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magic and real detectives-第2章

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developments; the clerk turned round; found the note; and promptly

placed it in box Number 420。  The very simple scheme had worked;

and quite unconsciously the clerk had indicated the number of the

room occupied by Dodge。



Jesse lost no time in ascending to the fourth floor; viewed room

Number 420; returned to the desk; told the clerk that he was

dissatisfied with the room assigned him; and requested that he be

given either room Number 421; 423; or 425; one of which he stated

that he had occupied on a previous visit。  After some discussion

the clerk allotted him room Number 423; which was almost directly

opposite that occupied by Dodge; and the detective at once took up

his task of watching for the fugitive to appear。



Within the hour the door opened and Dodge and a companion; who

subsequently proved to be E。 M。 Bracken; alias 〃Bradley;〃 an agent

employed by Howe and Hummel; left the room; went to the elevator;

and descended to the dining…room upon the second floor。  Jesse

watched until they were safely ensconced at breakfast and then

returned to the fourth floor where he tipped the chambermaid; told

her that he had left his key at the office; and induced her to

unlock the door of room Number 420; which she did under the

supposition that Jesse was the person who had left the chamber in

Dodge's company。  The contents of the room convinced Jesse that he

had found Dodge; for he discovered there two grips bearing Dodge's

name as well as several letters on the table addressed to him。  The

detective returned to the hall and had a little talk with the maid。



〃The old gentleman with you has been quite sick;〃 she said。  〃How

is he to…day?〃



〃He is some better;〃 answered Jesse。



〃Yes; he does look better to…day;〃 she added; 〃but he sho'ly was

powerful sick yesterday。  Why; he hasn't been out of his room befo'

fo' five or six days。〃



This statement was corroborated by Dodge's physical appearance; for

he looked haggard and worn。



Jesse was now confident that he had found Dodge; in spite of the

reports of the New Orleans police to the contrary; and he was also

reasonably sure that the fugitive was too sick to leave the hotel

immediately。  He therefore telegraphed his superiors that he had

discovered Dodge and that the latter was ill at the St。 Charles

Hotel。



At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesse received a wire from New

York as follows:





〃New Orleans police department claims party not there。  Left for

Mexico three weeks ago。  Ascertain correct destination and wire at

once。〃





Jesse at once replied:






〃No question as to identity and presence here at this time。〃





He now took up the task of keeping his quarry under absolute

surveillance day and night; which duty from that moment he

continued for a period of nearly ten months。



During the remainder of the afternoon and throughout the night

Dodge and Bracken remained in room Number 420; and during the

evening were visited by several strangers; including a plain…

clothes officer from the New Orleans Police Headquarters。  Little

Hummel; dining in Long Acre Square in the glare of Broadway; was

pressing some invisible button that transmitted the power of his

influence even to the police government of a city two thousand

miles away。



The following day; January 26th; at about 8。40 in the morning;

Dodge and Bracken descended to the lobby。  Bracken departed from

the hotel; leaving Dodge to pay the bill at the cashier's window

and Jesse heard him order a cab for the 11。30 A。 M。 Sunset Limited

on the Southern Pacific Railroad and direct that his baggage be

removed from his room。  Jesse did the same。



In the meantime Bracken returned and promptly at 11 A。 M。 left for

the railroad station in a cab with Dodge。  Jesse followed in

another。  As the two passed through the gates the detective caught

a glimpse of Dodge's ticket and saw that it had been issued by the

Mexican National Railway。  Retiring to the telegraph office in the

station he wired New York as follows:





〃Bird flying。Sunset Limited。  Destination not known。  I am with

him。〃





He then hastily purchased a ticket to Houston; Texas; and boarded

the train。  Dodge's companion had bidden him good…by as the engine

started; and Jesse's task now became that of ferreting out Dodge's

destination。  After some difficulty he managed to get a glimpse of

the whole of the fugitive's ticket and thus discovered that he was

on his way to the City of Mexico; via Eagle Pass; Texas; while from

the Pullman conductor he learned that Dodge had secured sleeping…

car accommodation as far as San Antonio; Texas; only。



So far all was well。  He knew Dodge but Dodge did not know him; and

later on in the afternoon he had the satisfaction of a long talk

with his quarry in the observation car where they amiably discussed

together current events and argued politics with the same vehemence

as if they had been commercial travellers thrown fortuitously into

each other's company。  Dodge; however; cleverly evaded any

reference to his destination。





When the train reached Morgan City; Louisiana; at 3 P。 M。; which

was the first stop; Jesse wired New York as follows:





〃On Sunset Limited with friend。  He has transportation to the City

of Mexico; via Eagle Pass; where I am now journeying with him。

Answer to Beaumont; Texas。〃





Later in the afternoon he sent an additional message from

Lafayette; Louisiana:





〃Have seen transportation of friend and am positive of

destination。〃





Dodge was occupying Section 3 of the sleeping car 〃Capitola;〃 and;

as became an invalid; retired early。



At Beaumont Jesse failed to receive any reply to his various

messages; and when the train arrived at Houston no word came from

New York until it was almost the time of departure。  Waiting until

practically the last moment Jesse hurried through the gates of the

Union Station at Houston and bought a ticket to San Antonio。  As he

was leaving the ticket window Night Chief of Police John Howard and

two officers came hurrying up inquiring anxiously for 〃Mr。 Jesse。〃

The reenforcements had arrived。



Outside on the track 〃The Sunset Limited〃 was just getting under

way。  The first frantic puffs were being vomited from the funnel。

Inside Dodge was sleeping peacefully in his berth。  Jesse;

accompanied by Chief Howard; hurried up to the conductor who was

about to swing on to the steps of the sleeper; and ordered him to

hold the train till the fugitive could be removed。  After some

argument the conductor grumblingly complied and Dodge was aroused

from pleasant dreams of the 〃Creole Quarter〃 to the cold reality of

being dragged out of bed by a policeman。  He was unceremoniously

hustled out of the sleeping car into a carriage and taken to

Headquarters where he admitted his identity and remarked:



〃I know what I am wanted for; but I will never return to New York。〃



In his grip was found the sum of 1;563。15; as well as numerous

letters from the law firm of Howe and Hummel; and a quantity of

newspaper clippings relative to his case。



Dodge pleaded with Chief Howard not to lock him up; urging that he

was a sick man and offering a goodly sum if he might be taken to a

hotel and guarded for the remainder of the night。  But what 〃went〃

in New Orleans did not 〃go〃 in Houston; and the best that Dodge

could get for himself was a cot in the 〃Ladies' Detention Room〃 on

the second floor of the jail。



Early the following morning Jesse visited Police Headquarters and

for the first time met George Ellis; Chief of Police of Houston;

for whom he will always have a feeling of deep gratitude for his

enthusiastic cooperation and loyalty in the many stirring events

that followed。  Dodge now received a telegram from New York; which

was submitted to Jesse before reaching the prisoner; to the effect

that Howe and Hummel were sending on an attorney to aid the

fugitive in resisting extradition; and informing him that they had

employed Messrs。 Hunt and Meyers as attorneys to look out for his

welfare。  These last immediately jumped in medias res and on the

afternoon of the same day secured a writ of habeas corpus from

Norman J。 Kitrell; District Judge of Harris County; Texas;

returnable the following morning。



The next day; January 28th; Kitrell released Dodge from custody。



Jesse had anticipated this and immediately swore out another

warrant with the result that the prisoner was rearrested before he

left the courtroom。



Meantime the Dodge interests retained another firm of lawyers;

Messrs。 Andrews and Ball; who; on the following day; secured a

second writ of habeas corpus from Judge Ashe。



The result of the first engagement thus being a draw; counsel on

both sides agreed that this writ should not be returnable for six

days。  During this period District Attorney Jerome employed Messrs。

Baker; Bot
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