magic and real detectives-第6节

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

in　the　interior　of　Dakota　Territory；　which　for　convenience　will　be

called　Wellington；though　that　was　not　its　name；were　reported　to

the　department　as　rifled。　　As　the　season　wore　on；　the　complaints

increased　in　frequency。　　Under　the　old　method　of　doing　business　at

headquarters；　which　often　amounted　practically　to　a　distribution　of

the　cases　about　equally　〃among　the　boys；〃　the　agent　stationed　at

Chicago　received　most　of　them　at　first；　then　a　part　were　sent　to　an

agent　in　Iowa；　and　as　the　number　multiplied；　Furay；　at　Omaha；　was

favored　with　an　occasional　sprinkling。　　Under　the　present　more

perfect　system；　great　care　is　taken　to　group　together　all　the

complaints　growing　out　of　each　series　of　depredations；　to　locate

the　seat　of　trouble　by　comparisons　carefully　made　in　the　department

itself；　and　to　give　everything　bearing　on　the　subject　to　the

officer　specifically　charged　with　the　investigation。



March　came　around　before　Mr。　Furay　found　time　to　give　personal

attention　to　this　particular　thief。　　He　then　passed　over　the　route

to　Wellington；　eighty　miles　by　stagecoach　from　the　nearest　railroad

station；　with　ten　intermediate　offices。　　All　the　packages　remained

over　night　at　Sioux　City；　Iowa；　a　fact　sufficiently　important　to

invite　close　scrutiny；　but　the　detective　soon　became　satisfied　that

he　must　look　elsewhere　for　the　robber。　　His　suspicions　were　next

directed　to　another　office；　where　also　the　mails　lay　over　night；

but　the　postmaster　bore　a　countenance　so　open　and　honest　that　he

too　was　eliminated　from　the　problem。



He　continued　on　to　Wellington；　skirmishing　along　the　line；　and

observing　the　faces　of　the　postmasters；　but　these　studies　in

physiognomy　threw　no　light　on　the　mystery；　as　the　officials　of　the

department　on　the　route；　though　far　removed　from　central

supervision；　seemed　to　be　all　that　their　affectionate　uncle　at

Washington　could　wish。　　On　the　return　trip　the　detective　was

equally　observant　and　equally　perplexed。　　At　that　season　the　stage

stopped　for　the　night　at　Hannibal；　but　there；　likewise；　the

postmaster　shared　the　honest　looks　that　seemed　to　prevail　through

eastern　Dakota。



Proceeding　on；　the　passengers　dined　at　Raven's　Nest；　where　one

Michael　Mahoney；　Sr。；　kept　a　small　store　and　the　post…office；

running　alsowith　the　aid　of　a　young　son　and　a　son…in…lawa　farm。

The　store　was　managed　by　Michael　Mahoney；　Jr。；　a　married　son；　who

happened　to　be　absent　both　when　the　special　agent　went　up　and　when

he　returned。　　The　face　of　the　old　man　indicated　that　he　was

vicious；　ignorant；　and　unscrupulous；　but　clearly　he　was　not　sharp

enough　to　execute　nice　work　like　that　under　investigation。



With　the　exception　of　a　general　knowledge　of　the　offices；　the

special　agent　returned　but　little　wiser　for　the　trip；　and

concluded；　as　the　best　that　could　be　done　under　the　circumstances；

to　allow　the　bird　to　flutter　a　little　longer　before　renewing　the

hunt。　　Meanwhile　the　thief　grew　more　reckless；　and　the　papers　that

came　to　Mr。　Furay；　though　covering　a　fraction　only　of　the

depredations；　located　the　thief　on　the　lower　end　of　the　route；

within　fifty　miles　of　the　terminus。



During　the　summer　one　or　two　other　agents　took　up　the　matter

cursorily；　but　made　no　discoveries。　　In　the　meantime　Mr。　Furay　was

kept　too　busily　occupied　with　a　succession　of　important　cases　in

Nebraska　to　give　much　thought　to　the　outlying　territory　of　Dakota。

At　length；　in　September；　he　went　carefully　over　the　papers　that　had

accumulated　during　his　late　prolonged　absences；　and　soon　knew

exactly　where　to　look　for　the　chap　who　had　so　long　plundered　the

public　with　impunity。



For　some　time　Chicago　had　been　closing　registered　package　envelopes

with　wax；　which；　on　this　route　at　least；　effectually　secured　them

against　molestation。　　Imitating　the　example；　Camden；　Dakota；　began

to　do　the　same；　but；　having　no　seal　suitable　for　the　purpose；

improvised　a　substitute　by　using　the　flat　surface　of　a　rasp。



Camden　placed　the　wax　near　each　end　of　the　envelope；　which

materially　interfered　with　the　game　of　the　thief；　because　it　was

just　here　that　he　operated。　　Evidently　piqued　that　a　rural

postmaster　should　presume　to　outwit　him；　he　studied　hard　to　devise

some　means　for　opening　these　particular　packages　without　leaving

such　traces　of　his　handiwork　as　would　attract　the　notice　of　other

officials　through　whose　hands　they　might　subsequently　pass。　　The

effort　was　crowned　with　a　measurable　degree　of　success；　for　Mr。

Furay；　at　the　general　overhauling　referred　to；　was　the　first　to

discover　that　the　seal　had　been　tampered　with。



As　it　was　necessary　to　break　one　of　the　seals；　the　object　of　the

robber　was　to　restore　it　as　nearly　as　possible　to　its　original

appearance；　and　to　effect　this　he　used　a　dampened　thimble；　rolling

it　over　the　wax　while　the　latter　was　hot。　　There　was　but　one

envelope　of　the　kind　in　the　lot；　but　it　told　the　whole　story　to　the

eye　that　could　penetrate　its　meaning。　　As　the　thimble　passed　along

the　edge；　it　left　the　mark　of　the　rim；　then　a　smooth；　narrow　band；

followed　by　pointed　elevations　closely　resembling　continuous　lines；

thus：







。。。。。。。。

。。。。。。。。



On　the　opposite　side　of　the　same　seal　the　wax　flattened　out　so　as

to　cover　a　good　deal　of　surface；　and；　to　give　it　the　desired

appearance；　the　manipulator　resorted　to　the　thimble　again；　but　this

time　USED　A　DIFFERENT　ONE；　the　indentations　on　the　surface　being

perceptibly　finer　and　more　shallow。



The　violation　of　that　single　seal　betrayed　the　thief；　for　the

detective　at　once　inferred　that　the　job　was　done　in　a　store　where

the　operator　had　access　to　a　variety　of　thimbles。　　Only　one　was

required；　and　no　person　but　a　merchant　would　be　likely　to　have　more

than　one　within　convenient　reach。　　In　a　store；　however；　it　would　be

natural　to　take　down　a　boxful；　and　place　it　on　the　counter；　to　be

selected　from　at　random。　　One　is　picked　up；　used；　and　thrown　back。

The　operator　now　finds　another　spot　that　requires　attention；　and

without　waiting　to　hunt　for　the　thimble　that　has　already　served　as

a　seal；for　the　wax　is　cooling　and　no　time　must　be　lost；grasps

the　first　that　comes　to　hand；　too　absorbed　in　the　main　issue　to

give　a　thought　to　what　would　pass　as　an　insignificant　subsidiary

trifle。　　No　rascal　is　sharp　enough　to　guard　every　point；a　general

fact　that　illustrates　over　and　over　again；　in　the　experience　of

man；　the　seminal　truth　that　in　a　mercenary　and　physical　as　well　as

in　a　high　and　spiritual；　sense　there　is　neither　wisdom　nor　profit

outside　of　the　limits　of　absolute　integrity　and　unflinching

uprightness。



The　detective　laid　aside　the　papers　with　a　light　heart；　knowing

that　at　last　he　was　complete　master　of　the　situation。　　Below　Camden

on　the　infested　route　the　post…office　was　kept　in　a　store　at　two

points　only；　and　in　one　of　those　no　thimbles　were　sold。　　The　clew

pointed　unerringly　to　Raven's　Nest　as　the　spot　where　alone　the

requisite　conditions　to　account　for　the　imprint　on　the　violated

seal　were　to　be　found。　　Thither　the　officer　accordingly　went；　and

the　moment　his　eye　rested　on　Michael　Mahoney；　Jr。；　he　recognized

the　heaven…branded　features　of　a　thief。



Returning　to　Sioux　City；　he　telegraphed　to　another　agent；　who　had　a

large　number　of　the　cases　growing　out　of　the　robberies；　to　come　on

at　once。　　The　two　men　took　stations；　one　on　each　side　of　Raven's

Nest；　and　in　thirty　hours　they　arrested　the　youthful　criminal；　who

in　the　interval　stole　four　decoy　letters；　and　paid　a　portion　of　the

contents　to　one　of　the　officers　who　was　testing　him。



Mr。　Furay　collected　from　the　thief　and　his　relatives　the　full

amount　stolen　from　the　mails　during　the　entire　continuance　of　the

depredations；　restoring　the　money　to　the　rightful　owners　dollar　for

dollar。　　Young　Mahoney　made　a　written　confession；　supplemented　by

three　or　four　codicils　relating　to　items　which；　to　use　his　own

language；　〃at　first　did　not　to　me　occur。〃　　He　was　tried　the

following　February；　and　sentenced　to　the　penitentiary　for　the　term

of　three　years。



Within　fifteen　days　from　the　time　when　the　doors　of　the　prison　were

closed　upon　the　son；　the　villainous　old　father；　acting　perhaps　on

the　theory　that　no　two　shots　ever　strike　in　exactly　the　same　place；

began　also　to　rob　the　mails。　　In　due　time　Mr。　Furay　again　appeared

on　the　scene　and　took　the　old　reprobate　away　a　prisoner。　　When　the

trial　came　on；　a　material　witness　for　the　prosecution　happened　to

be　absent；　the　lack　of　whose　testimony　proved　fatal　to　the　case；

for　after　hanging　a　day　and　a　night；　the　jury　brought　in　a　verdict

of　acquittal。







AN　ERRING　SHEPHERD





The　ingenuity　and　perseverance　of　the　fraternity　of　swindlers　is

only　equaled　by　the　gullibility　and　patience　of　their　dupes。

During　the　flush　times　that　followed　the　war；　immense　fortunes　were

suddenly　acquired　by　a　class　of　cheats　who　operated　on　the

cr