magic and real detectives-第4节

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

took　advantage　of　his　usefulness　to　the　extent　of　requesting　him　to

purchase　them　railroad　tickets；　the　plan　being　to　leave　Alice　the

following　morning　for　Monterey；　Mexico。　　Three　hours　after　the

stage　bearing　Dodge　and　his　party　pulled　up　at　the　City　Hotel；　Tom

Ross　and　Jesse　drove　in　behind　a　pair　of　fagged…out　broncos　at　two

in　the　morning。　　Jesse　had　had　no　sleep　of　any　sort　and　no　proper

nourishment　for　five　days；　and　had　just　strength　enough　left　to

drag　himself　up　one　flight　of　stairs　and　tumble　into　bed；　from

which　he　did　not　emerge　for　many　hours。



In　the　meantime　day　broke　and　Dodge；　Kaffenburgh；　and　Bracken；

having　breakfasted；　drove　comfortably　down　to　the　International

Railway　Station　and　settled　themselves　in　the　smoker；　but　they　had

no　sooner　given　this　direct　evidence　of　their　intention　before

Captain　Hughes　entered　and　placed　Dodge　under　arrest。　　The　latter's

surprise　may　be　appreciated　when　it　is　stated　that　from　the　time

the　three　had　left　Houston；　they　had　no　idea　that　they　were　being

followed　and　believed　that　they　had　completely　foiled　Jesse　and　his

assistants。



While　Jesse　had　been　chasing　Dodge　across　the　desert；　his　lawyers

had　not　been　idle　and　had　secured　at　Austin　another　extradition

warrant　from　Governor　Lanham；　who；　on　receiving　news　of　the　arrest；

promptly　instructed　Captain　Hughes　by　wire　to　assume　charge　of　the

prisoner　and　to　deliver　him　into　the　hands　of　the　New　York　officer

to　be　conveyed　to　New　York。



There　now　began　such　a　legal　battle　as　the　State　of　Texas　had　never

known。　　Hummel　had　been　forced　into　his　last　ditch　and　was　fighting

desperately　for　life。　　Through　Kaffenburgh　he　at　once　applied　for　a

new　writ　of　habeas　corpus　in　Nueces　County　and　engaged　counsel　at

Corpus　Christi　to　assist　in　fighting　for　the　release　of　the

prisoner。　　Precisely　as　Hummel　had　intended；　Chief　Wright　of　Nueces

rode　into　Alice　and　demanded　the　prisoner　from　Captain　Hughes。　　As

Hummel　had　NOT　intended；　Captain　Hughes　refused　to　surrender　the

prisoner　and　told　Chief　Wright　to　go　towell；　he　told　him　that　he

intended　to　obey　his　commander…in…chief；　the　Governor　of　Texas。



On　February　20th；　Hummel；　through　Kaffenburgh；　attempted　to　get

another　writ　of　habeas　corpus　in　Bee　County；　and　promptly　the　Bee

chief　came　buzzing　over　and　demanded　Dodge；　but　to　him　Hughes

replied　even　as　he　had　spoken　to　Wright。



Excitement　in　Alice　had　now　reached　such　a　pitch　that　Judge　Burns；

of　the　Federal　Court；　in　Houston；　ordered　United　States　Marshal

John　W。　Vann；　of　Alice；　to　assume　charge　of　the　prisoner。　　The

indomitable　Hughes；　however；　paid　no　more　attention　to　the　United

States　Marshal　than　he　had　to　the　local　chiefs。　　But　the　situation

was　so　delicate　and　the　clash　of　authority　might　so　easily　have

resulted　in　bloodshed　that　it　was　finally　agreed　by　all　parties

that　the　best　thing　to　do　was　to　have　the　prisoner　returned　to

Houston　in　the　JOINT　custody　of　Captain　Hughes　of　the　Rangers　and

the　United　States　Marshal。



Jesse；　through　his　counsel；　in　proper　course；　made　application　to

forfeit　Dodge's　bond　and　remand　him　to　jail；　but　the　Hummel

attorneys　finally　induced　the　Court；　on　the　plea　that　to　confine

Dodge　in　jail　would　be　detrimental　to　his　already　badly　impaired

health；　to　permit　the　prisoner　to　go　free　on　a　greatly　increased

bond；　nevertheless　restricting　his　movements　to　Harris　County；

Texas。



While　Jesse　had　fought　a　winning　battle　up　to　this　point　he　was　at

the　end　of　his　resources　so　far　as　the　extradition　of　the　prisoner

was　concerned；　for　Dodge　was　now　at　liberty；　pending　the　decisions

upon　the　habeas　corpus　proceedings　of　the　United　States　Circuit

Court　of　Appeals　at　Fort　Worth；　and　the　United　States　Supreme　Court

at　Washington。　　But　his　orders　were　to　BRING　DODGE　BACK　TO　New

York。　　Hence；　with　the　aid　of　some　new　men　sent　him　from　the　North；

he　commenced　an　even　closer　surveillance　of　the　prisoner　than　ever

before　by　both　day　and　night。



Meantime　Kaffenburgh　departed　for　New　York；　fleeing　from　the　wrath

of　Judge　Burns；　who　had　issued　a　summons　for　him　for　contempt　of

the　Federal　Court　on　the　ground　that　he　had　induced　Dodge　to

attempt　to　jump　his　bond。　　In　place　of　the　blustering　Kaffenburgh

was　sent　another　member　of　the　famous　law　firm　of　Howe　and　Hummel；

David　May；　an　entirely　different　type　of　man。　　May　was　as　mild　as　a

day　in　Juneas　urbane　as　Kaffenburgh　had　been　insolent。　　He

fluttered　into　Houston　like　a　white　dove　of　peace　with　the

proverbial　olive　branch　in　his　mouth。　　From　now　on　the　tactics

employed　by　the　representatives　of　Hummel　were　conciliatory　in　the

extreme。　　Mr。　May；　however；　did　not　long　remain　in　Houston；　as　it

was　apparent　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　by　either　side

pending　the　action　of　the　courts；　and　in　any　event　Dodge　was

abundantly　supplied　with　local　counsel。　　The　time　had　now　come　when

Hummel　must　have　begun　to　feel　that　the　fates　were　against　him　and

that　a　twenty…year　term　in　state　prison　was　a　concrete　possibility

even　for　him。



In　the　meantime；　Dodge　and　Bracken　had　taken　up　their　headquarters

at　the　Rice　Hotel　in　the　most　expensive　suite　of　rooms　in　the

house；　a　new　scheme　for　getting　the　prisoner　beyond　the　reach　of

the　New　York　courts　apparently　having　been　concocted。　　Dodge　was

now　indulged　in　every　conceivable　luxury　and　vice。　　He　was　plunged

into　every　sort　of　excess；　there　was　no　debauchery　which　Bracken

could　supply　that　was　not　his　and　their　rapid　method　of　existence

was　soon　the　talk　of　the　county　and　continued　to　be　so　for　ten　long

months。　　There　is　more　than　one　way　to　kill　a　cat　and　more　than　one

method　of　wiping　out　the　only　existing　witness　against　a　desperate

man　striving　to　escape　the　consequences　of　crime。



Dodge's　daily　routine　was　somewhat　as　follows：　　He　never　slept　at

his　own　hotel；　but　arose　in　the　morning　between　ten　and　eleven

o'clock；　when　he　was　at　once　visited　by　Bracken　and　supplied　with

numerous　drinks　in　lieu　of　the　breakfast　for　which　he　never　had　any

desire。　　At　noon　the　two　would　have　luncheon　with　more　drinks。　　In

the　afternoon　they　would　retire　to　the　poolrooms　and　play　the

races；　and；　when　the　races　were　over；　they　would　then　visit　the

faro　banks　and　gamble　until　midnight　or　later。　　Later　on　they　would

proceed　to　another　resort　on　Louisiana　Street　where　Dodge　really

lived。　　Here　his　day　may　be　said　to　have　begun　and　here　he　spent

most　of　his　money；　frequently　paying　out　as　much　as　fifty　dollars　a

night　for　wine　and　invariably　ending　in　a　beastly　state　of

intoxication。　　It　is　quite　probable　that　never　in　the　history　of

debauchery　has　any　one　man　ever　been　so　indulged　in　excesses　of

every　sort　for　the　same　period　of　time　as　Dodge　was　during　the

summer　and　fall　of　1904。　　The　fugitive　never　placed　his　foot　on

mother　earth。　　If　they　were　going　only　a　block；　Bracken　called　for

a　cab；　and　the　two　seemed　to　take　a　special　delight　in　making

Jesse；　as　Jerome's　representative；　spend　as　much　money　in　cab　hire

as　possible。　　The　Houston　jehus　never　again　experienced　so

profitable　a　time　as　they　did　during　Dodge's　wet　season；　and　the

life　of　dissipation　was　continued　until；　from　time　to　time；　the

prisoner　became　so　weak　from　its　effects　that　he　was　forced　to　go

under　the　care　of　a　physician。　　A　few　days　of　abstinence　always

restored　his　vitality　and　he　would　then　start　out　upon　another

round　of　pleasure。



During　this　period　Jesse　maintained　a　close　and　vigilant　personal

espionage　over　the　prisoner。　　For　over　ten　months　he　slept　less

than　four　hours　each　day；　his　fatigue　being　increased　by　the

constant　apprehension　of　treachery　among　his　own　men；　and　the

necessity　of　being　ever　on　the　alert　to　prevent　some　move　on　the

part　of　the　defense　to　spirit　the　prisoner　away。　　During　the　summer

attempts　were　repeatedly　made　to　evade　the　vigilance　of　Jesse　and

his　men　and　several　desperate　dashes　were　frustrated　by　them；

including　one　occasion　when　Bracken　succeeded　in　rushing　Dodge　as

far　as　Galveston；　where　they　were　forced　to　abandon　their　design。



From　time　to　time　Bracken　would　disappear　from　Houston　for　a　week

or　ten　days；　stating　on　his　return　that　he　had　been　to　New　York；

after　which　there　was　invariably　some　new　move　to　get　the　prisoner

away。　　Time　and　space　prevent　giving　a　detailed　account　of　all　the

marches　and　counter…marches　that　took　place　in　this　battle　of　wit

against　wit。



In　August；　1904；　Bracken　made　one　of　his　periodical　visits　to　New

York；　and　when　he　returned　sought　out　Jesse　and　said：　〃Blocher；　you

might　as　well　be　a　good　fellow　and　get　yours　while　you　can。　　I　mean

that　Dodge　is　not　going　back　to　New　York；　even　if　it　cost　a　million

dollars　to　prevent　it。〃　　A　few　days　later　Bracken　sent　a　gambler

named　Warner　to　Jesse；　who　offered　the　latter　thirty…five　hundred

dollars　to　get　〃lost〃　long　enough　for　the　prisoner　to　slip　over　to

Mexico。