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PART IDETECTIVE STORIES FROM REAL LIFE

PART IITRUE STORIES OF MODERN MAGIC







Edited by Julian Hawthorne





REAL LIFE





Table of contents



PART IDETECTIVE STORIES FROM REAL LIFE





ARTHUR TRAIN



A Flight into Texas





P。 H。 WOODWARD



Adventures in the Secret Service of the Post…Office Department



An Erring Shepherd



An Aspirant for Congress



The Fortune of Seth Savage



A Wish Unexpectedly Gratified



An Old Game Revived



A Formidable Weapon







ANDREW LANG



Saint…Germain the Deathless



The Man in the Iron Mask



    The Legend



    The Valet's History



    The Valet's Master



    Original Papers in the Case of Roux De Marsilly







PART IITRUE STORIES OF MODERN MAGIC





M。 ROBERT…HOUDIN



A Conjurer's Confessions



Self…Training



〃Second Sight〃



The Magician Who Became an Ambassador



Facing the Arab's Pistol





DAVID P。 ABBOTT



Fraudulent Spiritualism Unveiled



A Doctor of the Occult



How the Tricks Succeeded



The Name of the Dead



Mind Reading in Public



Some Famous Exposures





HEREWARD CARRINGTON



More Tricks of 〃Spiritualism〃





〃Matter through Matter〃



Deception Explained by the Science of Psychology





ANONYMOUS



How Spirits Materialize







PART IDETECTIVE STORIES FROM REAL LIFE







Arthur Train



A Flight into Texas





The flight and extradition of Charles F。 Dodge unquestionably

involved one of the most extraordinary battles with justice in the

history of the criminal law。  The funds at the disposal of those

who were interested in procuring the prisoner's escape were

unlimited in extent; and the arch conspirator for whose safety

Dodge was spirited away was so influential in political and

criminal circles that he was all but successful in defying the

prosecutor of New York County; even supported as the latter was by

the military and judicial arm of the United States Government。

For; at the time that Dodge made his escape; a whisper from Hummel

was enough to make the dry bones of many a powerful and ostensibly

respectable official rattle and the tongue cleave to the roof of

his mouth in terror。





(The District Attorney's office in New York City is undoubtedly one

of the best watch…towers known from which to observe 〃Real Life

Detective Stories。〃



Arthur Train; sometime member of this prosecuting staff; has

opportunity to record several of these curious and exciting 〃True

Stories of Crime〃 (copyright; 1908; by Charles Scribners Sons)。

None yields less to fiction save in the fact that it is true; and

not at all in quality of dramatic interest; than 〃A Flight into

Texas;〃 here given。



Readers of the newspapers a few years ago will remember the names

of Abraham Hummel and Charles F。 Dodge。  The latter; a railroad

conductor; was alleged to have committed perjury at the dictate of

the former; known as one of the brightest; least scrupulous lawyers

in this city。  It was one of District Attorney Jerome's great

ambitions to bring Hummel to justice。  Here was an opportunity。  If

Dodge could only be forced to testify to this perjury before a

court; Hummel could undoubtedly be convicted of a crime that would

not only disbar him from the legal profession; but would put him in

jail。



Dodge had run away and disappeared as the storm seemed about to

burst。  Where was he?  Who could find and bring him backagainst

Abe Hummel's wish?EDITOR。)





Who could accomplish that in which the law was powerless?Hummel。

Who could drive to the uttermost ends of the earth persons against

whom not a shadow of suspicion had previously rested?Hummel。  Who

dictated to the chiefs of police of foreign cities what they should

or should not do in certain cases; and who could; at the beckoning

of his little finger; summon to his dungeon…like offices in the New

York Life Building; whither his firm had removed from Centre

Street; the most prominent of lawyers; the most eminent of

citizens?Surely none but Hummel。  And now Hummel was fighting for

his own life。  The only man that stood between him and the iron

bars of Blackwell's Island was Charles F。 Dodgethe man whom he

had patted on the knee in his office and called a 〃Mascot;〃 when

quite in the nature of business he needed a little perjury to

assist a wealthy client。



Hummel in terror called into play every resource upon which; during

forty years of practice; his tiny tentacles had fastened。  Who

shall say that while he made a show of enjoying himself nightly

with his accustomed lightheartedness in the Tenderloin; he did not

feel confident that in the end this peril would disappear like the

others which had from time to time threatened him during his

criminal career?  But Hummel was fully aware of the tenacity of the

man who had resolved to rid New York of his malign influence。  His

Nemesis was following him。  In his dreams; if he ever dreamed; it

probably took the shape of the square…shouldered District Attorney

in the shadow of whose office building the little shyster practiced

his profession。  Had he been told that this Nemesis was in reality

a jovial little man with a round; ruddy face and twinkling blue

eyes he would have laughed as heartily as it was in his power to

laugh。  Yet such was the fact。  A little man who looked less like a

detective than a commercial traveler selling St。 Peter's Oil or

some other cheerful concoction; with manners as gentle and a voice

as soft as a spring zephyr; who always took off his hat when he

came into a business office; seemingly bashful to the point of

self…effacement; was the one who snatched Charles F。 Dodge from the

borders of Mexico and held him in an iron grip when every influence

upon which Hummel could call for aid; from crooked police

officials; corrupt judges; and a gang of cutthroats under the guise

of a sheriff's posse; were fighting for his release。



Jesse Blocher is not employed in New York County; and for business

reasons he does not wish his present address known。  When he comes

to New York he occasionally drops into the writer's office for a

cigar and a friendly chat about old times。  And as he sits there

and talks so modestly and with such quiet humor about his

adventures with the Texas Rangers among the cactus…studded plains

of the Lone Star State; it is hard; even for one who knows the

truth; to realize that this man is one of the greatest of

detectives; or rather one of the most capable; resourceful; adroit;

and quick…witted knights of adventure who ever set forth upon a

seemingly impossible errand。



It is unnecessary to state just how the District Attorney

discovered the existence of 〃Jesse;〃 as we knew him。  It is enough

to say that on Saturday morning; July 23; 1904; he was furnished

with the proper credentials and given instructions to proceed at

once to New Orleans; Louisiana; and 〃locate;〃 if it were humanly

possible to do so; Charles F。 Dodge; under indictment for perjury;

and potentially the chief witness against Abraham H。 Hummel; on a

charge of conspiracy。  He was told briefly and to the point that;

in spite of the official reports from the police headquarters of

both New York City and New Orleans to the contrary; there was

reason to believe that Dodge was living; although not registered;

as a guest at the St。 Charles Hotel in the latter city。  A partial

and inaccurate description of Dodge was given him and he was warned

to use extreme caution to prevent any knowledge of his mission from

being made known。  Once Dodge had been discovered; he was to keep

him under surveillance and wire New York immediately。



Accordingly; Jesse left the city upon the same day at 4。45 P。 M。

and arrived two days later; at 9。15 on Monday morning; at New

Orleans; where he went directly to the St。 Charles Hotel;

registered; and was assigned to room Number 547 on the fifth floor。

Somewhere in the hotel Dodge was secreted。  The question was how to

find him。  For an hour Jesse sat in the hotel foyer and

meditatively watched the visitors come and go; but saw no sign of

his quarry。  Then he arose; put on his hat; and hunted out a

stationery store where for two cents he bought a bright…red

envelope。  He then visited a ticket…scalper's office; secured the

owner's business card; and wrote a note on its back to Dodge;

offering him cheap transportation to any point that he might

desire。  Armed with this he returned to the hotel; walked to the

desk; glanced casually over a number of telegrams exposed in a rack

and; when the clerk turned his back; placed the note; addressed to

Charles F。 Dodge; unobserved; upon the counter。  The office was a

busy one; guests were constantly depositing their keys and

receiving their mail; and; even as Jesse stood there watching

developments; the clerk turned round; found
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