An Amateur Detective

Southland Times, Issue 19471, 26 November 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

An Amateur Detective

- ' '-.•■''*/'■/".■ '.".. • f .. . . (By H, Carpenter.) It is not often that I; find myself with- I in the precincts of a. police cown; but. a ;^»Kort •time^ago, happenln'g to be seized with ft sudden and unaccountable curios* ity, I wended jny way . Loward one of those interesting institutions, and ejected an entrance. ; .. .-.;/■ . - . The policeman on tiuty that day was an old acquaintakce of mine, and upon noticing' me he immediately beckoned to me.. ."■... ■.';'•.' '.'' .•■" -;.'-;■ '':.-'■■''" "There's a peculiar case just decided," . lie said ;" one you might like to know something about. The fellow is discharged, and will be coming- out in a minute. H«re he comes IV ejaculated the officer, "that man in the 'shaggy suit." The " man in the shaggy suit " had only, just got iiito the Btreet when I overtook him.. ;■.... He was standing still, looking tip and down the 'thoroughfare, undecided what to doi all the time feeling in his' trousers pocket as though ha had lost something. I divined his thoughts, and accosting hinn <i«ietly, said :—^ "After the unpleasant proceedings just concluded, perhaps "a little light refreshment might be acceptable." "Just what I was' a-thinkin!g, sir," he replied, UnAling. ". An' I was jus>t a-feel-in' to see if .I'tl got the price of a glass of beer ; but I find I'm quite brote." " Never mind," I "observed, and in less than a couple of minutes I nad him comfortably seated at a table in a neighbouring publichouse. ' I was i anxioufl to know what crime he had been charged with, and I mildly, enquired if 4t had been a case of 'assault and battery.": " No, sir," he said ; ;." but it will be next .time—that;' is, .if I lay hold of the chap that made & toOlol me." " Is it a long story ?" I queried. "Not very long. WouM you like *o hear it, sir?" I assented eagerly. "Well, then," he began, after lie had drained bis glass, " ye-see I've boen out of work now lor nigh on two months, scarcely knowing which way to turn for a meal, and glad to -pick up a shilling when and where I can. -.."■ Well, one inorhin' 1 went out as usual —that; would-be just nine days ago— and found myself with only sixpence in my pocket, in the neighbourhood of Leicester Square. \ -; •■ ; '' No>job was to M had that mornin', w; •f^in^^atitear -dbwnii* wea^t, and a little tbirsty and hungry, I turned Into a coffee-house where I knew I could get a \c>eap>meaL' :>:'.'-.:..-.:. -;:: ':-■'■ "I hadn't "beeif sitting there lo»g before^i^ort, stumpy gent, with no end oL watch-chain y in of liim. comes sauntering in atttf seats himself plump alongside- o*;me. : V o -."•. ■ ; """■ " I 'ought to Kaye felt flattered no doubt, and perhaps I did a little bit when 1 he said 1 , presently", ; in a very pleasant way, ' Nice mbrnin'.' - :- : " ' Yes.' I srfd • 'it is for; those in work,^but^thi*.mornin^^lbeßnit -seein^ p^riikler nice to me.' -^ ; ': "' You're out of work, eh'f?^ he askedWell, I Might have guessed as" much" by< your 'crestfallen- expresalon. Whkt would you say if I v put a little Job i irt r :;rypur yrefV ./'£ ■■'■■■:, •,. -.-//■ -■■■-.' ;: ■ '■■ - «# « I ghioyjd Biy heaven blesg ye, and

'mean it,' I answered, pricking up mj ears and looking full in the little gent'! face.. " ' Con<[ trust you ?' he asked. " ' Perfectly,'.! saM. "'Now, look here/ he says, speaitlng quito con&lenttal like, and in a very low voice. 'I'm' a detective. To-night Pan going to have a good try l o nab a fellow who lias been fooling the police of Lon. don for -Jtbe lost three months. I've got reliable information, and with your assistance I believe I shall have Mm.' " He told me that the man he Intended to catch' was going to commit a burglary at a house in Highgate— who informed him, he didn't say, but he said he knew it— and that he meant t<> nab him in the very act. The house stood in a piece of ground enclosed by n ) O w rail fence, and my part of the performance was to watch for the burglar, aijd- should he; by any means give the detective the s||p, to chase and collar him j"f I could. ' " ' But s'pose,' I said, as soon as I cpMld get a word in;, 's'pose -a regular policeman c o mes along and catches sight 6"' me in those grounds at midnight?' ."'Well,' the little gent replied, laughing, ' you'vo only to give the Police signal, three loud whistles, and tell thenx Detective Dawkjer has engaged jou.' " We left the place together and parted just outside, promising to meet at th« house he had described to me, ut Highgate," as 12 o'clock the same night. " Twelve o'clock came. I reached the meeting-place in time, and found the detective waiting for me. — " He was dressed in clothes something like my own, and looked tne Hash gentleman no longer. 'He seemed rather impatient, and hastily pulled^ me into the garden and into a p a rt of it where the thick shrubs grew. '; ' Now, mind,' he, said, quickly, 'if you see. the burglar run, chase him ; if a policeman comes, give three loud whistles. I must be off, or I shall lose my chance, I shall be back again in an hour. If I want assistance I will give you the three whistles.' " With these parting words the man disappeared. " I stood waiting thero for quite lialf-an-hour, I should think, when I heard on the still night air the heavy tramp of a policeman. " He was coming my w a y, I fancied. "Slowly he drew nearer and nearer,' until he stopped right abreast o' the very place where I was hiding,, close to the garden gate. " Quick as possible I gave three very loud, shrill whistles ; but instead of the policeman being awed by the sourid, he dashed at me, and caught mo by the throat, in about half-a-minuto nearly choking me, and stopping roe from explaining why I was there. " Finding I didn't resist, he loosened his hold and questioned me. " I told him plump and rlntin that Detective Dawker had engaged me— that I H*as doing my duty, and tliat ho had better not spoil our gome.' ."He only gripped my arm the tighter, and laughed, telling me not to ' t-y it on with him,' and blew his whistle." "In a few .minutes another officer arrived, and between the two of 'em, what with their laughing and their questions, I had a lively time of it. 'I was taken to the nearest police Station, and locked up on suspicion. _ "The next morning, when brought before the magistrate, I learned to my great surprise that the man I thought was a detective was none other than the burglar he pretended to be aftur, and that, instead of trying to catch a criminal, he was robbing the house while I kept watch outside and \Varned him by my loud' whistles of the arrival <<f the police. " I was remanded for enquiries lo be made, and they being" 1 found satisfactory, I was brought up again this ■morning antl discharged." - Having ordered a fresh k^ss of the, foaming beverage for my" r innocent 'tic* quaintance I left him apparently quite comfortable. . But I heard him mutter as. I turned, away : • ; "Wait till I mtjet him. 11l break every bone in his body." _/■■_