Mezzoni the Brigand — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. : 167 CHAPTER XVIII. MEZZONI UNMASKED. In introducing real personages and actual events, an author feels some delicacy as to giving names; and it should be so. Still the well known visit of Mr. Bush, of Scotland Yard, London, to Naples in 1871, and the complete success with which he crowned that remarkable experience, need give no cause for reticence in relation to his name. That famous officer and detective has too widespread a distinction in his arduous profession not to be known among the police of all nations. The famous discovery of the secret vault, and the prompt recovery of nearly the whole of the property stolen from the store of Woolf & Co., in the Strada St. Carlo, were solely due to his- personal skill and perseverance, and would alone have made the repu- tation of any detective. Highly accredited, he was received by the local authorities with kindness and respect, and afforded facilities which had never be- fore been accorded to any foreigner by the Neapoli- tans. No spirit of jealousy was permitted to inter- fere in the least with his operations, and he met with no opposition from any source on that score. In his report to the home department, Mr. Bush especially referred to these agreeable facts. Partly in recognition of this courtesy, and also for reasons which will ultimately appear, Mr. Bush held a consultation with the heads of the local police of the city, and proposed to lead an expedition which should break up the headquarters of the famous Eomicbooks (ete)