Beadle's Dime Library No. 146 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

ome 1 x—_— The judge and the police superintendent be- ing on the best of terms, the politician had ed upon the chief in behalf of one of his con- stituents who had got himself into trouble for not being aS scrupulous in regard to another | man’s property as he might have been. Black Jack this man was called, so termed because his name was Jackson and because he was almost as dark-skinned as a negro; and perhaps, too, on account of bis reputation, which was unsavory in the estimation of all decent citizens. ‘How about this Black Jack affair?’ nded evidently with satisfaction. ‘Well, [am really the case against him was not a clear one.” ‘* Ah, yes; I forgot that the man was in your district—one of your ‘ heelers,’ eh?” ‘* Yes, the fellow has always worked like a beaver me, to give the devil his due; and my fellows say he is worth a dozen ordinary men on election day.” “Well, judge, the way the thing looks now, I reckon he will not do much work around the lis for some time, for the chances are that ing Sing will take care of him for two or three years to come.” **Tt is hae bad serape then?” © ‘* Yes, indeed; house-breaking with an at- tempt to kill. He, with a pal, ‘cracked a crib’ up on the avenue, but the noise they made in getting in woke up one of the servants who alarmed the house; there were plenty of people in it, and being armed they attempted to = ture the burglars, but Jack and his pal — t their way to the street, and that they didn’t kill some of the folks was no fault of theirs. On the street they encountered a policeman; his at- tention had attracted by the row inside, and he had rapped for assistance; he tried to force the fellows to surrender, but Jack made a dash at him, and although the officer fired, the bullet only wounded Jack in the arm and the officer was floored with a lick that made him see stars for-a couple of minutes. But. the whole neighborhood was alarmed, and after a hot chase for eigbt or nine blocks the two were cap- ‘‘ Well, I.am really sorry for it,” the Bi Judge declared. ‘*‘ A gang of the boys were a my house this morning about the matter. Of course they declared that it was all a mistake —that the police were down upon Jack, and had accused him of this crime in order to get a chance to railroad him, to State prison. In fact, they were so earnest that I had to tell them I would come to head-quarters and see you in order to get rid of them.” ‘* Phe, case stands just as Il have told you. The proof is conclusive and nothing but death can save him from going up the river.” ‘‘ Well, you understand my position. Of course, when the boys got after me | had to tell them that 1 would do ail 1 could for the nm” » ‘Oh, certainly; it would not do to get tue boys down on you, andelection coming on, too. In such a district as yours a man must stand well withthe gang or there would be a mighty poor show for him. If it was any little com-_ mon case of assault and battery or anything of that kid, why, something could be beaks the case could be ned, and,the fellow got off under bail; but that dodge won’t,work here. Black Jack is booked for Sing Singrand salt won’tsxve him.” ms The entratce of the official messenger at that moment interrupted the conversation, ‘A gentleman wants to see you, sir, on par- “— private business.” | ‘* No, sir; he merely asked for the chief of the secret service,’’ ‘“* Think it amounts to anything?" ‘*No, sir; he’s a queer-looking chap—looks like a fo that he ain’t exactly right in his mind, I tried to find out what his business was but he wouldn’t bave it.” “F behind the screen take your cha minutes: until I get rid of this chap. You would really be astonished at the number of these queer customers that come bothering me and no one but the chief will do for them.’ The judge took his chair and retired behind ‘‘ Now show the fellow up and I'll see what he has to say for himseif.”’ The messenger retired. -—--—----— CHAPTER XVI. A CLEW. THE applicant was a well-built man, poorly dressed in dark clothes, with an olive- tinged complexion, and yet with it was this fact that gave the st ance to the face, for with such a com hair should have been dark. ‘The ebief had also traveled a great deal, and « life he had encountered a man who in ticular resembled the visitor. sorry, for 1 was in hopes | flect for a moment and then spoke: ———_—_— | | r, ana I kinder got the notion | } yonees\ judge; , near the Hudson river and about two hours ir with youand sitdown for a few , trom the city by boat.” rather pager the Jersey shore, or on Long Island.” light hair, and | think, around appear. within twenty miles, but your old church xion the | stumps me.” was a keen observer, though, and | the principal sey obs of this band of bold | gan, “‘and my name is Jerry d once in his and lawless men. this el It was in New quarters in just such a place as I have de- ~The Doctor. Detective. | because I have some ver the | judge asked, as the usual salutations were over. | “Oh, we have got him this time,” the chief | mm mm you can depend upon my men following it 13 scribed, and in this vault is a golden coffin worth a fortune.” ¥' The police chief started in surprise, despite his iron-like nerves. “‘A golden coffin? By Jove! I have heard of that before!’ ‘‘Itisin the vault; and now, chief, will you — —— oe ee Orleans—a'waiter at the St. Charles Hotel—a fellow who looked enough like a white man to be one, and yet was not, forin his veins rap a strong current of African blood; therefore the moment the officer got a look at the man he suspected that he was from the South. ‘** You are the superintendent of police?” asked the caller, when the door closed behind the mes- | not put your men on the scent, care, of © senger. course, not to reveal the purpose? them . ‘**L am.” seek for the old church with a large vault under “T have taken the liberty to call upon you important informa- tion which I think will of great value to you.’ ‘Glad to see you, sir; take a chair.” The stranger, seating himself, seemed to re- it, a hundred years old, at the least.” “Why do you not try your hand?” ‘Such is my intention, and I will report to you my progress, say three days hence,” said | the stranger, Fang. ‘* All right, and in the mean time I will set my men at work,” and the chief pulled out his ~ ‘*T think, sir, L have a clew, which, if care- | handkerchief to remove a speck of dust whict fully followed, may lead to the detection of a | had got intw his eye. powerful band of law-breakers.”’ The stranger, standing with his hand on thr The chief was all ears in an instant. back of the chair, could hardly repress a start ‘*That is important information indeed!” he | of astonis. ment. exclaimed. ‘* Mr How may I call From the handkerchief of the chief came the your name?” same perfume that had pe whe the form ‘*My name?” and the man appeared to be | of the captain of the White Band when he had perplexed by the simple question, doomed the prisoner in the vault! ‘** Yes,” and the chief drew a sheet of paper 3 to him and seized a pen ready to take notes. CHAPTER XVII. A PECULIAR VISITOR. ‘Is my name necessary ?” ** Well, no; not particularly, at present, al- HE was an odd-looking, roughly-dressed fel- though it would be as well that I should know | low—a sort of a mixture of a sailor and a lands man, and in the darkness of the night he came it—tuatis, unless you have a good reason for wishing to remain unknown,” slouching along up the street toward the house “ No, Ido not know why I should endeavor | of the re physician, Doctor Doramus. to remain unknown. My name is Clarke—Mar- Decidedly unp was the man in vin Clarke.” every t—one of the d of fellows that “Exactly,” and the official wrote the name down with a flourish. ‘‘And now, Mr. Clarke, yousay that you have important information in regard to an organized band of law- breakers?” ** Yes, of experts in all kinds of crime, from the highest to the lowest degree.” ** Proceed, sir.” **My information in regard to the band is not as complete as 1 would like it to be, but, probably, when my store of knowledge runs out you can supply the deficiency.” —_. The chief nodded and looked wise; this was a part of his stock in trade; whenever he was ig- norant of any matter and wished not only to conceal the fact but to convey the impression that he knew all about it, he simply held his tongue and put on a knowing look, and by this device had often succeeded in getting criminals to make a full confession of their misdeeds, actuated by the belief that the chief had a com- plete knowledge of their affairs and that it would be useless for them to attempt to disguise the truth. ‘* nis band is composed of leading ‘rascals of all grades, bound together, I presume, by oaths after the style.of a secret society, and I think be) ond a doubt that most of the at crimes, which have plunder for the object, can be traced directly to the members of this band.” ‘* | haven’t the least. doubt, sir, that your in- formation is correet in that particular, Ihave been aware for some time that such a band ex- isted, but the rascals have managed matters so shrewdly that ithas been impossible to get at them in any way.” ** | thiuk I cangive you a clew to one of their meeting-places.” “Aha! If you can—just; the slightest: clew the prudent would be apt to avoid when encountered by night in a lonely spot. And from the pec manner in which he skulked up to the door, and the suspicious way im which he looked around as if afraid some one was watching him, a careful observer would have been certain that the fellow either was on some evil purpose bent or else he had been following evil ways so long that fear of being apprehend- ed had grown to be a second nature. The housemaid who answered the bell sum- mons, a comely voung Irish girl, was not naturally very acute, but, dull of comprehen- sion as she usually was, something in the man’s face warned her that he was no better than he should be, and when he asked if Doctor Dora- mus was in, and said that he wanted to see him if he was, the housemaid cast just a single’ glance at the two overcoats hanging on the rack in the hali, and remarking, curtly, that she would tell the doctor, shut the door in the visitor’s face—a proceeding which immediately excited hisire. ~ : ‘*You blasted fool, I ain’t on the overcoat- sneak-thief Jay!” he ejaculated, shaking’ bis fist at the closed door. “I’m a Jay gion. IT am! and when I ‘crack a crib’ I doit in a gentle- any manner, and no sneaking about it, ei- ther. : | The wy aie pik of the doctor, who came ‘im- mediately in answer to the summons, cut short the fellow’s reflections. ‘* How are you?” saluted the stranger, with a clumsy attempt ata bow; ‘“‘kin I have a few words with you in private on some very ‘ticular business?” | The doctor cast a searching glance at the man; he fancied that he had seen him before, although for the moment he could not remem- ber where or when. | rth ‘““Whatis the nature of your business?” the doctor asked, unfavorably impressed by the ill- looks of the fellow. “Oh, well, governor, I can’t tell you that out here on the stoop, you know. You can your pile that Iam on business, every time, and if you ain’t willin’ to ax me inter yer par- lor, I can’t make you, and will have to go in course, but 1 take it that a gentleman you are ain’t a-goin’ to be hard on a poor cove wot only wants to have a leetle private confab with you on very "ticular business,” ‘* Business that concerns me?’ Doramus ques- tioned, sharply. “Well, yes, governor; it consarns you a lit- tle, but not so much as it does me.” ‘* lt occurs to me that I have seen you before, Oren itl ] likel ; the ‘““Wery likely—we ernor, fellow answered, witha betas i ‘** When was it and where?’ ***Deed, governor, you’re too much for me,” the man responded, with a dubious shake of the head. ‘I ain’t got no memory at all to speak on.” | ‘‘Well, come in and explain your business,” said the doctor, leading the way to the rece tion-room, satisfied that there was very little be got out of the caller unless allowed ‘to go on in his own way. . Doramus placed a chair for the man so that when he sat in it the full light of the gas would fail upon his face; then he sat down in his | arm-C and signified for the stranger to pro- a —_——_———— A —_—_——— —- up,” : " ; ‘* They bave a rendezvous in the vaults un- derneath an old church, somewhere in the sub- urbs of New York., The church is_a very old one, dating back, probably, to the Revolution and the chances are that it is now deserted— not used, and is little better than a heap of cpa ys is only senior? eapenne sos the wa- r,and from the shore an underground passage leads to the vaults.” “eh , ‘* Your description is a very indefinite one,” the chief observed. ‘‘ The clty is entirely sur- rounded by water. Can’t you fix the locality more closely ?” ‘The probabilities are that the church is ? ** Steamboat, ‘** No, by oars, i <6 or ten miles, then, according to tide?” se es. 9 P The ofticial reflected for a moment. He was well posted in regard to the city and its sur- rounaings but no church could he think of that answered the description. He shook his head. ‘*T am at fault,” he remarked; ‘I do not re- call any building that would fill the bill on either bank of the Hudson within fifteen miles of the city.” ‘*it may be possible that it is on Staten Isl- you mean?” know about ev foot of the ground, I New York in all directions | ceed. “I’m a *longshoreman, I am,” the man bé’ Crank; and I had a brother, and that brother was”—at this point he paused, abruptly, and looked around him in @ very suspicious sort of way; then in a cau. ‘‘It exists, though, superintendent, and it is know that such a band is in existence; I know they have their ead. 0)(0)(6) ecoilm (E cS (E (0)