Detective Bob Bridger — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER, 15 when I was but. twelve years old, the night before my father was shbt, F dreamed I saw him enter a dark store- . room. He flashed the eye of his dark-lantern, as he ad- vanced, upon the floor-way. It was strewn with cloths, and a large bag stood nearly half full of goods. Crouching beneath a table, in one corner, he perceived two thieves. - He pointed his revolver toward them and bade them come forth. As he spoke a burly burglar arose softly from_ be- hind a bale of cloth to his left, leveled a pistol, and fired. My father fell dead upon the floor, and the three men lifted their bag and hastily departed.” “Did you speak to your father of this dream ?” “T tried to do so, but he had gone from the house in the morning before I arose, and although I searched every- where for him I could not find him. My God! if I only might have found him—for under the precise circum- stances of the dream he met his death on the night after- ward.” ‘Wonderful !” “But stranger yet, Bobe, the faces of the three burglars were fixed on my memory. I looked through the Rogues’ Gallery pictures and found them. The man who shot my father was called Tober Jack, and his two pals were known as Flopper and Cole. Detective John Plinny, who had been a great friend of my father, told me that a dream was no evidence, and bade me keep quiet about it. He had some faith in the mystery, however, and shadowed the three burglars to a ‘boozing ken’ which -they frequented. I made myself up like a ‘kinchin cove,’ and hung about the place. Plinny furnished me with plenty of money, and as I spent it freely and talked thieves’ ‘patter’ like a veteran, I soon got into the good graces of ‘Liverpool’ Sal, the landlady. I became a great favorite of the crooks that frequented the place, and they looked on me asa shrewd young ‘prig.’ One night Plinny shadowed ‘Tober’ Jack and his two pals, Flopper and Cole, to the ‘ken.’ He gave me instructions how to proceed, and waited in readiness with hismen. I entered the place, and at once began chatting with Liverpool Sal, who had taken a great fancy to me. The place was filled with thieves—men and women. The. air was blue with tobacco smoke, and the barmaids busy passing about drinks, bread, cheese, and the like, among the noisy throng. ‘Tober’ Jack and his pals sat at a table by themselves drinking and talking. At length ‘Tober’ Jack arose from his seat and crossed the room toward a woman who had beckoned to him, As he passed me I GOmIicbooks.Cco