Detective Bob Bridger — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

16 | DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. nudged him, and said in an undertone: Lay low, Jack, ‘Blackfriars! ” He stopped, and bending his ear close to my lips, said: “ 'What’s up ?” a Hlopper and Cole have grown ‘leaky,’ and I ‘twigged’ — them ‘cacklin’ to a ‘fly-cop’ about you ‘croakin’ the ‘crusher’ in the store.”’ | “ Yesterday, So lay low, for they’re workin’ with the ‘fly-cops’ to ‘pull you in, > and ‘twist’ you.” “*Tober’ Jack started back, and a look that meant mur der flashed from his eyes. “He glanced furiously toward the two ‘cracksmen’ in the corner, then, catching my arm, dragged me toward them. “Are those the men?” he cried, as he paused near the astonished burglars. “Both of them,” I replied. “I heard them ‘peachin’ to a ‘fly-cop’ on the ‘walk.’ ” - | “ *What’s the “kid” givin’ “guff’ on? Come here!’ roared Flopper, and he made a moveasif to clutch me. But ‘Tober’ Jack shoved me back out of his reach, and — pulling forth a ‘billy,’ knocked him senseless on the floor. A general uproar cnsued in the ‘ken.’ Meanwhile ‘Tober’ _ Jack attacked Cole, and the fight was waxing hot between them, when Plinny and his men entered the ‘ken,’ and striking right and left, secured the three men and led them away. “Flopper and Cole were now easily ‘worked’ by Plinny in their cells. They were led to believe that ‘Tober’ Jack, to shield himself, had charged them with the murder, and put up the job with the police to have them arrested. The result was they turned queen’s «idence; were sent up for light terms, while ‘Tober’ Jack was convicted of the mur- der, confessed it, and was hanged.” “Ts Plinny now on the force?” asked Bridger. “No; he is an old man, became rheumatic, and is now employed in the British Museum. He is the only man to whom I mention my superstitions, and he will relish greatly to hear me tell him of your strange experience on the rail- way.” “ By the way,” added the Seotch detective, “to show you his interest and friendship, Bobe, the other day a case came to the museum containing, among other things, six spirit glasses such as are made and used by East Indian ~ necromancers to produce sleep. They are so artfully con- trived that I have never yet found a man who could hold comicbooks.co %