you more fully about this matter. Now, let
us return to the drawing-room, and when you see
;my of my guests approaching, please, tell me
briefly who and what they are. For instance,
tell me about that stiff and military-looking per-
son crossing the room."
"That is Captain Adrian L. Kerr, a retired
army officer, who has lived here a long time. He
has been unsuccessful in business, and it would
1 )! - difficult to account for his means of livelihood
were it not that his wife, the brilliant brunette
near the mantel-piece, is supposed to have an in-
come of her own. Some people are so ill-natured
a is to suggest that Alexander Mclntyre, the
wealthy Scotch banker now talking to her, is the
source of her revenue, but that may be pure gOM-
sip. At any rate, she is always elegantly dressed,
and she moves in the best society."
"If people suspect her of improper intimacy
164 AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT.
with Mclntyre, why do they admit her to then
houses ? " asked Don Pedro.
"Well, you see, many of the merchants and
business men have financial dealings with Mcln-
tyre, and they do not dare to offend him. As art
illustration of his power, I will relate an incident
that occurred recently. The wife of a well-known
merchant was about to give a large party, and,
in making out her list of invitations, she pur-
posely left out the name of Mrs. Kerr. Her hus-
band, on going to the bank to obtain the renewal
of a note, found Mclntyre as surly and sava
a bear, and the renewal was refused. As he had
never before had any difficulty in obtaining such
an accommodation when hard pressed for money,
he could jiot account for the change in Mclntyre's
conduct ; but when his wife informed him of her
action the day previous in withholding an invita-
tion from Mrs. Kerr, he understood it all. His
affairs were in such a condition that he could not
afford to quarrel with Mclntyre, and so he in-
sisted that an invitation be sent to Mrs. Kerr, in
spite of his wife's assertion that Mrs. Kerr was
an improper character. He was willing to admit
that fact, but he preferred to submit to her pres-
ence rather than to be seriously crippled in
business. An invitation was therefore sent in
such a way as to make the delay in its delivery
appear accidental, and in a few days Mr. Mcln-
tyre was willing to renew the merchant's note."
" Well, she certainly does carry things with a
high hand," replied Don Pedro, smiling. "1
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT. 1C5
wt ruler how she would have retaliated upon me
if I had struck her name off my list to -night ?
However, it is not my business to question her
character, and if my wife is satisfied to receive
her, I shall not interfere."
As the Don finished speaking, the music
sounded the preliminary notes of a quadrille,
and he hastened to find a partner. Among the
guests were Mr. and Mrs. Arlington, whose
minds were of such opposite characters as to
keep them continually quarreling. He was a
wealthy banker of austere manners and Puri-
tanic tastes, while she was a butterfly of fashion,
fit only to be petted, kissed, and caressed. She
was all gayety and life ; he, all piety and gloom.
Her pleasures he considered sinful, while his
recreations were to her the most painfully mel-
ancholy observances that could be devised.
While he believed that she was a child of wrath,
a creature of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
she was equally satisfied that he was on the
highway to fanaticism and hypocrisy. Under
these circumstances, it was not unnatural that
she should seek her friends among those who
mingled in fashionable society, nor that her hus-
'>und should consider it necessary to follow her
into the gay world in order to keep a watch
upon her. Her most attentive cavalier was a
young bachelor named Harry Bertram, who
seemed infatuated with her. Indeed, thoir pivf-
etvnce for each other's society was so marked
that the tongue of scandal had already begun to
166 AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT.
wag, although no overt act could bo cited against
them. The Don, on leaving Lesparre, chanced
to meet Mrs. Arlington, and she readily accorded
him the pleasure of dancing with her. In the
same set were Daniel McCarthy and Donna Lu-
cia, Charles Sylvanus and Madame Sevier, and
Mr. Mather and Mrs. Simon. In the adjoining
set were Mr. Benson and M I- SS Jennie Humphrey,
Alexander Mclntyre and Mrs. Kerr, Harry Ber
tram and Mrs. Sanders, and Judge Robert Mor-
gan and Mrs. Middleton.
Judge Morgan was a remarkable- looking per-
son at any time, but his appearance was especially
noticeable in a dancing-set, the incongruity of
his presence in such a scene being irresistibly
comical. He was about fifty years of age, but
his face was smooth and unwrinkled ; though ho
was of the medium height, his great size gave
him the look of a short man, which effect was
partly increased by his long arms. He was very
broad and fat, his stomach projecting to an ab-
surd degree. At the same time he stood very
erect, so that a profile view gave him a general
resemblance to a loggerhead turtle set on end.
His eyes were small and treacherous, his cheeks
were puffy and flabby, his mouth was large and
sensual. His hair and whiskers were brown and
fine, but they always seemed unkempt. He ^ ore
closely-fitting black clothes, and he was fond of
displaying an unusual amount of jewelry. He
had obtained the office of judge of the criminal
court by currying favor with the very classea
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT. 167
most likely to be brought before him for trial,
and his judicial ermine was not considered fivo
from the foulest stains. His private life was. in
many respects, a counterpart of his official con-
duct ; though married to an agreeable woman,
he was a notorious libertine and profligate. Still,
he held his position in society, and was admitted
to the acquaintance of the most reputable people
in the city ; hence, he frequently appeared at
balls and dancing-parties, where he always tried
to act like a light and graceful youth.
On this occasion he was especially anxious to
display his manly form in the same set with the
Donna, but being disappointed in this, he chose
the set next to hers, and acted like a playful hip-
popotamus. While backing rapidly, in* an at-
tempt to balance to his partner, he came in con-
tact with Mrs. Simon of the next set, and, trip-
ping on her dress, he fell violently upon her.
Her partner, Mr. Mather, tried to catch her as
she also fell, but the ponderous form of tho
Judge came upon them both with crushing effect,
and all three were brought to the floor at once.
Mr. Mather and Mrs. Simon were quickly on
their feet again, flushed with mortification but
unhurt. But it was no such easy matter for the
corpulent Judge to raise himself erect; he lay on
his back a moment groaning, and it was thought
that he might be seriously injured, as his fall had
jarred the whole house. Several gentlemen care-
fully lifted him upright, and the ladies gathered
about to condole with him, when it was suddenlv
168 AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT.
discovered that, if the Judge's person had not
suffered, his clothing had. His tight dress coat
was split several inches down the back, while a
hasty glimpse behind his coat-tails satisfied the
spectators that his pants were in an even worse
condition than his coat. It may be imagined
that the situation caused some merriment, in
spite of the efforts of the more well-bred guests
to preserve their gravity; but when the Judge,
having regained his feet, vociferated in great
wrath: "You are a pack of monkeys. I don't
see anything to laugh at," there was a universal
burst of laughter which could not be repressed.
This so enraged him that it was difficult to make
him understand his absurd position, but at length
Don Pedro and Monsieur Lesparre induced him
to go to the dressing-room for repairs. As there
was no coat in the house large enough for him,
the Don was at his wits' end to make him suffi-
ciently presentable to enable him to return to the
drawing-room; but at length the Judge was
arrayed in one of the Don's gorgeous dressing-
gowns, which was large enough to hide most of
the effects of the fall. He soon returned to the
lower rooms dressed in the most remarkable cos-
tume ever worn at a full-dress party in Gloster.
With the exception of this accident, the even-
ing passed off with the most perfect success,
and the unanimous verdict was that there had
never been a more thoroughly enjoyable enter-
tainment given in the city. During the evening,
Madame Sevier informed Donna Lucia of hei
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT. 169
willingness to take charge of the Morito establish-
ment, and agreed to begin her reign the next
day Donna Lucia was delighted at this news,
and willingly accepted all the conditions, though
she insisted for some time on giving Madame
Sevier a liberal salary. Finding that Madame
Sevier was resolute in her refusal to receive pay,
the Donna informed her friends that she had in-
vited Madame Sevier to live Avith her, and that
the Madame had kindly agreed to assist her in
entertaining her numerous guests.
It was not until nearly daybreak that the more
indefatigable revelers became weary of dancing
and flirting, so that the Donna was quite ex-
hausted when the last guest had departed.
Madame Sevier remained to the end, as she in-
tended occupying her room in the Morito man-
sion at once, instead of returning to her boarding-
place. Donna Lucia left orders that she was not
to be disturbed until five o'clock in the afternoon,
but Madame Sevier decided to get up at twelve
o'clock, in order to superintend the work of clear-
ing away the decorations and debris of the ball.
The Don had invited Monsieur Lesparre to dine
with him at six o'clock, and so it was arranged
that they should all meet at that hour.
8
170 A STARTLING SCHEME.
CHAPTER IV.
Madame Sevier and Her Work. Unaccountable Co
quettishness between Man and Wife. A Start !!.ny
Scheme, illustrating the Rashness and Guttililiti/ (>J
American Business Men and the Sitpr< ,.><, A.<"r-
ance of Don Pedro. Disaster approaching the
Gloster Capitalists. Other Suspicions Arouwd.
Tlie Story of Mr. Warne, English Diplomatic
Agent. A New Move.
MADAME SEVIEJR began her work of re-
form in the household as soon as she was
dressed that afternoon. Finding that they now
had a mistress competent to control them, the
servants showed a greater willingness to be use-
ful, though some of them were inclined to be
lazy and impudent as before. The Madame made
mental notes of everything, toojv. charge of the
keys to all storerooms and closets, and clearly
demonstrated that she was able to manage the
house according to her own ideas. The cook,
thinking she was indispensable, and that she
could act independent of control, was very im-
pertinent to Madame, and she evinced an insub-
ordinate spirit that created a good deal of trouble.
Seeing that prompt and severe measures were
necessary, Madame Sevier paid this woman her
wages and discharged her without a moment's
warning. The effect upon the other servants
was most satisfactory, and although the Madame
was obliged to make some minor changes after-
A STARTLING SCHEME. 171
ward, she was never again annoyed by imperti-
nence or presumption. The dinner for that day
was prepared by the assistant cook, under
Madame Sevier's direction, and when the Don
and Donna came down from their chamber, they
were delighted to find that the house was hi per-
fect order, showing no signs of having been the
scene of revelry and dissipation the night before.
During dinner, at which Monsieur Lesparre
was the only guest, Don Pedro, after compli-
menting Madame Sevier very highly upon her
success in bringing order out of chaos, turned t o
his wife and said:
" Lucia, your selection of a companion and ad-
visor has been so fortunate that I am more than
ever disposed to follow your example. What do
you think, Monsieur Lesparre, cannot you serve
me as confidential secretary and financial agent
as satisfactorily as Madame Sevier assists my
wife?"
"Indeed, Don Pedro," replied Lesparre, gal-
lantly, "if you impose upon me the task of
equalling so accomplished and charming a lady
as Madame Sevier, you will probably be disap-
pointed in everything I do."
"Bravo, bravo, Monsieur Lesparre!" cried the
Donna; "you will certainly be successful in pay-
ing delicate compliments, at least. Yes, Pedro,
I think you ought to secure Monsieur Lesparre's
services at once; when you have nothing for him
to do, he will be an agreeable companion for us.
What say you, Madame Sevier? "
172 A STARTLE ME.
" I quite agfee with you," replied the Madame,
casting down her eyes coquettishly; "but I
prophesy that Monsieur Lesparre would find his
position an onerous one if he should be under
obligations to pay me compliments."
"Ah! the obligation would be unnecessary,"
said Lesparre; " the difficulty would be to avoid
doing so constantly."
The Don and Donna smiled at each other sig-
nificantly, thinking that they saw the incipient,
signs of a mutual attachment between these two,
and that it was not unreasonable to imagine that
a wedding might result therefrom. How little
they imagined that these apparently distant ac-
quaintances were, in fact, already man and wife!
After dinner, the Don and Lesparre repaired to
the billiard-room to smoke, while the ladies en-
tered the drawing-room to receive visitors.
"Monsieur Lesparre," said the Don, as they
lounged "back in luxuriant easy-chairs, "what do
you think of my suggestion at dinner? I should
really like to obtain your services as private sec-
retary, and I will gladly give you such a salary as
will make you independent of other labor. While
you are attending to my affairs you will naturally
become well acquainted with many business men,
n:id \vill be able to investigate a number of enter-
prises, so that you will be better able a year
henro to invest your capital to advantage."
"Your offer is truly liberal," replied Lesparre,
puffing his cigar thoughtfully, "and I fee] dis-
posed to accept it. What would be my duties ? ''
A STARTLING SCHEME. 173
'' Well, I will explain what I wish fully, and
then you can judge how the position would suit,
you," answered Don Pedro. " In the first place,
I wish a financial agent, a man whom I can
trust, who will attend to all my affairs. You &
I detest the details of business. I desire to live
free from the vexing annoyances consequent
upon the providing and disbursing of money.
My estates produce as much as I can use, and I
do not trouble myself to inquire whether they
might not yield more. I am accustomed to buy
whatever I wish, but I hate to bother my head to
know whether I have enough on hand to pay for
my purchases; hence I want my secretary to at-
tend to such matters for me. There is another
thing in which you could be of the greatest ser-
vice to me; for, while it is an affair of great im-
portance, involving large interests, I am posi-
tively too fond of my own ease to give it the-
attention which it deserves. I know I can trust
you not to repeat the slightest portion of what I
am about to tell you, for it is not desirable that
it should be talked about, unless the enterprise
is successfully carried out."
" Indeed, you can rest assured that I shall
never mention a hint of it to any one," replied
Lesparre.
" Well, you recollect I told you last night that
Mather, Perkins, and some others were anxious
to have me explore and open up the diamond
fields which, I have reason to believe, constitute
a large part of ono of my estates in Peru ? Some
174 A STARTLING SCHEME.
time after I spoke to you, toward the end of the
party, I missed Mather, Perkins, Mclntyre, San-
ders, and several others from the rooms, and
while I was wondering what had become of
them, Mather came up and asked me to go up to
my dressing-room, which, you recollect, adjoined
the room used for the gentlemen's dressing room
last night. On arriving there, I found about a
dozen of the wealthiest men of Gloster sitting
around the room, with Dan McCarthy at the
table acting as secretary. Will you believe it1
They had actually formed a business meeting in
my own house, and had made speeches, passed
resolutions, and voted upon two propositions,
which they wished to submit to me; they had
then sent the chairman, Mr. Mather, to bring me
in, and I was expected to stand and deliver my
decision at a moment's notice. The idea was
perfectly ludicrous to me, yet it did not strike
any of them that they were doing anything
unusual. I believe that if a party of these Glos-
ter business men were to be landed suddenly in
hell, they would organize a stock exchange to
deal in brimstone and ashes ! "
"They certainly carry their business instincts
everywhere," said Lesparre, laughing heartily.
"I suppose they had fully arranged everything
before you were sent for ? "
" Yes, indeed ; the very minor details were pro-
vided for, and I could not raise an objection
which had not already been discussed and re-
moved. Both propositions provided for the for-
A STARTLING SCHEME. 178
mation of a stock company for the mining, cutting,
and sale of diamonds. According to the first
plan, I was to fix a price upon my diamond fields,
which the company would then purchase, pay
ing me three-fourths in cash, and one-fourth in
stock. In case, however, that I should be un-
willing to part with my controlling interest, the
second plan provided that I should receive one-
fourth the estimated value of the land in money,
giving to the company therefor the privilege of
mining for a certain length of time, and receiving
also one-half of the value of the diamonds found.
The idea of disposing of this property had never
before occurred to me, and naturally I was not
prepared to give any answer on such short notice;
but if I had done so then, I should have positively
rejected both propositions. In fact, I said as
much to Mather, and he then suggested to the
meeting that 'Senor Morito be given a week
to decide upon the propositions submitted to
him.' The cool impudence of thus graciously
giving me a week did not seem to strike them,,
and the meeting broke up with great satisfaction,
every man feeling certain that I must accept
one proposition or the other. It was further
decided to appoint a committee to draw up a
charter* and by-laws, 'so as to save time,' as one
gentleman remarked. After the gentlemen had
left the room, Mather urged the matter upon
me very strongly. He apologized for having
acted with such precipitation, but, he said, the
others were so eager, as soon as they heard that
176 A STARTLING SCHEME.
I owned a vast tract of unworkcd diamond fields,
that he could not restrain them. He begged mo
to make some arrangement with the proposed
company, as the men who had become interested
in it were wealthy and enterprising, and they
would surely push it to a profitable conclusion.
In answer to my remark that I was rich enough
already, he said that I ought to give others a
chance to make some money who needed it, per-
haps, more than I. Finally, as he urged it as a
personal favor to himself, I agreed to give the
most favorable answer that I could, and so the
matter stands."
"When are you to give your answer?" asked
Lesparre.
"The committee adjourned until a week from
last night," replied the Don, "and I shall then
again be summoned before them, I presume.
Now, although the first proposition would not
probably pay me so well in the end as the second,
I much prefer it. You see I do not wish to keep
a controlling interest because I should have the
continual annoyance of supervising the business;
and, as I have said before, I wish to be perfectly
free from cares and responsibilities. My object
is to enjoy life, and I can't be happy if I am
obliged to work. Nevertheless, I do not wish to
turn over this property to a body of men who
will squeeze it like a sponge, leaving it a mero
waste. There are a large body of tenants occu-
pying portions of it, whose rights must be
respected. They will make willing and honest
A STARTLING SCHEME. 17T
laborers if properly treated, and I wish to protect
them as far as possible from cruelty and extor-
ticn. Hence, I desire to learn all I can about the
men who will create and manage the company
before I agree to put the property into their
hands, no matter what price they may be willing
to pay for it; it is here, my dear Lesparre, that
you can be of great service to me. You are well
acquainted among all classes of business men in
Gloster, and you can readily learn all about the
people who purpose buying stock. This will
be considered very natural and proper if you
become my private secretary, and your duties
will not be severe. What do you say ? "
"I think I can do what you wish," said Le-
sparre, " but I should like a day for reflection. I
never like to act hastily in an important matter,
even where my mind is already made up."
" You are quite right," said the Don ; " but I
hope your mind will remain unchanged in regard
to this matter. I will give you whatever salary
you wish, and shall expect you, of course, to live
here on equal terms with myself and wife. Now,
let us join the ladies."
On receiving Lesparre's report, I saw the whole
scheme at a glance, and I was now convinced
that Senator Muirhead's suspicions with regard
to Don Pedro were correct. I immediately vis-
ited the Senator, and laid the latest developments
before him. We could not help admiring the con-
summate knowledge of human nature which the
Don displayed; lie had hailed his hook so skill
8*
ITS A STARTLING SCHEMA.
fully that the gudgeons were actually fearful lest
something should prevent them from swallowing
it ; but there seemed to be no probability of de-
feating his schemes unless we could obtain posi-
tive proofs of his dishonesty elsewhere, or detect
him in some criminal offense in this country.
We therefore decided to keep a close watch upon
all his movements, and await further develop-
ments. It was evident that the sufferers by Don
Jose Michel's forgeries in California would not
take any active steps against him unless they
were sure of the identity of the man, and so we
had no ground of accusation against him which
we could rely upon. Both Senator Muirhead and
myself were indignant at the audacity displayed
in his swindling projects, but we did not dare to
attempt his exposure without absolute proof of
our charges. The waiting game is never a pleas-
ant one to play, but I could not do otherwise
under the circumstances.
About this time I was called back to Chicago
on important business, but I immediately sent
my superintendent, Mr. Bangs, to Gloster, to
take charge of the case 'there. During my ab-
sence little of note occurred, except the meeting
to hear the Don's answer to the propositions to
purchase the diamond fields. At this meeting
the Don was apparently anxious to decline all
offers, saying that the property had been in the
possession of his family for about two hundred
years, and that he considered himself in honor
bound to retain an interest in it. Also, he tried
A STARTLING SCHEME 179
to cool the ardor of the would-be purchasers by
telling them that he had no positive certainty
that there were valuable diamond fields on the
property, though such was probably the case.
His reluctance to sell the land only made them
more determined to buy, for they argued that he
was so well satisfied with it as a means of reve-
nue that he wished to retain possession of it all
himself. At length 4*e found that they would
give him no peace until he yielded, and so ho
graciously agreed to accept the first proposition.
The question of price then remained to be dis-
cussed, but, on this point, there was little oppor-
tunity for disagreement. Having had so much
difficulty in inducing the- Don to sell at all, they
were not disposed to endanger the sale by hag-
gling about the price; and when the latter was
fixed at one million five hundred thousand dol-
lars, they made no demur, although the sum
rather staggered their enthusiasm at first. This
effect was only momentary, however, for the
vivid anticipations of dividends in proportion to
this price quickly banished their fears, and they
hastened to subscribe the amounts required.
These facts were all reported to me immediately
after my return to Gloster, which occurred a day
or two after the meeting, and I saw that the day
of disaster to the trusting capitalists of that city
was fast approaching.
Neither Monsieur Lesparre nor Madame F
had learned much about the private a flairs of the
Moritos, for, whenrvfi tin- latter hal anything
180 A STARTLING SCHEME.
important to say to each other, they usually
spoke Spanish. The Don's remaining funds
amounted to only about eight thousand dollars,
and at the rate with which he had hitherto spent
money, this sum would not last much more than
five or six weeks. The time might be extended
to two months by running the establishment on
credit ; but the Don was averse to such a course,
and all bills were paid promptly at the end of
each month. He showed no uneasiness as his
cash began to run low, but merely said that if
the first installment on the mine should be paid
in soon, it would obviate the necessity of drawing
upon his agents in Lima, otherwise he should
call upon them for fifty thousand dollars to carry
him through the year. There was nothing in his
manner or actions to excite suspicion, and cer-
tainly, if he intended to defraud the Diamond
Company, he had too much nerve to betray him-
self, even to so close an observer as Monsieur
Lesparre.
Having heard the reports, I strolled out in the
evening for a walk with Mr. Bangs, and while
passing one of the leading hotels, I met a very
intimate friend, named Judge Key. The Judge
was an old resident of Gloster, and his character
was highly esteemed by all who knew him. Ho
was a man of great ability and force; but, pos-
sessing little ambition, he was not nearly so well
known as many of those who were his inferiors
in point of intellect and morals. We had a great
deal of business between us at one time, and our
A STARTLING SCHEME. 181
relations to each other were of the most cordial
character, partaking more of the nature of per-
sonal friendship than mere business acquaint-
ance I had not visited him previously during
my stay in Gloster, for the reason that, even to
my intimate friends, I never make my presence
known when engaged in an operation, if I can
avoid doing so. On this occasion, the Judge
recognized me instantly, and greeted me with
great warmth, at the same time adding that I
was just the man above 'all others whom he
wished to see. He then introduced his com-
panion to Mr. Bangs and myself as Mr. Edward
Ashley Warne, of London, England.
" Now, Mr. Pinkerton," said the Judge, "let us
step into the club close by, and over a social glass
of wine, Mr. Warne will tell you about a pecu-
liar case of mistaken identity, or of consummate
rascality it is hard to know which. Possibly
you may be able to understand some things
which puzzle us, and to frustrate a fraudulent
scheme, if our suspicions are correct. You both
know each other by reputation, I guess, and I
presume, Mr. Warne, that you will not object to
tell Mr. Pinkerton what you have told me."
"Oh! yes, I have often heard of Mr. Pinker-
ton," said Mr. Warne, " and I think, as you say,
that he can clear up the mystery, if any one can.
I shall be pleased to tell him all that I know with
regard to it."
Mr. Edward Ashley Warne was an attache of
the British diplomatic service, and having been
182 A STARTLING SCHEME.
entrusted with the settlement of some questions
relative to commerce between the United States
and Great Britain, he had executed his mission
with such fairness, good sense, and courtesy that
he was regarded with great kindness and respect
by our people as well as by his own government.
He was on a rapid tour through the United
States, previous to his return to London, and he
had spent a week in Gloster with Judge Key at
the time when we met in front of the hotel. We
were soon comfortably seated in one of the pri-
vate dining-rooms of the club, and, after a few
sips of wine, Mr. Warne began his story.
"I don't know whether I am the victim of
imagination, or the gentlemen of Gloster are
likely to be the victims of an impostor; but one
thing is certain, that a gentleman here known as
Don Pedro P. L. de Morito is the exact image of
a man who was known in London as Don Jose
Arias."
This information came so unawares that I al-
most betrayed my interest in the case by utter-
ing a hasty exclamation. I restrained my feel-
ings, however, and asked Mr. Warne to tell me
all he knew about this man.
'"Well, I first met him in Paris, when I was a
member of the French Legation," replied Mr.
Warne. " He was then moving in the most
aristocratic society, and his wealth was reputed
enormous. I saw a great deal of him at times,
and, indeed, I was better acquainted with him
than I was with many of my countrymen ; but I
A STARTLING SCHEME. 183
was recalled to London about that time, and I
soon forgot all about Don Jose Arias."
"Pardon me," I interrupted; "was the Don
married ? "
"Oh! yes; he had a beautiful wife, I have
been told, but I never happened to see her. I
think she was Spanish, if I recollect rightly.
One day, after my return to England, as I was
entering the Foreign Office, I met Don Jose com-
ing out, and he seemed delighted to see me. He
said that he had come to spend some months in
London, and he hoped to enjoy my society fre-
quently. I was then engaged in studying a very
difficult diplomatic question, and I was unable to
give any time whatever to society ; I therefore
expressed my regrets that I should be obliged to
decline all invitations, and, after some further
conversation, we separated. I often heard of
him in connection with social events in the best
circles, and, on one or two occasions, I met him
in the street ; but I did not renew our former de-
gree of intimacy, for the simple reason that I did
not have the time to do so. Just before I left
London on the mission for which I had been pre-
paring myself, I was astonished to learn that
Don Jose Arias had proved to be a scoundrel of
the most dangerous character. He had not
hunted small ^ame, it is true, but this was prob-
ably a part of his whole scheme. So far as I
could learn, he had left no unpaid bills in the
hands of tradesmen, but he had taken enoi:
out of bankers and capitalists to ]>.iy lii; ; trad
184 A STARTLING SCHEME.
men's bills for half a century. The aggregate
fraudulently obtained by him was never known,
for many of his victims refused to state their
loss ; but it was surmised that he obtained as
much as forty or fifty thousand pounds sterling
in London alone, while several Paris bankers also
suffered heavily. I was not specially interested
in the affair, and it had wholly passed from my
mind, when suddenly, while walking in the
streets of this city last week, I came upon Don
Jose Arias again. He wore his hair differently
from his old way in London and Paris, having
now full side-whiskers, whereas then he wore
only moustache and goatee ; but I could not be
mistaken, and I said to Judge Key : ' There is a
man who forged paper to an immense amount in
London less than two years ago.' ' Impossible ! '
replied the Judge ; ' he is a very wealthy man,
moving in the best society in the city.' The
Judge then vouched for him with such earnest-
ness that I began to believe that I was mistaken;
but I determined to meet him face to face, to see
whether there could be two persons so nearly re-
sembling each other. Unfortunately he had an
opportunity to see me before I saw him when 1
next met him, so that I lost the chance of sur
[(rising him into betraying himself. He ap
peared to glance at me casually, as any stranger
would do, and then went on with his conversation
without hesitation or embarrassment. I have
met him several times since then, and he always
acts with the same natural ease of manner, as if
A STARTLING SCHEME. 185
we had always been perfect strangers to each
other ; but, Mr. Pinkerton, the more I see ot
him, the more fully am I convinced that Don
Jose Arias, of London, and Don Pedro P. L. de
Morito, of Gloster, are identical ; and, believing
this, I consider it my duty to tell you these facts
in order that your citizens may be protected
against him, if possible."
" Well, Mr. Pinkerton," said Judge Key,
" what do you think of this affair? Mr. Warno
does not admit that he can be mistaken, and
there are some corroboratory evidences that he
may be right; yet, it seems incredible. It is a
pity that Mr. Warne should have never seen Don
Jose's wife, because he could then compare her
with Senora Morito, and if they, too, were exact
resemblances, there would be no longer any room
for doubt."
"That would certainly be a strong proof," I
remarked; "but I think it is unnecessary. The
suspicion you have spoken of, Mr. Wame, has
already been raised by another gentleman in this
city, and I have been requested to discover
whether or not it is correct."
"Why, you astonish me!" exclaimed Judge
Key, "for Mr. Warne has not mentioned the
subject to any one but me, and I have never even
hinted anything about it except to you gentle-
men."
"Nevertheless, I have suspected for some tinv>
that this Don Pedro was an impostor, and have
been trying to obtain positive proof of my
186 A STARTLING SCHEME.
opinion, in order to save many persons here from
being swindled by him. You are acquainted
with Senator Muirhead, Judge? "
"Oh! yes, quite well."
fc He has taken enough interest in the affairs
of his constituents to place in my hands the task
of exposing this man, Don Pedro, in his true
light."
" That seems very kind and disinterested on
the part of our Senator," said Judge Key, with a
quizzical smile; "but I will venture to say that
his interest has been excited more by the Don's
marked attentions to Mrs. Muirhead, than by the
fear that some of his constituents would be de-
frauded."
Of course I took no notice of this remark,
although I was quite convinced that such was
the fact; but as the Senator was my client, it
would have been eminently improper for me to
discuss his motives, and so I turned to Mr.
Warne.
"As you have already met this man under
another name, Mr. Warne," I said, " can you not
go with me to meet Senator Muirhead, and tell
him what you know about him? "
"I must beg you to excuse me, Mr. Pinker-
ton," he replied. "You see, I am in this country
in an official capacity, and, while I am personally
perfectly satisfied of the truth of the statements
I have made to you, I cannot prove them ; hence,
I must be careful not to involve myself in a dim*
culty which would compromise my position as a
A STARTLING SCHEME. 187
diplomatic agent of Great Britain. I shall imme-
diately give to the police, on my arrival in Lon-
don, a description of this man, and I presume
that prompt action will be taken to insure his
arrest and extradition, in case his offenses should
come under the extradition treaty. But as this
is a question upon which the decision of both
governments may be required, the delay may
enable this man to escape. I will use all my
influence with the London authorities ; you will
readily see, however, that personally I cannot
appear here as an accuser against him."
I recognized the force of Mr. Warne's objec-
tion, and did not press him further, but Judge
Key agreed to visit the Senator as soon as the
latter should return to the city. When I left
Mr. Warne we had agreed that any British
official who might be sent to identify and arrest
Don Pedro, should communicate with me the
moment he arrived in this country, so that we
could work together for the same object, though
my whole duty in the case would be to protect
the interests of my client, Senator Muirhead. I
then returned to my room with Mr. Bangs, and
made a new move. I saw that more than two
months would elapse before any news could bo
expected from London, as Mr. Warne would be
somewhat delayed in his return home, and mean-
lime, the Don would probably obtain a large
advance payment for his fictitious mines. If
anything should occur to prevent us from sending
him to England, he might succeed in getting
188 A STARTLING SCHEME.
away with his plunder before we could find any
new grounds upon which to hold him. I therefore
instructed Mr. Bangs to write to the proper
authorities in Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador, describ-
ing Don Pedro and his numerous suspected
aliases accurately, and asking that some steps be
taken by his victims to bring him to justice. It
was true that we had no extradition treaties with
those countries, but nevertheless he might be
arrested and frightened into surrendering him-
self voluntarily. The letters were dispatched at
once, and duplicates were also forwarded by the
next steamer. There remained nothing further
for me to do except to keep a strict watch upon
the Moritos to see that they should not slip off
suddenly with a large sum of money. The Dia-
mond Company were in such haste to bind the
bargain with Don Pedro, by making him a large
payment, that there could be no hope of prevent-
ing the partial success of his scheme. Whether
I might not be able to force him to disgorge
afterward was uncertain, but I determined to use
every means in my power to accomplish such a
result.
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 189
CHAPTER V.
The third Detective is made icelcome at Dor, Pedro's.
The Senor is paid the first half-million dollars from
the great Diamond Company. How Don Pedro is
"working" his Diamond Mines. Very suspicious
preparations. The Don describes his proposed Fete
Champetre.
ONE evening, as the members of the Morito
family were about to retire, Monsieur Le-
sparre noticed a nervousness and abstraction in
Don Pedro such as he had never shown before.
Thinking that something new might be learned
by overhearing the conversation between the Don
and Donna when they should be alone, Lespanv,
instead of going to his own room, slipped into an
unused closet adjoining the Don's dressing-room,
and communicating therewith by a door, which
was kept locked. There was a transom over this
door, and, by climbing to one of the shelves,
Lesparre could hear all that was said in either
room of the Don's bedroom suite. He had hardly
taken this position when the two entered their
apartments.
"See what a handsome necklace that old fool
Mather sent mo to-day," said the Donna.
" Yes, it is very elegant and valuable," said Don
Pedro, with a yawn; "but what we most need is
money. However, I do not imagine we shall
have any difficulty, for I expect a large sum in a
190 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
few days from the stockholders in this Diamond
Company. Still, you may as well get all you can
out of Mather and the others, for we mast keep
up our present style of living to the end."
Just at this moment the shelf upon \\ hich Le-
sparre was sitting gave a loud creak, and he had
only just time to slip down and regain his own
room before the Don came out to see what was
the matter. Fortunately, there was a large pet
cat in the hall, and she received the credit of
having made the noise.
The next day, on hearing Lesparre's report, I
decided to place still another detective in the
Morito mansion, and so I instructed Lesparre to
recommend the employment of a young man to
assist the butler and to do general work about
the house. As I expected, Don Pedro acquiesced
in the suggestion, and told Lesparre to engage
such men-servants as he considered necessary.
Accordingly, I at once telegraphed to Chicago to
have a young fellow named George Salter sent
to Gloster at once. He was a very intelligent
French Canadian, and I chose him because of
his slim build, his ingenuity, and his capacity as
an eavesdropper. He could listen to a conversa-
tion with such a stolid expression that no one
would imagine he had an' idea in his head beyond
tho performance of his regular tasks, and even
when caught in a place where he had no right to
be, he could invent a plausible reason on the in-
stant, which would divert all suspicion from him.
On his arrival in Gloster, he was sent to ask em-
VERY SUSPICIOUS PKEPARATIONS. 191
ployment of Monsieur Lesparre, and, of course,
the latter was so pleased with him as to engage
him at once. He made himself very useful in
the house, and soon became popular with every
inmate.
A few days later a meeting of the stockholders
of the Diamond Company was held, and it was
agreed to make a payment of five hundred thou-
sand dollars at once, another like sum when the
title-deeds should be delivered, and the balance
within one year from that time. This arrange-
ment was satisfactory to the Don, and the sum
of half a million dollars was paid over that day in
the checks of the different original subscribers.
The meeting then appointed a committee of two
to visit Peru and examine the property. There
was some difficulty in selecting two gentlemen
who would be willing to go, and yet who would
be satisfactory to the others; but Deacon Hum-
phrey and John Preston were finally chosen.
Either of these gentlemen was willing to go any-
where at others' expense, and it was believed
that John Preston was too well versed in fraudu-
lent practices to let any one else do any cheating;
hence, he was sent to investigate the mines, and
Deacon Humphrey was sent to see that John
Preston should not steal them. They were not
to depart on their mission, however, until the
title-deeds were received from Peru and delivered
to the directors.
Don Pedro passed the checks over to Lesparro,
and in Ton ned the meeting that 'he had already
192 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
sent to Peru for the deeds, and that the directors
should be informed the moment they should ar-
rive; thereafter, all business matters relative to
his interest in the mines would be attended to by
Robert Harrington, Esq., who would be his attor-
ney in fact. The deeds would be directed to Mr.
Harrington, and that gentleman would deliver
them to the directors, receive the second pay-
ment, and give his receipt therefor.
This arrangement was satisfactory to all, and
the meeting adjourned in good spirits, every man
feeling that the Don had done him a personal
favor in accepting his check in part payment for
such a valuable property.
The Don, having indorsed the checks, in-
structed Lesparre to present them at once for
payment, each at its own bank, and to bring the
money to the house; he was to obtain as much
as possible in gold, as the Don professed to have
little confidence in the bills of private banks.
" They may be perfectly sound, Lesparre," he
said, in an off-hand way, "but then, you know,
we foreigners are accustomed to government
bills, or gold, and so I prefer to have the latter."
Taking Don Pedro's carriage, Lesparre visited
each bank, and by the time he had cashed the
last check, he had a considerable weight of gold
and a large amount of bills, about two- thirds
having been paid in coin. Lesparre and Salter
carried all the money up to the Don's dressing-
room, where the Don and Donna were sitting.
'' There, my dear, '' said Don Pedro to his wife,
VKRY SUriPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 193
r< this is the first installment of the purchase
jioney of the diamond fields, so that now it will
not be long before they will be thoroughly worked.
The directors have promised me that you shall
have the finest diamond set that the mines can
produce within a year from this time, as a pres-
ent from the company, and you need no longer
plague me for not having tried to work them be-
fore."
"Oh! Pedro, how lovely!" exclaimed the
Donna; "you know I have always wanted you
to open those mines, and I am so glad that you
have consented. -Now I shall have a set that I
shall be proud of."
"Well, I did not like to give up the old estate
to strangers, I confess," replied the Don; "but
now that it is done, I do not regret it. If you wish
any money, help yourself; you can write to your
agents in Rio that they need not send any more
for the present, for we shall have as much as we
can use for a year or two. George," he con-
tinued, addressing Salter, "you will find a stout
iron box in the attic, and I think it will serve as
a safe for the present. Bring it down hero and
put it in this room."
The box was soon brought, and the Dort
checked off the packages of gold and bills as Le-
spnnv parki-d them ;nvay. the gold at the bottom.
"Now, you can ch<'< k against my bank ac-
counts for our current expenses, Lesparre," said
Don Pedro, with a complacent smile; "and when
the funds on deposit are exhausted, I will give
9
194 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
you casn monthly to pay all bills as heretofore. 1
intend to give a grand fete champetre soon, as a
lesson to these Gloster people how to enjoy liL'e.
I propose to engage one of the islands in the
liver at once, and begin the necessary work of
preparing it artistically for the scene of our
revelry. I shall choose one of the large wooded
islands with ridges and ravines running through
it, and it will take about two weeks to clear away
the underbrush, to clean up the grass and pre-
pare the landing-places. Then, by the end of an-
other week, the weather will be delightful, and
our arrangements will be completed. I will make
the place a fairy spectacle, such as the unim-
aginative inhabitants of Gloster never dreamed
of, and then we will prepare for our summer trip
to Newport and Saratoga. What do you think
of the plan, Monsieur Lesparre ? "
"It is an admirable one, and I feel sure that
the people of Gloster will enjoy such an entertain-
ment far more than any that has ever been given
here."
' Well, I shall rely largely upon your assist-
ance," continued the Don, carefully locking his
safe as he spoke, "and we must divide the duties
between us, though of course my time will be
somewhat taken up by society. Suppose we issue
invitations for three weeks from to-day ? "
"Better say five weeks, if not six," replied Le-
sparre, anxious to delay Don Pedro's depart uro aR
much as possible in order to obtain an answer <o
our letters to Peru and Brazil. "You see. i!x>
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 195
people here are not accustomed to such gayeties,
and it will take some time to prepare their minds
to appreciate it."
"Yes, that is true," said the Don, reflectively;
4 ' but I do not like to defer it so long. However,
let us compromise by fixing one month hence as
the time, and we will make it a masquerade as
well as an outdoor fete. The guests will then
have ample time to prepare their costumes, and
we can give that as a reason for issuing the invi-
tations so long in advance."
The Don was in no special hurry to escape with
his plunder, but neither was he desirous of
remaining too long in the vicinity of his victims;
hence, although he had no suspicion that his
schemes had been discovered by any one, he fixed
an earlier date than that suggested by Lesparre
hi order to prevent the probability of any accident
occurring to mar his plans.
Lesparre immediately ordered the cards of invi-
tation, and in a few days all Gloster was in a
state of pleasurable excitement over the news of
the coming event. Never had such a commotion
been created in the placid waters of society as
was raised by the delicate cards of invitation to
Seilora Morito's fete cliampetre and bal masque.
The number who received invitations was enor-
mous, including every individual having any
claims to be regarded as a member of good society.
From that time forward, Lesparre was so busy
with the preparations for the fete that he was
able to see very little of the rest of the family except
J96 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
in the evening. The Don and Donna and Madame
Seviei continued their usual round of dissipation
and gayety, however, and "all went merry as a
marriage bell."
Still there were some curious features of their
conduct which I regarded with suspicion. Every
day the Don gave Lesparre a large sum in bank-
bills to be exchanged for gold, and the coin was
then locked up in the iron safe. Then the Don
and Donna held frequent conversations in Span-
ish, during which it was easy to see by their
manner that they were discussing an affair of
great importance. Madame Sevier found a new-
ly-purchased traveler's guide-book in the Donna's
bureau, and from various marks and turned
pages it was evident that it had been carefully
consulted with reference to an ocean voyage.
These things led me to the conclusion that the
Don was preparing for a journey, and the fact
that he made no mention of it, even to Lesparre,
showed that he intended to go secretly. To all
his acquaintances he spoke freely of his con-
templated tour of the watering-places during the
summer, but he always promised to spend the
following winter in Gloster, without fail; hence
it was clear that he was playing a double game,
to deceive some one. I could only wait further
developments, and heartily wish for advices from
Peru or England.
In company with Judge Key I called upon Sen-
ator Muirhead, on the return of that gentleman
from the session of Congress, and we discussed
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 197
together the best plaii to pursue, to foil the
schemes of Don Pedro. The Senator was very
anxious to proceed against him immediately,
with the intention of showing him up in his true
character, and thus saving his victims from any
further loss.
" Indeed, Senator Muirhead," I replied, " I am
as desirous to arrest his fraudulent operations as
yourself, but I want to be sure of success before
I do anything, and I do not see my way clear to
act just now. At present we can prove nothing
whatever against him; in fact, the only charge
we could make would be that of obtaining money
under false pretenses. Now, what evidence couJd
we bring to substantiate the accusation ? There
is no judge living that would hold him on my or
your individual opinion that he has sold mines
which do not exist, and we should have nothing
else to offer."
"Yes, but you forget his forgeries in other
countries," interrupted the Senator.
" In the first place," I replied, " you could not
charge him in this countiy with crimes com-
mitted elsewhere, even though you had the posi-
tive proof of those crimes. If you charged him
here with obtaining money under false pre-
tenses, you could produce no testimony except
such as bore upon the specific act alleged in your
complaint; all other testimony would be ruled
out. But, even suppose that such testimony
were admissible, can you produce any witness to
his crimes in other countries ? Indeed, admitting
108 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
again that these crimes were proven, can we es-
tablish the identity of Don Pedro P. L. de Morito
as the perpetrator of those crimes ? No, sir; we
have not a single witness; I ask you as a lawy?r,
J udge Key, am I not right ? "
"You are correct in every particular, Mr.
Pinkerton," replied the Judge. " I confess that
you present the difficulties of the case more
forcibly than I could have done myself."
" Yes, you are right, Mr. Pinkerton," said Sen-
ator Muirhead; "I do not see that we can do
anything ; yet it seems shameful to sit idly doing
nothing, when we know that this scoundrel is
obtaining such immense sums from our people.
What do you propose to do in the future, Mr.
Pinkerton ? "
"I can hardly tell what may be possible as
yet," I answered; "but I feel sure that I shall
not only prevent him from securing any more
plunder, but also wrest from him that which has
already fallen into his hands. He feels secure in
the possession of this large sum, and he is in no
great hurry to get away; he will undoubtedly i o
main until after his fete champetre at least. Be-
fore that time, I hope to hear something definite
from either England or Peru, and then I can act
with a power in reserve in case our own means
should be insufficient to enforce our demands for
restitution. Any action against him now would
only result in hastening his departure with all
the money he has gained, for I am certain that
we could not hold him."
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 190
"Well, I see that nothing can be done jow,"
said the Senator, despondently; " but do not lose
sight of this man for a moment, Mr. Pinkerton,
for he seems an adept in all the tricks of crime."
"Never fear, Senator Muirhead," I replied,
cheerfully; "I feel sure that we shall eventually
not only bring his career here to a hasty close,
but also recover the money which he has fraudu-
lently obtained."
When we parted, the Senator was a little more
hopeful, though he said that he should not be at
all surprised if Don Pedro outwitted us after all
The loss to the Senator's friends would, of course,
be very large; but, perhaps, the lesson would not
be a bad thing for them; they would know better
thereafter than to part with their money so fool-
ishly.
That same evening the Don and Donna, Mon-
sieur Lesparre, and Madame Sevier, were engaged
for the evening at a dancing party given by
Judge Peter B. Taylor. Knowing of their inten-
tions to attend this party, I saw an excellent op-
portunity for Salter to examine the private apart
ments of the Don and Donna. Accordingly,
after the family had gone away in the carriage,
Salter began to talk to the other servants about
the advantages of belonging to a family where
the domestics were allowed to do as they pleased,
instead of being so carefully watched. The laun-
dress then related how much -less pleasure they
had, now that Madame Sevier was in charge of
the household.
200 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
" Why," said she, " before this French woman
came, the servants here had as good a time as
any one could ask. Many a fine ribbon, or hand
kerchief, or bit of a collar, they picked up unbo-
knownst to the Donna; and, as for aitin', why
there was niver a lock on any storeroom in the
house, so that there was lashins of good livin' in
the kitchen as well as in the dinin'-room. But
when this Madame Sevyay came, she put every-
thing under lock and key, and she snapped off
the old cook's head in no time for sassin' her.
Jist so with the men; this Lesparre, the Don's
private secretary, is as close with the men as the
Madame is with the women. The butler used
to often bring a nice bottle of wine into the
kitchen for us to be merry over, but he can't do
it now."
"Well, I believe I can find something to drink
by a little search," said Salter, with a knowing
wink at the laundress and chambermaid. " You
wait here, and I'll see what I can do to provide a
glass of wine all 'round.
"Oh! would you dare?" asked the handsome
chambermaid, looking at Salter admiringly.
"Ain't you 'fraid you'll be caught?"
" No, indeed; I believe I can get a bottle of port
out of one of the rooms upstairs, without any one
ever discovering its loss. Anyhow, I'm going
to try, so you all stay here while I make search. 1?
Accordingly, Salter went straight to the Don's
room^ to which he had a key. Having received
from Lesparre an impression of the locks of the
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 201
house several days before, I had had a skeleton
key made, which would open almost any door
about the place. While apparently engaged in
cleaning the door-knobs, it had been a very ea^>
matter for him to take, in wax, a complete im-
pression of the wards of all the door-locks, with
out attracting suspicion. He now had no diffi-
culty, therefore, in entering the Don's room,
where he found that the Don had removed his
iron chest from his dressing-room to his chamber,
it being placed at the head of the bedstead. On
trying to lift the box, he found that it was very
heavy indeed, requiring all his strength to stir it.
This was due, of course, to the coin which had
been put into it, and Salter's testimony, therefore,
corroborated Lesparre's. Salter then, in accord-
ance with my instructions, carefully bored holes
through the door leading into the closet in which
Lesparre had once listened to a short conversation
between the Don and Donna. He arranged these
holes so that they would not be detected by the
eye, and having thus prepared an excellent place
for listening to the occupants of the chamber
suite, Salter returned to the kitchen. On the
way, he opened the dining-room sideboard and
captured a bottle of port wine, with which he' en-
tertained the other servants in fine style.
Meanwhile, the Don and his party had been
received with the utmost cordiality by Judge
Taylor and his wife, who felt quite proud to bo
the first to entertain such distinguished guests
8*
202 VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
after the sale of the diamond mines, and the issue
of the invitations to the Don's grand fete.
Every one had talked about the affair, but no
one felt exactly sure what a fete champetre was,
and so United States Commissioner Charlie Mor-
ton determined to ask the Don himself what his
entertainment would be. Accordingly, as Dor
Pedro approached with Mrs. Arlington on his
arm, Morton greeted him pleasantly, and said:
44 Don Pedro, every one who has received an
invitation to jour fete champetre is dying of curi-
osity to know what it means, and so I am going
to take the liberty of asking you to explain it. I
freely confess my own ignorance, and I know
that there are a great many others no better in-
formed than I am, who would be ashamed to ad-
mit that fact; but I cheerfully acknowledge that
I have never attended one, and I don't know how
I shall be expected to dress nor to act. So please
tell me all about it, and I will promise to spread
the news among my acquaintances."
"My dear sir," replied Don Pedro, politely, "I
admire your frankness, and I shall take pleasure
in explaining the principal features of our fete
champetre. It was the Donna Lucia's desire and
mine to devote one day to enjoyment, and we
therefore decided upon giving an entertainment
in the open air which should combine every
species of gayety and social recreation. It is our
intention to embark in the forenoon and proceed
by steamer to one of the large islands in the riv er.
There everything will be prepared for out dooi
VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS. 203
enjoyment; there will be boats and bathing-
houses; swings and archery -grounds; billiard-
tables and bowling-alleys; in short, opportunities
will be provided for the gratification of every
one's tastes. About five o'clock a dinner will be
served, the menu for which will include every
procurable luxury of the table, and after dinner,
the evening will be spent in dancing on the open
platforms or in enclosed ballrooms, according to
the preferences of the guests, while magnesium
lights and colored lanterns will give all possible
brilliancy to the scene. Dazzling displays of fire-
works will be given at intervals during the even-
ing, and when we finally leave the island on our
return to the city, a grand illumination of the
whole island will take place as we steam off into
the darkness."
Quite a group had gathered around while the
Don was speaking, and as he closed, there was a
general murmur of admiration. The whole
affair was planned on a scale of such magnifi-
cence as to appear almost too wonderful to be be-
lieved, but the Don had shown such fertility of
invention previously, that there was no doubt he
was quite equal to creating a scene of oriental
splendor such as had never before been witnessed
in this country.
"Well, I admit frankly," said Charlie Morton,
"that we Americans must learn the art of enjoy-
ing life from foreigners, and I think there is no
doubt that Don Pedro is a most adept master of
its mysteries. Is there not something said in the
204: VERY SUSPICIOUS PREPARATIONS.
invitations about appearing in masks, Don
Pedro?"
u Oh, yes ; I forgot to say at first that I
will be much amusement in requiring every
guest to be dressed in fancy costume and to wear
a mask. The masks will not be removed until
the dinner is served, and then, at a given signal,
the guests will expose themselves in their own
characters."
The Don's description of the intended pro-
gramme for the fete was soon repeated through
all the fashionable circles of Gloster, and the ex-
pectation of the whole city was raised to a high
pitch. No other social event had ever created a
like excitement, and it was the theme of conver-
sation at all times and in all places.
The day following the Taylor's party Don
Pedro seemed to have determined to get rid of as
much paper money in exchange for gold as pos-
sible, and during the day he sent more than
twenty thousand dollars to be exchanged ; of this
amount Lesparre and Madame Sevier handled the
greater portion, but even the young man, Salter,
was entrusted with three thousand dollars in
paper, for which he obtained gold at a trifling
discount. This method of exchanging money
was repeated several times, it being evidently the
Don's intention to retain nothing but gold in his
possession, and as he had already obtained the
greater portion of his plunder in coin, it was not
long before he had accomplished his object.
Meantime, the preparations for tho fete went
A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 205
on apace, and the time of the Don and Lesparre
was quite fully occupied in planning an d arrang-
ing the details. The Senator called to see me
daily, and his constant urging somewhat excited
me, so that I became nervous and apprehensive
myself. Still, no news came from abroad, and I
could do nothing.
CHAPTER VI.
A Mysterious Stranger. An unexpected Meeting and a
startling Recognition. An old Friend somewhat
disturbs the Equanimity of Don Pedro. The Detec-
tives fix their Attention upon Pietro Bernard*.
Pietro and his unpalatable Reminiscences. The
Donna shows Spirit.
ARLY one forenoon Salter was called to the
-LiJ front door by a violent pull at the bell, and
on arriving there he confronted a rather disrep-
utable-looking character, who eyed him with an
extremely distrustful look. The man appeared
to be about thirty years old, and he was evidently
a foreigner. He was tall, well-formed, and mus-
cular, and his general bearing was quite at variance
with his ragged, dirty clothing. He had black
hair and moustache, a swarthy complexion, small
feet and hands, the latter soft and well-shaped,
and his dark eyes were piercing and brilliant.
"Good morning," he said to Salter, with a
haughty nod; " is Don Juan at home 2 "
206 A MYSTEKIOUS STRANGER.
" No such person lives here," replied Salter.
partially closing the door upon the wolfish-
appearing stranger.
"I have good reasons for believing that Don
Juan is here," replied the man, "and is doubtless
the guest of the gentleman who resides here. At
any rate, I know that he is now in this house,
and I want to see him very much. He would be
equally glad to see me if he knew I were here;"
and so saying, he pushed Salter aside and entered
the hall.
This action still further prejudiced Salter against
him, and he said:
" Perhaps you mean Monsieur Lesparre, who is
a guest of my employer? "
"That may be," replied the man; " please say
that I wish to see him immediately."
Salter did not care to leave the stranger alone,
and so he told one of the female servants, who was
dusting the parlor furniture, to call Monsieur Le-
sparre. That gentleman was in Don Pedro's
room, discussing some plans for the fete, and,
when informed that a stranger wished to see
him, he told the servant to show him to the
room where he usually transacted business. As
the man passed before Don Pedro's door, how-
ever, Lesparre stepped out to learn who it was.
"This man wishes to see you, Monsieur Le-
sparre," said Salter, who was following the stran-
ger.
"That is not the gentleman I asked for," the
latter replied.
A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 20Y
At this instant Don Pedro came into the hall,
and, as his eyes fell upon the stranger, he gave a
sudden start, and became very pale. The recog
nition was mutual, for the newcomer rushed for-
ward and said:
" Ah! Don Juan, I am delighted to meet you
again. I knew I was not mistaken when I saw
you yesterday and recognized "
"There, there!" interrupted the Don, giving
the speaker a warning look, " I am glad to meet
you again, Pietro; walk into my room, and sit
down."
Lesparre was about to follow, but Don Pedro
stopped, and whispered to him:
"Excuse me a short time, my dear Lesparre;
this is an old acquaintance whom I knew in bet-
ter circumstances years ago. He seems quite re-
duced now, and he may be sensitive enough to
object to telling the story of his loss of fortune
before a stranger;" and, so saying, the Don re-
tired to his room, leaving Lesparre and Salter
outside.
The latter immediately hurried into the closet,
where he could hear the whole conversation
within the room.
"Well, Pietro," began the Don, "where are
you from ? You have not been fortunate, it is
evident; but how did it happen ? "
" You are right; 1 have had bad luck," replied
Pietro. "It is the old story; I have had thou-
sands of dollars at times, and have lived lik
prin<(>: and again 1 li n Uullv tivalrii
208 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
Dame Fortune, and have lived as I could; tut 1
have never before been so very miserable and
poor as now. Positively, it is most providential
that I have met you, for I have eaten nothing foi
twenty-four hours."
"Indeed, Pietro. you shock me," replied the
Don, sympathetically ; "shall I order some break-
fast for you ? "
" No; I can wait awhile, and I do not care to be
seen by your servants until I get better clothing.
But tell me where you have been since we parted
in Peru. You have certainly been as fortunate
as I have been the reverse; do you make much by
gambling ? "
"No, Pietro; I gamble very little, except in an
occasional game of cards with gentlemen of my
acquaintance; but I made a good sum that is,"
continued the Don, checking himself a moment,
"I made a wealthy marriage, and my wife's for-
tune is ample for us both. By the way, how did
you happen to find me 1"
"Well, I have been enjoying life in New Or-
leans for some time, and, having won quite a
large amount there, I decided to come North as
the mild weather began. So I started a month
ago on one of those enormous Mississippi steam-
boats, and, of course, I gambled whenever I could.
My luck was bad from the start, and, on arriving
here, I had nothing except my clothing and
jewelry; these I pawned gradually, and soon I
was reduced to my present condition. Yesterday
I met you as you were entering the Globe Hotel
A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 209
with a party of gentlemen, but I did not want to
mortify you by speaking to you in company ; so I
waited until you came to this house, intending
then to call upon you late in the evening, when
no one would see rne ; but you went out in your
carnage, and remained so late, that I put off my
visit until this morning. I thought that, con-
sidering our former relations to each other, you
would be willing to set me on my feet again."
" I shall be very glad indeed to do so," replied
the Don, eagerly, "and you must tell me what
you wish to do, and where you wish to go."
"Well, just now I should like to go to break-
fast, Don Juan," said Pietro, with a gaunt smile ;
" but I have no money to pay for my meal."
"Don't call me f Don Juan,' my dear friend,"
said the Don. " I have adopted another name
for use in this country, and of course no one
knows me except as Don Pedro P. L. de Morito."
"Oh, ho! is that all there is of it?" asked
Pietro, with a laugh. "Well, I shall remember
in future to call you ' Don Pedro ' ; but what
can you do for me in the way of money and
clothes ? "
" I will give you fifty dollars at once, and you
can get a new outfit yourself ; then, when you
call again to-morrow morning, we will talk over
your future plans. I have a very important en-
gagement to keep. in about fifteen minutes, so I
must ask you to excuse me now. "
" But I can't get any respectable suit of clothes
and underclothing for fifty dollars,"
Pietro.
210 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
"Well, here are fifty dollars," said the Don
handing a roll of bills to Pietro, "and my secre-
tary, Monsieur Lesparre, will give you an equal
amount. You will then have enough to satisfy
your immediate wants, and we will arrange the
rest to-morrow."
So saying, the Don called Monsieur Lesparre
and introduced the stranger as Pietro Bernard!, a
fellow-countryman in distress. The Don was
quite pale and nervous, and though he did not
show any marked signs of agitation, a close
observer, like Lesparre, could readily see that his
new visitor was anything but a welcome one.
" I wish you to give Senor Bernard! fifty dol
lars, Monsieur Lesparre," said the Don, "and
order breakfast for him here, if he wishes it. I
am going out immediately, as I see the carriage
is waiting for me, but I shall return at lunch-
time. Au revoir, gentlemen ; call about nine
o'clock to-morrow, Pietro."
The Don then went to his carriage, and Pietro
followed Lesparre to his business-room, where he
received an additional fifty dollars. Pietro
quickly stowed the money away in his pocket,
and walked abruptly out of the house, saying:
"I'll not trouble you to prepare breakfast for
me, as I can get it down town just as well."
The moment Pietro was gone, Lesparre called
Salter out of the closet, and sent him out on an
errand ostensibly; of course, his real duty was to
"shadow "Mr. Pietro Bernardi, and report the
occurrences of the morning to me. Salter kepi
A MYSTERIOUS STKANGER. 211
his man in view until he v. od at a popular
restaurant table, and then, knowing that some
time would be required before the Peruvian's ap-
petite would be satisfied, my detective hurried to
my office, and made his report. As it would not
be safe to detain Salter long away from his
duties at the Morito residence, I decided to keep
a watch upon Bernardi myself until Mr. Bangs
could send me a man from Chicago. Having
sent a telegram to Mr. Bangs, I went to the res-
taurant at once, being joined by Judge Key on
the way. Together we entered the restaurant,
and I quickly discovered Bernardi still lingering
over his breakfast. We each ordered a cup of
coffee, and I informed the Judge of the new de-
velopments in the case as brought out in the con-
versation between the Don and Bernardi.
" My opinion is," I said, in a tone audible only
to the Judge, " that this man, Bernardi, knows
some important facts relative to the past lif e of
Don Pedro, and if we can pump this information
out of him, we may thereby obtain valuable as-
sistance in our endeavors to outwit the Don.
Now it shall be my aim to learn all that this man
knows, for it may give us the means of proceed-
ing against Seiior Morito immediately; but even
if it should not, we may need such information
very much. You see, it is not impossible that
we may be forced to use threats to make him dis-
gorge; for I shall not let him escape with his
plunder without a struggle, even though no news
whatever should come from Peru or England. At
212 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
present, however, we will devote some time to
this Pietro Bernardi, and see what he can tell
us."
The Judge fully concurred with me, and said
that, as I might be too busy to see Senator Muir-
head, he would call upon that gentleman and tell
him the latest news. W6 accordingly sipped our
coffee slowly until Bernardi was ready to go, and
then I followed him at a little distance, while the
Judge went to call upon Senator Muirhead.
Bernardi slowly sauntered down the street, smok-
ing a cigar, and soon reached a large retail cloth-
ing store. I remained in the street watching the
entrance of the store about an hour, when, as I
expected, Bernardi came out in a neat business
suit complete, but wearing the same old boots and
hat. These articles were soon replaced by new
ones, and after a bath and shave, Senor Bernardi
was a very different -looking person from the
rough customer who had visited Don Pedo in the
morning. In addition to his underclothing, linen,
hat, boots, and suit of clothes, he purchased at a
pawnbroker's shop some very decent jewelry and
he now appeared like a gentlemanly gambler, or
a member of the Board of Trade. He did not
conclude his business arrangements until he had
engaged a boarding-place and bought a trunk,
which was sent to his lodgings. He then ap-
peared to have relieved his mind of all care, and
he spent the afternoon playing pool and billiards
in a fashionable saloon. After dining at a res-
taurant, he went to a minstrel entertainment,
A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 213
after which he returned to his lodgings to retire
for the night. When I went to bed at eleven
o'clock, after having followed Bernardi most of
the day, I realized that the duties of a faithful
"shadow" were sometimes excessively wearying.
The next morning, however, I found that a Mr.
Newton had arrived from Chicago in response to
my telegram, and I was thus relieved from any
further anxiety. He was a cool, shrewd fellow,
of attractive appearance and pleasing manners,
so that he was peculiarly fitted to obtain the con-
li donee of a man like Bernardi, and it was on that
account that I had selected him for the work.
He had no difficulty in tracking Bernardi to Don
Pedro's residence, and having seen him admitted -
there, Newton hurried back to report to me. I
then instructed him to follow Bernardi until he
should have an opportunity to make his acquaint-
ance; this could be done without difficulty in a
drinking or billiard saloon, and he was then to
cultivate an intimacy with him. *
On asking to see Sefior Morito, Bernardi was at
once admitted, and as soon as the Don closed his
door, Salter slipped into the closet to listen.
11 Ah! you are looking much better this morn-
ing," said the Don, as he scratched a match and
handed it to Bernardi to light his cigar.
" Yes, I am feeling much better too. This
ins quite like old times, doesn't it? As I sit
here and puff your fragrant Huvanas, I could al-
most imagine you were again in the real estate
business in Peru, lla! lia! (hat was a specula-
tion that paid well, eh?"
214 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
"Pietro, you must be careful not to drop a
hint of those times to any one, or I should be
ruined," replied the Don; "I am in good society
here, and I hope to make a little money out of a
scheme I have on hand; but it is still quite
uncertain whether I shall succeed, and my
expenses in engineering the affair are fast eating
up all my capital. Now, T shall be happy to
assist you as far as I can, but it will be on condi-
tion that you leave town; for if you should get
tipsy and begin to talk about me, I should lose
everything. Next month, I may realize my
hopes, but I am playing a risky game, and I can-
not aiford to jeopardize it. What do you want ?
Tell me how I can serve you, and how much
money you need, and if I can help you, I will
gladly do so."
"That is fair enough, Don Juan Pedro, I
mean I only want a start, and I shall get along
without any difficulty; but to tell the truth, I
don't know where to go. I could not return to
Peru neither could you, for that matter and I
know of only one place where I could succeed
and be satisfied to stay. I have been thinking of
going to Buenos Ayres, if I could have a fair sum
to start me in good style on arriving there; but
it is a long journey, and I am in no haste to start.
By the way, where is your present senorita ? or
are you really married as you said? Is she as
handsome as the other was ?"
" Yes, she is very handsome," replied the Don,
curtly; "but she knows nothing about my his-
A MYSTEEIOUS STRANGER. 215
tory previous to our meeting, and I do not wish
that she should ; so let us leave her out of our
discussion. I have some money left, though it is
decreasing rapidly, and I will assist you as far as
possible, if you will leave Gloster at once ; for I
am afraid that you will begin drinking to excess
again, and you know that when you are half
drunk there is nothing in the world you will not
tell. How much do you want ? "
u Oh ! Don Pedro, you need not fear that I
shall betray you ; but I can't start off on a long
journey so soon after the fatigue and hardship J
have undergone during the last month. Just let
me have three or four hundred dollars to enable
me to live in good style for a week or two, and
to get some better jewelry than this cheap stuff,
and I will be ready to start for Buenos Ayres as
soon as you wish."
" Well, I will give you three hundred dollars
now, and as soon as you have spent that, you
must be ready to leave Gloster on your way out
of the United States."
So saying, the Don stepped to his dressing-
case, opened and then closed a drawer, and said :
" There are three rouleaux of gold pieces, each
containing one hundred dollars. When that is
gone, I will buy your ticket to Buenos Ayres or
Montevideo, as you prefer, and will give you as
much money as I can possibly spare ; you must
he prepared to go then."
"All right, my dear Pedro," replied Bernardi,
rising to go; "I shall be ready at that time. You
216 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
can trust my discretion, however, as long as 1
stay herf, and no one shall ever hear a word
from me to your discredit. I may call to see you
occasionally? "
" Oh ! certainly; come in the forenoon. By the
way, Pietro, let me caution you against gambling
while you -are here, for I have found that we are
no match for these Northern gamblers. They
will take every dollar from you if you venture to
stake against them. You will surely lose, and
then you will want me to supply you again; but
I tell you frankly I will not do it. I have hardly
money enough to carry through my scheme, and
if you choose to betray me, you can do so, but it
won't do you any good whatever; whereas, if you
are faithful to me, I can spare you a reasonable
sum to start you afresh in Buenos Ayres."
"Never fear, Don Pedro, I shall be mute as an
oyster," and so saying, Bernardi took his leave.
The foregoing conversation had taken place in
the Don's dressing-room, so that Salter had no
difficulty in hearing every word, even when the
speakers dropped their voices to mere whispers;
but there was another listener in the Don's bed-
chamber who was equally successful in overhear-
ing all that had been said. The Donna, having
heard of the arrival of this mysterious Pietro
Bernardi the day before, was anxious to know
who he was and what he came for. Accordingly,
she placed herself at the keyhole of their cham-
ber door leading into the Don's dressing-room,
and when Pietro had gone, she entered the Don's
presence.
A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. 217
"Who was that person, Don Pedro?" sl.e
asked, with a sharp tone to her voice, foreboding
no good to her already nervous and irritated
spouse.
" Oh! his name is Pietro Bernardi, and I for-
merly knew him in Peru. He was quite a fine
young fellow then, but he has taken to gam-
bling, drinking, and general dissipation, so that it
is very unpleasant to have him turn up here as
an acquaintance."
" Is that the only reason why you dislike to see
him, Seiior Morito? " asked the Donna, her man-
ner becoming more clearly inquisitive and hos-
tile. " You are too anxious to get rid of him for
that to be the sole cause of your annoyance at his
presence."
"Well, my dear Lucia, the fact is, that he
knows enough about me in the past to be a very
dangerous person to have around just now, for
he might expose me to the people here, and ruin
our schemes upon the Diamond Company."
" Why did you not tell me about this ? There
must be no secrets which I do not share, for I do
not intend to be deserted by you as you have de-
serted others before. No, no, Don Pedro," she
continued, passionately, "I heard every word of
your conversation with this man, and you must
understand that you cannot treat me like a doll,
to be thnnvn ;i\vay when you are tired of me.
I am aide and anxious to help you in all your
plans, but I must have your full confidence. You
know that I love you, and you say that you re-
10
218 A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
turn my love, but sometimes I distrust you You
deserted a senorita in Lima, and some day you
may try to desert me; but I warn you that [
would follow you to the ends of the earth, and I
could easily find it in my heart to kill you if you
played me false."
As the Donna uttered these words, her deter-
mined tones clearly showed that she would havo
no hesitation in executing her threat. The Don
had no reply to offer, and finally the Donna
closed the conversation by saying:
" This is our first approach to a quarrel, and I
hope it will be the last. You know that I am
fearfully excited by any suggestion of the possi-
bility of losing you, and this man's words and
sneers have made me almost beside myself. But
recollect, I am not without friends, for there are
plenty of rich men here who would be delighted
to obey my lightest whims if I would permit
them, and if you should ever desert me, I would
tell all I know of you, and invoke their aid to
bring you to punishment. Now let us go along
together, without any secrets apart from each
other in the future, and we shall have no occa-
sion to quarrel again."
The Donna then left the room, and went out to
drive with Madame Sevier, leaving the Don
alone. Salter quickly slipped downstairs, but
was summoned back by the ringing of the Don's
bell. On entering the dressing-room, Salter found
his employer seated in a large easy-chair, looking
quite pale and agitated.
PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE. 219
"I wish you would bring me a decanter of
brandy and a glass, George," said the Don; "I
don't feel very well, and I think a sip of cognac
will do mo good."
Salter obeyed orders, and then went to Le-
sparre's room to report the conversations which
he had overheard while concealed in the closet.
Lesparre soon went into the Don's room to talk
over the plans for the fete, but Don Pedro was in
low spirits, and did not care to converse. He or-
dered his horse to be brought to the door, and
was soon galloping down the avenue as a relief
to his depressed nerves. Lesparre immediately
came to my office, reported what Salter had told
him, and then went about his duty of preparing
the island to receive the guests on the day of the
fete.
CHAPTER VII.
Pietro Bernardi and the Detective become Warm
Friends. A "T$te-d-T4te" worth One Thousand
Dollars.
"TTTHEN Pietro Bernardi left the Morito resi-
VV dence, he sauntered down town in a
leisurely manner, with Newton carefully fol low-
in LC at a safe distance. Bernardi was evidently
vain of his personal appearance, for he was dis-
satisfied with his ready-made outfit, and, enter
220 P1ETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
ing a fashionable tailoring establishment, he was
measured for a complete suit of clothes. The
rest of the forenoon was spent in buying shirts,
underclothing, trinkets, and toilet articles of quite
an expensive character. After a hasty lunch at
a restaurant, Bernard! walked to the post-office,
where he met a man whose appearance indicated
unmistakably the professional gambler. They
seemed to be old acquaintances, and, after taking
a drink together, they conversed for some time
in low tones. Finally they separated, and Ber-
nardi went to his lodgings. About six o'clock he
reappeared, and Newton followed him to the
post-office again, where the gambler, who was
waiting in the morning, was met apparently by
appointment. The two men walked a short dis-
tance together, and then disappeared up a stair-
way, which, Newton was certain, led to gambling
rooms. He waited outside nearly an hour unde-
cided what to do, but at length he went upstairs
among a crowd of young sports, who seemed to
know the ways of the place, and he was allowed
to pass in with' them unquestioned. He found
Bernard! just rising from the dinner-table, which
the proprietors of the gambling house were in
the habit of setting for their regular patrons.
The faro-table was in full blast, and Bernard!
was soon seated at it with the air of an old
habitue. He was thenceforward so deeply inter-
ested in the game as to pay no attention to any-
thing else, and, as he was unusually lucky, his
pile of gold pieces rapidly increased. Newton
riETRO ANT) THE DETECTIVE. 221
took a position at his elbow and watched the
game in silence for some minutes. At length,
seeing Bernardi win a large stake, he said in a
familiar tone :
" You are unusually lucky to-night, and I see
you play for all the game is worth."
Keeping his eyes intently fastened upon the
dealer's box, Bernardi replied carelessly:
" Yes, this is a game where a man must put
down his money freely if he wants to win."
The next turn of the cards was doubly lucky
for Bernardi, and, as he raked in his winnings,
he glanced up at Newton, scanned his face a mo-
ment, and said:
" I think I have met you in New Orleans, have
I not ? "
" Very likely, for I have often been there; but
I do not recall your name, though your face is
quite familiar to me."
" Why, certainly," continued Bernardi, appa-
rently quite pleased at the idea of meeting an old
New Orleans acquaintance; "my name is Pietro
Bernardi, and I have often seen you in the rooms
of French Joe on Magazine street."
" Oh! yes, I used to go there a good deal, and
we must have met frequently. Let us take some-
thing for old acquaintance' sake."
This was taking a short cut to Bernardi's friend-
ship, and as the two stood before the sideboard
clicking glasses together, a stranger would have
supposed them to be old cronies, as indeed Ber-
nardi actually believed to be the case. Newton
222 PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
instantly saw that Bernardi's frequent drinks dur-
ing the day and his later potations in the evening
had rendered him somewhat intoxicated; he was
not drunk, for he had a perfect comprehension .
his actions, but he had drunk enough to be very
happy, and he probably saw in Newton's face a
hazy resemblance to some one he had known
in New Orleans. He soon returned to the faro-
table, and, taking his seat, asked Newton whether
he intended to do any betting.
"No, not to-night," Newton replied, yawning.
"I am very tired and restless, and I make it a
rule never to bet when my nerves are shaky."
"Well, that is a mighty good rule," said Ber-
nardi, as he put out a pile of gold pieces. "If
you will only stick to that plan, you will be sure
to win. I can always feel when luck is with me,
and if I could only make up my mind to stop
when I know that I cannot win, I should be as
successful as could be wished; but sometimes I
get obstinate when the cards begin to run against
me, and then I buck against fate until I lose all."
Having an absorbing interest in the game, Ber-
nardi talked very little after this, but about eleven
o'clock he counted his winnings, and, finding that
they amounted to more than two hundred dol-
lars, he decided to withdraw. In company with
Newton, therefore, he left the room, and enter* ;1
a bar-room below. They drank and chatted to-
gether a short time, and then separated, Bernardi
going to a well-known house of ill-repute, while
Newton carefully dogged his footsteps unseeu,
PIETRO AXD THE DETECTIVE. 223
Knowing that Bernard! intended to spend the
night where he was, Newton returned to his own
lodgings. They had agreed to meet at the post-
office about eleven o'clock next day, and Newton
knew that his services would not be required be-
fore that hour.
About eleven o'clock in the forenoon, Newton
and Bernardi met at the post-office, as agreed,
and, after a morning dram together, they went
to a restaurant for breakfast.
"How did you enjoy yourself yesterday even-
ing ? " asked Newton, as they were finishing their
meal.
"Oh! very well indeed. I met a young lady
whom I used to know in New Orleans, and she
was very lovely ; but I shall never meet one like
my senorita. She was the most beautiful woman
living ; " and, as he spoke, Bernardi sighed deeply,
and became moody, silent, and abstracted.
"Yes; I recollect having seen her with you
once in New Orleans," replied Newton, on a ven-
ture; " is she dead ?"
"No, her! I wish she was," replied
Bernardi, savagely. " She started to come North
with me, and I gave her everything she could ask;
but when I had won a large sum of money at Nat-
chez, she stole several thousand dollars from me,
and disappeared with a Mississippi gambler, whom
she had never seen but twice. I didn't care for
tho money, but I loved her passionately, and I
cannot think of her without becoming enraged.
224 PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
Come, let us go get some brandy ; I always have
to drink when I think of her."
While they were drinking together, Newton
asked Bemardi if he was always fortunate in
gaming.
"Oh! no, indeed; why, less than a week ago 1
had not a cent to buy my breakfast, and I did not
know whether to enlist in the army or commit
suicide."
"Then your present success is marvelous, for
you must have won, in all, four or five hundred
dollars," said Newton, inquiringly.
" No, I did not win it all ; in fact, I could not
have done so, for I did not have a dime to start
with ; but I met an old friend here who gave me
a few hundreds, and who will give me more
when I want it."
"That's the kind of a friend to have," said
Newton, warmly; "come, let us drink again to
his health. I wish I had met you before, for I
would have been glad to divide with you. We
ought always to stand by each other, especially
we Southerners, among these Yankee gamblers."
"Yes, that is true," replied Bernardi, taking
an immense drink of brandy ; " they are not so
generous to each other as we are down South.
Now, my friend, whom I spoke of, is one of the
right sort. He gave me enough for a new
outfit, and has promised to give me a good sum
when I am ready to go South again." .
" Is he a Southerner too ? " asked Newton.
" Oh ' yes," Bernardi replied, " he is from Peni,
PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE. 225
where I first met him, and we have had many
a gay time together. I used to keep a fine
suite of gambling rooms, which he frequented,
and he used to play with the utmost indifference
to the results ; he always seemed equally un-
moved whether he won or lost."
"I suppose you must have_been very warm
friends," said Newton, " or he would not now be
BO ready to assist you ? "
"Well, Don Juan is a very liberal fellow, I
admit," answered Bernardi ; "but he might not
be so generous were it not to his interest to be
so," he continued, with a knowing wink.
"Oh! ho! I see," replied Newton, nodding his
head expressively. "Your friend would not care
to have you talk about his past history, I sup-
pose ? "
"Exactly; he knows that I could tell some
tilings about him which might spoil his pleasure
here, and so he is anxious to keep on good ton us
with me. However, he needn't fear me as long
as he treats me decently, for I do not wish to
injure him, and when I am ready to go I shall
get a good sum from him to start me in business
elsewhere."
"Suppose he should refuse to give you any-
thing more, or have you arrested for blackmail-
ing him," suggested Newton.
"I'd like to see him try it," Bernardi ex-
. claimed, with a volley of oatli<. "I guess two
could play at tin- game of swearing out warrants,
and wlu'ii the account was balanced, his
10*
226 PIETRG AND THE DETECTIVE.
onment would be twenty times as long as mine.
No, no; I have no fear that he will attempt such
a thing."
"I merely spoke of it as a possibility," said
Newton, "in order that you should be on your
guard. A man with wealth and position might
succeed in crushing a friendless poor man in
spite of the latter's protestations. However, if
any such thing should happen, you can depend
upon it that I will work for you until you are
released."
" That's right, my friend," replied Bernardi, as
he called for another drink of brandy. "If I
should suddenly disappear without warning to
you, don't fail to search for me everywhere, and
I will see that you are handsomely rewarded. If
Don Juan should attempt any treachery, I should
have him at my mercy as soon as I should get
free, and, together, we could squeeze a large
sum out of him."
Newton spent the day with Bernardi, and they
became quite inseparable. After driving about
the city for an hour or two, they attended a mat-
inee performance at one of the theatres, and then
had a long and sumptuous dinner at a fashionable
restaurant. In the evening they went to th
gambling-rooms where they had met the night
before, and Bernardi was soon absorbed in the
game of faro. His luck still clung to him, and,
on leaving the place at midnight, he had won
three hundred dollars more. As before, Bernardi
PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE. 221
went to enjoy the society of his New Orleans
charmer, and Newton went to his own lodgings.
After Newton had made. his report to me, early
the next morning, I told him to continue his in-
timacy with Bernardi, and to pump him as thor-
oughly as possible relative to Don Pedro's past
history. Soon after his ' departure to meet Ber-
nardi, Senator Muirhead and Judge Key entered,
and we discussed the possibility of doing anything
with this new witness, Pietro Bernardi.
"Would it not be possible to frighten him into
tolling all he knows of Don Pedro? " asked the
Senator.
"I hardly think we could," I replied. " In the
first place, you have no charge whatever against
Bernardi, nor any reason to suppose that he has
ever been a criminal anywhere; hence, how could
we frighten him ? Moreover, he is a man of con-
siderable nerve, and he would see that, as against
third parties, his interests would be best served
by supporting, instead of attacking, Don Pedro.
No, I don't see anything to be gained as yet by
showing our hands. Our object is to recover
possession of the money paid to the Don for
those bogus diamond fields, and to do that, we
must wait until we have a sure case against him
i'oi- his crimes committed elsewhere."
"I agree with you wholly/' added Judge Key.
"Besides, this fellow, Bernardi, knows nothing
of the Don's forgeries and frauds except those
committed in Peru, and as we have before shown,
\\v could makt- MM use of those accusations until
228 PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
we hear from Peru. Indeed, it is questionable
how far we can proceed even then, for we have
no extradition treaty with that country."
"Well, I do not mind that very much," i
replied, "for my chief dependence is upon the
moral effect upon Don Pedro. I think that we
can so work upon him as to obtain his consent to
go to Peru voluntarily, rather than to be detained
here until a requisition arrives from England.
He knows that if he be sent to England, he will
be transported for a long term of years; whereas,
in Peru, he may avoid conviction altogether, or
purchase his escape after conviction."
"But can we make him give up his plunder ?"
asked the Senator, anxiously.
" I think we can." said I. " You see that he is
liable to be held here for obtaining money under
false pretenses, and during the trial the money
could be taken by attachment. Then, oven
though he should not be convicted, the delay
would enable us to make sure of sending him back
to London, where a heavy sentence would un-
doubtedly be given him. Now, by representing
these things to him, we shall induce him to hand
over the money voluntarily, and after that we
shall not care whether he is taken to Great Brit-
ain or Peru."
" If that be the case, why not arrest him now
and get the advices from London afterward?"
asked the Senator, who was very anxious to
hasten matters.
" Because we could not present a sufficient
PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
to hold him under the preliminary examination,"
replied Judge Key. " When we get official news
of the fellow's character from Peru, we shall
have a sure thing against- him, and then I shall
feel ready to act; but I agree with Mr. Pinkerton
that there would be danger in ove'rhaste. You
see, we have him carefully watched, and there is
no probability that he intends to make off until
after this fete champetre ; therefore, let us wait
for our foreign advices as long as we can, and in
case he prepares to go before they arrive, it will
be time enough to arrest him then."
"How about the Donna?" asked Muirhead.
" Do you propose to take any steps against her ? "
"I don't see how we can," I replied. "With
the exception of the sums she has received from
Mather, she has obtained nothing fraudulently;
and, as you may well suppose, we could never
get Mather to testify against her ; so I guess wo
need not trouble ourselves to interfere with the
lovely Donna at all."
Our conference then broke up with the under-
standing that we should assemble again the
moment any new facts in the case should be
developed. Just after the gentlemen had left,
Madame Sevier came in and reported a scene
between Mather and the Donna which had taken
pin*-" the previous evening.
The Don had remained at home entertaining
various guests until nine o'clock. He had tl
gone out with Lesparre and several other gentle-
men, to atlriid a baiujret and ball gi\-\ n by a
230 PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE.
semi-political club at one of the hotels. The
affair was attended by many highly respectable
ladies, particularly by those whose husbands had
any political aspirations, but it was not suffi-
ciently exclusive to satisfy the Donna, and she
remained at home. The visitors gradually drop-
ped out until only Mr. Mather remained, and
then Madame Sevier excused herself, on the plea
of fatigue, in order to retire. Instead of going to
her room, however, she hastened to the library
and hid herself behind a- statue standing in a
deep bay window, which was heavily shrouded
with drapery and^ curtains. Thus placed, she
was completely hidden from the sight of any one
in the library, though she had a perfect view
herself, and she could hear every word spoken in
the room.
As she expected, the Donna soon entered, fol-
lowed by Mr. Mather. The latter seemed to con-
sider that the Donna could refuse him nothing,
for he put his arms around her, and was about to
kiss her, when he found her fan quickly inter-
posed between their faces.
"You are too free with your caresses, Seflor
Mather," she said, coldly, slipping out of his em-
brace, and pointing out a chair to him at some
distance from the sofa, upon which she seated
herself.
Poor Mather was quite astonished, for, having
kissed her several times before, he supposed that
he could continue doing so whenever he wished;
but the Donna was an expert fisher of men, and
PIETRO AND THE DETECTIVE. 231
she recognized the force of that old proverb.
" Familiarity breeds contempt;" besides, she
wanted some more money, and she knew that
her elderly lover would gladly purchase her kisses
at a round price. The folly of giving them away
gratis could not be indulged in, therefore, and
si 10 kept her sighing swain at a distance for a
little time. She was too politic to give even the
slightest hint of her object in the conversation
which ensued, but she used every possible allure-
ment to fascinate her victim, while she would
allow him no liberties nor caresses. Mather
could not fail to recollect the affectionate manner
in which she had received his previous gifts, and
ho therefore decided to try the same policy again.
" I saw a beautiful camel's hair shawl to-day,"
h<> -said, "and I was going to get it for you, my
<1 \ir Lucia, but I did not know whether it would
suit you, and so I determined to let you select
your own gift. The shawl was worth one thou-
s.iixl dollars, and I made up my mind to give you
the amount that I should have paid for it, and
yon could then exercise your own taste."
"Oh! my dear Henry," she exclaimed, "how
thoughtful you are! How can I sufficiently
thank you?" and she made room for him on the
sofa, as he advanced holding out a roll of bills.
" You know how you can please me best," he
an-\voro<l, tondorly, bending over ho r.
"Oh! really, II<-nry, you mustn't," she pro-
o<l, feebly, as he showered kisses on her cheek?
and lips; "suppoM 4 any olio should COIPO in!"
232 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
As she spoke, a carriage stopped in front of th
house, and their affectionate tete-a-tete was in-
terrupted by the unexpected return of Lesparre,
who, having left his watch at home, had returned
to get it. He did not enter the parlor nor the
library, but the Donna seemed veiy much agi-
tated at the mere possibility of being detected in
a compromising situation, and so Mather took
his departure. The coolness with which she
counted the money, after he had gone, was in
striking contrast with her simulated embarrass-
ment while he was present, and it was plain
that, having obtained the gift, she was quite glad
to get rid of the giver. She went immediately
to her room, and Madame Sevier then retired
also.
CHAPTER VIH.
Don Pedro anxious for Pietro BemardPs Absence.
"Coppering the Jack and Playing the Ace and
Queen open" A Gambler that could not be Bought.
Splendid Winnings. Diamond cutting Diamond.
Bernardi quieted, and he subsequently (It-parts
richer by five thousand dollars.
AT eleven o'clock, Newton and Bernard! again
met at the post-office, and the latter re-
marked that he intended making a short call
upon his wealthy friend.
"Come along with me," he said, "and you will
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 233
see what a fine place he has. I shall not remain
very long, and if you will wait for me outside,
we can pass the day together. I hate to go
around alone in a strange city."
Accordingly they strolled along until they
reached Don Pedro's house, and Newton agreed
to remain near at hand until Bernard! should
finish his call. Salter was on the lookout, and
when Bernard! was admitted, he led the way to
Don Pedro's room. The moment the door closed
on Bernardi, Salter took his place at the auger-
holes in the adjoining closet, and overheard the
entire conversation, as before.
"Well, Pietro, have you decided how soon you
will be ready to leave town?" asked the Don.
"From your clothes, jewelry, and other pur-
chases you have made, you must have used up
most of the money I gave you, and, if so, your
departure must take place soon; for I warn you
again, I shall give you nothing more until you
depart for some distant city!"
"Well, to tell the truth," replied Bernardi, in
an independent, indifferent manner, "I am in no
hurry to go away just yet. You see, I have
been very lucky since I've been here, and if I
keep on, I guess I can repay you the amount
you kindly loaned me."
"Do you mean that you have been gambling
again? " asked the Don, in a vexed tone.
"Yes, and I have won constantly, so that I
don't like to change my luck by making a move
right away. You know gamblers are supersti
234 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
tious, and I have a strong feeling that it w ill be
for my interest to remain here for some time
yet."
"But you promised to go as soon as you felt
able to travel," said the Don.
" Well, there is no hurry. I haven't done you
any harm yet, and I don't mean to. Why are
you so anxious to get rid of me? "
Of course, Don Pedro's principal fear was that
Bernardi would learn how large a sum the former
had received for his bogus mines, and that he
would not be satisfied to go unless he got a large
slice of the plunder. It would not do, however,
to excite his suspicions by appearing too desirous
of sending him away, so the Don changed his
tone, and said:
" Oh ! I'm sure I don't want to get rid of you
as long as you keep sober and don't talk about
me; but you know how it is, Pietro; if you should
get drunk and talk about me, you would tell
everything you know, and the result would be
that I should have to flee the town without ac-
complishing my object. In that case, I should
lose not only all that I hoped to make, but also
all the immense outlay I have made in preparing
my scheme. If you want to go to New Orleans
again, I will start you in a faro-bank there, and
will come down there next winter to play with
you; but I confess I should feel easier if you were
out of Gloster for the present."
"Well, I will be ready to go in a few days, il
you insist upon it., but I don't see the necessity
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 235
of such haste. However, I will come in again
and talk about it before the end of the week. I
want to win a little more before I go."
"How have you been betting ?" asked Morito,
in a conciliatory manner.
"I have been 'coppering' the jack and play-
ing the ace and queen ' open,'* and I have won
constantly. I left them a few times and played
other cards, but I always lost when I did so.
Now I am going to stick to that scheme. righl
along."
"Where are you playing?" asked the Don,
carelessly.
"I generally go to Dave Carter's, in Mahogany
Block, for I think he deals a 'square' game."
"Yes, I suppose so," said Morito; "as much so
as any of them ; but they are all sharpers here,
and they may have been letting you win on pur-
pose, thinking that you had a large sum in re-
serve which they hope to catch hereafter. If
you will take my advice, you will stop while you
are ahead. You know, from your own experi-
ence as a banker, that the 'bank' always wins
in the end."
"Well, I shall try a few more games, and then
I shall be ready to talk with you about goin^
South. I want to ran my luck while it is good,"
and so saying, Bernardi rose to go.
* These are technical terms in playing faro. The player
meant that he was in the habit of making one bet that the
jack would foe a lo*intr card all the time, and another thai
we ace anil quivn would be winning cards
236 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
"All right, Pietro," said Don Pedro, "be care-
ful not to get swindled, and to keep silent about
me."
The moment Bernardi was gone, the Don rang
his bell violently, and sent for Monsieur Lesparre.
When the latter entered the Don's room, hr
found his employer in a more disturbed and ex
cited condition than he had ever before indulged
in, and evidently he meant mischief to some
one.
"Lesparre, that fellow Bernardi, of whom 1
spoke to you the other day, has been here
again," burst out the Don. " I gave him a con-
siderable sum of money to set him on his feet
again, for old acquaintance' sake, expecting that
he would return to his friends in the South, or,
at least, behave like a decent gentleman ; but he
has returned to his old habits of gambling and
drinking, so that, at any moment, he may come
here and mortify me before a party of my
guests, or, worse still, claim me as his friend
when arraigned in a police court for drunken-
ness, etcetera. He promised to leave town as
soon as the money I gave him was gone, and I
was to give him then a respectable sum to start
him in business elsewhere; but he has won' con-
siderably at the faro-table, and he is now inde-
pendent of me, and therefore declines to keep his
promise until he is ready."
" Would he go, do you think, if he should lose
all he has ? " asked Lesparre.
" Oh ! yes, indeed ; he would be forced to yield
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 237
to my terms then, and I should give hin . j .othing
until he started."
" How would it do to suggest to the proprietor
of the gambling rooms that it would be doubly
for his interest to fleece this man? I think it
could easily be done, if the ' bank ' were so dis-
posed."
"I have no doubt of it, especially as I know
the way he intends to bet all the time," replied
t ho Don, eagerly; "he 'coppers' the jack and plays
the ace and queen 'open.' It must be a pretty
poor dealer who cannot ' stack ' those cards, with
such a stake in view. Suppose you drop a hint
(o Dave Carter, or to the dealer to-night, bei >
Bcmardi goes there."
" I will go down at once," replied Lespan-o,
"and I will promise him three hundred dollars
additional if he wins all that Bernardi has; that
is not too much, is it? "
"No, indeed!" exclaimed the Don; "I would
gladly give five hundred, if necessary."
Lesparre arrived at the gambling rooms about
noon, and at that early hour no one was present
except the proprietor and one of the dealers.
Lesparre obtained an interview with the proprie-
tor alone, and then asked him if he would like to
make a thousand dollars.
"Oh! yes," he replied, in an indifferent way,
"I should have no objection, although it would
not be such a novelty that I need take a groat
deal of trouble about it. The k bank' often wiiia
more than that in a single evening.''
238 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOMX
"Well, there is a South American who has
been playing here recently, against whom I have
a bitter grudge. He has about six hundred dol-
lars now, most of which he has won here. He
has one regular system of playing ' coppering '
the ja.ck and playing the ace and queen to win
and you can easily fix those cards so as to clean
him out in one evening. The moment you have
done that, I will give you five hundred dollars
more."
The gambler fixed a keen look upon Lesparro
for a moment, and then replied that he was no
gudgeon to bite such a stale bait as that. He
added that they played a " square " game, and if a
man won, he was welcome to his winnings; but
that no trickery would be resorted to against any
patron of the house. Lesparre was obliged to
withdraw, feeling that he had made a mistake in
proposing the plan so openly.
That evening, after a day spent in playing bil-
liards and driving about, Bernardi and Newton
again entered the gambling saloon. Bernardi did
not make any bets for some time, but stood
watching the game in silence, apparently guess-
ing as to the winning and losing cards to deter-
mine whether he was in luck. Finally he bet
fifty dollars on the ace and lost; this was followed
by one hundred dollars on the same card, which
again lost. He waited a few deals and then placed
two hundred dollars on the queen to win, and one
hundred dollars on the jack to lose. The cards
fell as he had hoped, and gathering in his stakes
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 239
and winnings, he began betting in earnest. His
luck was wonderful, and as all his bets were for
fifty dollars or more, he soon had quite a large
sum. Presently he stopped betting, and went to
the bar with Newton. They talked and drank
together for some minutes, but Bernard} was not
ready to leave just then. His winnings wore al-
ready quite sufficient to cause the proprietor to
regard him with a considerable degree of interest,
and when he returned to the faro-table, a seat
was given him at once. He made no bets for
some minutes, but at length he asked:
" What is your limit to-night ? "
" Five hundred dollars," was the reply.
Bernardi then placed four hundred dollars on
the nine spot, and, a moment later, he was again
a winner. He now seemed satisfied, for he pre-
sented his "chips" for payment, and received
cash therefor. The proprietor then invited Ber-
nardi and Newton to drink with him, and, while
standing at the sideboard, the proprietor asked
Bernardi whether he had many acquaintances in
the city.
"No," replied Bernardi, "I have very few;
why do you ask ? "
" Because one of them is your enemy, or else
he was trying to play a trick on the ' bank ' this
morning," continued the proprietor, watching
Bernardi narrowly. "He came in about noon,
:>nd wanted the cards put up so that you should
be cleaned out of all your money."
240 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
' The devil you say ! " ejaculated Bernard! ;
" why did he want to clean me out ? "
" That I can't say ; but he told me that he had
a bitter grudge against you, and that he would
give a great deal to injure you."
"I do -not know any one here who could say
that of me," replied Bernardi, thoughtfully.
"There is only one man in the city who knows
me intimately, and I do not see why he should
wish me to lose, even if he did hate me. Was he
a South American, like myself ? "
"No; he might have been a foreigner, but he
was not dark-complexioned."
"Well, I cannot imagine who it could have
been," mused Bernardi ; "and I guess I need not
be afraid pf him, if he goes to work in that round-
about way. However, I am obliged to you for
the information, and I will take care that he does
not drop on me unexpectedly. So-long."
As Bernardi walked down the street with New-
ton, he was evidently deeply abstracted, for he
muttered to himself in Spanish, and swore at in-
tervals in quite an excited manner. Finally, he
said aloud:
"I don't know what to think about this story
It may be that this gambler made it up to shake
my nerves, or to cover some plot against me; but
I have a sort of feeling that Don Juan is at the
bottom of it. I don't fear him one bit, but I want
to solve the mystery, and if he has been plotting
against me, I will have my revenge upon him.
But, no; I can't see what he could gain by it, and
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 241
I think, perhaps, this gang despair of bi eaking
my luck, and are planning to rob me by force."
" That seems reasonable/' replied Newton, "for
then you would attribute the act to this unknown
enemy, and they would escape suspicion. Still,"
he continued, anxious to lead the conversation
back to Don Pedro as a subject, " your first sup-
position may be the correct one, and your pre-
tended friend may be scheming to ruin you."
' ' But why should he want me to lose money? "
persisted Bernardi. "He knows that I should
come to him for more, and that he would be
obliged to give it to me."
" Perhaps he would like to get rid of your pres-
ence," cautiously suggested Newton; "and if you
were penniless, he could insist upon your de-
parture as a condition upon which alone he would
give you money."
" Caramba! I believe you are right, my friend,"
Bernardi exclaimed, furiously; "and if I find that
it is so, I will make Don Juan, or Don Pedro, as
he carls himself now, regret the day he played me
false."
" Don't be over-hasty," counseled Newton, "for
the whole story may be a gambler's lie after all. 1 '
"Oh! I will investigate it carefully," an-
swered Bernardi, "and, when I am satisfied
about the truth of the matter, I will consult with
you as to the best course to pursue. It is a good
thing to have a friend to advise with, especially
among such a gang of thieves as seem to hang
n
24:2 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
'round these rooms. Meet me to-morrow, as
usual, and I will go see my friend again."
The men then separated, and went to their re-
spective lodgings for the night.
In the morning they met, took breakfast
together, and afterwards sauntered down to visit
Don Pedro. As before, Bernardi was conducted
straight to the Don's room, and Salter again sta-
tioned himself in the closet to listen.
" So you are still successful ? " was the first re-
mark he heard.
"Yes, moderately so," replied Bernardi; "but
it is strange how cards run sometimes."
" Well, you ought not to be astonished at any-
thing after your long experience in gambling."
"Oh! I'm never astonished," said Bernardi,
who had drunk a good deal of brandy before and
after breakfast; "but I was thinking how lucky
it was that I changed my mind last night about
playing those three cards the jack, ace, and
queen."
" How so ? " asked Morito.
"Well, if I had played the jack 'coppered,'
and the ace and queen ' open,' last night, all the
evening, I should have been entirely cleaned out;
what do you think of that ? "
" I think you were very lucky in having played
elsewhere," replied the Don; "but what's the
matter with you ? What makes you look at me
so strangely ? "
"I want to find out whether it was you \v ho
sent a man to tell Dave Carter, the gambler, how
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. '243
I was playing, and to ask him to fix the cards so
that I should lose all I had."
Bernardi's voice was husky with liquor and
anger, and he had evidently worked himself up
into a great rage ; but, in spite of his partial in-
toxication, he was very determined, and his tones
foreboded no good-will to the Don. In a contest
of words, however, he was no match for his op-
ponent, and Don Pedro instantly took the most
effectual method for quieting his visitor's sus-
picions.
"My dear Pietro," he began, contemptuously,
"I gave you credit for more common-sense than
you seem disposed to claim for yourself. Why
should I want you to lose ? On the contrary, I
would like to see you win enough to start in
business for yourself, and repay me what I have
loaned you, for I assure you that I much prefer
to have you spend your money than mine. I
have none too much for my own wants, and if
you could repay me, I should be delighted. What
is the reason for your question ? "
Bernardi did not reply for two or three
minutes ; he was evidently keenly scrutinizing
Don Pedro's face ; but at length he said :
" Well, it's all right now, and I suppose I was
wrong to suspect you; but the proprietor of the
place where I gamble told me that some one had
been trying to get him to play a trick on mo,
and I determined to find out who it was."
"Well, Pietro, I don't think you would have
thought of suspecting me if your head had not
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
been fuddled with liquor. Why can't you stop
drinking for a month or two? "
"What do you care about my drinking?'"
asked Bernardi, in a half -cowed manner.
" Because Pietro drunk is a very different fel-
low from Pietro sober; and some day you will
let out some damaging reports about me, and
then all hope of making anything here will be
destroyed. If I could feel sure that you would
remain sober, I would gladly start you in a good
'bank' here."
Of course, Don Pedro had no intention of doing
anything of the kind, but he saw that Bernardi
was in a dangerous mood, and that he must
handle him very skillfully if he wished to get
him to leave the city. The Don knew that to
urge him to leave would be the surest way to
make him stay, but that, if left to follow his
own inclinations, he would be anxious to go
South, where the climate and people were more
congenial to him. Hence, Don Pedro boldly
took the ground that he was quite willing for
Bernardi to stay if he would only keep sober,
and Bernardi quickly fell into the trap.
" I don't want to start a 'bank ' in this place,"
he said, "and I can't get along in this climate
without drinking. I have been moderately suc-
cessful here, and I am in no hurry to leave, but I
should like to go back to New Orleans, if I could
lit up a good place there, and deal a first-class
game."
"How much would you need for that pur-
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 245
pose ? " asked the Don. " If I can let you have it,
I will do so, and you can stay here or go back to
New Orleans, as you may prefer; only I shall
make one condition: that you promise faithfully
to drink nothing but wine while you are in this
city, until I get ready to leave. Will three thou-
sand dollars be enough? "
" Hardly; I have won some money here, to be
sure, but it will cost a good deal to spread a hand-
some layout in New Orleans as for this place,
there are not enough gentlemen gamesters here;
the gamblers are all trying to live on each other.
If you will make it five thousand, I will start for
New Orleans day after to-morrow."
"That is more than I ought to pay out in my
present circumstances," said the Don, thought-
fully; "but I guess I can run the establishment
on credit for about a month, and that will help
me out; so if you will go to-morrow, I will give
you five thousand when you start."
" Done! " replied Bernardi, much gratified at
having obtained so large a sum. " I have noth-
ing to do except to get a young lady friend to
go with me, and she won't need a great while to
make her preparations. So you can have the
money ready to-morrow? "
"It shall be awaiting you any time that you
call for it," answered Morito, and Bernardi then
took hitj departure.
On joining Newton, Bernardi was in high
spirits, and he talked very freely of his intended
plans.
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
"My friend convinced me that he had nothing
to do with the trick which the gambler said some
one tried to play upon me, and as a proof of hia
regard, he is going to give me a start in New Oi -
leans. I shall leave here to-morrow, and if you
would like to go in with me, we can make a pile
of money there."
"I can't very well leave here for some time
yet," said Newton, "for I have a large sum
staked in bets on the races next month, and I
shall have no money until they take place. I
have a sure thing on a new horse, and I have got
such large odds that I have put up every dollar I
could reach. I shall clear about ten thousand
dollars sure, and then if you are so disposed, I
will join you in New Orleans."
"All right, we'll do it; but then, you may lose
everything instead of winning. I don't care to
bet on races, myself; there are too many chances
to deal from the bottom."
"There is no danger in this case, so you must
let me know where I can find you, and within a
month I will join you in the Crescent City."
Bernardi then went to see his fair and frail
charmer, to obtain her company on his Southern
trip, and Newton came to my room to report. I
instructed him to stay with Bernardi as much a>:
possible while the latter remained in the city,
and to be sure to obtain his address in New Or-
leans. I then called upon Senator Muirhead and
informed him of the proposed departure of Ber-
nardi. The Senator was very anxious to detain
DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND. 247
him in some way, in order to get his test imony,
in case we should fail to hear from England or
Peru in time; but I was unable to suggest any
plan for holding this man without exposing our
whole connection with the case. Bernard! vVcis
evidently ready to act in good faith with Don
Pedro, and any endeavor to retard his departure
would be regarded by him as coming from the
gang of gamblers from whom he had won money.
There was no doubt but that he would keep up a
correspondence with Newton, and we should thus
know where to find him in case his presence
should be needed. We decided, therefore, to let
him go as he intended.
Early in the evening, Bernard! and Newton
went as usual to the gaming-rooms. There they
met a stranger, who seemed to be a Spaniard or
Cuban. Bernard! addressed him in Spanish, and
after some conversation, they sat down to play.
By some freak of luck, Bernardi continually won
his small bets, but whenever he put out a large
amount, he lost. The Cuban stranger had the
same experience, and at length Bernardi rose in
disgust and left the rooms with Newton, having
lost about two hundred dollars.
" Those fellows have got some kind of a ' skin-
game' at work," he said, "and they tried to beat
me and that Cuban out of all our cash. I gave
him a hint in Spanish before I came away, and I
hope he will stop before they fleece him. Now
let us go to the theatre."
They attended one of tho theatres, and then
248 DIAMOND CUTTING DIAMOND.
had a glorious supper at Bernardi's expense after
the performance was over. About midnight,
they parted with mutual good wishes, and Ber-
nardi promised to write to Newton as soon as ho
should reach New Orleans.
The next morning Bernardi called upon Don
Pedro and received the promised amount of five
thousand dollars, assuring him that he should
leave the city that afternoon. As soon as he left
the house, the Don asked Lesparre to keep a
watch upon Bernardi to make sure of his leaving
according to promise. When Lesparre returned
about three o'clock, and reported that Bernardi
was then actually on his way to Cairo, accompa-
nied by a young lady, the Don was overjoyed,
and he expressed himself greatly relieved thereby.
" Now we can take more interest in our fete
champetre, and we will make it the most delight-
ful affair ever known in this country," he said,
exultantly. " When it is over, my dear Le-
sparre, we will make a tour of the fashionable
watei -ing-places, and enjoy life to the full."
"BOBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 249
CHAPTER IX.
Important Information from the Peruvian Govern
ment. Arrival in Gloster of the Peruvian Minixtt-r
and Consul. In Consultation. "Robbing J*< f< /
to pay Paul." Mr. Pinkertorfs card is presented.
Juan Sanchez, I arrest ydu, and you are my Pris-
oner. Mr. Pinkerton not "For Sale." A Dra-
matic Scene. The Bubble burst.
SEVERAL days now sped by with no fresh de-
velopments, and Don Pedro was almost con-
stantly engaged in his preparations for the fete
champetre. As the day approached, society was
stirred to its very center, and nothing was spoken
of save this grand event of the season.
But four days remained before the fete, when I
was delighted by receiving a letter from the Sec-
retary of State for Peru, giving full particulars
of the forgeries and frauds committed by Don
Juan Sanchez in that country, and enclosing a
fine portrait of the man. One glance at the pio-
ture was sufficient to assure me of the identity
of Don Pedro P. L. de Morito with Don Juan
Sanchez, and I now felt ready to act. The letter
informed me that a Peruvian official would be
dispatched to Gloster at once, to obtain the arrest
of Don Pedro, though there were a great many
difficulties in the way, owing to the lack of an
extradition treaty. Every effort would be ma<li>,
however, to bring him to justice, and the Pom
11*
ii50 "ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
vian Minister at Washington would be instructed
to confer with me.
I informed Senator Muirhead and Judge Key
of this news, and they were both much encour-
aged at the prospect, especially as we learned
that a Peruvian man-of-war had arrived in New
York from AspinwalL, it being doubtless intended
that this vessel should take the prisoner to Peru,
in case he could be frightened into surrendering
himself.
The fete was to take place on Wednesday, if
the weather should be favorable, or on the first
pleasant day thereafter, and everything was al-
ready in complete order for the grand occasion.
A large and elegant steamer had been chartered
to convey the guests to the island, and she was to
make several trips during the day for the conven-
ience of business men who could not go early.
There remained nothing further to be done, ex-
cept to pray for fine weather on the important
day.
On Monday morning I was told that two gen-
tlemen were waiting to see me, on very import-
ant business, at one of the leading hotels. I ac-
companied the messenger, and was at once shown
to the room of the Peruvian Minister, who was
accompanied by the Peruvian Consul at New
York. Before proceeding to business, I informed
the Minister that I was acting under the instruc-
tions of Senator Muirhead, and that I should like
to send for that gentleman, and for my legal ad-
visor, Judge Key. The Peruvian officials made
" ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 251
no objection, and both Judge Key and the Sena
tor were soon with us, ready for consultation.
As the new arrivals were tired and dusty after
their long journey, we merely exchanged infor-
mation relative to Don Pedro, and agreed to meet
at ten o'clock next morning, to make plans for
his arrest.
At the appointed hour, Ve were all prompt in
arriving at the parlor of the Minister. The latter
and the Consul, in accordance with a suggestion
I had made the day previous, had not mentioned
their official rank to any one, and had remained
as secluded as possible, in order to prevent Morito
from knowing of their arrival in the city.
The Minister stated that the forgeries of Don
Juan Sanchez in Peru had been so enormous,
amounting to more than seven hundred thousand
dollars, that the government had taken up the
pursuit of the criminal with unusual zeal, and no
effort nor expense would be spared to bring him
to justice. Unfortunately, however, in the ab-
sence of any extradition treaty between Peru
and the United States, the chances of securing
Don Juan, even now that he had been discov-
ered, were not bright; indeed, the Minister ac-
knowledged that he saw no way of accomplish
ing it.
" By an appeal to law, " said Judge Key, ' ' noth-
ing can be gained; but it is possible that my
friend, Mr. Pinkerton, may have a plan which
will induce Don Pedro, as he now calls himself,
i;nvii<l'i voluntarily rather than stand trial
252 " ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAXIL."
here or in Great Britain. Let us hear your opin-
ion, then, Mr. Pinkerton."
"Well, gentlemen," I replied, "this is a caso
where the greatest care must be exercised, for the
criminal is a bold, skillful man, of good educa-
tion and address, with, probably, a fair knowl-
edge of his legal rights. We cannot afford to
make any mistakes, f6V he would surely take ad-
vantage of them. We must, therefore, present
the case to him in such a way that he will be-
lieve it to be to his interest to give himself up.
The presence of the Peruvian man-of-war in New
York is very fortunate, for, once under her flag,
he cannot escape; but he must be induced to go
on board voluntarily, or else we shall be liable to
the charge of kidnapping."
I then explained the method by which he had
had swindled the citizens of Gloster, and showed
how difficult it would be to convict him of any-
thing, owing to the probability that his victims
would refuse to testify against him; besides, for
obtaining money under false pretenses, a short
imprisonment only could be inflicted, and then he
would be free to go where he pleased.
"However," I continued, "I think I can pre
sent to him his position in such a light that he
will regard a surrender to the Peruvian author-
ities as preferable to a long trial and detention
here, with the possibility of being sent to Cali-
fornia or Great Britain for trial on a more serious
charge. When he knows that we are fully ac-
"ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 253
quainted with his past career, he may be willing
to accept our terms rather than to defy us. "
"Suppose, however," said the Minister, "that
he should refuse all terms, and determine to fight
it out?"
" In that case," I replied, "we should be obliged
to arrest him here for obtaining money undei
false pretenses, and be prepared to arrest him
again the moment he should be set free, repeat-
ing the operation as often as we could get differ-
ent victims to enter complaint against him. The
number of stockholders in this bogus company is
quite large, so that we could easily hold him un-
til a requisition could be obtained from California
or England."
"How large a sum has he in his possession
now ? " asked the Consul.
"About half a million dollars," replied the
Senator.
"Well," said the Consul, "that sum will go
far toward reimbursing the people whom he
swindled in Peru, so I think that Mr. Pinker-
ton's plan is the best that can be adopted. We
might induce him to go aboard our vessel by
promising to use our influence to lighten his sen-
tence, in case he makes restitution to his victims
in Peru."
The Consul made these remarks with a wise
expression, as if he thought he had hit upon a
very easy way of solving the problem The S
ator, Judge Key, and I exchanged looks of aston-
ishment and ainii- ni'-ut at tliis cool proposal to
254: "ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
take our citizens' money to reimburse the Peru-
vians; it was a case of "robbing Peter to pay
Paul " which we could not appreciate. Finally,
I said :
" I presume that there can be no question as
to the way to dispose of this money which Don
Pedro has in his possession. Not one penny of
it came from Peru, and we cannot permit any of
it to be taken there. On arriving here Don Pedro
had only a few thousand dollars, which he ob-
tained in England by forgery. This sum he has
already used up, and the only money in his pos-
session has been obtained by the sale of his ficti-
tious diamond fields in Peru. It would be mani-
festly unjust to allow this money to be taken
away, and it is our intention to obtain it at all
hazards, whatever may become of the Don."
" Oh ! I shall make no such claim, Mr. Pinker-
ton," said the Minister ; "that was only a sug-
gestion of the Consul, who did not understand
exactly how the money referred to came into this
man's hands. All that I care for is to get Don
Pedro on board our vessel, and I shah 1 be pleased
to pay for your services in the matter. We must
be careful, however, that there shall be no op-
portunity to charge us with kidnapping, for we
\vish to avoid any possibility of complications
with the United States ; the fellow has made us
trouble enough already."
"I will arrange that matter satisfactorily," I
replied ; " as .for the question of payment, I air
acting wholly in the interest of Senator Muirhead,
"ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 255
and under his instructions, so that I can accept
nothing except from him."
We spent an hour or two more in preparing
papers and arranging the details of our plans, the
conclusion being that we should make the arrest
that evening, about seven o'clock, when there
would be f eV or no visitors at Don Pedro's house.
As I had supposed, there was no charge whatever
against the Donna, and pay only intentions with
regard to her were to see that she did not carry
off any of the money belonging to the Diamond
Company stockholders, nor assist the Don to
escape. It was decided to send Don Pedro to
New York immediately, in case he yielded to our
terms, and the Donna would be at liberty to go
or stay, as she might see fit.
On returning to my office, I found Bangs and
Lesparre awaiting me, and the latter said that he
believed the Don and Donna intended to take
flight immediately after the fete. They probably
desired to finish their career in Gloster in a blaze
of glory, and, as they would not be expected to
receive visitors for two or three days after the
, they would have a good start before their
departure would become known. I told Lesparre
to see that Madame Sevier and Salter kept a close
watch for the remainder of the day, and in case
any attempt should be made to remove the box
containing Don Pedro's coin, he must send Sailor
to m<> instantly witli the news. I also sugges 1
that the servants be kept out of the way that
t hut no one should know of om N i
256 ''ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
Lesparre departed to attend to his duties, and I
remained to complete the details of my plans
with Mr. Bangs, who had arrived from Chicago
with two detectives, in obedience to my sum-
mons.
About six o'clock, Senator Muirhead and Judge
Key arrived, and a more nervous man than tho
former I never saw. In a few minutes the Peru
vian Minister and Consul arrived, and we pro
ceeded in carriages to Don Pedro's house, the
Senator remaining at the hotel, however. We
left the carriages a short distance away, so as not
to attract attention, and, while Mr. Bangs's two
men stationed themselves to watch the house, the
rest of my party ascended the steps and were
admitted by Salter.
" The family are still at dinner," said Salter,
"but they are finishing the dessert, and I pre-
sume Don Pedro will go to the billiard-room after
dinner to smoke, as usual."
11 Give him my card as he leaves the dining-
room," I said, " and tell him that I am waiting
to see him in the drawing-room."
In a few minutes, Don Pedro and Lesparre rose
from the table, and Salter gave my card to the
former.
" Pinkerton ! Pinkerton ! I don't know any one
of that name; do I, Lesparre ? "
" Possibly it may be some gentleman having
business with you in connection with the fete,"
suggested Lesparre.
" ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 257
" Ah! very true; where is he, George ? I will
see him at once," said the Don, unsuspectingly.
Salter led the way to the drawing-room, where
I alone was waiting, the rest of the party having
waited in the vestibule. As he entered, followed
by Lesparre, I rose and said:
" Juan Sanchez, I arrest you, and you are now
my prisoner! " and, so saying, I put my hand on
his shoulder.
He turned very pale, and sat down in the near-
est chair, while Lesparre quickly brought him a
glass of water. I then continued:
" Juan Sanchez, or Jose Gomez more properly,
we will retire to the library if you wish, as we
may be interrupted here by the arrival, of some of
your friends, and I do not wish to expose you at
present."
" What do you mean by addressing me in this
manner ? " he replied, trying to regain his com-
posure. " My name is neither Sanchez nor Go-
mez."
"It is a long time since you have been so
called," I answered, " but your victims in Brazil
and Peru still retain the names in their memories
without difficulty. I will now present to you the
Minister of Peru and the Peruvian Consul at New
York, both of whom have taken a lively interest
in your past life and actions."
Just as I spoke, the Donna and Madame Sevier
entered, and the former, seeing the abject appon r-
ance of her husband, asked what was the matter.
" Your husband is a prisoner, madam," I re-
258 "BOBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
plied ; " and as our interview would be painful to
you, I must ask you to withdraw for the present
at least."
She immediately gave an hysterical scream,
and sank upon a divan sobbing frantically.
Madame Sevier succeeded in quieting her some-
what, and she remained on the scene with her
face buried in the Madame's lap. I felt confident
that much of her emotion was feigned, and that
she was an attentive listener to all that took place
about her; however, I made no objection, but re-
quested Mr. Bangs, who was watching in the hall,
to admit the Minister and the rest of the party.
As Mr. Bangs withdrew, the Don stepped up to
me and said:
"Mr. Pinkertoii, I wiU give you five thousand
dollars if you will leave me alone for half an
hour. "
I smiled, and looking at my watch, said:
"It is now seven o'clock; at ten o'clock you
will be on your way to New York."
"Toucan have ten thousand, if you will let
me go; I will pay you the cash in coin imme-
diately."
"Your offers are useless," I replied; "I will
let no guilty man escape if it can be avoided."
As I spoke, the Peruvian Minister, the Consul,
and Judge Key entered, and we proceeded in a
body to the library, leaving the Donna in the care
of Madame Sevier. On the way thither, the Don
made one more effort to appear in the role of au
injured innocent
"ROBBING PETER TO PAY ,'AUL." 259
" I don't understand this proceeding at all," he
said, "and I claim my liberty. What authority
have you for arresting me in my own house? "
"I have the authority, and that is sufficient,"
I replied, coolly. "If you desire to be taken at
once to jail, I have no objection to granting your
request; but I thought, perhaps, you might first
prefer to hear what these gentlemen have to say."
I have arrested and have watched a great
many criminals, but I have never seen one who,
having carried out such an extensive scheme of
villainy, was so utterly broken down as this man
was. I had feared that his nerve might be firm
enough to answer my threats with defiance, and
force me to bring him to trial in Gloster ; but I
saw that there was no danger of such a misfor-
tune, and so I stood aside while the Peruvian
Minister addressed him.
"Juan Sanchez," said the Minister, "I have
come here to obtain your removal to Peru, thai
you may be tried there for your numberless
forgeries in that country. A Peruvian war-ship is
now in New York harbor, and you will be placed
on board of her for transportation to Peru. Mr.
Pinkerton's superintendent will proceed with you
to-night."
The Don was speechless for a moment, and
then, glancing up, he said, in a sullen voice :
"I want to know what I am charged with,
and by what right you send me to Peru. I am
entitled to a hearing, and a lawyer to defend
me."
260 "BOBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
"My friend, Judge Key, who is present, is a
most able lawyer," I replied, "and you can con-
sult with him if you wish advice; but first let
me show you your true position. Your real
name, Don Jose Gomez, was given you in Brazil,
where it is remembered only to be cursed; Don
Juan Sanchez was your name in Peru, and your
crimes there are also well known; as Don Jose
Michel, there are serious charges against you in
San Francisco; Don Pedro Michel is badly wanted
in Quito, where he would probably be shot, as
they treat criminals there rather unceremoni-
ously; and Don Jose Alias would undoubtedly be
transported for life if the London detectives
should discover his present hiding place, to say
nothing of a lively interest which the French
gens d'armes take in the same person. All of
these people are now informed that the person
whom they wish to find is living in Gloster as
Don Pedro P. L. de Morito, and they are at this
moment hastening agents here to arrest him.
By chance, the Peruvian authorities are the first
to arrive, and they have, therefore, the happy
privilege of making the arrest. Now, as you are
probably aware, the Minister will have some
difficulty in obtaining an order from Washington
authorizing me to send you to Peru, for want of
an extradition treaty; but while you are under
arrest here, we can easily get warrants from
either California, England, or France, and then
you can take your choice between being shot by
vigilantes in California, transported to Van
" ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 261
Dieman's Land by England, or sent to vvoik in the
galleys by France. This is your present situa-
tion, and I am perfectly indifferent which course
you prefer. If you decide to go with the Peru-
vian Minister, you must agree to do so voluntarily,
until you are placed on board the Peruvian vessel,
and you must make an assignment of all your
money and property here to reimburse the people
whom you have swindled by the sale of fictitious
diamond-fields. If you are willing to comply
with these conditions, you will sign all the neces-
sary papers at once, and you will leave for New
York to-night, uefore the English extradition
writ arrives; if you refuse these conditions, 1
shall hold you until that writ, or one from Cali-
fornia, arrives."
The Don was evidently in no mood for defiance:
the knowledge of his past history which I dis-
played had wholly cowed him, and my allusions
to the vigilantes of California, and the galleys of
France, made him tremble like a leaf. He knew
perfectly well the extent of his crimes in those
places, and, also, that my hints of his probable
punishment were not fancy sketches. Finally,
h<- asked to see me alone, but I refused to grant
his request, knowing his object: Then he wished
to see the Minister alone, and I again objected,
but I accompanied the two to another room,
where they conversed in Spanish for some time.
The Minister told me that the Don offered the
whole of his money and property to allo\v him to
escape; but, finding his off ers useless, he agreed tc
262 "ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL."
go to Peru for trial. No pledges were made to him
to infli icnce his decision, though he begged so hard
that the Minister would intercede for him with
the authorities in Peru, that his Excellency
finally promised, in view of the Don's consent to
go willingly, to recommend that his punishment
be the lightest that the law could allow. The
Don having fully yielded to the arguments of the
Minister and myself, nothing remained to be
done except to obtain his signature to the papers
which had been already prepared, and to pack
his trunk for his journey. Lesnarre and Salter
performed the latter task while the Don was
signing the papers, and writing out his voluntary
agreement to deliver himself up to the Peruvian
authorities. The most important document was
a deed assigning his furniture, horses, carriages,
paintings, statuary, books, and, in short, all his
personal property, to Judge Key, to be disposed
of at the latter's discretion, and the proceeds,
with the large amount of cash on hand, to be ap-
plied to repay the subscribers to the Diamond
Company stock. In case there should not be suf-
ficient to pay them in full, the payments should
be made pro rata; but should there be an excess,
such excess should be applied to the paymen t of
the Don's private debts, contracted prior to that
date. This provision was, of course, necessary to
shut out the bills for supplies and services at the
fete on the following day. Evidently it was too
late to interfere with that interesting entertain-
ment without throwing a heavy -loss on many
"ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL." 263
persons who could not afford to be the sufferers,
and I saw only one way to prevent this, namely;
to let the fete go on, and make those who danced
pay the piper.
When the documents had all been signed, I
said:
*' Jos6 Gomez, you fully understand the mean-
ing of this paper?" holding up his surrender to
the Peruvian authorities; " it gives me power to
convey you to New York and place you on board
of a Peruvian vessel, using force, if necessary."
The Don bowed his head submissively, and said
that he so understood it. The acknowledgment
of the deeds was then made by Judge Key, who
was a notary public, and our success was com-
plete. The Donna was then informed that her
husband would be taken East that night, and she
professed to be much affected. I told her that
there was no charge against her, and that she
could go with her husband, or stay in Gloster,
according to her own wishes. She said that she
would go with him if Madame Sevier could ac-
company them. I had no objection to this, and
the two ladies retired to pack their trunks. There
was some uncertainty in my mind whether some
of the Don's cash might not be in the Donna's
possession; but I felt rather confident that she
kept her money entirely separate from his, and
that I could trust to Madame Sevier's acuteness
to discover how much the Donna had on hand.
I was not disappointed, for, while packing, the
Donna told the Madame that she had about nine
26 i "ROBBING PETER TO PAY AUL."
thousand dollars, the remains of her gifts from
Mather, but that she could secure an immense
sum out of the iron box if she could get it opon.
I had already made the Don confess where he
had hidden his money, and one of my detectives
was placed to guard the box; hence, the Donna
was disappointed in her attempts to make a raid
on the treasury. While the packing was going
on, I sent to the railroad depot and bought eight
railroad tickets for the party, which was to con-
sist of the Minister, the Consul, the Don and
Donna, Mr. Bangs, Madame Sevier, and two of
my men. At half -past nine o'clock the party
was ready and the trunks were sent off. I had
kept a close watch upon the Don until now, and
I saw that he hoped to escape while traveling.
When the carriages were announced, I stepped
up to him and told him that my invariable cus-
tom in such cases would require me to put him
in irons to prevent any attempt at escape.
''Shall you permit me to be treated in this
manner? " he said to the Peruvian Minister.
"You are not yet in the custody of the Peru-
vian authorities," I replied, " and I am responsi-
ble for your safe delivery in New York; hence I
must take such precautions as I consider neces-
sary. When you are on board the Peruvian ves-
sel, the Minister can give such orders concerning
you as he may think proper; but, until then, I
alone have the right to determine what shall be
done with you."
In a moment, I had placed a light set of
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 265
shackles on his feet, and handcuffs on his wrists;
he was quite submissive now, and only seemed
anxious to avoid observation.
As we passed out to the carriages, the Donna
handed me a note, addressed to Henry 0. Mather,
and asked me to have it delivered immediately.
I agreed to send it at once, though I sent it in
such a manner that he should not receive it until
the morning after the fete. The party arrived at
1 he depot in time to secure seats together, and at
ten o'clock the train bore them from the city.
CHAPTER X.
77ie F%te Champetre. A Grand Carnival. Tfie Dis-
appointed Married Lover. A Vain Tien nest. Un-
masked! A Shrewd Caterer and his lImnUi<tii'j
Demands. An Lnl!i/nant Deacon. Don J
t'ik&n, to Peru in a Man-of- War, where he is Con-
meted and Sentenced to Fifteen Years' Tin/>r
ment. But the Donna manages to Satisfy her
Affections in a quiet way in New York.
npo the great delight of hundreds of people in
JL Gloster, Wednesday morning revealed all
the indications of a pleasant day, and by noon
'veather was so lovely that nothing could
have been more auspicious for the grand occa-
sion. As the hour approached for the departure
of the steamer, carriage after carriage drew up
at the dock to discharge its load of brilliant ly-
12
266 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
diessed and masked ladies and gentlemen. The
only person who was not completely protect r-d
from recognition was Monsieur Lesparre, who
stood at the gangway to receive the guests, and
wore a plain evening dress, with no mask.
In order to prevent the attendance of persons
who had not been invited, each guest ^*<is 1V
quired to present his or her invitation, and, as
there were, as usual, many who had forgotten to
bring their cards, Lesparre remained at hand to
pass them on board, on leaving their names.
When the hour of departure arrived, the boat
swung out into the stream, amid the laughter
and merry shouts of the gay revelers that
crowded her decks, as the band flooded the air
with music.
At first there was some embarrassment and re-
serve in the intercourse between the masquer-
aders, owing to the novelty of their situation, and
the fact that the ladies at first clung closely to
their own little parties, with whom they had come
and to whom they were known ; but soon this
feeling wore off. They began to enter into the
merry spirit of revelry which characterizes such
entertainments in the cities of the Old World.
The idea of personal identity began to be lost in
the gayety of the moment, and in its place was
substituted an identification of each person with
the character which that person represented. The
balmy airs of a perfect spring day wafted to them
the sounds of country life along the shores of the
river, and gave sensations both novel and plnas-
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 267
ing to the gaj denizens of the city, who rarely
experienced any change from their routine of
fashionable entertainments. During the trip by
steamer there was much speculation as to the
disguises worn by the Don and Donna, and though
oral persons were suspected of being the host
and hostess, there was no sufficient way of iden-
tifying them.
At length the island was reached, and the party
disembarked. The scene, as they took possession
of the tents, booths, and pleasure-grounds, was
brilliant and attractive beyond anything which
the guests had ever witnessed. The island was
covered with large trees, whose branches and
foliage afforded a delightful shade. The close
underbrush had been removed everywhere, ex-
cept in certain ravines and other picturesque
spots,- so that the island presented a fine example
of the beauties of landscape gardening. The fore-
ground, at the place of landing, was a level ex-
panse of green turf, which had been laid there
weeks before. This was partly arranged for
divliery grounds, while rustic seats and swings
were to be found under every tree. A large plat-
form, for open-air dancing, was placed at the foot
of the first ridge from the landing, while near by
\vufi an enclosed dancing-hall, to be used in the
evening. Two bands were in attendance to play
dance music constantly, one resting while the
other played. It was understood thaj dinner
would be served, at four o'clock exactly, in a long
268 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
dining-room near the dancing-hall, and at that
time every one was to unmask.
As the party spread over the grounds and be-
gan to enjoy all the opportunities for pleasure
afforded them, they presented a most novel ap-
pearance. There were representatives, both male
and female, of nearly every known nationality,
and all 'the leading characters of historical and
fictional literature were admirably delineated.
Of course, among such members there were
many accidental repetitions of the same char-
acter, but there were also instances offac similes,
which were intentional. This was a frequent
cause of mistakes and embarrassing adventures,
and often, when a gay cavalier was talking in
tender tones to some lovely senorita whom he be-
lieved he knew, he would be astonished to see a
second senorita, exactly like the first, passing un-
concernedly by.
The afternoon was spent in rowing, sailing,
shooting, dancing, and flirting, and all agreed
that they had never known a more truly delight-
ful day. An elegant lunch was kept ready at all
times in a large buffet, adjoining the dining-room,
and all kinds of wines and liquors were served
freely. The hour for dinner was fast approach-
ing, and, of course, by that time, many recogni-
tions had been made, though large numbers still
carefully and successfully preserved their own
secrets; some, however, had already abandoned
their masks, still retaining the fancy costumes.
Among these was Mr. Mather, who wandered
A GRAXD CARXIVA1 269
over the island half distraught. He had vainly
searched for the Donna all day, acd had been un-
able to enjoy anything because he could not dis-
tinguish her. Often he had believed he had
found her, but again and again he had discovered
that he was mistaken; so he continued his search
without his mask, hoping that she would make
herself known to him. At last he approached
Lesparre, just before four o'clock.
"My dear Lesparre," he asked, in imploring
tones, " I beg that you will tell me how to recog-
nize Donna Lucia. I have talked with every per-
son who could possibly be taken for her, and I
acknowledge that she is so perfectly disguised
that I cannot discover her. Won't you please
tell me how she is dressed ? "
"That I do not know myself," replied Le-
sparre. "She was very careful to keep the
knowledge from me, for fear I might be teased
into telling some one."
" Well, how is the Don dressed, then ? " asked
Mather. "Perhaps he will tell me about the>
Donna."
" I do not know how he is dressed, either," an-
swered Lesparre. " He was as secret in his
preparations as his wife."
"What! haven't you seen him to speak to
since the fete commenced ? " inquired Mather, in
astonishment.
"No, I have not seen him since last night,"
said Lesparre. " You see, the Don and I made
all arrangements yesterday afternoon, and I
270 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
came down to the island to superintend the plac-
ing of the fireworks in the evening. I spent the
night down here, and have not gone back to the
house since I left it after dinner yesterday even-
ing. The Don has not spoken to me to-day, and,
for all that I know about him, he may not ha\ e
come to his own fete."
Lesparre said this in a jocular manner, as
though he had made quite an impossible suppo-
sition ; but Mather seemed to catch an idea from
it.
"By Jove! I begin to think so myself," he
exclaimed, as if confirming a thought which had
already occurred to him.
Just then Judge Morgan, dressed to represent
the Fat Boy of the Pickwick Papers, rang a large
bell, which could be heard all over the island,
and the guests began flocking into the dancing-
hall, preparatory to unmasking and having a
grand march into the dining-room. When all
were present, the bustle and talk quieted down,
and all looked expectantly for the Don to give
the signal for unmasking. Several of the in-
timate friends of the host had assembled on the
dais at the head of the hall; and each of these
looked at the others to see which among them
was the Don. At last, Mather stepped forward
and addressed the whole company:
"Ladies and gentlemen, somewhere among us
are the host and hostess of this, the most elegant
entertainment ever given in Gloster; they have
been successful not only in producing hero a
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 271
fairy spectacle of unequaled beauty, but also in
effectually hiding themselves from discovery in
their assumed characters. So far as I know, not
any person present can state positively the dis
guise of either Don Pedro or Donna Lucia. Am
I right? If any one has discovered either of
them, I ask him to let us all know it before the
signal for unmasking is given."
Mr. Mather waited a moment amid profound
stillness, but no one replied to his request.
"Well, now," he continued, "I respectfully
call upon the Don and Donna to come forward
to the dais, assume their rightful positions as
host and hostess, and give the order to unmask."
Alas! he was calling upon a pair of unfortunate
travelers, who were then far on their way to New
York, one in irons, and the other in tears. There
was no answer nor movement among the gay
masqueraders, and whispers of wonder began to
run through the throng.
"Oh! come, Don Pedro," said Judge Morgan,
whose appetite called loudly to be satisfied, "you
have shown that your disguise defies discovery;
now come forward and take your place. You
can laugh at our dullness all you please, but don't
keep us in suspense any longer."
Still there was no reply, and the astonishment
of all the guests began to assume a form of vague
suspicion. At length, Mather again spoke up, in
a husky voice:
" As our host is so retiring, I will take the
liberty of asking those present to unmask, and
272 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
we shall then discover his disguise. Tap the bell,
Morgan. "
Judge Morgan immediately pulled the bell-rope
three times, and, as this was the concerted signal,
a gun was fired on board the steamer, and the
band struck up a spirited march. The confusion
of unmasking was quickly over, and the gu<
formed a long procession around two sides of the
hall, preparatory to marching to dinner ; but on
the dais the confusion only increased, as face after
face was revealed, and neither host nor hostess
was to be found. Eobert Harrington, Charlie Mor-
ton, Captain and Mrs. Kerr, Alexander Mclntyre,
Judge Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Benson, Mr. and
Mrs. Simon, Charles H. Sanders, wife and daugh-
ter, Deacon Humphrey and daughter, John Pres-
ton and family, and several others, were there,
but not a trace could be seen of Don Pedro P. L.
de Morito and Donna Lucia.
"Where in the devil is the Don?" was the
forcible manner in which Charlie Morton ex-
pressed the sentiments of all present.
The absence of the host and hostess could not
fail to cause great confusion at any time, but, in
this instance, there seemed to be a host of sus-
picions flying about in a few minutes. Madame
Sevier's absence was also noted, and a sort of
panic seized every one. No movement toward
the dining-room was made, but all stood irreso-
lute, anxiously waiting for some one to determine
what to do, and set them an example. Lesparre
was sought for and questioned closely as to the
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 273
reason for his employer's absence, but he could
give no satisfactory answer. He told all in-
quirers that he had not seen the Don since the
ev oning previous, and that he was as ignorant of
the cause of his absence as any one. Then
several questions relative to the Don's pecuniary
affairs were asked, and Lesparre told all that he
knew. The fact that the Don had exhausted his
bank account, and had kept all his money in his
own possession, set a good many people to think-
ing about the circumstances of his arrival there.
Then the stockholders in the Diamond Company
began to grow suspicious, and it took but a few
minutes to put them in such a state of vague
uneasiness, that they hardly knew what to be-
lieve of the man whom they so lately admired
and honored. At length, a consultation was
held among some of the more intimate friends of
the Morito family, and it was decided to go in to
dinner as if nothing had happened. If there had
been any accidental detention of the Don and
Donna, they would, of course, be desirous that
the fete should proceed without them the same
as if they had been present; while if there was
any trickery connected with their absence, tl ;
would be no use of waiting for them to come
Accordingly, the procession was again formed,
the band struck up another march, and the party
proceed <M! toward the dining-room, headed by
Henry 0. Mai her with Mrs. Simon, and Richar-1
Perkins with Miss IVnson.
But now ocninvd I he most humiliating part of
2H A GRAND CARNIVAL.
the changed programme: Mr. George P. Wester
field, the caterer, refused to admit the guests to
the dining-room unless the payment of his bill
was guaranteed. Mr. Westerfiekl.was a man of
uncommon shrewdness. He had been accus-
tomed to furnishing the suppers at the grand en-
tertainments of the city for several years, and lie
was well acquainted with the circumstances < f
every person in the social world; hence, he had
seen a great deal of the Don and Donna during
their stay in the city. He had no more reason to
suspect them of having taken flight than the
others, but his native keenness and good judg-
ment led him to protect himself, and he resolutely
declined to open the dining-room doors unless his
bill was guaranteed. An animated discussion im-
mediately arose between Mr. Westerfield and the
hungry guests; but nothing would induce him to
change his resolve. He said that he was already
out of pocket largely by the lunch he had served
during the afternoon, and he could not afford to
lose his dinner too.
" But Don Pedro will pay for everything," said
Mr. Mather. " He is immensely wealthy, and he
always pays cash promptly for all he buys."
" Yes, that may have been true heretofore, but
how do I know where Don Pedro is ? " queried the
caterer.
" Why, he is probably accidentally detained in
Gloster," replied Mather. " I have every confi-
dence in him, and wheti he explains his unfortu-
nate absence to-day, those who have suspected
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 275
him will regret their hasty remarks derogatory
to his character."
" Well, then, Mr. Mather," said the shrewd ca-
terer, " if you have eveiy confidence in Don Pe-
dro, you can give me your guarantee that I shall
be paid in full, and then I shall be happy to serve
the guests the same as if the Don were here."
Mr. Mather hesitated a moment, and then re-
fused to do anything of the kind. He was, un-
doubtedly, so disturbed in mind that he hardly
knew what he was doing. If he had kept his
wits about him, he would not have hesitated an
instant to take the whole expense of the fete on
his own shoulders rather than have such a scene
occur as seemed imminent, for the sum would
have been a mere bagatelle to him ; but he knew
not what to think, and his suspicions ran far
ahead of those of any other person present. He
had on his shoulders the whole responsibility of
this man, Don Pedro, for he had invited him to
Gloster, and had largely vouched for his character;
hence, if Don Pedro should prove to be a swindler,
a great deal of blame would fall upon Mather.
This feeling contributed largely to confuse and
annoy him, while his passion for the Donna was
another cause of embarrassment. He therefore
adod in a most nervous, uncertain way, and
seemed quite unable to decide what to do. Mr.
-trriiold's proposition was reasonable enough,
and he was willing to accept the guarantee of any
other gentleman of known responsibility; but
singularly, tln-iv was nut uin- am.'iig all who had
276 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
been intimate with the Don who would make him
self liable for the cost of the dinner ; conse-
quently the caterer refused to admit the throng
into the dining-room. By this time every one was
worked up into a state of righteous indignation.
The apprehensions of the owners of Diamond
Company stock were the first causes of the feel-
ing against the Don, and the disappointing termi-
nation of the long-anticipated fete was another
fruitful source of bitterness. As people's appe-
tites began to call loudly for dinner, it became
evident that the caterer's demands must be satis-
fied in some way, and finally it was agreed that
the dinner should be paid for by those who par-
took of it at the rate of ten dollars a plate. This
amount was to include the lunch and wine al-
ready furnished, and also all the provisions for
dinner with the remainder of the wine provided
under the contract with Don Pedro. Under this
agreement, the dinner was served in the best pos-
sible style to the long array of famished and irri-
tated masqueraders. It was not a very cheerful
meal, for too many of the participants were pre-
occupied with thoughts of their possibly lost in-
vestments in the stock of the Diamond Company ;
but, under the influence of excellent viands and
good wine, there was a slight reaction in the feel-
ings of the younger members of the party, and
when the last course had been served; they pro-
posed to go on with the entertainment the samn
as though nothing had happened.
On entering the dancing-hall, therefore, tho
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 277
greater portion of the young people prepared to
enjoy the evenyig in dancing; but here again an
obstacle presented itself: the bandsmen had taken
alarm from the action of the caterer, and they
refused to play unless their account was settled.
Not a note would they sound until their demands
were satisfied, and so the gentlemen contributed,
jointly, enough to pay them in full also. The
troubles' and annoyances of the later portion of the
fete were soon forgotten by the greater number
of the butterflies who formed the assembly, and
as they floated off to the strains of a beautiful
waltz, they unanimously decided to spend ih>i
evening in a delightful dance.
Meantime, however, many of the more staid
and elderly guests, having decided to go home
immediately after dinner, had gone down to the
steamboat landing to embark. To their aston-
ishment they saw the steamer tied up on the
opposite shore, her lights being just visible across
the water. After various attempts to hail her,
a reply was heard from a small boat, which con-
tained the captain. He pulled in near the shore,
and Judge Morgan, in an important tone, ordered
him to bring his steamer across the river and
convey a party back to Gloster.
" But who is going to pay me for the use of my
steamer all day? " asked the captain, resting on
his oars, within easy talking distance of 1h-
shore. Alas! he, also, had determined to follow
the example <>t' the ealeivr, and demand payment
for his services before admitting
on board his steamer.
278 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
1 'Pay you " exclaimed the horrified Ethan
Allen Benson, who had paid so much for his din-
ner that his miserly soul was already repenting
having come; "why, Don Pedro will pay you, of
course."
"Well, I'd like to see him, then," said the cap-
tain.
An exciting conversation then ensued between
the indignant would-be passengers and the cap-
tain of the steamer. The latter, however, had
all the advantage, for he knew the masqueraders
must eventually come to his terms.
"What do you mean by refusing to take us on
board ? " demanded Deacon Humphrey, furiously.
" Don't you know that we can't stay here all
night?"
"I presume not," said the captain, "and I
don't suppose you will do so; but I must have
payment for the use of my steamer. You can pay
me in one sum by a check, or you can pay me at
the rate of three dollars a head: I don't care
which you choose, only I must be paid."
The altercation continued at some length, and
eventually the captain said that he could not afford
to waste coal in keeping steam up, and if they
did not agree to his terms, he would haul foes
and let his steamer stay where she was all night.
This threat brought the party to his terms, and
he was ordered to bring his steamer over. He
refused to make more than one trip, however,
and so the dancers were called away from the
ballroom at the end of the first waltz, thus spoil-
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 279
ing their gayety almost ere it had begun. As the
motley groups gathered on shore awaiting the
steamer's approach, a more deeply disgusted and
indignant assemblage wajS never known in the
annals of good society, and curses, both openly
and inwardly expressed against the Don, were
numerous and bitter. As they passed over the
gangway, the captain and clerk were at hand to
collect fares, and no one was allowed to pass with-
out paying cash or giving a check for the amount,
indorsed by some well-known man of wealth
and position. Finally, the whole sorrowful party
was embarked, and the steamer turned her head
toward Gloster. The excitement and continuous
dancing, which most of those on board had in-
dulged in during the day, had left them in a state
of nervous and physical fatigue little calculated
to improve their spirits, while the financial losses
of many were matters of an intensely depressing
influence upon them. A more ill-tempered, dis-
appointed, and irritable cargo cannot be imagined.
Their troubles were not ended even on their ar-
rival at the wharf in Gloster, for, being so much
earlier in returning than they had expected, no car-
riages were in attendance, and the ladies were
obliged to wait on board while their escorts went
to the livery stables to order carriages to take
them home.
Thus ended the fete champetre which had been
anticipated so fondly as a new departure in the
social world of Gloster. In this, however, it was
a success; for, certainly, its like had never
280 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
seen before, and the guests were profoundly hope
ful that they never should see its like again.
The following morning the whole city was
talking of the flight of the Peruvian adven-
turers. Their late residence was besieged by t he
holders of Diamond Company stock, and thr tact
of their absence was then clearly established.
The servants had been paid off by Madame Sevier
a day or two before, and no one remained in the
house except Lesparre. To all inquirers he gave
the same answer as he had given at the fete : he
was entirely ignorant of the whereabouts of the
Don, and was as anxious as any one else to find
him, in order to obtain his last quarter's salary,
which was unpaid. The affair was a nine-days'
wonder, and the mystery was still further in-
creased in the minds of the stockholders on re-
ceiving a note from Judge Key requesting their
attendance at a meeting to settle their accounts
with Don Pedro. The meeting was strictly con-
fidential, only the actual purchasers of stock be-
ing admitted. Judge Key explained to them that
Don Pedro P. L. de Morito had been arrested and
carried away for forgery and other crimes, but
that, before going, he had assigned all his prop-
erty to Judge Key to satisfy the claims of the
Diamond Company stockholders.
"But how did you induce him to surrender
this money and property?" was the question
which was asked in various forms nearly a score
of times.
" I cannot give you any particulars, ' : replied
A GRAND CARNIVAL. 281
the Judge; " you must be satisfied t :> know that
he made this assignment in due legal form, and
that the amount which I shall realize will pay
your claims nearly in full. The slight loss which
you will sustain will be serviceable as a warning
against throwing away your money so recklessly
hereafter."
The letter of Donna Lucia to Mr. Henry 0.
Mather was delivered to that gentleman early
the day after the fete. Immediately on reading
it he packed his trunk and took the next train
for New York. Meantime the party under the
charge of Mr. Bangs arrived in New York with-
out accident Thursday afternoon. In accordance
with telegrams sent by the Peruvian Minister,
the captain of the Peruvian man-of-war had
taken his vessel down into the lower harbor, and
was ready to sail at a moment's notice. A steam-
tug was in readiness at Pier 1 to take the party
out to the vessel, and Don Pedro was transferred
by carriage directly from the Hudson Eiver Kail-
road depot to the steam-tug. The party accom-
panied him on board the man-of-war, and the
tug towed the war-ship through the Nar-
rows.
The Don and Donna had an affectionate and
sorrowful parting in the cabin, and as the ship
made sail outside the bar, the tug dropped along-
side; the Minister, Consul, JJonna Lucia, Madame
Sevier, and the detectives, leaving the Don in
charge of the captain, then returned to New
York in the tug.
282 A GRAND CARNIVAL.
Two days later, Mr. Mather also arrived in
that city, and quickly found his way to the Don-
na's presence. What they said to each other
may never be known, but it is probable that
the interview was satisfactory to both parties.
Thenceforward the Donna lived in New York in
the best style, though for some reason she failed
to enter the same social circle that she had
known before. As long, however, as she and
Mr. Mather were contented, they considered that
no one else need be troubled about their arrange-
ments. How long Mr. Mather's infatuation
lasted, I have no means of knowing, as I soon
recalled Madame. Sevier, and lost all interest in
the affair.
Jose Gomez was tried immediately on his arri-
val in Peru, and was sentenced to fifteen years'
imprisonment, but he made his escape within
two years from the time of his trial. His future
career I never learned, but it is altogether prob-
able that he pursued, during the remainder of his
life, the same style of money-making (though
perhaps on a smaller scale) as that which ren-
dered notorious the name of Don Pedro P. L.
de Morito,
THE END.
CHAPTER I.
Mr. Pinkerton, at a Water- Ciire, becomes interested in a
Couple, one of whom subsequently causes the Detec-
tive Operation from which this Story is written.
A wealthy Ship- Owner and his Son. The Son
"found dead." A Woman that knows too much
and too little by turns. Mr. PinJcerton secured to
solve the Mystery. Chicago after the Great Fire.
DURING the summer of 1870, 1 was spending
a few weeks at a water-cure for the benefit
of my health. The place was one not widely ad-
vertised nor generally known, and the number of
frequenters was not large; hence, I became some-
what acquainted with most of the visitors, and,
as a matter of habit, noticed their traits and pe-
culiarities with more attentiveness than a casual
meeting would naturally warrant. Of course I
had no idea that I ever should make any use of
my observations, but I simply kept up a cus-
tomary oversight upon everything about me.
Among those whom I thus noticed was a lady..
about forty -five years of age, and her son, who
was about twenty-six years old. The moth or.
Mrs. R. S. Trafton, was a pleasant woman, well
preserved, and comparatively youthful in appear
284: THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
ance. She was afflicted by a rheumatic affection,
which caused her to visit these springs for relief;
and her son accompanied her partly to look after
her comfort, and partly to obtain a vacation from
work. He was a tall, robust young man, with
fine physique and strong constitution, but he
showed the effects of overwork. I always make
a point of observing the character and habits of
those around me, and long experience has given
me considerable accuracy of judgment with re-
gard to my acquaintances, even where I am not
an intimate associate with them. The more I
saw of Stanley D. Trafton, the more I was inter-
ested in him. His mother was devoted to him,
and he to her, so that they were rarely seen
apart.
Springville was a very quiet, dull place, and,
aside from the invalid visitors, there was nothing
about the society to relieve the usual monotony
of an uninteresting country town; hence, I wns
thrown largely upon my own resources for amuse-
ment, and I had little else to do except to observe
the different strangers and speculate' about them.
Among them all there were none who afforded
me a more interesting study than young Trafton,
and, although I never formed his acquaintance,
I began to feel that I understood his character
quite thoroughly.
He was about five feet ten inches in height, of
compact, muscular build, full chest, stout limbs,
and erect carriage. His complexion was clear
and healthy, his features regular, his expression
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON. 265
intelligent and open, and his manners were very
frank and attractive to most people. His general
appearance was that of an intelligent, handsome
man, of more than ordinary ability and steady
character.
I learned that his father, Mr. Richard S.
Trafton, of Cleveland, was a wealthy ship-owner
and merchant, and that his son attended largely
to the purchase of grain in the West for ship-
ment in his father's vessels. I judged that
young Trafton was a good business man, with
an eye to details as well as general results, and
while he had no appearance of being small-
minded, he did not despise economy in his
business affairs. He did not seem like a person
who would spend money for mere display or
effect; yet, neither would he deny himself the
comforts and luxuries belonging to a man of his
wealth and position in society. There was
nothing of the profligate about him, and his
devotion to his mother showed that he must
have a genuine and hearty respect for the whole
sex.
In the course of a few weeks I left Springville,
much improved in health, and I soon forgot all
about Mrs. Trafton and her son, until the latter
was brought under my notice again amid very
tragical ami sorrowful < ircumstances.
Early in the winter of the following year, I
was deeply engrossed in business, having an ac-
cumulation of cases on hand which taxed my in-
genuity and energies to the utmost. I therefore
286 THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
placed almost all of the less important operations
in the hands of my superintendent, Mr. Francis
Warner, though I kept a general supervisory
control over every case on the books of the
Agency. One morning, as I was conversing with
Mr. Warner, two gentlemen were admitted to my
office by my confidential clerk, who informed me
that they had suspicions of foul play as the cause
of the death of one of their friends, and they
wished the circumstances fully investigated by
the Agency. The gentlemen were Mr. John Up-
dike, of Cleveland, and Captain Edward R. Dai-
ton, a ship captain, of Buffalo. They introduced
themselves, produced credentials and references,
and then told me the following story:
In November previous, Mr. Stanley D. Trafton,
of Cleveland, left that city to go to Chicago. He
was the son of Mr. Richard S. Trafton, a wealthy
shipper of Cleveland, and the father was anxious
to keep his vessels employed. Captain Dalton
commanded one of Mr. Trafton's schooners, and
he expected to arrive in Chicago harbor about
November 20. Accordingly, young Trafton was
to meet the vessel there, and, in case she did not
obtain a charter at a paying rate, he was to pur-
chase a cargo of oats on his own account. He
brought, therefore, a considerable amount of
money and negotiable paper. He had about
eight hundred dollars in currency, two thousand
five hundred dollars in United States five-twenty
bonds, and a letter from his father authorizing
him to draw upon him for a large amount. The
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON. 287
bonds were the usual coupon bonds of the de-
nomination of five hundred dollars each, and for-
tunately Mr. Trafton, senior, had the numbeis of
these securities.
Stanley Trafton arrived in Chicago November
22, and found the schooner awaiting him. He
tried to obtain a room in one of the hotels, but
he soon gave this up as a hopeless task, for the
reason that there was no hotel in the city which
was hot already crowded almost to an unsafe de-
gree. He then took up his quarters on board the
schooner, getting his meals at a restaurant. This
was not at all pleasant, and he finally discovered
a place where furnished rooms were to let near
one of the hotels. He therefore announced to
Captain Dalton that he had taken a room at 92
West Madison street. They met each other every
day, however, and at last, seeing no profit to be
made by purchasing grain in the then condition
of the market, Mr. Trafton informed the captain
that he might sail for Cleveland on Friday, De
cember 1. On Thursday he visited the captain
and promised to return on board again that even-
ing; he failed to do so, however, and the schooner
sailed next morning.
Five days afterward, Captain Dalton received a
dispatch, sent by a firm of commission merchants
in Chicago, announcing that Stanley D. Trafton
had been found dead in his bed. Mr. Updike,
who was a warm friend of the family, and Cap-
tain Dalton, then visited Chicago, arriving De-
cember 8. They found the body of Mr. Trafton
288 THE SHIP OWNER AND HIS SON.
at the Morgue awaiting claimants, together with
a quantity of valuables which had been in his
possession when he died. There were two five-
twenty bonds, one being torn in two pieces, a set
of diamond studs, a small amount of loose change,
and three one-hundred-dollar bills. A coroner's
inquest had been held, and a verdict of death by
congestion of the lungs had been rendered.
The circumstances of young Trafton's death,
as related by the officials in charge of the body,
created considerable suspicion in the minds of
Messrs. Updike and Dalton, who, therefore, pro-
ceeded to investigate the affair. In the first
place, they were well aware that fifteen hundred
dollars in bonds, and nearly five hundred dollars
in currency, were missing; secondly, they learned
that Trafton had been found dead in bed Friday
morning, December 1, only about eighteen hours
after he had left Captain Dalton in perfect
health.
Accordingly, Mr. Updike and Captain Dalton
visited his late lodging-place, which was kept by
a woman named May Sanford.
The building was a two-story frame residence,
which, like thousands of others after the Great
Fire, had been rearranged for business purposes.
The lower floor was occupied as a furniture store,
while the second floor was also partly occupied
by business offices. A covered stairway on the
side led to the upper story, and, while the front
hall bedroom, the front parlor and the next
room back, were used as offices, the rear portion
SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
was occupied by Mrs. Sanford, who rented most
of her rooms as sleeping apartments.
On stating their object in calling, the two
gentlemen were admitted to Mrs. Sanford's sit-
ting-room, and she then gave her account of the
circumstances connected with young Trafton's
death. She stated that she met him first 011 the
street and recognized him as an old acquaintance
who had been intimate with her husband and
herself when they lived in Buffalo; that he stopped
and talked with her for a time, and, learning that
she had furnished rooms to let, he said he would
rent one. He stayed there five days, and, on the
sixth, which was Thursday, November 30, he
came to his room in the evening and complained
of feeling unwell. He had been drinking veiy
hard all the week, and she said that this evening
he was quite drunk. He complained that he
could not keep anything on his stomach, and
asked Mrs. Sanford to cook something nice for
him. Accordingly she -boiled a chicken, but he
could not eat it, and he 'then went to bed. Dur-
ing the evening, she heard him snoring very
loudly as she passed his door, but she thought
nothing of it, and went to bed at eleven o'clock.
About seven o'clock next morning, she knocked
at his door, but he made no answer, and she
pushed the door open, the bolt being a very slight
one. She then found Mr. Trafton lying diago-
nally across the bed, with his head hanging down
and froth on his lips. Becoming alarmed at his
appearance, she called in a gentleman named
13
290 THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
Taylor G. Pratt, who occupied her back parlor ;is
a real estate office and sleeping-room. Mr. Pratt
examined the body of Mr. Trafton and told her
that he was dead, advising her to inform Iho
police authorities of the fact. She immediately
closed the room and went to the nearest police
station, where she reported the circumstances
relative to the death of Mr. Trafton so far as she
knew them, and asked what she should do with
the body. The police sergeant promised to send
the coroner as soon as possible to make an investi-
gation, and she was instructed to leave the body
and room untouched until the coroner should
arrive. That evening an inquest was held by the
County Physician, and a verdict of death by
congestion of the lungs was rendered. Mrs.
Sanford gave an account of the finding of the
money and bonds, which exactly agreed with
that given by the County Physician, whom she
assisted in making search for Trafton's valuables.
In one boot, lying under his head, they found a
five-twenty bond for five hundred dollars and
half of another one, the remainder of this tora
bond being found in the right-hand pocket of his
pantaloons. In his vest pocket were found three
United States notes for one hundred dollars each,
and a small quantity of loose change. A set of
diamond studs still remained in his shirt, and, as
the story was related by her, there was nothing
suspicious about the affair except the suddenness
of his death.
Having heavd all that Mrs. Sanford and the
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON. 291
County Physician had to say on the subject, Mr.
Updike and Captain Dalton took charge of the
body, and si lipped it to Cleveland, where the}
placed it in the hands of four experienced sur-
geons, with instructions to make a thorough and
oful examination as to the cause of death.
The first thing noticed by them was an evidence
of considerable external violence on the right
side, over the liver, there being a large bruise,
about the size of a saucer, apparently caused by
a blow. The coagulation of blood beneath the
skin showed that this injury must have been
caused during Trafton's lifetime, but very
shortly before his death. A similar, though
smaller bruise, was found on his thigh, while sev-
eral bruises on the base of the neck and throat
showed that the windpipe must have been
severely compressed just previous to death.
None of these marks had been noticed by the
County Physician in making the post-mortem
examination, and it seemed probable that he had
first guessed at the cause of death, and then
made only a sufficient examination to find some
corroboration of his theory. The Cleveland sur-
geons had great difficulty in accounting for Traf-
ton's death, but they were unanimous in scout-
ing the theory of death by congestion of the
lungs They found the body to be healthy in
every part, except the external bruises ; and,
while these were not of a sufficiently serious
character to account for the death of so robust a
man, they could find no other cause whatever
292 THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
These facts, together with the disappearance of
fifteen hundred dollars in bonds, and about five
hundred dollars in currency, which Traf ton was
'known to have had in his possession, caused his
relatives and friends to believe that he had been
mmdered for his money, and that the murderei
had been shrewd enough to leave a large portion
of the plunder to allay suspicion. The trick had
proven to be a most excellent one, for, as the
County Physician afterward acknowledged, the
idea of foul play never occurred to him, owing to
the apparent lack of incentive thereto; had there
been no money, or only a small amount, found
on the body, he would have made a much more
rigid examination; but no suspicion even crossed
his mind, and he acted with the haste which
characterized almost all operations in Chicago at
that time.
In order, therefore, to discover all the facts in
the case, and to recover, if possible, the mis-
sing money and bonds, Mr. Trafton, senior, had
decided to put the affair in my hands for a
thorough investigation, and Mr. Opdike and Cap-
tain Dalton had called upon me for that purpose.
Having heard their statement, I asked a num-
ber of questions, which elicited the following
additional information:
On returning to Chicago the second time, they
had again visited Mrs. Sanford, and found that
she had taken every particle of furniture out of
the room where Trafton had died. At the time
of their call, they saw a policeman whom she
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SOX. 293
called Charlie, with whom she seemed to be very
intimate. She said that Charlie was the first
person to see Trafton after she found he was
dead that morning, he having been sent over by
the sergeant as soon as she reported the fact.
This story contradicted her former statement,
that she first called Mr. Pratt into the room;
moreover, the sergeant of police had told them
that the policeman did not go to the room at all,
but merely took the number of the house and
went away.
At this interview, Mrs. Sanford gave them the
blank power to draw upon Mr. Trafton, senior,
saying that she had found it at the foot of the
bed since their former visit. She also showed
them a gold coin which she said young Trafton
had given her as a keepsake. Both gentlemen
recognized this coin as one which Trafton prized
very highly for some reason, he having refused
to part with it even to his mother; it seemed
hardly possible that he should have given it to a
chance acquaintance like Mrs. Sanford.
During this conversation she claimed to have
lent Mr. Trafton three hundred and twenty-five
dollars, though she did not seem greatly disap-
pointed when they refused to repay her that
amount. Mr. Updike gave her twenty-five dol-
lars, however, to pay for Mr. Trafton's board and
lodging, and to recompense her for hel- trouble.
The story that Trafton had borrowed money of
her was absurd on its face, and she acted as if
she hardly expected to be believed.
294 ^ THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON.
efore coming to Chicago this time, Mr. Up-
dike had written to Mr. T. B. Vei-non, of Buffalo,
asking for information relative to the ant'
ents of this Mrs. Sanford. Mr. Vernon had re-
plied that she had a very bad reputation in Buf-
falo, having been divorced from her husband for
adultery, and having been arrested in March
previous for being drunk and disorderly. She
had a paramour at that time, named James Mc-
Sandy, a police-station keeper, and it was sup-
V/posed that he had gone West with her.
Another circumstance had been noticed by
Captain Dalton, which led him to believe that
Trafton had been murdered with his clothes on,
and afterward undressed and put to bed: the sole
of one of his boots was covered with whitewash,
as if it had been violently pressed and scraped
along a wall. Now, the room where he was
found had been newly whitewashed when they
arrived there, so that any marks on the wall
made by him in his struggles would ( be wholly
obliterated.
Having learned all the facts bearing upon the
case known by my visitors, I informed them of
my terms for conducting an investigation of this
character, and sketched a hasty outline of my
plan of operation. As they had already hinted
their suspicions to a member of the city detective
force, wji QyWBp -"^IJ n ^ ^v-ma fcgjvcrh f. rvPJJTgjn I
^suggested that they inform him that they had
changed their minds in the matter, having
learned from the Cleveland physicians that death
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON. 20?
/was surely caused by congestion of the lungs.
They then took their departure, saying that they
would lay my plan before Mr. Richard S. Trafton.
and he would telegraph to me whether I should
proceed with the operation. On Christmas day,
I received a telegram from Mr. Trafton, briefly
instructing me to proceed, and my plan was put
in operation at once.
Before proceeding further with the history of
my connection with this case, it will be necessary
to remind the reader of the anomalous condition
of social and business affairs in Chicago at the
time of which I write; for, without any explana-
tion, he might have difficulty in understanding
many things in connection with the story.
It will be remembered that the Great Fire of
Chicago occurred October 8 and 9, 1871, and this
case was placed in my hands only about nine
weeks afterward. At the time of Mr. Traf ton's
death, a pall of smoke hung over the city, and, at
night, the still-smouldering heaps of coal through-
out the ''burned district" glowed like volcanic
fissures, casting a weird fantastic light about the
ruins, and illumining the clouds of smoke over-
head with a ruddy glow which was visible for
miles away. The streets were filled with dust
and ashes, while the fumes of carbonic acid gas
were sometimes almost stifling. To venture at
any time, into the waste of ruins, which stretched
more than three miles in one direction, through
the formerly richest portion of the city, was not
a pleasant undertaking; but to make such an ex-
296 THE SHIP-OYVNKK AND HIS SON
cursion at night was attended with more hazard
than most peaceably-disposed men would care to
run. There were no gaslights, no sidewalks, no
street indicators; in many places, piles of stone
and brick were heaped in almost impassable bar-
ricades from one side of the street to the othei ;
all landmarks were gone, and the old resident
was as liable to lose his way as the stranger.
The city, moreover, was crowded with what
13 sometimes called "a floating population," a
species of driftwood, or scum, gathered from
every quarter of the globe; indeed, a large per
centage seemed to have come straight from the
infernal regions, with all the passions and habits
incidental to a prolonged residence there. Hence,
the labors of the police force were increased to
an extent which taxed their abilities to the
utmost, and made the task of protecting the re-
spectable portion of the community about all that
could be required of them; that they should be apt
to suspect foul play, in a case where the coroner had
no suspicions, was hardly to be expected. Besides
this, there was nothing settled on any permanent
foundation ; business men flitted hither and
thither wherever they could best obtain accom-
modations for the time being, and whence people
came or whither they went was a matter which
no one had time to inquire into, much less tc
investigate.
-\- The destruction of thousands of business blocks
and dwellings left the city without adequate ac-
commodations for offices and residences, even fo/
THE SHIP-OWNER AND HIS SON. 297
its own regular population; but when the rush of
strangers swelled the aggregate nearly twenty
per cent., there seemed hardly sleeping-rooms for
them all. Dwelling-houses by thousands were
converted into stores, manufactories, and offices,
until fabulous prices were offered for the merest
closets in the vicinity of the new temporary
business centers. Every hotel was thronged
from the basement to the Mansard roof, and late
arrivals were oftentimes happy if they could get
a straw mattress on a billiard-table, or an army
cot in a hall.
I call especial attention to these things to ac-
count for certain apparent anomalies in the
action of different persons connected with this
tragedy. For instance: a young gentleman of
Mr. Trafton's wealth and respectability would
never have rented a mean little room in a petty
lodging-house, if he could have found any other
place equally convenient to business; the County
Physician would not have taken things so much
for granted, if he had not been so hard at work
and so pressed for time, owing to the immense
army of gratuitous patients who thronged the
offices of the County Agent and the Belief and
Aid Society; the police would not have been so
remiss in failing to examine into the death of
Mr. Trafton, if they had not had their hands full
of other business to an unprecedented extent ;
and, lastly, when I came to work up the case, I
should not have had so much difficulty in finding
witnesses, if it h;ul not bcc-n that people canio
298 THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
and went through Chicago like the waves of the
sea in mid-ocean, leaving no trace by which they
could l>e followed or identified.
These circumstances, combined with certain
facts which will appear in the course of this nar-
rative, made the task assigned me one of unusual
difficulty. Mr. Warner was intrusted with the
general management of the case, though he fre-
quently consulted me in relation to it ; and,
though we were continually working in the
dark, we never despaired of our eventual suc-
cess.
CHAPTER II.
The Detectives at Work. Mrs. /Sanford Described.
Charlie, the Policeman. Mrs. Sanford develops
Interest in Government Bonds. Chicago Rdnf
and Aid Benefits. Mrs. Sanford 's Story of Traf-
ton's Death. A. nice little Arrangement. Mr*.
Sanford explains to the Detective her method of
" Quieting People. " Ingham "Makes a Raise."
Mrs. Sanford fears being Haunted, but is not easily
Frightened.
THE day after Christmas a tall, well-built man
called at No. 92 Madison street, and asked
for the lady of the house. Mrs. Sanford soon
entered the sitting-room, and the stranger said
that, having seen the sign, ''Furnished Rooms
to Rent," he had called to engage lodgings. He
introduced himself as John Ingham, and said
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 299
-that he was a book-keeper, temporarily out of
employment. Mrs. Sanford received him with
great cordiality, and seemed much pleased to have
him as a lodger. She said that she had no suit-
able room just then, but that a married couple
were about to leave, and then Mr. Ingham could
have their room. She then showed him through
the house. The two front rooms were occupied
by an insurance company, and the back parlor
was used as a real estate office and sleeping-room
by two brothers, named Pratt. At the head of
the stairs was a small bedroom, through which
it was necessary to pass to obtain admission to
the rear part of the house. The passageway
from this bedroom to the sitting-room was made
by partitioning off a small entry from the back
parlor. There were four doors in this sitting-
room: one opened from the entry; at the opposite
side was one which opened into another entry;
the third was adjoining this second door, and it
opened into the large bedroom occupied by the
married couple; the fourth door led into Mrs.
Sanford's own room. At the end of the back
entry was an unfurnished room and a kitchen.
The front bedroom was occupied by two younu;
women who worked in a bindery, and their ac
commodations could hardly have been very agree-
able, as every one was obliged to pass through
their room on the way to the other rooms in the
rear.
Mrs. Sanford was a good-looking woman, about
thirty i\vo y<>;irs old. Her features were quite
300 THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
pretty, and her expression was pleasing. Sh<
was very plump, and her skin was smooth and
soft. She had brown hair, a nose slightly
retrousse, and a pleasant smile. Her eyes, how-
ever, were a bluish gray, cold and ivatchful as
those of a hawk. She might have been called
handsome but for the effects of dissipation,
which were plainly visible in her face. She had
a pleasant voice, and she was naturally easy in
her manners. If she was in a good humor, she
could be quite fascinating; and almost any stran-
ger, after talking with her for a few minutes,
would feel satisfied that she had once occupied a
social station far above that in which she was
HOW placed. Shft h^ a. good odnrnfirmj nnrl vpry
frequently she would give evidences of having had
ajwide range of reallv~ good reading; AFTimes.
fier recitations and declamations, wholly from
memory, were exceptionally fine, and, but for
her two ruling passions, she might have been arx
actress of a high rank.
She had two controlling vices, one natural, the
other acquired: her greed for money was inborn,
and it seemed to absorb at times every other
faculty; while the habit of using morphine had
become so fastened upon her, that she could no I"
shake it off . She was a most contradictory med-
ley of compounds, however, and while her thirst
for money seemed to overpower all other consid-
erations with her as a general rule, on some occa
sions she would be as wasteful and careless of
expense as the most prodigal woman in the
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 301
But when she had set her mind on the
'acquisition of any particular money or piece ot
personal property, there was no length to which
she would not go to attain her object. The mere
sight of money seemed to act upon her with an
effect almost of insanity, and she would then
have no regard for consequences until after she
hud secured the coveted prize.
It will be readily understood, of course, that
Mr. John Ingham, usually known as Jack, was
one of my detectives, sent to obtain lodging with
Mrs. Sanford, to win her confidence and learn all
that he could.
Ingham agreed to take the large room in the
rear, but he wanted to come immediately. Mrs.
Sanford agreed, therefore, to make up a bed for
him on the sofa in the sitting-room until the de-
parture of Mr. 'and Mrs. Graves, who were then
occupying the back room. Having agreed upon
the terms, Ingham went away, promising to re-
turn that night. Accordingly, he came in again
, about nine o'clock in the evening, and found that
Mrs. Sanford was entertaining a policeman. He
was a rather good-looking fellow, and was in full
uniform, except his star. He remained until
nearly twelve o'clock, and when he went out,
Mrs. Sanford followed him to the door, with
many affectionate caresses and tender remarks.
After he had gone, she began to converse vcrj
confidentially with Ingham, tellrig him that she-
was engaged to be married to Charlie, trie police-
man.
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
"Don't you think a policeman is good enough
marry ? " she asked.
" Oh, yes ! " replied Ingham, " and your Charlie
seems to be a fine fellow."
"Well, he is awfully fond of me," she contin
ued, ''and he spends all his time off duty with
me ; but I don't know whether I care to marry
him. What do you think about it, Mr. Ingham '. "
" You ought not to be in any hurry about it,"
he replied, "for you might see some one whom
you would like better."
"Oh! I have had a number of offers lately, "she
said, laughing. " I have had to work hard for a
living, and have saved up quite a good sum; and,
besides that, my father sent me two thousand
dollars a short time ago, so that I have a snug
little fortune. But Charlie doesn't know any-
thing about it, and I shan't tell him until after we
are married."
After some further conversation, she said that
she was hungry, and wished she had some one to
go to the nearest restaurant with. Ingham vol-
unteered to act as her escort, and they went out
together. While eating supper, she suddenly
asked whether government bonds were good
property to invest in. Ingham replied that they
were very good indeed, since the interest was
payable in gold, and there were no taxes to pay
upon them.
"Well, suppose you should lose them," she
queried; "could any one who found them make
use of them without being discovered?"
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 303
"Yes, I think so,' said Ingham. "There is no
means of learning how they came into the bear-
er's possession."
" Did you ever own any?" she inquired.
"No, but I used to cash the coupons for my
employer in Louisville, and I know a good deal
about them."
"What business were you in there ? " she asked,
with a considerable show of interest.
"I was bookkeeper for a wholesale liquor
firm, and the senior partner used to put all his
money into government bonds."
"Why did you leave Louisville?" she contin-
ued, seemingly desirous of learning as much as
possible of his history.
" Oh .! well, I got hard up," he replied, evasive-
ly, " and there was some mistake in my accounts
which I couldn't explain satisfactorily, so I
thought best to go out of town for awhile. You
know we are all liable to mistakes when we are
hard up."
"Yes, indeed, I understand," she replied, in a
satisfied tone of voice. " What are you going to
do here ? "
11 Well, I can't tell yet. I have a small job of
closing up a set of books for the year, and when
that is done I shall look around for something
else. I'm not particular what I do, if it pays
wrll."
Perhaps you could get employment from the
Relief and Aid Society/' she said, "and then you
could get lots of nice things for me. This man,
304: THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
Graves, whose room you are to have, is em-
ployed there, and he steals enough to keep the
woman who is with him in good style."
"Why, aren't they married?" asked Ing-
ham.
" No, I don't believe they are married," she re-
plied, " and I've given them notice to leave. Mr.
Graves gets hardly any pay, but he brings her
all kinds of .presents, and she sells them to the
pawnbrokers."
On their return to the house, Mrs. Sanford
made up a bed on the sofa for Ingham, and then
went to her room.
The day following, Ingham went down to his
work on the South Side, and did not return until
eight o'clock in the evening. He said -that he
knew of a chance to buy a cigar stand in one of
the leading hotels, and that he would like to do
it if he could raise the money. Mrs. Sanford
seemed to have taken a great fancy to her new
lodger, for she told him that she would assist
him, if it did not cost too much.
" By the way, I was sorry you were not here
this afternoon," she said. "There was a very
pretty young lady friend of mine here, and I
would like to have you meet her."
" What was her name ?'
" Ida Musgrove."
" Have you known her long ? "
" Oh ! no ; I have only lived in Chicago a few
months. I used to live in Cleveland before I
(Separated from my husband, and we had a fine
stone-front house there."
fHE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 305
"How did you happen to leave your hus-
tyand ?" asked Ingham.
" Well, he began running after other women,
rid, though I forgave him several times, when
e brought his mistress to live in the same house
ith me, I left him."
" He must have been a very hard case to do
uch a thing as that," said Ingham, sympathiz-
ngly.
Yes; and then he sold the house, promising
to give me half if I would sign the deed ; but he
never gave me a cent, so that I have had to work
hard to support myself and my little girl, who is
boarding at Riverside. However, I am all right
now, for my father sent me three thousand dol-
lars the other day, and I shall have plenty of
money hereafter."
11 Hadn't you any friends here who would have
helped you? " asked Ingham.
" No, I hardly knew any one; but I met an old
friend from Cleveland about a month ago, and he
died here in my house. Haven't I told you about
that?"
u No, indeed ; how was it ? "
" Well, you see, this Mr. Trafton was a former
lover of mine in Cleveland, and he was very rich
and handsome. He came here last month and
took the back room in my house. He was very
kind to me, and wanted to marry me; but he
drank hard for a week and began to show the
effects of his dissipation. Finally, he came home
one evening quite drunk, and he complained of
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
feeling sick. I boiled a chicken for him, but he
could not eat it, and he went to bed. Next
morning he did not call me as usual, and I went
to his door and knocked ; there was no answer.
and so I pushed open his door. He was lying in
bed with froth about his"' mouth and a ghastly
look on his face which frightened me terribly.
Then I called in Mr. Pratt, who roomed in the
back parlor, and he said that Mr. Trafton was
dead. When the coroner came, we found twenty-
five thousand dollars in Mr. Trafton's pockets,
besides his diamond studs and other property.
Oh! it was a dreadful thing for me to think that
such a handsome fellow as my Stanley should die
in my house."
" What was the matter with him? " asked Ing-
ham.
" The coroner held an inquest, and a post-mor-
tem examination showed that he died of conges-
tion of the lungs."
"Did you know that he had all that money
with him? " asked Ingham, significantly lowering
his voice.
" No, I did not know it until afterward," she
replied; " why do you ask? "
" Oh! for no special reason; but," he added, in
a determined way, "you might have helped your-
self to some of that money and no one would
have been the wiser. I tell you, I wouldn't have
let such a chance as that slip."
"Well, I know I might have taken some of it,"
she answered, thoughtfully, "but I couldn't steaJ
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
from him. Oh! I have mighty good ( .red it
among people here now, for every one knows
about that money, and that I could have taken
it all if I had wished. A reporter came here, and
afterward stated in the paper that there was only
a small amount, about fifteen hundred dollars,
found; but I had it corrected."
She prattled on for some time about her inti-
macy with Mr. Traf ton, until she was interrupted
by a noise in the hall bedroom. On going to seo
what was the matter, she found the two bindery
girls in great excitement, as they had been
awakened by a strange man in their room. Ing-
hani also went to the door, when Mrs. Sauford
told him to get his revolver, as she wanted to
shoot any man who should try to break into her
rooms. No one was found, but the lower hall
door was open, and Ingham went down to lock
it. On his return, Mrs. Sanford said that she
had a revolver, and that she knew how to use it
too. It was about midnight before they retired,
but Mrs. Sanford seemed to consider it quite an
early hour.
The next day Ingham was again absent until
evening, and Mrs. Sanford scolded him a little for
not staying more time with her. He replied that
he had been out looking for a chance to make a
raise.
" What kind of a raise?" she asked.
" Oh! any kind," he replied; " I'm not particu-
lar, provided I can get enough to pay for the
trouble. If I know of any good hiding place, 1
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
could get a lot of valuable goods some night with
out much work, and with no danger."
" You can brin^ them here, and I will hide
them so that they will never be found," she re-
plied, in a whisper.
"That will be a pretty hard thing to do, for
these policemen and detectives can find almost
anything if they want to. I shouldn't like to
bring any plunder here and then have it found in
your house, for you would then be punished for
receiving stolen goods.
" Never you fear about me; I know some sharp
tricks if I am a woman. I can hide anything you
bring, and if they get after you, I can hide you
too."
Iiigham then told her about various criminal
devices for obtaining money, which he had prac-
ticed in New York several years before, and
called her attention to the ease with which they
might rob strangers by the "panel " game. She
was very much interested, and said that she
could easily get hold of some fellow with plenty
of money, make him drunk, and then rob him.
"How I wish you had been here when Mr.
Trafton died, for you could have got away with
ten or fifteen thousand dollars without any diffi-
culty whatever."
" Yes, it would have been a good chance," he
replied; "but I guess we can do nearly as well,
if you will be true to me and help me."
" You can depend upon me for anything," she
answered, with great determination, but adding
TEE DETECTIVES AT WORK SOS
suddenly, in a cautious tone, "that is, anything
except murder, you know. I shouldn't like to do
that. But I would protect you even if you should
kill a man not willfully not willfully, you un-
derstand; but if you should be obliged to do it to
save yourself, I should not blame you very
much."
"I am determined to 'make a raise,' soon,"
said Ingham; "but I don't know whether I can
trust you."
"How so?" she asked, as if greatly surprised
"I am afraid you will 'give me away' to that
policeman whom you think so much of."
"You need not fear anything of the kind, "she
said, leaning forward, and speaking slowly and
emphatically. " I can help you a great deal, and
I would never betray you to any one. I don't
think so much of Charlie as I pretend to."
Soon afterward she had to go into the unfur-
nished room to get something, and she asked
Ingham to hold the light for her.
" Why can't you hold it yourself ? " he asked.
"Well, to tell the truth, I don't like to go into
thai room alone," she replied, trying to laugh in
an unconcerned way.
"Why not? You aren't afraid of anything,
are you ? "
"No, not afraid; but I have never felt like go-
ing in there since Mr. Trafton died there 1 . 1 < ;m-
not help refolUvting the way he looked when 1
first saw him hanging over the bedside, with the
froth on his lips. I took out all the furniture on
HO THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
that account, but I am going to furnish it again
next week, as I can get a good rent for it."
Ingham went with her as she requested, and
he noticed that all the time she was in the room
overhauling a trunk containing the things she
wanted, she was very restless and nervous. Sev-
eral times when she heard a sudden noise she
would start and turn pale, as if much frightened.
Presently the two girls occupying the front
room came in and said that they should leave
next day, as they were afraid of a man coming
into their room as one had done the night before.
Mrs. Sanford was evidently not sorry to have
them go, and they soon went to bed.
Ingham and Mrs. Sanford then talked together
about their plans for getting money for some
time. Her whole mind seemed bent upon one
object, to obtain money ; and she seemed to
have no scruples whatever as to the means em-
ployed.
"Don't you know of any wealthy fellow who
carries considerable money about with him ? "
asked Ingham.
" Oh ! yes ; I know two or three who come
here to do business, and I expect one from Can-
ada next week. He always has plenty of money
with him, so that I have no doubt we could get
a big sum out of him."
"Does he ever drink?" he asked; "I don't
want to tackle a sober man, if I can help it."
"That needn't trouble you," she replied, in a
whisper; " I can give him something to keep him
quiet."
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 31]
" How can you do that ?" he inquired, with ap-
parent astonishment.
She then showed him a bottle of morphine, and
said that she always kept it for Jiej^^mJiis%-anti
that she knew how to give just enough to produce
a deep sleep. They finally agreed to lay their
plans together, and to make a big haul at the first
opportunity.
Ingham went out again on his prospecting tour
next day, but when he returned, in the evening,
he had not discovered any good place for a rob-
bery. He told Mrs. Sanford, however, that he
thought he could get a quantity of counterfeit
money at a very low price, and that they could
pass a great deal of it, if they were skillful. She
liked the idea, and said that she could pass it on
a great many people who would never recollect
where they received it. She also said that she
had a good place to hide it, and that some time
she would show him where she had hidden some
property, when the police were looking for it.
"Oh! how I wish you had been here when
that man died with eighteen thousand dollars in
bonds in his pockets!" she exclaimed. "You
could have helped yourself to all you wanted."
"Yes, indeed," he replied, "I should have
made myself rich for life."
" But could you have disposed of the bonds
without being suspected? " she asked. "Wouldn't
his friends catch you if they had the numbers of
the bonds?"
"Oh! that wouldn't make any difference.
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
There are millions of dollars afloat of these bonds,
and they cannot be traced any more than money."
"His bonds were all for five hundred dollars
e.ich, and they had little tickets on the end, which
could be cut off for the interest," she said. "I
saw them when the coroner was examining
them."
"Yes, they were undoubtedly five-twenty
bonds, and were worth their face in gold."
" Well, another time, if we get such a chance,"
she said, "we will take enough to make our-
selves comfortable, and leave the rest to remove
suspicion."
On the following day, Ingham returned to his
room at Mrs. Sanford's about three o'clock in the
afternoon, and she told him that the two girls and
Mr. and Mrs. Graves had left. She said that she
had a great fuss with the latter, and that they
went away in a state of high wrath against her;
besides this, she had had a quarrel with Charlie,
the policeman, who had sided with Mrs. Graves
during their quarrel. Mrs. Sanford said, further,
that Charlie had acted very meanly in not mak-
ing her any Christmas or New Year's present,
and she didn't care whether he came there again
or not. She said that Mrs. Graves had left her
trunk to be called for, and that there was no doubt
she had stolen some of Mrs. Sanford's towels and
other things. She then went to the trunk, opened
it, and took out a number of articles, which she
said belonged to her. She took the articles into
the kitchen, and secreted them in a hole in the
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 813,
floor, where she was able to take up a board.
Ingham thought it rather strange that she should
hide these things, if they were her own property,
but he said nothing on the subject to Mrs. San-
ford.
About five o'clock a young lady called to see
Mrs. Sanford, and they seemed very intimate
with each other. When they entered the sitting-
room, Mrs. Sanford said:
" Ida, let me introduce to you Mr. Ingham; this
is Miss Ida Musgrove, Mr. Ingham."
" Mrs. Sanford has spoken of you in such com-
plimentary terms, Miss Ida," said Ingham, "that
I have been very anxious to meet you."
"Now, how can you be so foolish, May," said
Miss Ida, addressing Mrs. Sanford; "you always
talk about me so extravagantly that people are
very much disappointed when they meet me. "
"Oh! that is quite impossible," chimed in
Ingham. "I am sure that Mrs. Sanford hardly
did you justice."
"I see, Mr. Ingham, that you are, like all the
rest of your sex, a great flatterer," simpered Miss
Ida, who was evidently greatly pleased with his
compliments, but who wished to appear too
modest to believe him to be in earnest.
Miss Ida was a brilliant brunette of fine fea-
tures and figure. She was stylish and graceful
in her appearance, and her dress showed re-
marknbly good taste. She was very vivacious
and merry, but a close observer would have
noticed that she was n>t o"l<\\v<l \vith much
14
314 THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
sentiment, and a physiognomist would have o
that she was more interested in the size of a man'a
fortune than in his looks or powers to please.
The three chatted together very pleasantly for
some time, and when Miss Ida rose to go, sh9
said that she hoped to have the pleasure of seeing
Mr. Ingham again; but she did not inform him
where she lived, and was apparently rather indif-
ferent with regard to him.
The next day Mrs. Banford refurnished the
back room where Mr. Trafton had died, and
Ingham took the room vacated by the Graveses.
On the same day, Mrs. Sanford missed her watch,
and, after searching for it everywhere, she came
to the conclusion that it had been stolen. She
was greatly distressed about it, but she could not
imagine who could have taken it.
A few days after this, Ingham came hurriedly
into the sitting-room looking as if he had been
running hard. He found Mrs. Sanford and Miss
Ida in the kitchen, but when the former came
into the sitting-room, he gave her a significant
look, and said that he had " made a raise." Mrs.
Sanford was highly pleased, but she had no time
to make inquiries, as Miss Ida came in from the
kitchen a moment later. They took supper
together, and had a very gay time, as both Ingham
and Mrs. Sanford were quite excited over the
former's adventure. After Miss Ida had gone
home, Ingham gave Mrs. Sanford ten dollars, and
told her that he and another man had followed a
stranger into the " Burnt District" just at dusk,
THW DETECTIVES AT WORK. 315
*
and while the other man choked the stranger,
Ingham had ' ' gone through " his pockets. Owing
to the fact that there were very few persons and
no ga"s-lamps in their vicinity, they had not been
observed in their work of robbery until they let
the man go, when his shouts had attracted atten-
tion. He said that some men had chased them,
and that he had escaped by running into a lumber-
vnrdj where he h?id-lrrfidftn"thft prrp.fl.ter part, of
the plunder. He said that he had obtained a roll
of bills, but that he could not tell how much
money there was in all, as he had not had time
to count it. He said that he did not expect to
get much out of it, as he would be obliged to
divide with his partner. The day following, Ing-
ham, on his return to the house in the evening,
found Mrs. Sanford standing in her room fixing
her hair, while a man' stood beside lier with his
arm around her waist. The door of her^oom
was. open, so that Ingham coulcTnbT help seeing
them, and he did not stop, but went straight to
his own room. Mrs. Sanford soon afterward
came to his door and told him that the man ho
had seen was Mr. Taylor G. Pratt, the real estate
agent, who occupied the back parlor; that he
was one of her best friends, and that he wanted
to marry her. He had been away for the holi-
days, and had only just returned. She had told
him that Ingham was her brother from Detroit,
and that he was going to remain with h<>r for
some time. Ingham was then introduced to Mi
Pratt, and they talked with each other until
316 THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
supper -time. * Pratt was a middle-aged ii.an, with
a mean looking face and suspicious manner.
They went to a restaurant for supper, and the
gentlemen paid the bill equally. Pratt seemed
to oxpect Mrs. Sanford to pay her share, and this
made her angry, though she said nothing about
the matter at the time. When alone with Ing-
ham, however, she said that Pratt was a miserly
cub, with no generosity whatever. She borrowed
five dollars from him, nevertheless, and then
invented a story about having lost the money to
escape paying it back.
The next evening, when Ingham returned to
his lodgings, he found Mrs. Sanford in a sad
plight ; one eye was wholly closed and discol-
ored, while her whole face was bruised and in-
flamed to such an extent as to make her an un-
pleasant object to look at. Charlie Stokes, the
policeman, was sitting by the stove, and Mrs.
Sanford, with her head done up in wet towels,
was moaning on the sofa. She explained that
Mrs. Graves had been there, and had seized her
by the throat, beaten, scratched, and kicked "tier
until she was perfectly helpless from her in-
juries. Charlie, the policeman, was trying to
condole with her, but he was evidently out of
favor, for she finally told him to go out and not
bother her any long<
Ingham told her that she certainly ought to
have Mrs. Graves arrested and punished se-
verely, and he petted her so nicely that she said
he was her best friend, and that she would do
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK. 311
anything for him. He prepared a dressing for
her black eye, and got some supper for her, tell-
ing her that on Monday that day being Satur-
day she ought to get out a warrant for the ar-
.rest of Mrs. Graves.
" Why didn't you hit her with the poker ? " he
asked.
"I did pick it up," she replied, "but I was
afraid to hit her for fear I should kill her."
"Well, it would have served her just right,
for she had no business to attack you first."
"I know that; but if I had killed her, just
think how awful it would be ! Why, her ghost
would haunt me forever after. I don't want to
be haunted. I'm afraid now to go into the room
where Trafton died, and 1 wouldn't go in there
alone after dark for fifty dollars."
Ingham comforted her all he could, but finally
he said that he must go out for a time, and he
did not return until about ten o'clock. He then
went upstairs quietly, and went to bed. Two or
three hours later, a heavy, groaning sound was
heard in the house. It was difficult to tell ex-
actly whence it came, but Ingham heard Mrs.
Sanf ord spring up and open her door. He did the
same, and saw her listening at the half -open door.
The groans were not exactly like those of a person
in distress, but they resembled the eff orts of some
singe ghost in a blood-and-thunder drama. Sud-
denly Mrs. Sanf ord stepped out, with her revolver
in her hand, and began to walk toward the hall.
He instantly overtook her and askod her, in a
318 THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
whisper, what she was going to do. She made a
significant motion with her revolver, and again
stopped to listen. He then took the pistol away
from her, saying that the noise was probably duo
to some drunken man who had got into the hall.
He told her to go back to bed, and he would in-
vestigate. Accordingly, he went into the hall,
and soon Mrs. Sanford heard him dragging a
maudlin drunken fellow downstairs. This affair
had been arranged by me, in the hope of fright-
ening Mrs. Sanford into making some kind of a
confession, but she was not so easily alarmed as I
had hoped. The door had been left open by
Ingham on his return to the house, and another
detective had been sent to the top of the stairs to
make the groans. From the determined way in
which she walked out, with her pistol in readi-
ness, it was evident that she would not have hesi-
tated to shoot the unfortunate ghost on sight.
The next day Ingham showed her a fine gold
watch, which he said he had snatched out of a
man's pocket in a crowd. She wanted him to
steal one for her, and he promised to do so, if
possible, though it was more difficult to get a
lady's watch. She then advised him to be careful
to see that there was no private mark on the
watch, lest he should be detected thereby. Then
she asked whether the numbers on government
bonds were all different. He said that there were
different series, which were exactly alike except
the letter, and he tried to explain the matter to
her, but she could not understand it. She also
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 310
wanted to know whether the bonds could be sold
in a foreign country, and he told her yes; thai
that was the best way to sell them, if there was
anything wrong about them. After some fur-
ther conversation, she said she thought of going
to Canada soon, and perhaps she would like him
to take charge of her rooms while she was away.
CHAPTER HI.
The Dangerous Side of the Woman's Character. Mr.
Pinkerton makes a new Move. Robert A. P////,--
erton as Adamson, the drunken, but wealt/t>/ y
Stranger. A "funny " Game of Cards. 2 he
drunken Stranger has a violent Struggle to escape
from Mrs. Sanford, and is afterwards robbed
according to the Papers. Detective Ingham ar-
rested, but vert/ shortly liberated.
IT has already been observed by the reader
that, while Ingham had learned nothing
new about the fate of poor Trafton, he had ob-
tained a very excellent understanding of Mrs.
Sanford's character. Her most prominent char-
acteristic was the love of money, and this passion
seemed to overpower all others. HexJanguage
and manners at times showed that she had once
h^r rend
^^
ing and declamations from Shakespeare and other
poets^gavnTeviSonco of groat natnTaT" talents.
Combined with her greed for money was a strong
320 A " FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
element of sensuality, and though she usually
granted her favors only where she expected a
large pecuniary reward, still, at times, she was
apparently as prodigal in that regard as if she
had no care whatever for money.
Her mind, was naturally powerful, and I had
little hope of breaking down her will ; she would
evidently show fight to the last, and all that I
could hope would be to learn enough secretly to
insure her conviction without her confession.
She was as shrewd as if all her life had been
passed in evading the toils of the law; even in
her sleep, or when pretending to sleep, she would
talk with great freedom; but, as she never gave
any intelligence of importance on such occasions,
I put little faith in the soundness of her sleep.
In her readiness to assist Ingham to hide his
plunder, I saw the dangerous side of this woman's
nature strongly revealed. If she were so willing
to act as an accomplice in one crime, why not in
another? As she had been so successful in her
encounter with Trafton, might she not be glad to
carry out the same scheme again? At least, there
would be no harm in puling an opportunity be-
fore her, and her actions in one case might give
some clue to those by which she had succeeded
in the former affair.
" Yes, that will be a good plan," I soliloquized;
"I will send a young fellow there with a large
sum of money, and he will get drunk. Then, if
she tries to rob him, I shall be certain that she
did the same with young Trafton."
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDH. 321
I therefore arranged that Ingham should pre-
tend that he had made the acquaintance of a
stranger from the East, who had a large sum of
money; he was to tell Mrs. Sanford that he would
bring the stranger to her rooms to spend the
evening; the stranger would be rather drunk
when he arrived there, and uhey would-giy_hini.
more liquor, until he should bo quito drunk; if
she should then try to rob him, he would get
away as well as possible, and Ingham would go
after him. In a little while, Ingham would re-
turn and show her a package of bonds, stolen
from the stranger, and tell her that he had
knocked the man down with a brick, bfore rob-
bing him. The next morning a noMce would ap-
pear in the papers to the effec^that a stranger
had been found in the burnt district, lying on the
ground in an insensible condition, having been
knocked down and robbed.
Ingham was instructed as to his part in the af-
fair, and next day he told Mrs. Sanford that there
was a young fellow down town whose acquaint-
ance he had made, who had a large amount of
money with him. Ingham said that the man's
name was Adamson, and that he was a gambler in
good luck. He wanted to bring Adamsou to the
house that evening, and she was very anxious
that he should come.
I intrusted the stranger's part to my son, Rob-
ert A. Pinkerton, who assumed the name of
Adamson for the occasion.
Accordingly, the two detectives met at my
U*
322 A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
office, and Adamson was given five hundred dol
lars in fifty dollar bonds. They then went to
Mrs. Sanford's house, and, on arriving there,
Mr. Adamson was quite unsteady on his legs.
Mrs. Sanford was nicely dressed to receive the
stranger, and she made herself very agreeable to
him, in spite of his apparent drunkenness. They
caE&rTTogether for a time, and then Adam-
son proposed to play euchre with Ingham seven
points for five dollars a game. While they were
playing, Adamson became quite reckless, and he
threw down his cards with such a look of
drunken gravity as to be quite amusing. He lost
almost every game, and, at length, he wanted to
go out for a drink. Mrs. Sanford told him to go
on with his game, and she would get what he
wished.
"What do you want to drink?" she asked.
"Anything excep' warrer," he replied.
" What do you know about water? " asked Ing-
ham; "I don't believe you can tell how it looks."
"Tha's a lie. I know how to tell warrer 's
well's you. I (hie) can allus tell warrer it looks
jus' like gin. Get us some gin."
While Mrs. Sanford was gone, Ingham and
Adamson arranged that the latter should pretend
to have lost all his money to the former, and
that he should insist upon playing one game for
fifty dollars. This he was to lose, and he was to
become angry and go away. Adamson then gave
Ingham about fifty dollars to show as his win-
nings, and presently Mrs. Sanford came in. She
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 323
had been introduced to Adamson under the as
sumed name of Mrs. Eobertson, and he therefore
addressed her by that name.
" Mi-s. Bob'son, 'f you'd come sooner (hie),
you'd ha' seen th' funniest game 't ever was
played. Never 'ad such bad luck 'n m' life, an'
now I've los' all m' money. Gimme big (hie)
drink of gin."
Mrs. Sanford poured him a glass half full, and
also poured a little into two other glasses. When
she turned her head, Ingham emptied the con-
tents ot^ws-gl^ajJitoJLQ.cpal-scuttle, exchanged
glasses with Adamson, and emptied his drink into
the same place. When they stood up to drink,
Mrs. Sanford was the only one who really did so,
the two men merely going through the motions,
with great apparent satisfaction. Adamson then
became more and more exjcited.
"Tell you, Miss'r Hang'em, or whatever y'r
name is, I'll play you a (hie) game f'r fiffy dolls;
can beat you 't euchre any day th' week. Wha'
you say? Wan' to play? "
" No, I don't want to play for so much, but I'll
play you for twenty-five dollars."
" Fiffy or nothin'. Come, now; 'f you're'fraid
to play, say so. I c'n play like a steam- whissle,
I can."
" I'll play you for twenty-five," replied Inghaiu,
irresolutely.
" No, sir; I won't (hie) play'ny more small
games. You've won more'n fiffy doll'rs fr'm me
IKJW. 'n I wan' in' ivvcii-v. Yougoin'ter gimme
a (hie; chance f win it !
32* A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
" All right," said Ingham ; "I'll play you just
one game for fifty dollars, and then we'll stop, no
matter who wins. Just wait a minute, until 1
go to my room for a handkerchief."
While he was gone, Adamson pulled out a
package of ten United States bonds, of the de-
nomination of fifty dollars each, and said that lie
would put up one of them against Ingham's fifty
dollars, and that he should send the rest to his
mother. When Ingham returned, he counted
out fifty dollars, and Adamson laid down one of
his bonds.
"What's that?" asked Ingham. "Is that
worth fifty dollars?" and picking it up, he ex-
amined it carefully.
" Yes'r ; tha's worth more'n fiffy doll'rs; tha's
worth fiffy doll'rs in gold."
" Will you guarantee that it is good and all
right ? " asked Ingham.
"Course I will; didn't you ever see a (hie)
bond b'f ore?"
" Oh ! I know that's all right," said Mrs. San-
ford, who was beginning to show the effect of
the gin very strongly ; " I've had bon's like that,
too. Th' young man who died here had eighteen
thousan' bonds like this."
"Well, all right," said Ingham; "let us cut
for deal."
/ As the game progressed, Mrs. Sanford felt the
/strength of the gin more and more, and she soon
/ became quite sick. Ingham got her some warn?
\ water, and she went into her own room to vomit
V^
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 325
She soon returned, feeling much better, a nd the
game went on, Ingham winning by one point.
Adamson then became very angry, and said he
was going out ; and, although the others begged
him to stay, he put on his overcoat and insisted
on going away. Ingham finally said that he
didn't care whether Adamson went or stayed, and,
so saying, he walked off to his own room. Mrs.
Sanf ord used every argument to induce Adamson
to stay all night, but, with a drunken man's obsti-
nacy, he refused to remain any longer. He walked
downstairs, with Mrs. Sanford clinging to him
and coaxing him all the way, until they reached
the lower landing, when she rjujjimx.ta^fe-s^ainst'
thejiooj^-and rofuood to let hiKUQut. They then
had a violent struggle, in the course of which she
tore open his coat and vest in the endeavor to get
at the bonds in his breast pocket. Finally, he
was obliged to use all his force to get away, as
she was like a tigress in her anger, and was evi-
dently determined to rob him. Indeed, had he
not been an active, muscular young man, she
would, undoubtedly, have finished him then ainl
there ; as it was, he barely succeeded in making
his escape, by forcing her back upon the stairs,
and then springing out of the door before she
could seize him again.
Meantime, Ingham was a silent spectator of
this scene from "the top of tn^^tairs7^v5iereTTe~
stooorieldii]^ike4amp-. SsHoon as Adamson was
out, Ingham rushed down and told Mrs. Sanford
that he intvu<k-d t<> ha\v thofe bonds anyhow.
326 A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
He told her to sit up for him, and then ran out
after Adam son. In less than an hour, he re-
turned and saw Mrs. Sanford watching for him
from a front window. When he went upstairs,
she was still somewhat under the influence of the
liquor she had* drank, but she asked him where
he had been.
"That's all right," he replied, flipping over the
ends of the package of bonds; "I guess I've
made a good enough haul this time."
"Oh! you are a splendid fellow," she said,
leaning on his shoulder. "I didn't think you
would dare to do it."
"I dare to do anything where there is any
money to be made. You won't go back on me,
will you?"
" What do you mean? " she asked.
" I mean, that you won't give me away to the
police ? " he asked, anxiously.
"Why, of course I won't," she replied. "I
never yet went back on any one who did the fair
thing by me; and I know you will do that, won't
you?"
"Oh! certainly I will ; I will make you a nice
present to-morrow."
" I don't want a present to-morrow," she said,
sullenly ; " I want my share now."
" But I shall have to cash these bonds first," he
said. " They would be of no use to you in their
present shape."
" I can get them cashed as well as you can,"
she replied. "Come, hand over; I don't want
half, but 1 want m now."
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 327
" What is your hurry ? " he demanded. " Can't
you wait until to-morrow ? "
" No, I can't; I want my share, and if you are
going to be mean, I will be mean too. You can't
keep those bonds unless I say so, and if I choose
to report you, I can have them all taken from
^ you, besides sending you to Joliet."
"Oh! if that's the way you talk," replied Ing-
nam, "I shall know what to do. If you can't
trust me until to-morrow, I can't trust you at all.
You can't scare me by threats, and if you want
to get any of this money, you must deal fairly
with me; I'm not afraid of being arrested."
"All right, then," she answered, with a wicked
look in her eye; "we'll see whether you will
' come down ' or not. If you want to keep it
all, I shall take care that you don't keep any of
it. I'm going to the police station at once."
She was, evidently, just ugly enough to do as
she said; and, as Ingham had the bonds in his
possession, he did not fancy the idea of letting
her go for the officers just then; so he replied:
" You can go right along, if you want to, but,
in that case, I shall go somewhere else."
He then quickly brought his hat and overcoat
into the sitting-room; and, seeing that she was
still making preparations to go out, he took a
hurried departure, taking a room at a small hotel
for the night.
In the Chicago Tribune of January 14, 1872,
the following item appeared:
328 A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
" HIGHWAY BOBBERY.
" At about twelve o'clock last night, an officei
of Pinkerton's Preventive Police stumbled ovei
the body of a man near the corner of State and
Washington streets. Stooping down, he discov-
ered that the man was half drunk, half insensi-
ble, bruised and bleeding. On being restored to
his senses, he gave his name as Robert Adamson,
stating'that he had come from Troy, New York,
having with him several hundred dollars in cur-
rency and bonds. The time between drinks was
very short yesterday afternoon, and he has no
clear idea of what happened after dark, up to the
time the officer found him minus his money and
valuables. He remembers drinking frequently
with a stranger, who made himseli>very agree-
able, but cannot state the time when they parted
company. He describes the stranger as a tall
slender man, with black side- whiskers, giving a
sufficiently minute description of him to afford
the police a valuable clue, and it is lively that the
highwayman will soon be overhauled^"
About noon of the day that the above was pub-
lished, Ingham went to cah 1 upon Mrs. Sanford,
and she received him very coolly.
" How do you feel this morning ?" he asked.
" Does your head ache ? "
"No, I feel all right," she replied. "Have
you seen that fellow that was here last night ? "
"No, I have not seen him," he replied. " Why
do you ask ? Has he been here looking for me ? "
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 329
"Yes, he came here this morning, and asked
me all kinds of questions about you; and now, if
you are arrested, it will be your own fault. I
would have shielded you, if you had done the
fair thing by me; but now you must look out for
yourself."
"You are very unreasonable, Mrs. Sanford,''
he replied; "it would have been very dangerous
to have left any of those bonds with you, for if
the man had brought the police here, they would
have searched the house, and would have found
the bonds. Then you would have been arrested,
and you would have been obliged to tell where
you got the bonds. Now, as soon as I get the
bonds cashed, I will treat you handsomely, but I
do not intend to run any risks."
"There would have been no danger of their
finding the bonds, if you had left them with me;
and, even if they had found them, I never would
have told where I got them. You might have
been fair enough to give me one hundred dollars
at least."
"He did not have any money besides what I
won from him, except the bonds; and, as I said
before, I did not dare to leave those in the
house."
I ever let you intojnj--kogse,"
**! thought a great deal of
ypu, and I expected to assislfytra-^wfeeirl received
my^mryaey-fJjut now I have lost confidence in
you. I suppose, if you got a chance at my
money, you would take that too. I begin to
A
, \ 330 A " FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
ML
\ think I know where my watch went ; the letee-
tive wanted to search you for it two or three
times, but I wouldn't let him, and this is the way
you reward my confidence."
"Mrs. Sanford, you are talking wild," he
answered, angrily. -" I have always treated you
well, and when I made a raise the other day, I
gave you a part of it. I intended to do the same
this time, but you acted so suspiciously that I
thought best to wait awhile. Now, as soon as I
get these bonds cashed, I will give you some
more money, but not till then."
" You can keep your old money," she retorted ;
"I don't want any of it. You think you were
very smart, yesterday, but you don't know what
danger you are in. I could have
this verv-daauf I chose.'
:now you could ; but what good would it
do you? I shoujd-be punished, to be sure, but
you would not get a cent ; while, if you keep
quiet, I will make you a fine present."
"I don't want your present, nor you either,"
she replied. "I don't want you in jnjUiQuse^ any
longer." Thenfas^TrlgJia^n^siiarfed toward his
roV5m7~s1ie said: "Keep out of there; you can't go
into that room, for I've let it to a young couple,
who are in there now."
"All light, then," replied Ingham; "I will call
again to-morrow."
"You needn't take things so mighty cool," she
replied, perfectly white with anger. ""pu
firj^-^otifselfin jail before you know it."
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 331
"I know it," he answered, carelessly; "but it's
my nature to take things cool, and so, if you
want to put me in jail, you can; but you can't
scare me a bit, and you may as well understand
it first as last."
The following morning, I received from Mr.
Trafton, who was then in Philadelphia, the num-
ber of the bonds which were missing. They
were five-twenty bonds of the issue of 1865, num-
bers 57,109 and 87,656, series A, and number
37,515, series B. Information of the robbery had
been sent to the Treasury Department at Wash-
ington, and to all the sub-treasurers in the United
States, in order that, in case any of the interest
coupons should be presented for payment, they
might be traced back, possibly, to the hands of
the thief.
In The Tribune of Monday appeared the fol-
lowing item :
"BEATEN AND ROBBED.
"A MAN TAKES A WALK WITH A COMPARATIVE
STRANGER, AND IS KNOCKED DOWN AND ROB-
BED OF NEARLY $1,000 IX GREENBACKS.
"Mention was made in yesterday's TRIBUNE of
the finding of a man, named Robert Adamson,
on the corner of State and Washington, strc-
he having been bcairn and robbed of several hun-
dred dollars in greenbacks. The police were look-
ing for him yesterday, but failed to find him. It
was ascertained that he had been boarding at No.
332 A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
92 West Madison street, and that, on Saturday
night, he indulged in several games of euchro
with a man who also boarded at the place. While
the game was in progress, and Adamson was ui?
der the influence of liquor, he displayed an ex-
press company's envelope full of money. At the
conclusion of the game, the two men went out to
'take a walk.' Yesterday morning, Adamson's
companion returned to the house, and, it 4s said,
offered che landlady $500 if she would say noth-
ing about his having played cards with Adamson.
She refused, and would not allow the fellow to
take his trunk away, which he wanted to do very
badly. The landlady sent her little daughter to
police headquarters for an officer, and one was
sent over to arrest the man; but he had left pre-
vious to the officer's arrival. It is not known
how much money Adamson had, but it must
have been in the neighborhood of $1,000, or the
man who took it would not have made such a
munificent offer to have the fact of the theft
kept secret."
In accordance with my instructions, Ingham
went to Mrs. Sanford's house about noon on
Monday. He told her that he had read in the
paper that she had reported him to the police as
being the assailant of Eobert Adamson. She de-
nied ever having done so, and offered to swear
that she had never betrayed him. He replied
that he felt sure there must be a mistake, as he
could not believe it possible that she would be-
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 333
tray him. He felt perfect confidence in her, and
had no fears that she would try to have him ar-
rested.
"Besides," he continued, "I don't care now
whether they arrest me or not. I'm not afraid
of being held, for I am generally sllfuvvd wfough
to cover my tracks pretty thoroughly, if I have a
start of two or three days."
"You can't prove that you didn't rob that
man," she replied.
"I don't need to; all the proof must come from,
the other side, and they haven't any witnesses
who can swear that I did the robbery."
"I could prove it, if I choose to go against
you," she said.
"No, you couldn't," he replied. "You didn't
see me; and, while your testimony would, per-
haps, be circumstantial evidence, your oath
would be no better than mine, as you have no
one to swear to the same thing."
have great cr
she said in a boasting manner. " They recollect
the finding of eighteen thousand dollars under
the pillow of the young man who died here, and
they have all confidence in me, for they_koTrT
might have easfly r T5toien-^4Lhe-kah l3ut I think
it is best never to do anything wrong, and then
there is no fear of getting into trouble."
"That's all right, if you can do it," he replied;
"but I must have a living, and if I can't get it
one way, I will another. "
Just then some one knocked at the door, and
334 A " FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
presently Charlie Stokes, the policeman, walked
in. They talked together a few minutes, and
then Stokes said:
" Step this way a moment, Mr. Ingham, I wish
to speak to you alone."
They walked to the head of the stairs, and Ing-
ham then asked what he wished to talk about.
" Well, there seems to be some kind of a mis-
understanding at the police station/' said Stokes,
keeping his eye^-QBr-the-grQund) " and-they have
sejiti me4e-^sk you towall_arQimd to the-office."
"misanderstanSmg about what ? " asked
Ingham. ' " What do you mean?"
"Well, you know all about it," continued
Stokes, in the same mysterious way.
" I beg your pardon ; I don't know what you
have reference to ; please explain."
"Oh! you know well enough. You are
ranted on account of that man you robbed last
'Saturday night."
" I did not rob any man Saturday night, and I
am surprised that you should make such a
\charge against me, knowing me as well as you
lo," said Ingham, in an injured tone.
" I have nothing to do with it," replied Stokes.
" I am simply obeying the captain's order, and I
have no personal feeling against you whatever ;
but I have been sent to take you down to the
station, and I must obey orders."
"-Theiry&iL2J?i j estr s me^ inquired Ingham.
" Well, you must go to the station with me to
see the captain."
A. "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 335
"Not unless you arrest me," replied Ingham.
" I want to know whether I am to consider my-
self under arrest."
"Yes, you can consider yourself arrested, if
you want to," replied Stokes, who did not seem
to like fVKAq,Ve f.hft rftspansubiJ-il^ nf nulling
ciieiuustaiices.
"I don't want to, and I shan't, unless you say
so," persisted Ingham. '
' ' Well, then, I do say so, and we will go now.
We ,can walk along to^etker-4iko two friends.
howeyjay ^anfFrKrone neea^know that you are my
prisoner."
"I don't care who knows it," said Ingham;
"but I think there is somethingustfange in tha
way of arrestingjne."
^ W ell, JTTiope you will come out all right,"
Stokes replied, adding significantly, "and per-
haps you will, if certain folks don't appear
against you."
"I'm not afraid," replied Ingham; "there is
no one who can say anything against me."
On arriving at the station, the same considera-
tion was shown to him, and the station-keeper
asked him to make himself comfortable in the
main sitting-room.
"Am I under arrest ? " he asked again.
"I^oTHot exactly j^you can take it easy for a
time, and you Tvill-harvo an examination Soon.''
"If ! am not under arrest," Ingham replied,
"I shall not stay here."
"Why not?" asked the station-keeper.
A "FUNNY' GAME OF CARDS.
" Because I have no business here unless I am
a prisoner," was Ingham's reply.
llWfi-cgii lock youjipja-^rt^TITlFwS waul, to, 4 *
feaid the station-keeper; "but we thought you
would prefer to be comfortable up here."
"^hen I flr,m a-pri spn erJ-" again inquired Ing-
ham, wn7)~-!5el3rned anxious to have his status
satisfactorily explained.
"Yes, confound it ; if you are determined to
have it so, you are."
About five o'clock the sergeant of police came
in, and asked Ingham his name.
"Ingham," was the reply.
4 ' Jack Ingham ? "
"No ; John Ingham."
"What is your business ? " asked the sergeant.
"I'm not employed at all, just now.
"Have you ever had any work to do in this
city ? " again queried the sergeant.
"No; not yet."
"Who was that man you were playing cards
with the other night ? "
"What night ? " asked Ingham.
"Well, Saturday night."
" Whereabouts ? "
<l At your boarding place."
" Oh ! I play cards with a great many fellows,"
Ingham replied. "I don't know which one you
mean.''
"Well, we know who he was," said the ser-
geant.
"Then what are you asking me for?" said
Ingham. " Am I under arrest? "
A "FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. '/ 337
'I guess you will have to stay here awhile,"
was the sergeant's reply.
Presently a number of persons came into the
room, and Ingham thought he saw among them
one of the bindery girls who had formerly lodged
with Mrs. Sanford. She looked at him very hard,
and then went out into the hall, where he could
hear her talking with the station-keeper and
Stokes. He also heard the sergeant call a police-
man and give him some instructions, in which
Ingham caught the words, " Pinkertoii's office."
The man then put on his coat and went out.
Presently the sergeant approached him again,
and, looking at him significantly, said:
''Now we know all about your playing cards
with that man, and afterward fobbing him."
" I don't know what you mean," Ingham re-
plied; "I don't know what man you are talking
about."
" Didn't you see that piece in the paper yester-
day? " asked the sergeant.
" I saw a number of pieces in the paper yester-
day, but I can't tell which one you are referring
to."
The sergeant then showed him the item headed
" Highway Robbery," and said:
" Now, we can prove that you came back to
your landlady with a large package of money,
and offered her five hundred dollars to keep quiet
about the fact of your having played cards with
this young fellow, and then having followed him
out."
13
338 A " FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS.
" Well, if you can prove that, you had better
do it," said Ingham; then, changing his tone, and
looking straight in the sergeant's face, he added:
any
them."
muttered something about lock-
ing him up, .and started to go out.
" If you lockT me up," replied Ingham, coolly,
" I kepe~-yoiL_are prepared Jo_tak:e the conse-
querrees^
" Who the deyil^are you, anyhow? " agkd tho
" No relation of yours, I assure you," was the
reply, and the sergeant went away.
At this time, a tall, dignified man came in and
asked the station-keeper a question. The police-
man replied that there was no such man there.
" I know better than that," said the stranger,
" and I must see him,"
The station-keeper declared positively that they
had no such man, and the stranger then went up
stairs. In a few minutes the sergeant came in
and told Ingham to follow him. As they were
going upstairs, they met the tall stranger coming
down. Ingham felt confident that this man was
looking for him, and, in passing, he pinched the
stranger's leg. The pinch was returned, and the
tall man stopped; but Ingham and the sergeant
went up to the captain's room. After asking
Ingham his name, the captain said:
"Where were you last Saturday night ? "
" That is none of your business," said Ingham.
A c ' FUNNY" GAME OF CARDS. 339
"Come, now, you needn't put on any airs,"
said the captain; "I want to know all about
this."
" Captain," Ingham replied, " if you have any
charges against me, I should like to hear them.
I don't put on any airs, but I want to know what
I am under arrest for."
Turning to the sergeant, the captain said :
" How long would it take you to bring that
man on here, sergeant ? "
" Three or four days, at least," was the an-
swer.
Just then the tall stranger entered, and the
captain took him into a private room, where they
remained some time. When they came out, the
sergeant joined the captain for a few minutes,
while the tall gentleman introduced himself to
Ingham as Judge B , and said that the cap-
tain would let him go. This prove<l true, for the
captain very soon came out, and told Ingham
that he was at liberty.
340 CONNECTING LINKS
CHAPTER IV.
Connecting LinJes. Mrs. Stanford's Ability as an Imi-
tator of Actors. One Detective tears himself away
from her, and another takes his Place. Mrs. San-
forcVs mind frequently burdened with the Subject of
Murder. New Evidence appearing. A. Peep at the
stolen Bonds. The Shrewdness of the Murderess.
INGHAM did not return to* Mrs. Sanford's un-
til late in the evening of the day of his arrest.
On arriving there, he was admitted by Charlie
Stokes, the policeman, who seemed very much
surprised to see him. Mrs. Sanford was also
quite astonished, and turned very pale on seeing
him. However, they soon began talking in a very
friendly way, expressing their regret at his arrest
and their pleasure at his release. Charlie did
not remain long, and after he was gone Mrs. San-
ford made all kinds of inquiries as to the manner
of his escape.
" Why, Mrs. Sanford," he replied, "I told you
they couldn't hold me. There was absolutely no
evidence against me, and they were afraid to
dven lock me up. I have been ten years in this
business, in New Orleans and elsewhere, and I
have never been caught yet. The only thing
which puzzles me, is to account for my being ar-
rested at all ! "
"You don't suspect that I had any hand in it,
I hope ? " asked Mrs. Sanford.
CONNECTING LINKS. 341
" Oh, no indeed ! I trust you perfectly; but T
think that one of those bindery girls may have
seen me with Adamson on the street. One of
them came into the station while I was there,
and looked at me very hard, as if trying to identify
me. Still, I don't see how she could have sus-
pected anything, unless some one put her up to it. "
" Perhaps-some bartender may have seen you
drinking with him during the afternoon," she
suggested, "and he may have described you to
the police."
" Well, I should like to know who it was," he
said, savagely, "for I would shoot him like a
dog."
As Mrs. Sanford had rented Ingham's room,
there was no place for him to stay, and he went
away about midnight, telling her that he would
return next day. He did not go there, however,
until after dark, as he felt confident that the police
would try to "shadow" him. He found Mrs.
Sanford quite uneasy about him, as she thought
he had been arrested again. He invited her to
go to the theatre, and, on their way home, they
stopped at a restaurant to get a late supper. As
there were no accommodations for him, he was
obliged to go to a hotel for the night, but Mrs.
Sanford promised to have a bed put into the un-
furnished room for him the next day. The next
afternoon he called ng;iin, and Mrs. Sanford said
that Charlie had been there, and had told her all
about their visit to the theatre the night befoiv.
She said that he knew exactly where they had
342 CONNECTING LINKS.
been, what they had had for supper, and. what
they had paid. Ingham was thus made aware
that he was being watched, and his position,
therefore, became very embarrassing.
"Oh! by the way," she exclaimed, suddenly,
" did I tell you that I got back my watch ? "
" No; how did you recover it ? " he asked.
"Well, that man Graves had it, and I had to
pay one hundred dollars to get it back."
"That was a great shame," said Ingham, sym-
pathetically, as if he fully believed her.
' ' Yes, I got my watch and several other trin-
kets, which I had all together in one box. See,
here they are," she said, producing a box.
Ingham looked at them with great interest,
and, among the old sleeve-buttons, odd earrings,
and other broken pieces of jewelry, he saw two
gold shirt studs, one diamond-shaped, and the
other star-shaped. This was a small matter, but
it was one of the connecting links, nevertheless,
in the chain of evidence against her; for, from
the description, I felt sure that these were young
Trafton's missing studs.
Ingham spent the evening with her, and she
was very friendly indeed, seeming anxious to re-
move any suspicion he might have that she was
responsible for his arrest. She had made no ar-
rangements for him to sleep there, however, and
so he went to a small hotel for the night. When
he reported at my office the following day, I g;
him four hundred dollars in money, and told him
to show it to Mrs. San ford as the proceeds of the
CONNECTING LINKS. 343
sale of the stolen bonds. Accordingly, when he
wont there in the afternoon, he counted .over a
large pile of bills before her astonished eyes, and
asked her if he didn't know how to make things
pay well.
"Why, where did you get all that money?"
she asked.
"I sold those bonds which I showed you the
other night," he replied. "I tell you, it isn't
every man who knows how to dispose of prop-
erty when it falls into his hands."
" Now you will be flush for a long time, won't
you?" she said, in her most amiable manner.
" What are you going to do with all that ? "
" Oh ! I shall have to divide with my partner
first," he replied.
"Did you have a partner hi this affair?" she
asked. " You did not tell me about him."
" Oh ! yes ; I had the same partner as in the
other case," Ingham replied. "He held Adam-
son, and I struck him with a brick. However,
here is a present before I go, May," he con-
tinued, tossing two ten-dollar notes into her lap.
" I will give you some more in a day or two."
Mrs. Sanford was very much gratified, and
said that she cared more for him than for any
one else, and he could depend upon her for any-
thing. Ingham then left her, and came to my
office to return the money. In the evening he
took Mrs. Sanford and Miss Ida Musgrove to the
theatre, and the latter, evidently having heard
of his improved fortunes, treated him with great
344; CONNECTING LINKS.
cordiality. They returned to the rooms of Mis?
Ida after the theatre was out, and Mrs. Sanford
gave some fine imitations of different actors and
actresses, in a way which showed great powers of
mimicry, as well as considerable dramatic force.
It was very late when Ingham and Mrs. Sanford
got home, and they immediately went to bed.
The next day, Ingham went away as usual,
and stayed until nearly dark. When he saw Mrs.
Sanford, he professed to be in a very sulky mood,
and said that he had been gambling all day.
"At first I won right along, and I was nearly
two thousand dollars ahead at one time; but the
cursed luck changed, and I began to lose every
bet; so that, when I left, I had only ten dollars
in my pocket out of all that money I got for the
bonds."
Ingham could not control his feelings as he
thought of his loss, and he swore and raved like
a craey man. Mrs. Sanford was very much dis-
appointed, also, but she did not say much, except
that he ought to have known better than to gam-
ble. There were two or three new lodgers com-
ing in and out while he was there, so that he did
not have much time to talk to her, and he went
away early in the evening.
Owing to the arrest of Ingham, and his quarrel
with Mrs. Sanford, I had decided to relieve him
from this operation, and to put another man in
his place. His story about gambling was a part
of my plan; and the next day, when he called
upon her, he was under instructions to announce
CONNECTING LINKS. 345
bis intended departure from the city. Accord-
ingly, he did so, giving as a reason the fact that
he had lost all his money, and that the police
were watching him so closely that he was afraid
to attempt another robbery in Chicago. He told
her that he was going to St. Louis, and that he
should come to see her immediately, if he ever
should return.
/ She appeared very much distressed at the
/ thought of losing him, and told him that when
/ she got her money, she would let him have as
much as he wanted. She made him promise to
I write to her, and when he went away, she cried
\with seemingly genuine sorrow.
Three days later Mrs. Sanford received a visit
from a gentleman who said he wished to rent a
furnished room. Mrs. Sanford seemed to like his
appearance, and she offered him the small back
room at a low rent. Having decided to take it,
he told her that his name was Henry C. Morton,
recently from England.
" Oh ! I am so glad you are from the old coun-
try," said Mrs. Sanford, "as I am from Edinboro'
myself, and my father is Lord Chief Justice of
the courts there. He is very rich, and has treated
me very liberally since I left my husband ; why,
only last week, he sent me three thousand dol-
lars."
Just then a Mr. Bruce, the owner of the furni-
ture store below, came in, looking rather tipsy.
Mrs. Sanford introduced the two men, and Mr
Bruce said something about being an Irishman
15*
346 CONNECTING LINKS.
what a strange coincidence," said Mr
Morton. "Here are three persons, each repre-
senting one of the three kingdoms of Great Brit
ain. If I had some one to send for some ale,
we would drink a toast to Britannia, God bless
her ! "
After talking together for some time, Mrs.
Sanford and Mr. Morton went into the sitting-
room, and Mr. Bruce went down to his store.
Then Morton said that he had left his valise at
the Stock Yards, and that he would go for it at
once. On his return, he found two rough-look-
ing men at the door trying to get in, but the bell
would not ring, and so Morton went away for
half an hour, leaving the men knocking and kick-
ing on the door. About eight o'clock, he came
back and found the door open. He went up-
stairs and entered the sitting-room. Mrs. San-
ford was full of apologies for having locked him
out, but she said that she had had trouble with
one of her boarders, and she had resolved to keep
him out of the house. While they were talking,
the two men whom Morton had seen at the door
came in, and a quarrel immediately sprang up
between Mrs. Sanford and the younger of the
two. In a short time, they both became furiously
angry, and they used the most bitterly oppro-
brious language toward each other. Finally,
Mrs. Sanford, who was ironing, rushed at the
young man with a flatiron in her hand, and she
would undoubtedly have seriously injured him if
he had not escaped into his own room at the
CONNECTING LINKS. 347
head of the stairs. She then laid a heavy poker
on the table beside her, and said that she would
mash his skull if he came near her again. In
a short time, he again reentered the room,
when, seizing the poker, she rushed at him like
a fury. He succeeded in avoiding her until Mor-
ton and the other man induced her to give up the
poker; and both the strangers then went away,
saying that they should be back at eleven
o'clock.
After their departure, Mrs. Sanford dropped
into a chair and cried for a time, saying that she
never had acted so before in her life, as no one
had ever treated her so shamefully. Then she
became loquacious and confidential, telling Mor-
ton the old story of her father being Lord Chief
Justice of Scotland, and her husband a wealthy
man in Buffalo. She recited the reasons she had
for leaving her husband, and said that her father
first sent her one hundred and fifty dollars after
the separation, but that she thought so small a
sum was an insult, and so she sent it back. She
added that he had promised her three thousand
dollars very soon, and that she expected to re-
ceive it in a week or two. From this subject,
she drifted to the story of young Traf ton's death,
which she told with great minuteness. She said
that when she found he was dead, she fainted
away, and did not recover for nearly two hours.
While she was running on in her story, a loud
noise was heard, and she explained to Morton
that Mi. Briu-e had been drinking all day, until
348 CONNECTING LINKS.
he was afraid to go home, and that now he was
quite drunk in her room. She said that he had
been very kind to her in letting her have furni-
ture on credit, and so she wanted to make him
comfortable until he was sobered off. During
the evening she recited a number of selections
from Byron, Scott, and Longfellow, and even
gave several parts from Shakespeare's plays with
great force and beauty of elocution. She also
talked a great deal about Jack Ingham, a former
lodger in her rooms, and she seemed to have a
very high opinion of him. Bhe said that he was
obliged to leave town because the police were
after him about something he had done, adding,
that she didn't care for that, however, and she
would never go back on a friend, but would shield
him for anything except murder. It was after
two o'clock in the morning before they retired,
and as she had not fitted up Morton's room prop-
erly, she made a bed for him on the lounge in the
sitting-room. As Mr. Bruce was lying dead-
drunk on her bed, she was obliged to sleep on the
floor of her room.
About four o'clock Morton was awakened by
Mrs. Sanford, who said that she could not sleep
in her room, as Bruce snored so loudly, just aa
Stanley Trafton did the night he died.
" Oh! it is horrible to think of," she said, shud-
dering. "I shall go crazy if I stay in there any
longer."
She then lay down on the table and covered
herself with a bedspread she had brcught from
CONNECTING LINKS. 349
her own room. About six o'clock they were
awakened by a loud noise at the outer door, and
Mrs. Sanford said that those drunken loafers had
come back_agaia She immediately got up, took
a revolver from her room, and went down to the
door, where she told the men to go away, as she
would not admit them at that time of night.
While she was talking Bruce began moving
around, and he found his way into the hall.
Then Morton heard a great crash, as if some one
had fallen downstairs, followed by a call from
Mrs. Sanford, in tragic tones, for him to come and
help her. Morton went out and found that Bruce
had fallen from the top to the foot of the stairs,
and on going down he discovered the unfortunate
representative of the Emerald Isle lying in a
heap against the front door. The two men out-
side had evidently been scared away by the noise,
and they did not return until eight o'clock.
Bruce was not hurt, except a cut on his hand,
which Morton bound up, and then quiet reigned
again until after daylight. About nine o'clock
Morton went in to see Bruce, whom he found
sitting up in bed. Bruce said that his mo:
was gone, and that Mrs. Sanford had drugged
him the night before to enable her to steal it.
Morton called Mrs. Sanford, and asked where
Brace's money was. She said she had put it
away for safe keeping, and, lifting the mattress,
she took out two pocket-books and a box con-
luining hot- watch, trinkets, etc. Having given
Bruce his pocket-book, she went out, and he then
350 CONNECTING LINKS.
counted his money. He said he ought to have
eighty-one dollars, but that she had helped her-
self to ten dollars; it was not worth while mak-
ing a fuss about it, but he said that he knew she
had drugged him.
After awhile, Mr. Graves came in, and had a
private interview with Mrs. Sanford. She seemed
afraid of him, while he acted as if he had some
hold upon her. When they came into the sitting-
room, where Bruce and Morton were talking to-
gether, Mrs. Sanford asked Graves to lend her a
dollar, but he refused.
' ' Pshaw ! I don't want it, " she replied. ' ' I only
asked to see whether you'd lend it, as I have
quite enough of my own; " and, so saying, she
took out her pocket-book.
Morton saw her count out nine ten-dollar bills
and nine one-dollar bills. From the fact that she
showed just ninety-nine dollars, it was probable
that she had only recently changed one of the
one-hundred-dollar bills taken from young Traf-
ton. She then opened another compartment, and
took out two pieces of folded paper, of a creamy
tint, apparently about the size of two sheets of
foolscap. They were folded several times, and
were crammed in pretty tight.
"Do you know what those are?" she asked.
" No, I do not," he replied; " what are they? "
She merely laughed, and closed the pocket-
book, whispering that she didn't want Graves
and Bruce to see her money. She said she did
not wish to be left alone with Graves, for fear ha
CONNECTING LINKS. 351
should rob her; so Morton asked him to go out
and play a game of billiards. Bruce was in a
great state of anxiety, lest his wife should have
come down to the store to see where he had spent
the night, and he remained with Mrs. Sanford.
Morton did not return to Mrs. Sanford's until
late in the evening, and he found her dressing to
go to a ball. She insisted that he should go,
offering to pay all the expenses. He pretended
to be very much hurt at her suggestion, saying
that he never would permit any lady to pay any-
thing when he took her out. She was dressed
very tastefully, and presented a very stylish ap-
pearance, so that she attracted a good deaf of at-
tention at the ball. Before going, she sent Morton
to a drug store for a drachm of morphine, saying
that she must have it, as she used it constantly.
The next morning, they did not get up until a
late hour, and Mrs. Sanford said that she did not
feel very well. While talking together, they
drifted into a discussion about money. Morton,
like a genuine John Bull, maintaining there was
no safety except in gold, or Bank of England
notes.
" But we don't have either in this country,"
said Mrs. Sanford; "and now, suppose you had a
largo sum of money, what would you do with
it?"
" That's just what I would like to know," he re-
plied. " I expect to receive one hundred pounds
from England very soon, and I don't know where
to keep it."
352 CONNECTING LINKS.
" Well, I shall put my three thousand dollars
into bonds," she said. " They can be registered,
so that no one can use them except the rightful
owner, and the interest is payable in gold."
"I don't know anything about bonds," said
Morton, ' ' especially these American bonds, which
sometimes depreciate very fast."
" Oh! the bonds of the United States are good
anywhere," she replied, "and they will sell for
their face in England or Canada just as well as
here. They are the best securities there are. I
have some now, and I intend to get some more."
While talking, Morton picked up a card which
was in her work-basket, and saw that it was an
advertisement of a gift concert or lottery. She
noticed it, and said that it had been left there by
a man named Druen, who used to come to see
her. She said that he had stolen a five-hundred-
dollar bond from her, however, and he had never
been there since. Soon afterward she went to
sleep again, and did not awake until evening, as
she was very tired from the effects of the ball.
Morton remained in the house all day; and, when
she woke up, he got supper for her. She seemed
very much pleased at his thoughtfulness, and
said that she never had had any one so kind to
her since she left her husband.
" I want you to go to the bank with me some
day," she said, " as I want to draw the interest on
some of my coupons, and then you will see what
good securities American bonds are."
"I shall be very glad to go with you," said
CONNECTING LINKS. 353
Morton ; "for, if they are really good securities,
I will invest some money in them."
" Oh ! there is nothing better," she replied,
rl and I will show you mine."
She then took out the pocket-book she hud
shown him before, and unfolded one of the
pieces of paper. Morton saw that it was a five-
hundred-dollar bond, of the issue of 1865, pay-
able in 1885, with about twenty or thirty coupons
attached. He was so surprised and excited at
seeing the bond, that he could hardly tell what to
do, and so he failed to notice the most important
point the number. By the time she had opened
the other bond, however, he had his wits a little
more under command, and he was able to re-
member that the figures of the number were
five, seven, one, zero, and some other figure; but
he could not recollect positively the order in
which they came.
" You can go to the bank to-morrow and get
the coupons cashed for me, can't you?" she
asked, after putting away the bonds.
" Oh ! certainly, if you wish me to do so," he
replied.
Then she laughed, and said :
"You would be arrested if you should take
these bonds to the bank."
"How so ?" he asked, apparently in great sur-
prise. "Why should I be arrested ? "
"Because the bonds belong to me, and you
would have to give an account of the way in
which you obtained them."
354 CONNECTING LINKS.
"Oh! well," he replied, "you could give me an
order, and that would make it all right."
"Yes, I suppose so," she said, carelessly.
Her object, evidently, was to make Morton
believe that it would not do for him to attempt
to steal the bonds; for, though she trusted him
to the extent of showing him her money and
valuables, she was eternally suspicious and care-
ful.
Of course, on receiving Morton's report, I felt
quite confident that the two bonds he had seen
were a part of those taken from young Trafton.
Still, I had no positive proof of their identity,
and, in accordance with my invariable custom, I
took no hasty step, being confident that my
detective would soon elicit all the facts. I wrote
to Mr. Eichard S. Trafton, however, suggesting
that he have himself appointed administrator of
his son's estate, so that he could begin proceed-
ings instantly, the moment I was ready.
Several days passed, during which Morton
gained Mrs. Sanford's confidence more and more.
She was anxious one evening that he should rob
Mr. Bruce, who came in half drunk; but Morton
told her that he never worked that way.
"Why, Jack Ingham would have killed a man
to get money out of him," said Mrs. Sanford.
"Jack wasn't afraid to do anything for money."
"Well, that isn't my style," said Morton, con-
temptuously. "Do you suppose I am going to
have a scuffle and struggle, ending perhaps in
murder, when I can make ten times as much by
CONNECTING LINKS. 355
a little skillful work with my pen ? I don't want
the police to be snuffing 'round my heels on ac-
count of highway robbery and such small game ;
when J do anything to set them after me, it will
be for a big stake, and even if they catch me,
they will be mighty glad to compromise. Oh !
no ; not any little jobs for me ; it is only the big
rascals who can work safely."
Morton succeeded in inducing her to leave
Bruce alone, though she had evidently meant to
drug him, for she to6k a glass of beer, which she
had poured oat for him-, and threw it into the
sink. They all drank considerable beer, however,
during the evening, and Mrs. Sanford, having
taken also a large dose of morphine, became
nearly insensible. On seeing her condition, Mor-
ton and another lodger thought they had better
put her to bed ; but as Bruce was in a drunken
stupor in her room, Morton determined to try the
effect of putting her into the room where young
Trafton had died. No sooner had they laid her
on the bed, however, before she sprang up, gazed
around an instant, and then rushed shrieking
from the room, saying that she dare not lie there,
and that she had seen "him "lying beside her.
She was then placed on the lounge in the sitting-
room, where she became quite hysterical. Mor-
ton sat beside her, and soothed her until she
became quiet, and about midnight she fell asleep.
Morton said to me, on making one of Ins
reports, that she would often determine to give
up morphine and liquor, and live more respect-
356 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
ably. Then she would become excited from the
craving for the drug, and would take a dose,
which would soothe her. make her amiable, and
givo her energy enough to do anything ; gradu-
ally she would become wild again, and 'voukl be
almost unbearable, while the maddening effect
lasted, especially if she took any liquor to add to
her temper ; finally, the vnfluence would pass off,
leaving her weak, despondent, and stupidly affec-
tionate. I saw that she was not likely to confess
anything to any one, and I therefore decided to
bring the affair to a crisis without delay.
CHAPTER V.
A moneyed young Texan becomes one of Mrs. Sanford's
Lodgers. The Bonds are seen, and their Nuti>l>< rs
taken by the Detectives. Mrs. Sanford Arrested.
Sudden and Shrewd Defense by the Prisoner. /She
is found guilty of "involuntary Manslaughter" and
sentenced to the Illinois Penitentiary for Jive years.
Misdirected Philanthropy, and its Reward. Mr.
Pinkerton's Theory of the Manner in which Trafton
was Murdered.
HAVING discussed my plan with my superin-
tendent, Mr. F. Warner, I sent for one of
my youngest men, named Thomas Barlow, and
gave him explicit instructions as to the course
which he was to pursue in connection with Mrs,
Sanford.
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 357
On the first day of February, therefore, a young
fellow called at Mrs. Sanford's about five o'clock
in the afternoon, and asked if she had any rooms
to rent. She was very civil to him, and offered
him the room at the head of the stairs, for three
dollars a week. While she was showing him the
rooms, she asked him a number of questions
arJout himself ; and as he was a smooth-faced,
innocent-looking young man, he told her all
about his affairs. He said that his name was
Thomas Barlow, from Texas, where his father
was a great cattle-raiser ; he had brought several
hundred head of cattle to the city, and had sold
them at a high price; he intended staying in Chi-
cago for a short time, and then he should go up
the Eed Eiver of the North, in the early spring,
to do some fur trading, as he believed there was
a good deal of money to be made up there, by any
one with sufficient capital; he intended to have a
good time in Chicago first, however.
As soon as Mrs. Sanford learned that he had
money with him, she became very affectionate
indeed, telling him that she would make him
more comfortable than he could be anywhere else,
and that she would treat him like a prince. She
introduced Morton as her brother, and said that
they would all go to the theatre together. At
first, Barlow refused, but she insisted so urgently,
that he finally consented to go. He went away
for an hour to get his valise, and when he re-
turned, Mrs. Sanfonl \vas dressed in her most
stylish clothes, as if determined to make the best
358 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
possible impression upon him. He was very
good-natured and boyish, apparently believing all
she told him, and laughing at all her attempts to
be funny. After leaving the theatre, she learned
that one of her old acquaintances was to have a
'grand opening" in a new saloon, and she was
obstinately determined to find the place. After
walking about for an hour, she called a hackman,
and offered him five dollars to find this new
saloon, where she was anxious to take a drink,
as she said, " for good luck and old acquaintance'
sake." After driving about until midnight, she
learned that the opening was postponed, and
they then went to a restaurant near her house to
get supper. It was two o'clock before they went
to bed, but before going, Mrs. Sanford learned
that Barlow was to receive his pay for the cattle
in a check for over four thousand dollars. She
talked with him about the risk of carrying money
around on the person, and told him that he ought
to buy bonds, as then they would not be lost even
if they should be stolen. He agreed with her,
and said that he would try to buy some bonds
when he got his check cashed.
The next morning they took breakfast with
Mrs. Sanford, as she seemed anxious to keep
Barlow with her as much as possible. It was
noticeable that she did not, as she had usually
done in all previous instances, tell him anything
about young Traf ton, who had died in her house,
"with eighteen thousand dollars in bonds in hig
boots. " She told Barlow that she had some bonds,
and he would do well to get the same kind.
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 359
"I don't know much about them," he replied,
" but if you think they are good, I guess they are
good enough for me. What are they like? I
never saw any."
"I will show you mine," said Mrs. Sanford.
"I am going to sell one of them soon, as my
lease is up at the end of the month, and I want
to buy a house."
She then went into her bedroom, closed the door,
and remained several minutes. When she came
out, she had a fat pocket-book in her hand, and
she took from it the two pieces of folded paper
which she had shown to Morton. On opening
them, she spread them out, and both Barlow and
Morton saw the numbers plainly, as they looked
over her shoulder.
" There, these little tickets are coupons," she
explained to Barlow; "and every six months T
can get fifteen dollars in gold by cutting off one
from each bond."
" Did you say you wanted to sell one ? " asked
Morton. "If you do, perhaps you might sell it
to Mr. Barlow, as a sample of the kind he wants
to get."
"Yes, that would be a good idea," said Barlow;
"then they can't fool me with any other kind,
when I go to buy."
" Well, I guess I will do it," said Mrs. Sanford ;
"at any rate, you can see me about it before you
go to buy yours."
She then put the bonds into the pocket-book
again and went into her bedroom. On her re
360 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
turn, Barlow told her that he must go down town
to get paid for his cattle, and he asked Morton to
go with him. Accordingly, the two men went
out about noon, but Mrs. Sanford called Morton
back a moment to tell him to stay with Barlow
all day.
"Don't you lose sight of him for a minute, *
she said ; "and bring him back here with all his
money."
They did not return until after four o'clock,
and Barlow told her that he had been obliged to
go to the stockyards to get paid. He then went
to his room for a few minutes, and Mrs. Sanford
asked Morton whether Barlow had his money
with him.
"Yes, they gave him a check for the amount,
but it was too late to get it cashed, and he will
have to wait until to-morrow."
" Couldn't we get it away from him and forge
his name to it?" she asked. "We could get it
cashed the first thing in the morning."
"It would be too risky," he replied, "as they
probably know him at the bank, and we should
be arrested at once. But you can offer to go
with him to the bank in the morning, and he is
so soft that you will not have much trouble in
getting a large sum out of him."
During the evening, Mrs. Sanford was very
affectionate toward Barlow, and she learned all
about him. He told his story in such a way, that
she belioved him to be an innocent country boy
from Texas, whose most dangerous experiences
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 361
had hitherto consisted of hairbreath 'scapes from
steer and bull. He showed her a check on the
First National Bank for about four thousand dol-
lars, and told her that when he got it cashed in
the morning, he would give her a nice present.
It was then agreed that she should go to the bank
with him next day. The evening was spent in
reading aloud and singing, and they all retired
much earlier than usual.
When Morton and Barlow left Mrs. Sanford at
noon, they had, of course, come to my office to
report their discovery of the stolen bond's. There
was now no possibility of a mistake, as they had
seen the two bonds of the series A, numbered
57,109 and 87,656. I therefore instructed Mr.
Warner to obtain a warrant for her arrest, and
a search warrant for her house, both to be served
the next morning before the hour appointed for
going to the bank with Barlow. Everything was
prepared in advance, a trustworthy constable was
obtained to make the arrest, and a telegram was
sent to Mr. R. S. Trafton in Cleveland, asking him
to come to Chicago immediately. A reply was
received the next morning, stating that he had
left by the evening train.
About eleven o'clock on Saturday. February 3,
Mr. Warner and the constable arrived at Mrs.
Sanford's rooms. On knocking at the door of the
sitting-room, they \\viv admitted by Morton, who
y v/aii ted.
"I would liko to engage rooms, if there are
any to rent," said Mr. Warner.
10
862 MRS. SAXFORD AHRESTEH.
"I will speak to the landlady," said Morton,
going to the door of her room
" Tell the gentleman, to call again," said Mrs.
Sanford; "I am not dressed, and can't see him."
"I only wish to see her a few minutes," Mi'.
Warner replied, addressing Morton in a tone loud
enough to be heard by Mrs. Sanford, whose door
was slightly ajar.
"Well, I can't see the gentleman until this
afternoon," she replied.
" I have some important business, and I must
attend to 'it now," answered Mr. Warner, putting
his foot in the opening and pushing the door in
with his shoulder; then he continued, addressing
the constable, "This is Mrs. Sanford, and you
can arrest her now."
The constable immediately took charge of her,
and she was allowed to complete her toilet,
though Mr. Warner first searched her dress, be-
fore letting her put it on. He then made a care-
ful search of the bedroom, during the progress of
which Mrs. Sanford was very noisy and trouble-
some, crying, and pretending to go into hysterics
several times. Once, when Mr. Warner was look-
ing very carefully through her trunk, she said to
him, in very tragic tones:
" By the way you act, one would think you
were looking for a murdered man."
" Well, perhaps if we had come a little sooner,
we might have found one/' he replied, quickly,
giving her a sharp glance.
As nothing had been said to her or to any ona
MRS. 8ANFORD ARRESTED 363
else about any charge except that of larceny, this
remark was highly significant; and, on her trial,
it undoubtedly had great weight with the jury.
Mr. Warner soon found the pocket-book con-
taining the bonds under the mattress of her bed,
and after examining them sufficiently to identify
them, he gave them to the constable. Mrs. San-
ford was then taken to my office, and, as Mr.
Trafton had arrived from Cleveland, we tried to
have an interview with her relative to young
Trafton's death. She was too crafty, however,
and she pretended to go into hysterics whenever
we began to question her.
Meantime, Morton and Barlow had accompa-
nied her, and Morton offered to get her a lawyer
to advise her. She was very grateful to him, and
said he was her only friend. He soon brought in
a lawyer well versed in defending criminals, and
the whole party then went to the justice's court-
room. At the close of the examination, she was
held to await the action of the Grand Jury, and,
in default of two thousand dollars bail, she was
sent to the county jail. She told Morton that her
lawyer could not hah lie, and that she sjiould not
pay him a cent. She stood up, when the jus-
tice's decision was announced, and made quite a
speech; and the native cunning of the woman
\vas never more clearly shown than in this pica,
\vliich was undoubtedly invented on the spur of
the moment. She claimed that young Trafton
had given her the bonds to support her child,
whose father he was, and she spoke with so much
364 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
vigor and cunning that many persons believed hei
statement to be true. Thus, \vithout consulta-
tion or legal advice, she invented in a moment
the strongest possible defense against the charge
of larceny, the charge of murder had not then
been brought.
When she was removed to the jail, she gave
Morton the keys to her rooms, telling him to take
charge of everything there, and to find a pur-
chaser for her furniture. He therefore informed
two young men who were lodging there that M rs.
Sanford had been arrested, and that they must
find other rooms, as he intended to sell out the
furniture. After they had gone he cleaned up
the house, packed Mrs. Sanford's trunks, and
made everything look as well as possible. While
she was awaiting trial, he visited her every day
and gave her various delicacies to improve the
prison fare. One day he pretended to have
pawned his overcoat for five dollars, in order to
get her some lemons, tea, and sugar. She was
very much touched, and she gave him five dol-
lars to get back his coat; but this action was
due to a momentary impulse. She had plenty of
money, and was able to get anything she wanted;
but her desire to hold fast to her money \vas
greater than her wish for good food. Indeed,
bhe came near jeopardizing her cause by refusing
to pay the lawyer she had engaged, but finally
she gave him a retaining fee of fifty dollars.
She was very anxious to learn who won 1 ihc.
detectives employed in working up the case, and
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 365
she said that she believed Barlow had had some-
thing to do with her arrest. Morton agreed with
her, and, as the papers had said that there were
three engaged in the case, he suggested that pel
haps the two men whom she had turned out of
doors were also detectives. She never suspect < <1
either Ingham or Morton for a moment ; and
when Ingham called upon her in jail, she was
delighted to see him. She tried to get bail from
the two brothers, named Pratt, who had occu-
pied one of her rooms, as one of them had been
very intimate with her; but they were afraid of
getting mixed up in her difficulties, and so re-
fused to help her obtain bail. She also asked
Ingham to swear to a number of falsehoods
about her intimacy with Traftori, and when ho
refused to do so, for fear of being tried for per-
jury, she said that she could get " her Billy" to
swear to anything. This "Billy" proved to be
one William Simpson, a barkeeper, and her for nit -r
paramour. He was tracked for some time by
my detectives, but he suddenly disappeared, and
was not seen again until her trial for larceny,
when, just as she said, he was willing to swear
to anything. He then disappeared again, but I
did not take much interest in following him up,
I knew that he would not dare to repeat his
perjury when the murder trial should take place.
His testimony was to the effect that he had over-
heard a conversation between Mrs. Sanford and
young Trafton, in which the latter acknowledged
that he was the father of Mrs. Sanford 's child,
366 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
having been intimate with her in Buffalo about
eighteen months before. The question of a sup-
port for the child was discussed between them,
and Trafton said that he would give her fifteen
hundred or two thousand dollars in bonds, to
enable her to bring up his child in comfort. The
witness also testified that Trafton and Mrs. San-
ford were very intimate with each other, often
occupying the same room together ; that Mrs.
Sanford often spoke of her former intimacy with
him; and that he inferred from their conversa-
tion that Trafton had been the cause of her sepa-
ration from her husband. This testimony was
very skillfully manufactured and artistically de-
veloped, so as to make Trafton appear in the
light of a libertine and profligate, and Mrs. San-
ford as a confiding wife, led astray by the wiles
of a treacherous man. In spite of the bad char-
acter and appearance of this fellow Simpson, his
testimony had enough weight with some of the
jury to cause a disagreement, and Mrs. Sanford
was remanded to jail.
Mr. Eobert S. Trafton was anxious to bring
her to punishment, as he felt confident that she
had caused the death of his son. The circum-
stances of the case caused considerable delay, and
it was not until January 27, 1873, nearly a year
after her arrest, that the trial on the charge of
murder took place.
The testimony in this trial was highly interest-
ing on many accounts. The County Physician,
who had made the first post-mortem examination
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 367
of the remains, and who had given congestion of
the lungs as the cause of death, stated that he
found the deceased lying dead in Mrs. Sanford's
rooms, and that he took charge of the property
found in his possession. He stated that he
should have made a closer examination if he had
not found the bonds and money; but he did not
suspect foul play, and therefore made only a
hasty investigation.
By the testimony of two or three witnesses it
was shown that on the night of Traftoii's death
Mrs. Sanford went into two saloons about mid-
night, asking for "her Billy," meaning the man
Simpson, by whose testimony she escaped con-
viction on the larceny charge, he being then liv-
ing on her bounty. While looking for him she
was very wild and excited, her clothes being dis-
ordered, and her watchchain broken. To one
witness she said that she wished Billy to come to
her house to look at the "prettiest corpse she
evei saw." One witness testified that she re-
turned to his saloon about five or six o'clock in
the morning, and induced him to go up to her
rooms to look at the body; he did so, and found
the body of a man lying in bed, partly covered
up. She had a large roll of money and papers in
her pocket-book.
A surgeon of the highest reputation in Cleve-
land was called, and gave his testimony in the
most direct and convincing manner, like a man
-who knew perfectly well what he was talking
about, and who was not guessing at any of the
368 MRS. SAIN FORD ARRESTED.
facts as slated by him. He declared that death
resulted from the blow on the right side, aided
by the violence on the throat and neck. There
was very slight congestion of the brain and of
the lungs, but he was positive that death was not
the result of either of these; indeed, leaving out
of consideration the marks of external violence,
he said that he should not have been able to ac-
count for Mr. Traf ton's death. At the conclusion
of his re-direct examination he said that death
could be caused by a heavy blow of the fist, fol-
lowed by choking, and he would swear positively
that Trafton's death was produced by violence.
The testimony of this witness was corroborated
by that of several other surgeons of high reputa-
tion, and then a sensation was created by the call-
ing of John Ingham for the prosecution.
As Mrs. Sanford saw her well-beloved friend,
Jack, take the stand and acknowledge himself to
be one of Pinkerton's dreaded detectives, she
broke down and cried bitterly. Ingham related
the history of his connection with the affair,
stating the different stories which Mrs. Sanford
had told about Trafton's death, and also her fear
of going in the room where he died. He then
gave the inside history of his arrest for the
alleged robbery of Adamson, showing that it had
been planned in advance by me to induce Mrs.
Sanford to give him her confidence. After her
arrest for larceny, he had visited her in jail, and
she had tried to get him to swear that he had
heard Trafton promise to give her the bonds to
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 369
f
support her child. When he objected, on the
ground that he might be arrested for perjury, she
had told him that "her Billy," meaning William
Simpson, would swear to it anyhow.
The testimony of Mr. Warner relative to find-
ing the bonds in Mi's. Sanford's possession was
corroborated by that of the constable; they also
repeated Mrs. Sanford's remark made during the
search, before any charge of murder had even
been suggested: "By the way you act, I should
think you were looking for a murdered man. "
When the testimony for the prosecution was
all in, the defense had a turn, and they produced
as many medical experts to prove that Trafton
did not die of violence, as the other side had to
prove that he did not die a natural death; indeed,
from the medical testimony given, there might
have been grave doubts raised as to whether he
had any business to die at all, for, according to
both sides, no adequate cause of death had been
discovered. Several witnesses testified that they
believed him to have been on a long spree just
before his death, but these were soon rebutted by
equally trustworthy witnesses for the prosecution.
In summing up, the counsel for the people
presented a highly plausible theory of the man-
ner in which the murder was committed, and
asked a verdict on the following grounds:
Young Trafton, as shown by the testimony of
his 'father and others, visited Chicago to buy
grain, and he was, therefore, under the necessity
of carrying with him a large amount of money,
16*
370 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
Being unable to get a room at any hotel conve-
nient to business, he probably entered the first
place where he saw the sign, "Booms to Bent,"
and engaged a sleeping-room, taking his meals at
a hotel near by While lodging with Mrs. San-
ford, he was trying to buy grain at a paying
figure, and he was daily in consultation with
Captain Dalton, who commanded one of his
father's schooners. Finding that he could not
buy to any advantage in the existing condition
of the grain market, he sent the schooner back
to Cleveland on the last day of November, in
order that she should not be caught in the ice in
the straits at the close of navigation. He was
then ready to return himself, and, doubtless, on
going to his lodgings, he so informed Mrs. San-
ford. As he had made no secret of his reason
for visiting Chicago, she was, probably, well
aware of his object, and also of the fact that he
had a large amount of money with him. Seeing
his careless ways, the idea occurred to her to rob
him, and, having his expected departure in view,
she knew that she would have only one more
opportunity to carry out her scheme.
On his return that evening, therefore, having
just parted from Captain Dalton in perfect health
and sobriety, he was invited to eat supper with
her. Suspecting 110 harm, he sat down and ate
a hearty supper. In some way, either in his food
or drink, a dose of morphine was given to him,
and he soon fell fast asleep. The woman's oppor-
tunity was before her, and all the natural thirs<
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
for money which characterized her came upon
her with full force, urging her on and inciting
her to any lengths necessary to accomplish her
object. Having laid him on his bed, she began
to search his pockets with the stealthy touch of a
practiced hand. Finding nothing at first to re-
ward her search, she pulled off one of his boots
and discovered the United States bonds, which
he had concealed there. But the violence neces-
sary to remove the boot caused him to partly
waken from his drugged sleep, and he became
vaguely aware that some one was trying to rob
him. Still in a drowsy, confused state, however,
he was unable to do more than to sit up and
clutch wildly at his assailant; having caught one
of the bonds, he clung to it until it was torn in
two pieces, the fragments plainly showing how
they had been wrenched asunder in the clasp of
two determined hands those of the murderess
and her victim. But she soon found that he was
gaining his senses too rapidly, and that she
would be foiled in her attempted robbery; hence,
with every blinding passiou aroused, her greed
and her fear equally Inciting her to action, she
struck him a heavy blow on the thigh and an-
other more powerful one on the side. Partly
stunned by the concussion, he fell back, and she
then seized him by the throat.. Her round, plump
hands, though powerful enough to strangle him,
left only slight marks of abrasion on the skin,
and in a few minutes all was over. His property
at. her meivy, and she #ivo no thought tc
872 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
the body of her victim until she had seized every
piece of valuable paper in his possession.
But her position was a dangerous one, and, on
cooling off somewhat, she saw that something
must be done to remove any appearance of foul
play. How could it be done most effectually ?
Manifestly by giving no apparent ground for sus-
pecting that she had any object in his death ;
and no course would be more effectual than to
leave such an amount of property in his posses-
sion as to make strangers believe that none of it
had been taken. -It may well be imagined that
this was her hardest task ; for to give up money
was probably a greater hardship for her than
for some people to give up life. Still, it would
never do to run the risk of being accused of mur-
der ; so, reluctantly, she placed one bond in his
pocket, and, by accident, included with it one-
half of the torn bond, the other half being placed
under his head, in the boot from which it was
taken. She then undressed the body, placed it
naturally in bed, and went out to look for "her
Billy," her paramour and panderer in vice.
This was the history of the crime, as pictured
by the prosecution ; and all her actions since
that fatal night had been in harmony with such
a theory. Her allegations of intimacy with
young Tiafton were unsupported, save by the
testimony of this William Simpson, her para
mour. It was noticeable that, while this man
had testified in the trial for larceny that he had
overheard Mr. Trafton's acknowledgment of
MES. SAKFORD AERESTED. 373
being the father of Mrs. Sanford's child, in the
murder trial he was not asked to give any such
testimony, nor was the existence of such a child
ivcn hinted at by the defense. The counsel for
Mrs. Sunford were well aware that she had never
had a child, and that this fact could be proven if
necessary. On discovering, too, that Jack Ing-
ham was a Pinkerton detective, instead of Mrs.
Sanford's best friend, they saw other reasons
why it would not be advisable to cause Mr. Wil-
liam Simpson to perjure himself again.
The defense contented themselves with claim-
ing that there was no sufficient evidence to prove
that Mr. Trafton had died a violent death at all,
and that there was no evidence whatever to show
that, even if foul play had occurred, Mrs. San-
ford had been the guilty person. This plea was
ably presented by the counsel, and the judge
then briefly charged the jury as to the law, and
the form of their verdict. During the early part
of the trial, Mrs. Sanford behaved very badly,
often contradicting witnesses aloud, and making
many audible remarks to the jury and the Court;
after the testimony for the defense began,
however, she paid very little attention to the
proceedings, often dozing and sleeping in her
chair. This habit was, undoubtedly, due to the
use of morphine, of which she consumed large
quantities.
The jury retired at three o'clock, and, on the
first ballot, they stood nine for conviction and
three for acquittal. After discussing the n >ti-
374 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
mony for more than four hours, a compromise
was reached, and the judge having been in-
formed that the jury had agreed upon a verdict,
the prisoner was brought in to hear the finding.
All being in readiness, the clerk read the
verdict as follows:
" We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of in-
voluntary manslaughter, and fix her time of
imprisonment at five years in the penitentiary."
At the word "guilty," Mrs. Sanford gave a
violent start; but, as the remainder of the finding
was read, she seemed to feel agreeably surprised.
Hhe asked for a glass of water in a low tone,
i urned very white, and then fainted away before
the water could be handed to her.
She was then removed to the jail to await the
argument on a motion for a new trial. While
there, she gave one of the most effectual evi-
dences of her ruling passion greed. She was
the object of considerable sympathy among a cer-
tain class of sentimentalists, and the amount of
compassion wasted upon her was remarkable to
those who knew her real character and habits;
but there is no accounting for tastes, and so Mrs.
Sanford was treated with great consideration by
a number of well-meaning but unsophisticated
people. Among the Good Samaritans who took
the most interest in her was a lady named Mrs.
Jones,, and this lady visited her quite frequently
in her cell, bringing her books and papers.
One morning, Mrs. Jones complained of feel-
ing unwell, and Mrs. Sanford immediately gave
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 375
her a glass of water. Soon after drinking it,
Mrs. Jones became very sleepy, and in a few
minutes, she was in a sound slumber. This ef-
fect had been produced, of course, by a dose of
morphine in the water, and Mrs. Sanford then
proceeded to rob Mrs. Jones of all her valuables.
Mrs. Jones was in moderate circumstances, and
her purse was not sufficiently well filled to satisfy
Mrs. Sanford's avaricious demon; hence, she
made a thorough search for other plunder. It
happened that Mrs. Jones, having lost all of her
upper teeth, had supplied their place by an arti-
ficial set, mounted on a plate of solid gold. Not
content, therefore, with plundering her benefac-
tress in other respects. Mrs. Sanford actually
took the set of teeth from Mrs. Jones's mouth,
and hid them in her own trunk.
Of course, on awakening, Mrs. Jones missed
her teeth and charged Mrs. Sanford with having
taken them. The latter denied having done so,
railed and swore at Mrs. Jones, and tried to pre-
vent the officers from searching the cell. The
teeth and other articles stolen from Mrs. Jones
were found at the bottom of Mrs. Sanford's
trunk, and Mrs. Jones retired from the jail
strongly impressed with the conviction that phi-
lanthropy had its hardships as well as rewards.
The motion for a new trial being overruled,
sentence was pronounced in accordance with the
verdict of the jury, and Mrs. Sanford was con-
signed to the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet.
in iv-;ar-l (o the manner in which young Traf
275 MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED.
toil was murdered, I have always had a theory of
my own; and, while of course I do not pretend to
any surgical learning, I give it for what it is
worth, prefacing it, however, with the remark
that several eminent physicians concur in my
opinion, or, at least, admit its strong probability.
It will be remembered that Mrs. Saiiford used
morphine continually, and that she boasted of
her ability to administer it in just the proper pro-
portion to cause her victims to fall into a heavy
sleep. In all probability, as suggested by the
State's Attorney, she gave young Trafton a dose
at supper; but it is also possible the effect was
not sufficient, and that when she tried to rob him,
he slightly revived, struggled, and, seizing one of
the bonds in a convulsive grasp, tore it in two.
So far, the theories are identical, but I failed to
see a sufficient cause of death in the slight blow
and mild choking, especially as the lungs did not
present the conditions which would have ap-
peared had death resulted from strangulation or
asphyxia. On searching Mrs. Sanford's rooms,
Mr. Warner found two or three small syringes,
intended for making hypodermic injections, and
these led me to believe she caused Traf ton's death
by morphine alone. My idea was as follows:
When she found that Trafton was not suffi-
ciently drugged to enable her to rob him in safety,
she probably let him alone, and the drug again
took effect to the extent of putting him to sleep.
She then resorted to a subcutaneous injection of
morphine, knowing that the soporific influence of
the drug would thus be made more rapid and
MRS. SANFORD ARRESTED. 87'l
powerful. This operation was performed on the
side, and then near the large veins of the leg, and
thus were caused the apparent bruises filled with
extravasated blood. Now, the effect of morphine
raries largely, according to the constitution, tern
j^erament, and habits of the persons to whom it
is given; but the combined result of internal and
external doses almost invariably is death.
It seems altogether probable to me, therefore,
that Trafton came to his death in that manner,
and that the traces of morphine in the wounds,
as in the stomach, had wholly evaporated before
the Cleveland surgeons made their examination,
twelve days after death.
Whatever may have been the means, however,
there can be no doubt that murder most foul was
committed, and that Mrs. Sauford richly deserved
a greater punishment than was awarded to her.
Whether she had any accomplice will never be
known, but it is probable that she had some one
in the house who was aware of the murder a fin-
it had been committed, if not before. This
would account for the absence of the fifth bond,
which was never recovered, but which was after-
ward traced back from the Treasury Depart-
ment, when it was presented there, to some un-
known woman, who had sold it in Milwaukee.
This woman was evidently not Mrs. Sanford, but
her identity could not be discovered, and, there,
fore, all trace was lost.
THE END.
C. W. DILLINCHAM, Successor.
1887.
1887.
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The Habits of Good Society The nice points of taste and good manners. . I
The Art of Conversation Kor those who wish to be agreeable talkers
The Arts of Writing, Rear^ag and Speaking For Self-Improvement ...
New Diamond Edition T^e above three books in one volume small type. 50
Josh Billings.
His CompleteWritiiy-^With biography, SteeTPortrait and 100 Illustrations.$2 oo
Arsene Houssaye.
Philosophers and .stresses Ste.c-1 portraits of Voltaire and Mme. de
1'ar.ii'crr. 2 vols., per set 4 oo
Men and Women of the Eighteenth Century Steel portraits of Louis
XV. and Mme. de Pompadour. 2 vols., per set 4 oo
Annie Edwardes' Novels.
Stephen Lawrence i 50 A Woman of Fashion i 50
Susan Fielding 150 Archie Lovell 150
Ernest Kenan's French Works.
The Life of Jesus. Translated.. .i 75 I The Life of St. Paul. Translated. $1 75
Lives of the Apostles. Do. ... i 75! The Bible in India By Jacolliot. 200
G. W. Carleton.
Our Artist in Cuba, Peru, Spain and Algiers 150 Caricatures of Travel i oo
M. M. Pomeroy (Brick).
Sense. A serious book $i 50 I Nonsense. (A. comic book) i 50
Gold Dust. Do i 50 Brick-dust. Do i 50
Our Saturday Nights i 50 Home Harmonies i 50
Miscellaneous Works.
Carleton's Hand Book of Popular Quotations With their authorship ?i 50
Carleton's Classical Dictionary A Condensed Mythology for popular use. 75
Fifty Years among Authors, Books and Publishers I'.v J. C. Derby 2 oo
Children's Fairy Geography Witii hundreds of beautiful illustrations i oo
Carleton's Popular Readings Edited by Anna Randall Dichl. 2 vols., each i 50
Laua Veneria, and Other Poems l!y Algernon Charles Swinburne I 50
Sawed-off Sketches Comicbook by " Detroit 1 i il i 50
Hawk-eye Sketches Comic book by " Burlington Hawk-eye Man. 1 ' Do. i 50
The Culprit Fay Joseph Rod . With 100 illustrations. .. 200
Parlor Amusements (lames. Tricks, Home Amusements, by Frmk Bellew. i oo
Love [L* Amour] Knglish Translation from Michelet's famous I'tench work, i 50
Woman |La Femme] The Sequel to " L'Amour." Do. Do. 150
Verdar.t Green A racy Knglish college story. With 200 comic illustrations, i 50
Clear Light from the Spirit WorldBy Kate Irving i 25
Bottom Facts Concerning Spiritualism By John \V. Truesdcll i 50
Why Wife and I Quarreled 1'oem by theauthor r t " l!rt--> and I are Out." i oo
A Northern Governess at the Sunny South By 1'rofcssor J. 11. Ingraham. i so
Birds of a Feather Flock Together By Kdward A. Sothern, the actor ... i 5.1
Yachtman's Primer Corn-, i [lutmctioni for Ajnateur Sailors. By Warren. 50
Longfellow's Home Life By Blanche Roosevelt Marhetta. Illustrated... i 50
Every-Day Home Advice For H<>i!- f hoM ami I inomy... .... i 50
Ladies' and Gentlemen's Etiquette Book of the best Fashionable Society, i oo
Love and Marriage A book for unmarried people. By Frederick Saunders. i oo
Under the Rose A Capital book, by the author of " T I oo
So Dear a Dream A novel by Miss Grant, author of "The Sun Maid." t oo
Give me thine Heart A capital new domestic Love St> - i oo
Meeting her Fate A charming novel by the author of " Aurora Floyd."... i oo
ful to the End A delightful doi , by Roe i oo
So True a Love A novel by Miss ('.rant, author of "The Sun Maid/' i oo
True as Gold A charming domestic story by Roe... t oo
G. W. DILLINGhA.U <- PU1
A Naughty Girl's Diary $ 50
A Good Boy's Diary 50
Bad Boy's Reader F. Bellc-.v.. 10
Abijah Beanpole in New York. 50
Never Companion to " Don't.".. 25
Always By author of "Never.".. 25
Stop By author of " Never.".... 25
Smart Sayings of Children Paul i oo
Crazy History of the U. S 50
Cats, Cooks, etc. By E.T. Ely.. 50
Humorous Works.
Dawn to Noon By Violet Fane..i 50
Constance's Fate. Do. .. i 50
French Love Songs Translated. 50
Lion Jack By P. T. Barnum i 50
Jack in the Jungle. Do i 50
How to Win in Wall Street.... 50
The Life of Sarah Bernhardt... 25
Arctic Travels By Dr. Hayes., i 50
Whist for Beginners 25
Flashes from "Ouida." i 25
Lady Blake's Love Letters ... 25
Lone Ranch By Mayne Reid.. . i 50
The Train Boy Horatio Alger.. i 25
Dan, The Detective. Do^ ..125
Miscellaneous 'Works.
West India 'ck'ks.W.r
The Comic i. t en x 50
Store Drumming- Fi
Mr.Spriggins By WidowBedot;. T SO
Phemie Frost Ann S. Si
That Awful Boy X. V. Week,
That Bridget of Ours. Do. .. 50
Orpheus C.Kerr Four vols.in one. 2 oo
Ingglish az she iz Spelt 25
Man Abroad 25
i 5
i 50
i 53
i oo
i So
i 5
i 5
5
Doctor Antonio By Ruffini $t 50
Beatrice Cenci From the Italian, i 50
The Story of Mary 150
Madame By Frank Lee Benedict i 50
A Late Remorse. Do.
Hammer and Anvil. Do.
Her Friend Laurence. Do.
Mignonnette By Sangree
Jessica By Mrs. W. H. White....
Women of To-day. Do
The Baroness Joaquin Miller...
One Fair Woman. Do.
TheBurnhams Mrs.G.E. Stewart 2 oo
Eugene Ridgewood Paul James i 50
Braxton's Bar R. M. Daggett.. i 50
Miss Beck By Tilbury Holt.. . i 50
A Wayward Life i oo
Winning Winds Emerson i 50
A CollegeWidow C.H.Seymour i 50
Me By Mrs. Spencer W. Coe.... 50
Peace Pelican Fannie Smith... i 50
Hidden Power T. H. Tibbies... i 50
Two of Us Calista Halsey 75
Cupid on Crutches A. B. Wood. 75
ParsonThorne E.M.Buckingham i 50
Sirrors By Ruth Carter i 50
UnmistakableFlirtation Garner 75
Wild Oats Florence Marryatt. .. i 50
Widow Cherry B. L. Farjeon.. 25
Solomon Isaacs. Do. .. 50
Doctor Mortimer Fannie Bean, i 50
Two Brides Bernard O'Reilly., i 50
Louise and I By Chas. Dodge., i 50
My Queen By Sandette i 50
Fallen among Thieves Rayne. i 50
Saint Leger Richard B. Kimball i 75
Miscellaneous Novels.
Gospels in Poetry E.H. Kimball. $i 50
The Life of Victor Hugo 50
Don Quixote. Illustrated i oo
Arabian Nights. Do i oo
Robinson Crusoe. Do i oo
Swiss Family Robinson Illus. . i oo
Debatable Land R. Dale Owen. 2 oo
Threading My Way. Do. i 50
Spiritualism By D. D. Home... 2 oo
Fanny Fern Memorials Parton 2 oo
Northern Ballads-E. L.Anderson i oo
Stories about Doctors Jeffreson i 50
Stories about Lawyers. Do. i 50
Was He Successful ? Kimball. $i
Undercurrents of Wall St. Do. i
Romance of Student Life. Do. i
To-day. Do. i
Life in San Domingo. Do. i
Henry Powers, Banker. Do. i
Led Astray By Octave Feuillet. j
Boscobel, a Winter in Florida.. *
The Darling of an Empire i
Confessions of Two i
Nina's Peril By Mrs. Miller i
Marguerite's Journal For Giris i
Rose of Memphis W.C.Falkner i
Spell-Bound Ali-xandre Dumas.
Purple and Fine Linen Fawcett i
Pauline's Trial I,. I). C.-uri
The Forgiving Kiss M. I,..ih'. . i
Measure for Measure Stanl
Charette An American novel ... i
Fairfax By John Estcn Cooke... i
Hilt to Hilt. Do. i
Out of the Foam. lv>. i
Hammer and Rapier. Do. i
Kenneth I Rrock i
Heart Hungry.Mrs.UV-.
Clifford Troupe. i
Price of a Life R. F. Stur^U. .. i
Marston Hall L. Ella Byrd i
Conquered I'y a New Author... i
Tales from the Popular Operas, j
Edith Murray Juaim.i
San Miniato Mrs.C.V.lIami:
All for Her A Talc of New York, i
L'Assommoir Zola's great novel i
Vesta Vane By L. King, R. ... i
Walworth's Novels Six vols... i
MRS. MARY J. HOLMES' WORKS.
TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.
ENGLISH ORPHANS.
HOMKSTKAD ON HILLSIDE.
LENA RIVKK:-;.
MEADOW BROOK.
DORA DEANE.
COUSIN MAUDE.
MARIAN GREY.
EU1TH LYLE.
DAISY THORNTON. (New).
DARKNESS AND DAYLIGHT.
HUGH WOkTHINGTON.
CAMERON PRIDE.
ROSE MATHER.
KTHKLYN'S MISTAKE.
MILLBANK.
EDNA BROWNING.
WEST LAWN.
MILDRED.
' FORREST HOUSE. | (Ntw).
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
- Mrs. Holmes' stories are universally read. Her admirers are numberless.
&ho is m many respects without a rival in the world of fiction. Her characters are
Iw^ys life-like, and she makes them talk and act like human beings, subject to the
same emotions, swayed by the same passions, and actuated by the same motives
which are common among men and women of every day existence. Mrs. Holmes
is very happy in portraying domestic life. Old and young peruse her stories
with great delight, for she writes in a style that all can comprehend." fievt
York Weekly.
The North American Review, vol. 81, page 537, snys of Mrs. Mary J.
Holmes' novel. "English Orphans": "With this novel of Mrs. Holmes' we have
been charmed, and so have a pretty numerous circle of discriminating readers to
whom -,ve have lent it. The characterization is exquisite, especially so far as
concerns rural and village life, of which there are some pictures that deserve to
be hung up in perpetual memory of types of humanity fast becoming extinct The
_ ics are generally brief, pointed, and appropriate. The plot seems simple,
:iy iin.l n iturally is it developed and consummated. Moreover, tht. story
thus gracefully constructed and written, inculcates without obtruding, not only
pmc l'liri-.tian MI orality in general, but, with especial point and power, the depen-
dence of trui'. success on character, and of true respectability on merit. '
" Mrs. Holmes' stories are aU of a domestic character, and their inveres*. there-
fore, is not so infuse as if they were more highly seasoned with sirsation
but it is of a healthy and abiding character. Almost any new book whi-.h ha
publisher nii;ht choose to announce from her pen would g-t -n immediate and
general reading. The interest in her tales begins at once, ai..i is mainta.i-.ed to
the close. Her sentiments are so sound, her sympathies so warm .tml \
of miuincrs. character, and the -aried incidents of ordinary
jfe is so thorough, that she would find it difficult to write any other than an
it tale if she were to try A." --Boston Banner.
ire all handsomely printed and bound in cloth, sold *verjr
nd sent by mail. /,'.t tiigr /rrr, on receipt of price [1.50 each], by
G. W. CARLETON & CO., Publishers,
Madison Square, A~fx\ York.
CHARLES DICKENS' WORKS.
A NEW *& EDITION.
Among the many editions of the works of this greatest ol
English Novelists, there has not been until now one that entirely
satisfies the public demand. Without exception, they each have
some strong distinctive objection, either the form and dimen
sions of the volumes are unhandy or, the type is small and
indistinct or, the illustrations are unsatisfactory or, the bii.-J
ing is poor or, the price is too high,
An entirely new edition is now, however, published by G. W.
Carleton & Co., of New York, which, in every respect, com-
pletely satisfies the popular demand. It is known as
"Carletou's New Illustrated Edition."
COMPLETE IN 15 VOLUMES.
The size and form is most convenient for holding, the type is
entire!)- new, and of a clear and open character that has received
the approval of the reading community in other works.
The illustrations are by the original artists chosen by Charles
Dickens himself and the paper, printing, and binding are of an
attractive and substantial character.
This beautiful new edition is complete in 15 volumes at the
cxtrsmely reasonable price of $1.50 per volume, as follows
I. PICKWICK PAPERS AND CATALOGUE.
2. OLIVER TWIST. UNCOMMERCIAL TRAVELLER.
3. DAVID COPPERFIELD.
4. GREAT EXPECTATIONS. HAIY AND AMERICA.
5. DOMBEY AND SON.
6. BARNABY RUDGE AND EDWIN DROOD.
7. NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.
8. CURIOSITY SHOP AND MISCELLANEOUS.
9. BLEAK HOUSE.
IO. LITTLE OORRIT.
II. MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT.
13. OUR MUTUAL FRIEND.
13. CHRISTMAS BOOKS. TALE OK TWO CITIES.
14. SKETCHES BY BOZ AND HARD TIMES.
H. CHILD'S ENGLAND AND MISCELLANEOUS.
The first yolume Pickwirk Papers contains
j catalogue of all of Charles Dickens' writings, with their
I positions in the volumes.
This edition is sold by Booksellers, everywhere and single
specimen copies will be forwarded by mail, postage free, on re-
! :eiut of price. $1.50, by
6. W. CARf-ETON & CO., Publishers,
Madison Square. New York.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES
COLLEGE LIBRARY
This book is due on the last date stamped below.
us.
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Book Slip-35m-7, > 63(D863 s 4s4)4280
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UCLA-College Library
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L 005 741 024 3
College
Library
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P65nii
REGIONAL LIBRARY
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