magic and real detectives-第3节

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

days。　　During　this　period　District　Attorney　Jerome　employed　Messrs。

Baker；　Botts；　Parker　and　Garwood　to　represent　him　and　secured　from

Governor　Odell　at　Albany　a　requisition　on　Governor　Lanham　of　Texas

for　the　extradition　of　the　prisoner；　which　he　entrusted　to

Detective　Sergeant　Herlihy　of　the　New　York　Police。　　Herlihy　reached

Houston　with　the　papers　on　the　evening　of　January　30th；　and　on　the

same　train　with　him　came　Abraham　Kaffenburgh；　a　member　of　the　law

firm　of　Howe　and　Hummel　and　a　nephew　of　the　latter。　　Likewise　also

came　Bracken；　still　styling　himself　〃E。　M。　Bradley；〃　and　from　now

on　Bracken　was　the　inseparable　companion；　guide；　philosopher；　and

friend　（？）　of　the　unfortunate　Dodge；　whose　continued　existence　upon

this　earth　had　become　such　a　menace　to　the　little　lawyer　in　New

York。



Herlihy；　accompanied　by　Judge　Garwood；　proceeded　direct　to　Austin

where　they　found　Dodge　already　represented　by　Messrs。　Andrews　and

Ball　who；　at　the　hearing　before　Governor　Lanham；　made　a　strong

effort　to　induce　that　executive　to　refuse　to　honor　the　requisition

of　the　Governor　of　New　York。　　This　effort　failed　and　Governor

Lanham　issued　his　warrant；　but　Herlihy　had　no　sooner　returned　to

Houston　for　the　purpose　of　taking　possession　of　the　prisoner　than

he　was　served　with　an　injunction　enjoining　him；　together　with　Chief

of　Police　Ellis；　from　taking　Dodge　into　custody；　pending　a　hearing

upon　a　new　habeas　corpus　which　had　been　issued　by　Judge　Waller　T。

Burns　of　the　United　States　District　Court　for　the　Southern　District

of　Texas。　　This　new　writ　was　returnable　February　9th。



After　exhaustive　but　futile　argument　by　the　counsel　for　Dodge；

Judge　Burns　remanded　the　prisoner　to　Herlihy's　custody　to　be

returned　to　the　State　of　New　York；　but　this　decision　had　no　sooner

been　rendered　than　an　appeal　was　taken　therefrom　by　Dodge's

lawyers；　and　the　prisoner　released　upon　bail　fixed　at　twenty

thousand　dollars。



During　this　period　Dodge　was　quartered　under　guard　at　the　Rice

Hotel　in　Houston；　and　the　day　following　the　argument　the　twenty…

thousand…dollars　bail　was　put　up　in　cash　and　Dodge　released　from

custody。



In　the　meantime；　however；　Jesse；　knowing　that　no　sum；　however

large；　would　deter　Hummel　from　spiriting　Dodge　out　of　the　country；

had　made　his　arrangements　to　secure　a　new　extradition　warrant　from

the　Governor　of　Texas；　so　that　if　the　prisoner　did　succeed　in

getting　beyond　the　Southern　District　of　the　Federal　Court　of　Texas；

he　could　be　seized　and　conveyed　to　New　York。



Of　course　someone　had　to　keep　watch　over　Dodge　while　Jesse　hurried

to　Austin　to　see　the　Governor；　and　it　was　decided　to　leave　Sergeant

Herlihy；　re…enforced　by　a　number　of　local　detectives　for　that

purpose。　　But　while　the　watchful　Jesse　was　away；　Bracken　proceeded

to　get　busy　in　the　good　old　Howe　and　Hummel　fashion。　　Lots　of

people　that　Herlihy　had　never　seen　before　turned　up　and　protested

that　he　was　the　finest　fellow　they　had　ever　met。　　And　as　Herlihy

was；　in　fact；　a　good　fellow；　he　made　them　welcome　and　dined　and

wined　at　their　expense　until　he　woke　up　in　the　Menger　Hotel　in　San

Antonio　and　inquired　where　he　was。



Jesse　meantime　had　returned　from　Austin　to　discover　that　Dodge　with

his　companions；　Kaffenburgh　and　Bracken；　had　slipped　out　of　Houston

early　in　the　morning　of　February　11th；　after　disposing　of　Herlihy

and　eluding　the　watchfulness　of　Herlihy's　assistants。　　Hummel　was

leading　and　by　ten　o'clock　the　next　morning　Dodge　and　his　comrades

were　on　board　an　English　merchantman　lying　in　the　harbor　of

Galveston。　　Later　in　the　same　day　the　Hummel　interests　chartered

from　the　Southern　Pacific　Railroad　for　the　sum　of　three　thousand

dollars　the　sea…going　tug　Hughes；　to　which　Dodge　was　now

transferred　for　the　purpose　of　being　conveyed　to　the　port　of

Tampico　in　the　Republic　of　Mexico。



But　here　Hummel's　wires　became　crossed　with　Jerome's；　and

unfortunately　for　the　little　lawyer；　the　persons　from　whom　the　tug

had　been　leased　turned　out　to　be　closely　allied　with　the

prosecution's　interests；　with　the　result　that　the　captain　of　the

tug　was　instructed　by　his　superiors　under　no　consideration　to　put

into　any　Mexican　port；　but　on　the　contrary；　to　delay　his　departure

from　the　harbor　of　Galveston　for　a　period　of　two　days　and　then　to

proceed　only　as　far　as　Brownsville；　Texas；　where　he　should　compel

the　debarkation　of　the　fugitive。　　The　captain；　who　was　a　good　sport

as　well　as　a　good　officer；　promptly　threw　himself　into　the　part　and

told　Bracken　and　Kaffenburgh　that　it　was　evident　from　the　barometer

that　a　severe　storm　was　approaching　（which　must　have　had　a　sinister

implication　to　these　two　unfortunate　gentlemen）；　and　that　he　could

not　think　of　putting　to　sea。　　Once　the　〃storm〃　had　blown　over；　the

tug　started　out　across　the　blue　waters　of　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　But

now　Bracken　and　Kaffenburgh　were　informed　for　the　first　time　it　was

impossible　to　consider　putting　into　any　port　of　the　Republic　of

Mexico；　since　to　do　so　would　cause　international　complications　and

compel　the　revocation　of　the　captain's　license。　　In　desperation　the

Hummel　interests　offered　the　captain　five　thousand　dollars　in　cash

to　disregard　his　instructions　and　put　into　Tampico；　but　the　worthy

sea…dog　was　adamant。　　It　was　probably　worth　five　thousand　dollars

to　him　to　see　three　gentry　of　this　pattern　so　much　put　about。



While　Dodge　and　his　accomplices　were　dallying　in　the　harbor　of

Galveston；　Jesse　was　taking　advantage　of　his　opportunity　to　proceed

at　once　by　railroad　to　Alice；　Texas；　which　at　that　time　was　the

furthermost　southern　point　reached　by　any　railway　in　the　direction

of　Brownsville。　　On　his　arrival；　he　at　once　applied　to　Captain　John

R。　Hughes；　commanding　Company　D　of　the　Texas　Rangers；　who　received

him　with　great　joy　and　ordered　a　detachment　of　the　Rangers　to　meet

the　tug　at　Point　Isabelle　at　the　mouth　of　the　Rio　Grande　River　on

the　border　of　Mexico。　　In　the　meantime；　Jesse　started　on　a　toilsome

stage　journey　to　Brownsville；　across　one　hundred　and　seventy　miles

of　desert；　which　occupied　two　days　and　nights；　and　necessitated　his

going　without　sleep　for　that　period。　　During　the　trip　Jesse　heard

no　word　of　English　and　had　as　his　associates　only　Mexican

cattlemen。　　Every　fifteen　miles　a　fresh　relay　of　broncos　was

hitched　to　the　stage　and　after　a　few　moments'　rest　the　misery　began

again。



Jesse　had　been　hurrying　toward　Brownsville　by　stage　while　Dodge；

Kaffenburgh；　and　Bracken　were　landing　at　Point　Isabelle；　where　they

were　kept　under　close　surveillance　by　Sergeant　Tom　Ross　of　the

Rangers。　　Thence　they　took　the　train　to　Brownsville；　registering　at

the　Miller　House　under　the　assumed　names　of　C。　F。　Dougherty；　A。

Koontzman；　and　E。　M。　Barker；　all　of　Oklahoma。　　But；　although　they

knew　it　not；　Sergeant　Tom　was　at　their　elbow；　and　had　Dodge

attempted　to　cross　the　border　into　Mexico　he　would　instantly　have

been　placed　under　arrest。



As　Brownsville　was　within　the　Southern　District　of　the　Federal

Court　of　Texas；　Jesse　decided　not　to　arrest　Dodge　until　he　should

actually　attempt　flight；　and　when　Dodge　and　his　companions；　on　the

following　morning；　February　15th；　entered　the　stage　（the　same　upon

which　Jesse　had　arrived）　and　started　for　Alice；　Jesse　and　Tom　Ross

procured　the　best　horses　they　could　find　and　started　after　them；

keeping　just　in　sight　of　the　stage。　　Dodge's　intention　in　making

this　move　was　to　take　the　Mexican　International　Railway　at　Alice

and　cross　over　to　Mexico　via　Laredo。



Jesse　and　Ross　covered　the　seventy…four　miles　from　Brownsville　to

Santa　La　Cruz　Ranch　by　four　in　the　afternoon；　which　was　fairly

strenuous　work　for　a　New　York　detective；　and　here　found　themselves

so　sore　and　exhausted　from　their　ride　that　they　were　glad　to　hire　a

pair　of　horses　and　buggy　with　which　to　complete　the　journey　to

Alice。　　Luckily　they　were　able　to　get　into　telephonic　communication

with　various　ranch　owners　along　the　road　and　arrange　to　have　fresh

relays　of　horses　supplied　to　them　every　twenty　miles；　and　here　also

Jesse　called　up　Captain　Hughes　at　Alice；　and　suggested　that　he

substitute　for　the　regular　night　clerk　at　the　City　Hotel　one　of　the

privates　of　the　Rangers　by　the　name　of　Harrod。



Dodge　and　his　companions　arrived　in　Alice　on　February　17th；　and；　as

Jesse　had　anticipated；　repaired　at　once　to　the　City　Hotel；　where；

inasmuch　as　they　were　dry　from　the　dust　of　their　trip　and　depressed

by　lack　of　society；　they　entered　at　once　into　an　enthusiastic　and

confidential　friendship　with　the　man　behind　the　counter　in　the

hotel　office；　sublimely　ignorant　that　they　were　unfolding　to　a

member　of　the　Texas　Rangers　all　their　most　secret　intentions。

Harrod　was　just　as　glad　to　see　Dodge　as　Dodge　apparently　was　to　see

Harrod；　and　kindly　offered　to　assist　the　fugitive　to　get　into

Mexico　in　any　way　that　the　latter　desired。　　Dodge；　for　his　part；

took　advantage　of　his