magic and real detectives-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

Mexico。　　Acting　upon　the　advice　of　his　attorney；　Jesse　encouraged

this　attempt；　under　the　belief　that　if　he　could　get　the　Hummel

forces　in　the　position　of　having　attempted　to　bribe　him　the

prisoner's　bail　could　then　be　forfeited　and　Dodge　himself　taken

into　custody。　　Hummel　became　wary；　however；　and　apparently

abandoned　for　the　time　the　idea　of　bribery。　　Later　on　Bracken　again

disappeared。　　On　his　return　a　marked　change　was　noticeable　in　his

demeanor　and　Jesse　observed　that　he　was　in　constant　consultation

with　Dodge；　from　which　the　detective　drew　the　inference　that　some

last　desperate　move　was　to　be　made　towards　the　escape　of　the

prisoner。



On　one　occasion　Jesse　saw　Bracken　showing　Dodge　a　map　and　some

drawings　on　paper；　which　so　excited　his　suspicions　that　he　followed

the　two　with　unremitting　assiduity；　and　within　a　day　or　two　was

rewarded　through　Bracken's　carelessness　with　an　opportunity　for

going　through　the　latter's　coat　pockets　in　the　billiard　room。　　Here

he　found　a　complete　set　of　plans　worked　out　in　every　detail　for

spiriting　the　prisoner　from　San　Antonio　into　Mexico　during　the

State　Fair。　　These　plans　were　very　elaborate；　every　item　having

been　planned　out　from　the　purchase　of　tickets；　and　passing　of

baggage　through　the　customs；　to　hotel　accommodation　in　the　City　of

Mexico　and　Tampico；　and　steamship　tickets　from　Tampico　to　Europe。



The　plan　had　been　to　secure　permission　from　the　Court　for　Dodge　to

leave　Houston　long　enough　ostensibly　to　attend　the　fair　at　San

Antonio　and　to　〃lose〃　him　during　the　excitement　and　crowded

condition　of　the　city　at　that　time。



It　is；　of　course；　needless　to　say　that　these　plans　were　abandoned

when　Bracken　discovered　that　Jesse　had　been　forewarned。



Almost　immediately　thereafter　the　Circuit　Court　of　Appeals　at　Fort

Worth；　Texas；　decided　one　of　the　habeas　corpus　cases　adversely　to

Dodge；　but　it　still　permitted　him　to　retain　his　liberty　pending　the

final　determination　of　the　questions　involved　by　the　Supreme　Court

at　Washington。



The　Hummel　forces　were　apparently　losing　hope；　however；　for　early

in　October　another　attempt　was　made　to　bribe　Jesse。　　Bracken

entered　his　room　one　evening　and　informed　him　that　he　could　get　his

own　price　if　he　would　only　be　a　good　fellow；　and　even　went　so　far

as　to　exhibit　a　quantity　of　money　which　he　stated　was　twenty…five

thousand　dollars。　　The　only　result　of　this　offer　was　to　lead　Jesse

to　redouble　his　precautions；　for　he　argued　that　the　situation　must

indeed　be　acute　when　such　an　offer　could　be　deemed　worth　while。

Thereafter　it　was　obvious　that　the　revelry　of　Dodge　and　his

companions　was　on　the　increase。　　Accordingly　Jesse　added　to　his

force　of　assistants。



On　December　2；　1904；　Nathaniel　Cohen；　another　member　of　the　firm　of

Howe　and　Hummel；　arrived　at　Houston；　and　the　next　day　the　Supreme

Court　at　Washington　decided　the　appeal　in　the　habeas　corpus　against

the　prisoner；　who　was　at　once　ordered　by　Judge　Burns　into　the

custody　of　United　States　Marshall　William　M。　Hansen。



Things　looked　black　indeed　for　Dodge　and　blacker　still　for　Hummel。

How　the　little　attorney；　eating　his　midday　lunch　four　thousand

miles　away；　at　Pontin's　restaurant　on　Franklin　Street；　must　have

trembled　in　his　patent　leather　boots！　　His　last　emissary；　Cohen；　at

once　procured　an　assistant　by　the　name　of　Brookman　and　with　him

proceeded　to　Wharton　County；　Texas；　where　they　secured　a　new　writ

of　habeas　corpus　and　induced　the　local　sheriff；　one　Rich；　to　swear

in　a　posse　comitatus　of　one　hundred　men　for　the　purpose　of　coming

to　Houston　to　take　the　prisoner　by　force　of　arms　out　of　the　hands

of　the　United　States　Marshal。



This　was　one　of　the　most　daring　and　desperate　attempts　made　in

recent　years　to　frustrate　the　law。　　Jesse　believes　that　the　real

object　of　this　posse　was　to　precipitate　a　fight　between　themselves

and　the　Federal　authorities。　　It　is　not　inconceivable　that　in　such

an　event　Dodge　might　either　have　escaped　or　been　killed。　　The　men

composing　the　posse　were　of　the　most　desperate　character；　and

consisted　largely　of　the　so…called　〃feud　factions〃　of　Wharton

County；　known　as　〃The　Wood　Peckers〃　and　〃The　Jay　Birds。〃　　Jesse　has

been　informed；　on　what　he　regards　as　reliable　authority；　that　this

move　cost　the　Hummel　forces　fifteen　thousand　dollars　and　that　each

member　of　the　posse　received　one　hundred　dollars　for　his

contemplated　services　in　the　〃rescue〃　of　the　prisoner。　　But　civil

war；　even　on　a　small　scale；　cannot　be　indulged　in　without　some

inkling　of　the　facts　becoming　known　to　the　authorities；　and　prior

to　the　receipt　of　the　mandate　of　the　Supreme　Court；　Judge　Burns

ordered　the　prisoner　removed　to　Galveston　for　safe　keeping。



Thus　the　long；　expensive；　and　arduous　struggle　came　finally　to　an

end；　for　Judge　Burns　in　due　course　ordered　that　Charles　F。　Dodge

should　be　conveyed　to　New　York　in　the　personal　custody　of　the

United　States　Marshal　and　delivered　by　him　to　the　New　York

authorities　〃within　the　borders　of　that　State。〃　　Such　an　order　was；

of　course；　exceedingly　unusual；　if　not　almost　unheard　of；　but　it

was　rendered　absolutely　necessary　by　the　powerful　influence　and

resources；　as　well　as　the　unscrupulous　character；　of　those

interested　in　securing　Dodge's　disappearance。



In　order　to　thwart　any　plans　for　releasing　the　prisoner　by　violence

or　otherwise；　and　to　prevent　delay　through　the　invoking　of　legal

technicalities；　Hansen　and　Jesse　decided　to　convey　Dodge　to　New

York　by　water；　and　on　the　16th　of　December　the　marshal　and　his　five

deputies　boarded　a　Mallory　Line　steamer　at　Galveston　and　arrived　in

New　York　with　their　prisoner　on　the　evening　of　December　23d。



Dodge　reached　New　York　a　physical　wreck。　　How　he　was　induced　to

tell　the　whole　truth　after　he　had　pleaded　guilty　to　the　charge

against　him　is　a　story　in　itself。　　A　complete　reaction　from　his

dissipation　now　occurred　and　for　days　his　life　was　despaired　of。

Jesse；　too；　was；　as　the　expression　is；　〃all　in；〃　and　the　only

persons　who　were　still　able　to　appreciate　the　delights　of　New　York

were　the　stalwart　marshal　and　his　boys；　who　for　some　time　were

objects　of　interest　as　they　strolled　along　Broadway　and　drank　〃deep

and　hearty〃　in　the　cafes。　　To　the　assistants　in　the　District

Attorney's　office　they　were　heroes　and　were　treated　as　such。



How　Dodge　finally　testified　against　Hummel　on　the　witness　stand　has

already　been　told。　　As　they　say　downtown；　if　Jerome　had　never　done

anything　else；　he　would　have　〃made　good〃　by　locking　up　Abe　Hummel。

No　one　ever　believed　he　would　do　it。　　But　Jerome　never　would　have

locked　up　Hummel　without　Jesse。　　And；　as　Jesse　says　with　a　laugh；

leaning　back　in　his　chair　and　taking　a　long　pull　on　his　cigar；　〃I

guess　I　would　not　do　it　againno；　I　WOULD　not　do　it　again　for　all

the　money　you　could　give　me。　　The　wonder　is　that　I　came　out　of　it

alive。〃　　When　the　reader　comes　to　think　about　it　he　will　probably

agree　with　him。







P。　H。　Woodward





Adventures　in　the　Secret　Service　of　the　Post…Office　Department*





*　The　author　of　the　pages　that　follow　was　chief　special　agent　of

the　Secret　Service　of　the　United　States　Post…Office　Department

during　pioneer　and　romantic　days。　　The　curious　adventures　related

are　partly　from　his　own　observation；　and　partly　from　the　notebooks

of　fellow　officers；　operating　in　many　sections　of　the　Country。



The　stories　are　true；　although；　of　course；　justice　demands　that　in

some　cases　persons　and　places　be　usually　disguised　under　fictitious

names。



The　stories　have　interest　not　only　for　their　exciting　play　of

honest　wits　against　dishonest；　but　also　for　the　cautions　they　sound

against　believing　things　〃too　good　to　be　true〃　from　the　pen　of

strangers。





There　is　a　class　of　post…office　thieves　who　make　a　specialty　of

rifling　the　registered　letters　that　pass　through　their　hands　in

transit　on　journeys　of　greater　or　less　length。　　Some　of　them　have

managed　operations　very　shrewdly；　in　the　evident　belief　that　they

had　discovered　an　infallible　method　for　doing　the　work　and　at　the

same　time　escaping　detection。　　Too　late　they　generally　learn　by　sad

experience　that　no　patents　can　be　taken　out　for　the　protection　of

crime。



In　this　class　of　cases　something　tangible　always　remains　to　exhibit

the　peculiar　style　of　workmanship　belonging　to　each；　and　it　would

often　surprise　the　uninitiated　to　learn　how　many　traits　of

character；　what　indexes　of　habit　and　vocation；　can　be　picked　up　by

careful　study　of　the　minute　points　presented　for　inspection。

Unless；　however；　an　agent　cultivates　a　taste　for　thoroughness　even

to　details　and　trifles　that　might　at　first　view　appear　utterly

insignificant；　he　will　never　succeed　in　interpreting　the

hieroglyphics。



At　intervals　of　two　or　three　weeks；　beginning　in　the　summer　of

1871；　registered　packages　passing　to　and　fro　from　Chicago　to　a　town

in　the　interior