友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

magic and real detectives-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




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
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!