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dollars to get 〃lost〃 long enough for the prisoner to slip over to
Mexico。 Acting upon the advice of his attorney； Jesse encouraged
this attempt； under the belief that if he could get the Hummel
forces in the position of having attempted to bribe him the
prisoner's bail could then be forfeited and Dodge himself taken
into custody。 Hummel became wary； however； and apparently
abandoned for the time the idea of bribery。 Later on Bracken again
disappeared。 On his return a marked change was noticeable in his
demeanor and Jesse observed that he was in constant consultation
with Dodge； from which the detective drew the inference that some
last desperate move was to be made towards the escape of the
prisoner。
On one occasion Jesse saw Bracken showing Dodge a map and some
drawings on paper； which so excited his suspicions that he followed
the two with unremitting assiduity； and within a day or two was
rewarded through Bracken's carelessness with an opportunity for
going through the latter's coat pockets in the billiard room。 Here
he found a complete set of plans worked out in every detail for
spiriting the prisoner from San Antonio into Mexico during the
State Fair。 These plans were very elaborate； every item having
been planned out from the purchase of tickets； and passing of
baggage through the customs； to hotel accommodation in the City of
Mexico and Tampico； and steamship tickets from Tampico to Europe。
The plan had been to secure permission from the Court for Dodge to
leave Houston long enough ostensibly to attend the fair at San
Antonio and to 〃lose〃 him during the excitement and crowded
condition of the city at that time。
It is； of course； needless to say that these plans were abandoned
when Bracken discovered that Jesse had been forewarned。
Almost immediately thereafter the Circuit Court of Appeals at Fort
Worth； Texas； decided one of the habeas corpus cases adversely to
Dodge； but it still permitted him to retain his liberty pending the
final determination of the questions involved by the Supreme Court
at Washington。
The Hummel forces were apparently losing hope； however； for early
in October another attempt was made to bribe Jesse。 Bracken
entered his room one evening and informed him that he could get his
own price if he would only be a good fellow； and even went so far
as to exhibit a quantity of money which he stated was twenty…five
thousand dollars。 The only result of this offer was to lead Jesse
to redouble his precautions； for he argued that the situation must
indeed be acute when such an offer could be deemed worth while。
Thereafter it was obvious that the revelry of Dodge and his
companions was on the increase。 Accordingly Jesse added to his
force of assistants。
On December 2； 1904； Nathaniel Cohen； another member of the firm of
Howe and Hummel； arrived at Houston； and the next day the Supreme
Court at Washington decided the appeal in the habeas corpus against
the prisoner； who was at once ordered by Judge Burns into the
custody of United States Marshall William M。 Hansen。
Things looked black indeed for Dodge and blacker still for Hummel。
How the little attorney； eating his midday lunch four thousand
miles away； at Pontin's restaurant on Franklin Street； must have
trembled in his patent leather boots！ His last emissary； Cohen； at
once procured an assistant by the name of Brookman and with him
proceeded to Wharton County； Texas； where they secured a new writ
of habeas corpus and induced the local sheriff； one Rich； to swear
in a posse comitatus of one hundred men for the purpose of coming
to Houston to take the prisoner by force of arms out of the hands
of the United States Marshal。
This was one of the most daring and desperate attempts made in
recent years to frustrate the law。 Jesse believes that the real
object of this posse was to precipitate a fight between themselves
and the Federal authorities。 It is not inconceivable that in such
an event Dodge might either have escaped or been killed。 The men
composing the posse were of the most desperate character； and
consisted largely of the so…called 〃feud factions〃 of Wharton
County； known as 〃The Wood Peckers〃 and 〃The Jay Birds。〃 Jesse has
been informed； on what he regards as reliable authority； that this
move cost the Hummel forces fifteen thousand dollars and that each
member of the posse received one hundred dollars for his
contemplated services in the 〃rescue〃 of the prisoner。 But civil
war； even on a small scale； cannot be indulged in without some
inkling of the facts becoming known to the authorities； and prior
to the receipt of the mandate of the Supreme Court； Judge Burns
ordered the prisoner removed to Galveston for safe keeping。
Thus the long； expensive； and arduous struggle came finally to an
end； for Judge Burns in due course ordered that Charles F。 Dodge
should be conveyed to New York in the personal custody of the
United States Marshal and delivered by him to the New York
authorities 〃within the borders of that State。〃 Such an order was；
of course； exceedingly unusual； if not almost unheard of； but it
was rendered absolutely necessary by the powerful influence and
resources； as well as the unscrupulous character； of those
interested in securing Dodge's disappearance。
In order to thwart any plans for releasing the prisoner by violence
or otherwise； and to prevent delay through the invoking of legal
technicalities； Hansen and Jesse decided to convey Dodge to New
York by water； and on the 16th of December the marshal and his five
deputies boarded a Mallory Line steamer at Galveston and arrived in
New York with their prisoner on the evening of December 23d。
Dodge reached New York a physical wreck。 How he was induced to
tell the whole truth after he had pleaded guilty to the charge
against him is a story in itself。 A complete reaction from his
dissipation now occurred and for days his life was despaired of。
Jesse； too； was； as the expression is； 〃all in；〃 and the only
persons who were still able to appreciate the delights of New York
were the stalwart marshal and his boys； who for some time were
objects of interest as they strolled along Broadway and drank 〃deep
and hearty〃 in the cafes。 To the assistants in the District
Attorney's office they were heroes and were treated as such。
How Dodge finally testified against Hummel on the witness stand has
already been told。 As they say downtown； if Jerome had never done
anything else； he would have 〃made good〃 by locking up Abe Hummel。
No one ever believed he would do it。 But Jerome never would have
locked up Hummel without Jesse。 And； as Jesse says with a laugh；
leaning back in his chair and taking a long pull on his cigar； 〃I
guess I would not do it againno； I WOULD not do it again for all
the money you could give me。 The wonder is that I came out of it
alive。〃 When the reader comes to think about it he will probably
agree with him。
P。 H。 Woodward
Adventures in the Secret Service of the Post…Office Department*
* The author of the pages that follow was chief special agent of
the Secret Service of the United States Post…Office Department
during pioneer and romantic days。 The curious adventures related
are partly from his own observation； and partly from the notebooks
of fellow officers； operating in many sections of the Country。
The stories are true； although； of course； justice demands that in
some cases persons and places be usually disguised under fictitious
names。
The stories have interest not only for their exciting play of
honest wits against dishonest； but also for the cautions they sound
against believing things 〃too good to be true〃 from the pen of
strangers。
There is a class of post…office thieves who make a specialty of
rifling the registered letters that pass through their hands in
transit on journeys of greater or less length。 Some of them have
managed operations very shrewdly； in the evident belief that they
had discovered an infallible method for doing the work and at the
same time escaping detection。 Too late they generally learn by sad
experience that no patents can be taken out for the protection of
crime。
In this class of cases something tangible always remains to exhibit
the peculiar style of workmanship belonging to each； and it would
often surprise the uninitiated to learn how many traits of
character； what indexes of habit and vocation； can be picked up by
careful study of the minute points presented for inspection。
Unless； however； an agent cultivates a taste for thoroughness even
to details and trifles that might at first view appear utterly
insignificant； he will never succeed in interpreting the
hieroglyphics。
At intervals of two or three weeks； beginning in the summer of
1871； registered packages passing to and fro from Chicago to a town
in the interior