magic and real detectives-第2节

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developments；　the　clerk　turned　round；　found　the　note；　and　promptly

placed　it　in　box　Number　420。　　The　very　simple　scheme　had　worked；

and　quite　unconsciously　the　clerk　had　indicated　the　number　of　the

room　occupied　by　Dodge。



Jesse　lost　no　time　in　ascending　to　the　fourth　floor；　viewed　room

Number　420；　returned　to　the　desk；　told　the　clerk　that　he　was

dissatisfied　with　the　room　assigned　him；　and　requested　that　he　be

given　either　room　Number　421；　423；　or　425；　one　of　which　he　stated

that　he　had　occupied　on　a　previous　visit。　　After　some　discussion

the　clerk　allotted　him　room　Number　423；　which　was　almost　directly

opposite　that　occupied　by　Dodge；　and　the　detective　at　once　took　up

his　task　of　watching　for　the　fugitive　to　appear。



Within　the　hour　the　door　opened　and　Dodge　and　a　companion；　who

subsequently　proved　to　be　E。　M。　Bracken；　alias　〃Bradley；〃　an　agent

employed　by　Howe　and　Hummel；　left　the　room；　went　to　the　elevator；

and　descended　to　the　dining…room　upon　the　second　floor。　　Jesse

watched　until　they　were　safely　ensconced　at　breakfast　and　then

returned　to　the　fourth　floor　where　he　tipped　the　chambermaid；　told

her　that　he　had　left　his　key　at　the　office；　and　induced　her　to

unlock　the　door　of　room　Number　420；　which　she　did　under　the

supposition　that　Jesse　was　the　person　who　had　left　the　chamber　in

Dodge's　company。　　The　contents　of　the　room　convinced　Jesse　that　he

had　found　Dodge；　for　he　discovered　there　two　grips　bearing　Dodge's

name　as　well　as　several　letters　on　the　table　addressed　to　him。　　The

detective　returned　to　the　hall　and　had　a　little　talk　with　the　maid。



〃The　old　gentleman　with　you　has　been　quite　sick；〃　she　said。　　〃How

is　he　to…day？〃



〃He　is　some　better；〃　answered　Jesse。



〃Yes；　he　does　look　better　to…day；〃　she　added；　〃but　he　sho'ly　was

powerful　sick　yesterday。　　Why；　he　hasn't　been　out　of　his　room　befo'

fo'　five　or　six　days。〃



This　statement　was　corroborated　by　Dodge's　physical　appearance；　for

he　looked　haggard　and　worn。



Jesse　was　now　confident　that　he　had　found　Dodge；　in　spite　of　the

reports　of　the　New　Orleans　police　to　the　contrary；　and　he　was　also

reasonably　sure　that　the　fugitive　was　too　sick　to　leave　the　hotel

immediately。　　He　therefore　telegraphed　his　superiors　that　he　had

discovered　Dodge　and　that　the　latter　was　ill　at　the　St。　Charles

Hotel。



At　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Jesse　received　a　wire　from　New

York　as　follows：





〃New　Orleans　police　department　claims　party　not　there。　　Left　for

Mexico　three　weeks　ago。　　Ascertain　correct　destination　and　wire　at

once。〃





Jesse　at　once　replied：






〃No　question　as　to　identity　and　presence　here　at　this　time。〃





He　now　took　up　the　task　of　keeping　his　quarry　under　absolute

surveillance　day　and　night；　which　duty　from　that　moment　he

continued　for　a　period　of　nearly　ten　months。



During　the　remainder　of　the　afternoon　and　throughout　the　night

Dodge　and　Bracken　remained　in　room　Number　420；　and　during　the

evening　were　visited　by　several　strangers；　including　a　plain…

clothes　officer　from　the　New　Orleans　Police　Headquarters。　　Little

Hummel；　dining　in　Long　Acre　Square　in　the　glare　of　Broadway；　was

pressing　some　invisible　button　that　transmitted　the　power　of　his

influence　even　to　the　police　government　of　a　city　two　thousand

miles　away。



The　following　day；　January　26th；　at　about　8。40　in　the　morning；

Dodge　and　Bracken　descended　to　the　lobby。　　Bracken　departed　from

the　hotel；　leaving　Dodge　to　pay　the　bill　at　the　cashier's　window

and　Jesse　heard　him　order　a　cab　for　the　11。30　A。　M。　Sunset　Limited

on　the　Southern　Pacific　Railroad　and　direct　that　his　baggage　be

removed　from　his　room。　　Jesse　did　the　same。



In　the　meantime　Bracken　returned　and　promptly　at　11　A。　M。　left　for

the　railroad　station　in　a　cab　with　Dodge。　　Jesse　followed　in

another。　　As　the　two　passed　through　the　gates　the　detective　caught

a　glimpse　of　Dodge's　ticket　and　saw　that　it　had　been　issued　by　the

Mexican　National　Railway。　　Retiring　to　the　telegraph　office　in　the

station　he　wired　New　York　as　follows：





〃Bird　flying。Sunset　Limited。　　Destination　not　known。　　I　am　with

him。〃





He　then　hastily　purchased　a　ticket　to　Houston；　Texas；　and　boarded

the　train。　　Dodge's　companion　had　bidden　him　good…by　as　the　engine

started；　and　Jesse's　task　now　became　that　of　ferreting　out　Dodge's

destination。　　After　some　difficulty　he　managed　to　get　a　glimpse　of

the　whole　of　the　fugitive's　ticket　and　thus　discovered　that　he　was

on　his　way　to　the　City　of　Mexico；　via　Eagle　Pass；　Texas；　while　from

the　Pullman　conductor　he　learned　that　Dodge　had　secured　sleeping…

car　accommodation　as　far　as　San　Antonio；　Texas；　only。



So　far　all　was　well。　　He　knew　Dodge　but　Dodge　did　not　know　him；　and

later　on　in　the　afternoon　he　had　the　satisfaction　of　a　long　talk

with　his　quarry　in　the　observation　car　where　they　amiably　discussed

together　current　events　and　argued　politics　with　the　same　vehemence

as　if　they　had　been　commercial　travellers　thrown　fortuitously　into

each　other's　company。　　Dodge；　however；　cleverly　evaded　any

reference　to　his　destination。





When　the　train　reached　Morgan　City；　Louisiana；　at　3　P。　M。；　which

was　the　first　stop；　Jesse　wired　New　York　as　follows：





〃On　Sunset　Limited　with　friend。　　He　has　transportation　to　the　City

of　Mexico；　via　Eagle　Pass；　where　I　am　now　journeying　with　him。

Answer　to　Beaumont；　Texas。〃





Later　in　the　afternoon　he　sent　an　additional　message　from

Lafayette；　Louisiana：





〃Have　seen　transportation　of　friend　and　am　positive　of

destination。〃





Dodge　was　occupying　Section　3　of　the　sleeping　car　〃Capitola；〃　and；

as　became　an　invalid；　retired　early。



At　Beaumont　Jesse　failed　to　receive　any　reply　to　his　various

messages；　and　when　the　train　arrived　at　Houston　no　word　came　from

New　York　until　it　was　almost　the　time　of　departure。　　Waiting　until

practically　the　last　moment　Jesse　hurried　through　the　gates　of　the

Union　Station　at　Houston　and　bought　a　ticket　to　San　Antonio。　　As　he

was　leaving　the　ticket　window　Night　Chief　of　Police　John　Howard　and

two　officers　came　hurrying　up　inquiring　anxiously　for　〃Mr。　Jesse。〃

The　reenforcements　had　arrived。



Outside　on　the　track　〃The　Sunset　Limited〃　was　just　getting　under

way。　　The　first　frantic　puffs　were　being　vomited　from　the　funnel。

Inside　Dodge　was　sleeping　peacefully　in　his　berth。　　Jesse；

accompanied　by　Chief　Howard；　hurried　up　to　the　conductor　who　was

about　to　swing　on　to　the　steps　of　the　sleeper；　and　ordered　him　to

hold　the　train　till　the　fugitive　could　be　removed。　　After　some

argument　the　conductor　grumblingly　complied　and　Dodge　was　aroused

from　pleasant　dreams　of　the　〃Creole　Quarter〃　to　the　cold　reality　of

being　dragged　out　of　bed　by　a　policeman。　　He　was　unceremoniously

hustled　out　of　the　sleeping　car　into　a　carriage　and　taken　to

Headquarters　where　he　admitted　his　identity　and　remarked：



〃I　know　what　I　am　wanted　for；　but　I　will　never　return　to　New　York。〃



In　his　grip　was　found　the　sum　of　1；563。15；　as　well　as　numerous

letters　from　the　law　firm　of　Howe　and　Hummel；　and　a　quantity　of

newspaper　clippings　relative　to　his　case。



Dodge　pleaded　with　Chief　Howard　not　to　lock　him　up；　urging　that　he

was　a　sick　man　and　offering　a　goodly　sum　if　he　might　be　taken　to　a

hotel　and　guarded　for　the　remainder　of　the　night。　　But　what　〃went〃

in　New　Orleans　did　not　〃go〃　in　Houston；　and　the　best　that　Dodge

could　get　for　himself　was　a　cot　in　the　〃Ladies'　Detention　Room〃　on

the　second　floor　of　the　jail。



Early　the　following　morning　Jesse　visited　Police　Headquarters　and

for　the　first　time　met　George　Ellis；　Chief　of　Police　of　Houston；

for　whom　he　will　always　have　a　feeling　of　deep　gratitude　for　his

enthusiastic　cooperation　and　loyalty　in　the　many　stirring　events

that　followed。　　Dodge　now　received　a　telegram　from　New　York；　which

was　submitted　to　Jesse　before　reaching　the　prisoner；　to　the　effect

that　Howe　and　Hummel　were　sending　on　an　attorney　to　aid　the

fugitive　in　resisting　extradition；　and　informing　him　that　they　had

employed　Messrs。　Hunt　and　Meyers　as　attorneys　to　look　out　for　his

welfare。　　These　last　immediately　jumped　in　medias　res　and　on　the

afternoon　of　the　same　day　secured　a　writ　of　habeas　corpus　from

Norman　J。　Kitrell；　District　Judge　of　Harris　County；　Texas；

returnable　the　following　morning。



The　next　day；　January　28th；　Kitrell　released　Dodge　from　custody。



Jesse　had　anticipated　this　and　immediately　swore　out　another

warrant　with　the　result　that　the　prisoner　was　rearrested　before　he

left　the　courtroom。



Meantime　the　Dodge　interests　retained　another　firm　of　lawyers；

Messrs。　Andrews　and　Ball；　who；　on　the　following　day；　secured　a

second　writ　of　habeas　corpus　from　Judge　Ashe。



The　result　of　the　first　engagement　thus　being　a　draw；　counsel　on

both　sides　agreed　that　this　writ　should　not　be　returnable　for　six

days。　　During　this　period　District　Attorney　Jerome　employed　Messrs。

Baker；　Bot