61 chapters
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Selected Chapters
61 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
I am aware that the preface of a book is usually the last portion of it which is read—if read it is—and, therefore, of little import; and I have, consequently, deliberated somewhat whether I would encumber the following tales with a prefix or not, but perhaps it is due to the reader to say (what, however, is apparent enough in some of the tales themselves) that the experiences and observations therein narrated, are not all personally mine; that some of them have, at different times, been detaile
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PUBLISHERS' INTRODUCTION.
PUBLISHERS' INTRODUCTION.
Deeming that the public would be deeply interested to know, indeed had a right to know, something more of the author of the following work than gleams through the series of entertaining, instructive, and in many respects unparalleled articles which constitute "Knots Untied," we applied to him for his Autobiography, in details covering other portions of, and facts in his life, than are revealed in the wonderful experiences of his professional career, as brought to light in these articles. But we
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OFFICER GEORGE S. McWATTERS.
OFFICER GEORGE S. McWATTERS.
The subject of these Notes is now about fifty-seven years of age,—a hale, hearty, rosy-faced man, agile, lithe of limb, in the full vigor of life; and were it not for his gray beard and hair, might easily pass as not over forty years of age. Always temperate in his habits, he has, notwithstanding the many hardships of his life, some of which would have broken down less vigorous constitutions than his, preserved to himself the blessing of health and the hues of youth in a remarkable degree. He is
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Where he was born and reared.
Where he was born and reared.
It matters not in what country a man may have been born, whatever the institutions under which one is reared may have to do with the formation of his character; and as to Officer McWatters' place of birth, we are not absolutely certain, but believe he was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and was taken thence by his parents, at an early age, to the north of Ireland, where he was reared. It is easy to conjecture that a man like Mr. McWatters must have had a more or less ambitious boyhood; and his fri
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REMOVES TO LONDON
REMOVES TO LONDON
London is a world-school in itself. What a man cannot learn there of arts, sciences, and literature and of all the various phases of humanity, from the worse or lower than the barbarian, up to the highest type which "Natural Selection," according to the Darwinian theory, has developed, he would be unable to learn in any other spot of Earth. Though young yet mature, and with an active, inquiring brain it cannot be supposed that Mr. McWatters allowed the grand opportunity for observation which lif
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Migrates to the United States.
Migrates to the United States.
Mr. McWatters, after sojourning in London for a while after his marriage, betook himself, with his estimable wife, to this Land of Promise. In London he had made the acquaintance of many of the leading men most interested in questions bearing upon sociology, humane reforms, and philanthropic efforts at the amelioration of the condition of the laboring classes. His warm heart became greatly aroused in seconding the needed reforms which his keen intellect demonstrated were urgent for the good of n
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Settles in Philadelphia, and studies Law.
Settles in Philadelphia, and studies Law.
Soon after arriving in this country, Mr. McWatters made his way to Philadelphia, where he took up his residence. After various vicissitudes, he gave his time (1848-9) for a year to the study of the law, under William R. Dickerson, Esq., a Philadelphia lawyer of large practice, but a man of that stamp of character which made him of peculiar value as a collector of debts, especially in doubtful cases. He was rigid, exacting, and uncompromising with debtors. Mr. McWatters reveled in the study of Bl
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A Heart too soft for a Lawyer.
A Heart too soft for a Lawyer.
But a change was to come suddenly over the spirit of his beautiful dream, and which he foresaw not. Eventually Mr. Dickerson intrusted Mr. McWatters with sundry collections. He found this branch of the business unpleasant in its performance. His soft heart ached for the poor debtors. He could not nerve himself to act the part of an extortioner. When a poor widow, or orphans, or some discouraged man just arisen from a sick bed, and in arrears for rent, etc., shed tears in reciting his sufferings,
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Departs for California.
Departs for California.
About this time the great exodus from the United States, in fact from all parts of the world, to the California gold diggings, began. Mr. McWatters arranged his affairs, and migrated, with tens of thousands more, to the new El Dorado. But he was not happy there. The mad strife for gold overwhelmed all other things there. Men, in general, lost whatever of conscience they carried there, and the whole population was plunged in vices or crimes of one kind or another. Mr. McWatters found that he was
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Back in New York.
Back in New York.
Soon after his return from California, Mr. McWatters became associated with Laura Keene, the actress, as her agent in New York and Buffalo; and it was while he was at this time associated with her (for he was connected with her in subsequent engagements) that Mr. MCWatters was first called upon to enact the part of a detective. To his success in this instance referred to may be attributed the series of wonderful articles which constitute "Knots Untied;" for had he failed on that occasion, it is
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Mr. McWatters as Agent and Lecturer.
Mr. McWatters as Agent and Lecturer.
It is not attempted here to give the current of Mr. McWatters' life as it occurred, in successive steps; indeed, the writer is not sure in respect to dates in all cases, possessing only the facts in substance. But not long after Mr. McWatters' first engagement with Miss Keene was determined, he became the exhibiting lecturer accompanying a grand panorama of a "Journey to California by Water and back by Land," and it is not difficult to conceive that with his experiences as a traveller, his resid
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Anecdote of Lola Montez and Laura Keene.
Anecdote of Lola Montez and Laura Keene.
Reference has been made to Mr. McWatters' association with Laura Keene. At a certain time Lola Montez became very religious, and continued so for a while. During her pious enthusiasm she determined to sell her theatrical wardrobe, consisting of splendid dresses, and dress-patterns (unmade-up), stage jewelry, of magnificent description, etc. She requested Mr. McWatters to offer them for sale to Laura Keene. He took some of the "goods" to Laura, whose purse at that time was rather limited. She cou
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Mr. McWatters solving Social Problems.
Mr. McWatters solving Social Problems.
Mr. McWatters was busily occupied in connection with theatres, etc., for a long period, more or less interspersed with his enterprises as a detective officer, and his busy life was richly freighted with interesting experiences. Mr. McWatters has ever been greatly interested in social problems, having in view the emancipation of the laboring classes from their more grievous burdens, and belongs, in his sympathies, to that class of humanitarians who see in Association something like a realization
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Our Subject and the Public Press.
Our Subject and the Public Press.
The writer has before him, clipped from the public journals, the record of remarkable incidents enough in Mr. McWatters' life to fill a small volume of themselves, only a few of which can properly be alluded to in a cursory biography. Such men's lives are often illustrated by "hairbreadth escapes," or signal good fortune under trying circumstances; but it is doubtful that a more singular and happily ending affair has ever occurred in any man's experience than one, the record of which was made at
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Mr. McWatters enters the Metropolitan Police Force.
Mr. McWatters enters the Metropolitan Police Force.
Passing over a period in Mr. McWatters' busy life, checkered with incidents and exploits of a marvellous kind in his career as a private detective, as well as much that is interesting of his active participation in many measures of a politico-reformatory and socialistic nature, we find that Mr. McWatters entered the Metropolitan Police force in 1858, wherein he distinguished himself, for the period of twelve years, up to October 17, 1870, when he resigned his post,—not only as a most effective a
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Personal Incidents.
Personal Incidents.
Chancing to turn at this moment to the New York World of March 14, 1861, the writer finds that on the day before Officer McWatters "immersed" himself in the North River, plunging in to rescue a six-years-old boy, who had fallen off the dock. In the Sunday Mercury of April 7, five weeks after the occurrence last mentioned, we find Officer McWatters aiding in the rescue of another boy from a watery grave; and in the Daily Tribune of March 11, 1861, appears the statement of still another rescue fro
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Officer McWatters in the late Civil War: His Foresight.
Officer McWatters in the late Civil War: His Foresight.
Officer McWatters' earnest love of, and reverence for the free institutions of the United States, are something extraordinary, it would seem. Reared in the north of Ireland, and having resided in London long enough to thoroughly understand the miseries of the subject-classes of that great metropolis and of England, Officer McWatters was prepared, when he landed on our shores, to render at least due appreciation to republican institutions; and when the late civil war broke out, he entered into th
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First Seizure of Guns at the North.
First Seizure of Guns at the North.
Always vigilant, and, everywhere that he was able, ready and prompt to serve the government, it must have been a matter of proud satisfaction to Officer McWatters when he made the first seizure of guns which occurred at the North during the war, and which guns were intended by their Northern consignors—sympathizers with the rebellion—to be used by their Southern consignees to shoot down the patriot forces. This seizure is thus recorded in the Tribune of May 12, 1861:— "The vigilance of the polic
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Officer McWatters' Services through the Public Press.
Officer McWatters' Services through the Public Press.
Not only at his post of official duty was it that Officer McWatters rendered efficient service to the government, but throughout the war we find him frequently making noble appeals for aid to the Union in one form or another, or setting forth some judicious plan of operations to secure the same, in able and spirited letters to the Evening Post, the Tribune, etc. It should give the writer pleasure to copy some of these letters herein, especially one which appeared in the Evening Post of October 2
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Kindly and Wise Providence.
Kindly and Wise Providence.
Often is it, perhaps, that little deeds of gentle and silent charity, care for the suffering, and unostentatious benevolence, speak more eloquently for the heart of a true man, than those of valor on the field of battle in the noblest cause. In the Tribune of June 1, 1863, is copied a certain appeal made a day or two before, and which we recopy below:— " To the Police of New York : Thousands of soldiers—your fellow-countrymen—are now lying in the hospitals about Washington, suffering from wounds
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"Riot Week," July, 1863: Officer McWatters in the Thick of the Fight.
"Riot Week," July, 1863: Officer McWatters in the Thick of the Fight.
During the whole war nothing of a more fearful nature to the cause of the Union occurred than the great riot in New York city, which commenced on Monday, the 13th of July, 1863, and was not subdued until the following Friday. The people of the North were, to a considerable extent, becoming weary of the war, and thousands, if not tens of thousands, who had previously exhibited a good degree of sturdy patriotism, began to wane in their vigor and firmness of purpose, and were ready to "let the rebe
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Officer McWatters and his Literary Associates.
Officer McWatters and his Literary Associates.
Before passing on, in direct course, to the most interesting portion of Officer McWatters' life, in which the character of the man, in his intensely benevolent nature, is most beautifully and nobly illustrated in a thousand ways, we pause here to revert to him as a gentleman of general literary tastes, and to his friendly and genial associations with men of letters. Mr. McWatters, in his almost countless letters, and other contributions to the public press, has ever seemed to avoid anything like
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Officer McWatters as the Good Samaritan.
Officer McWatters as the Good Samaritan.
Whatever are our subject's merits otherwise, as a man and an officer, and extreme though was his patriotic zeal during the late civil war, and to which he gave practical expression in the wisest and noblest ways, all these has he eclipsed, and rendered comparatively unworthy of note, by his career since the war as a Good Samaritan, a practical "Home Missionary" (if it be not derogatory to apply to him a designation, however kindly, which usually signifies but little more than a sectarian prosely
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McWatters and the Soldiers.
McWatters and the Soldiers.
During the late civil war, as we have said, Officer McWatters took a deep and patriotic interest in the conflict. This was manifested in many ways, particularly towards the soldiers and their families; and he has not forgotten them since. Whatever the reader may think of a man who in this age allows himself to go deliberately into a contest, the avowed purpose of which is to maim and kill his fellow-men, for any cause; or what he may think of that order of society which compels a man to enlist i
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Ladies' Union Relief Association.
Ladies' Union Relief Association.
Officer McWatters is an active member of several charitable organizations; but that under which the greater share of his benevolent deeds have been done for the last five or six years during which he has been connected with it, is the Ladies' Union Relief Association. This is an organization, under the directorship of several benevolent ladies of distinguished social position in New York, such as the wives of Messrs. Marshall O. Roberts, Ex-Mayor Havemeyer, Dr. Joseph Worster, Henry Dwight, J. A
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The Swindling Bounty Claim Agents.
The Swindling Bounty Claim Agents.
In these biographical notes it has not been attempted to preserve chronological order throughout, as the reader has observed, and we now revert to sundry important facts in Officer McWatters' history, which have been passed over by us without allusion. Perhaps the chief service which McWatters has rendered to the soldiers is the successful war he waged against the Bounty Claim Agents in 1868-69. As the law regarding bounties then stood, the agents were able to grossly swindle the soldiers. And m
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Honorable Testimonials to Officer McWatters.
Honorable Testimonials to Officer McWatters.
We have somewhere said that Officer McWatters has received not a dollar for his years of constant, active benevolence. This is literally true: but it is not exactly true in the interpretation which some readers might give it; for Officer McWatters has not been wholly without substantial rewards other than those of the joys of his own happiness in well doing. But we have not space to notice all of these. The one which we presume is most dear to the gallant heart of Officer McWatters, is a testimo
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The Bellevue Hospital Iniquity.
The Bellevue Hospital Iniquity.
Charity, holy though the poets sing her, and beautiful the painters picture her lineaments, is, after all, a hag, if real; or only an ideal being, at best, if we are to judge her by her precious, favored children, the almoners she sometimes employs to dispense her bounties. In New York a great many vulgar wretches are, from time to time, officially connected with the charitable institutions under control of the city government. Bellevue Hospital was, in 1869, the theatre of some of these base fe
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Conclusion.
Conclusion.
In these meagre Biographical Notes we have done but partial justice to Officer McWatters. Our readers were duly assured that no attempt would be made by us to write a fitting biography of the man; and we have only, in a hasty way, and in a manner wholly unsatisfactory to ourselves, alluded to certain incidents in our subject's life, which serve to stamp him as a man far above the average of even good souls, in his active, practical benevolence. But it is often in little things that the generous
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TEN DOLLARS A MONTH: A STORY OF GRIEF AND JOY.
TEN DOLLARS A MONTH: A STORY OF GRIEF AND JOY.
It is a painful comment upon the state of society, or the character of our civilization, that our most cherished literature, both of poetry and prose, has its origin in human woes and wrongs. "Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn." Dickens, with all his wealth of genius, so much prized, would have found no use for it in a decent world, unless, perchance, it might have shone as brightly upon the face of Joy, as it beamed pathetically upon the tortured visage of Misery. Hood, in
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MACK AND THE VETERAN.
MACK AND THE VETERAN.
The following, taken from the New York Dispatch of October 16, 1870, is not only to the point as illustrating the noble traits of Officer McWatters' character, but is too well told not to be preserved here. We think best to make no substitution of "McWatters" in the place of the familiar sobriquet by which the genial writer was pleased to designate him. In one of the big public institutions set apart for a branch of the Municipal Government of this big, overgrown city of ours, there is one, amon
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Missing Men and Women.
Missing Men and Women.
The manner of investigation in regard to a missing relative or friend is as follows: As soon as a person disappears from home, the nearest relative, on learning of the missing person, goes to police headquarters and makes application to the "Missing Bureau" for information. The age, height, build; whiskers, if any; color of eyes, dress, hair; the place where last seen, the habits and disposition of the person, are given to the inspectors, and Officer McWatters makes proper entries on his registe
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Troubles about Lost People.
Troubles about Lost People.
Over seven hundred people have been reported as missing, to police headquarters during the past twelve months. Of this number the majority have been found, it is believed, as no record can be kept of those who are not reported when found, by their relatives or friends, to headquarters. Occasionally, a person who reports some one missing belonging to them, will give all the details about him, but if found, will fail to notify the authorities, from a sense of shame where domestic difficulties have
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Where and how People are Lost.
Where and how People are Lost.
The manner in which missing men are advertised, is as follows: A card, of which the following are fair examples, is circulated among the police. " Missing. —Morton D. Gifford, about twenty-five years of age, light hazel eyes, brown hair, full beard and mustache same color, five feet six and three quarters inches; has lost two first joints of the middle fingers of right hand. Had on a light brown cloth suit bound with black, the vest cut without a collar, a black cloth overcoat made sack fashion,
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Lost Children.
Lost Children.
Hundreds of "lost children" bear testimony to the carelessness of mothers and nurses, who are more intent on other business, when their charges stray off, to be found afterwards, in out-of-the-way places, by stray policemen. Quite often a pedestrian will notice, on going along one of our side streets, a young child, its eyes bubbling over with tears, and red from irritation and inflammation, who has strayed from its parents' residence. Sometimes it will have a stick of candy in its infantile fis
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The Dens of Midnight.
The Dens of Midnight.
If the thousand and one noisome crannies, nooks, and dens of this great city could be exposed to view, day after day, the body of many a missing man and woman might be found festering and rotting, or their bones bleaching, for want of decent burial. Where do the bodies come from that are fished up, bloated and disfigured, night after night, by the Water Police, in haunts of the docks, and from the slimes of the Hudson? It is fearful to think of men, influenced by liquor, who, with their gold wat
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The Horror of a Breaking Dawn.
The Horror of a Breaking Dawn.
Instances may be related of how men disappear, and are never heard of to be recognized. A well-to-do person from Ohio, who had never visited New York before, pays a visit to this city, and stopping at a down-town hotel, sallies out in the evening in search of what he has been taught, by his limited course of reading to call "adventures." He believes, in his Ohio simplicity, that he will meet with a beautiful and rich young lady in New York, who, struck with his rural graces and charms, will at o
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Misery, Shame, and Death.
Misery, Shame, and Death.
Another missing instance. A beautiful girl, born in a village on the Sound, where the waters of that inland sea beat, and play around the sandy pebbles of a land-locked inlet, is reared in innocence and virtue, until she reaches her seventeenth year. She is as lovely as the dawn, has had no excitement—but the Sunday prayer-meeting, and her life, peaceful and happy, has never been tainted by the novelty of desire. At seventeen she visits New York for the first eventful time in her life. She is da
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Finis.
Finis.
Then there are the cases of girls who disappear from their homes outside of New York, and descend into her brothels, where they find rich raiment, rich food, a merry and unceasing round of gayety, champagne and lovers, which they could never hope for where they came from. These girls leave home very often through sensuality or laziness,—for girls are lazy as well as boys,—and when missing, are generally found in brothels, which, as a general thing, they will not leave for their parents. Then the
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AMONG THE "SHARKS."
AMONG THE "SHARKS."
A part of Officer McWatters' duty, when connected with the Railroad and Steamboat Squad, was to advise and protect strangers in the city. He, of course, encountered many a curious country chap, making his debut in the great Metropolis. One of the most comical, if not the most valuable things Officer McWatters could possibly do for the delectation of readers in general, would be to write out his multifold experiences with strangers in the city, and put the whole into book form, entitled, for exam
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A SMART YOUNG MAN.
A SMART YOUNG MAN.
From one of the public journals we clipped the accompanying spicy article; we have lost our notes, and have forgotten from which, or we should duly credit it to the proper source. We discover that we have "pencilled" it "1862," and presume that it first appeared in that year. Our readers will pardon its somewhat "swelling" style in sundry places, but it exemplifies Officer McWatters' quick and acute perceptions, and his character as a detective, and we therefore give it place. Young Man of large
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A SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA MURDERER.
A SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA MURDERER.
ARRESTED—CHARGED WITH KILLING FOUR MEN; A GERMAN, FOR HIS MONEY, AND TWO SHERIFFS AND A DRIVER, WHO WERE CONVEYING HIM TO PRISON. The following article is taken from the New York Dispatch (1861), and serves to illustrate the sagacity of Officer McWatters in "picking out his man" in a crowd. A young man named Velge, lately from California, was arrested at the pier of the Ocean Mail Steamship Company by Officers McWatters and Hartz, of the Steamboat Squad, and taken to Police Headquarters, where h
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EXTENSIVE COUNTERFEITING.
EXTENSIVE COUNTERFEITING.
In the New York Times of November 20, 1865, we find an article with the above caption, and which we copy as below. The arrest therein spoken of created much sensation at the time, as well it might. Officer McWatters acted in the matter, not only as an ordinary member of the police force, but in the capacity of a detective, and won great credit by his sagacity. "An important arrest was effected in Brooklyn last Tuesday, the particulars of which have been suppressed up to the present time. The Tre
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THE GAMBLER'S WAX FINGER.
THE GAMBLER'S WAX FINGER.
CHARLES LEGATE—A FORGER—STUDYING HIM UP—FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, HIS "PRIZE"—DESCRIPTION OF LEGATE—NO TWO PERSONS EVER AGREE IN DESCRIBING ANOTHER—A MARK HIT UPON—START FOR ST. LOUIS—MUSINGS—CURIOUS INCIDENTS OF MY JOURNEY—A GENEALOGICAL "DODGE"—ON LEGATE'S TRACK AT LAST—ST. LOUIS REACHED—OF MY STAY THERE—LEAVE FOR NEW ORLEANS PER STEAMER—A GENIAL CROWD OF MEN AND WOMEN ON BOARD—CHARACTERISTICS OF A MISSISSIPPI "VOYAGE"—NAPOLEON, ARKANSAS—SOME "CHARACTERS" COME ON BOARD THERE—A GAMBLING SCENE ON
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LOTTERY TICKET, No. 1710.
LOTTERY TICKET, No. 1710.
A DIGNIFIED REAL-ESTATE HOLDER, VERY WEALTHY, LOSES SEVEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE DOLLARS—OUR FIRST COUNCIL AT THE HOWARD HOUSE—VISIT TO HIS HOUSE TO EXAMINE HIS SAFE AND SERVANTS—A LOTTERY TICKET, NO. 1710, FOUND IN THE SAFE—HOW CAME THIS MYSTERIOUS PAPER THERE?—CONCLUSIONS THEREON—VISIT TO BALTIMORE, AND PLANS LAID IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LOTTERY AGENT TO CATCH THE THIEF—THE TICKET "DRAWS"—THE NEW YORK AGENCY "MANAGED"—TRAP TO IDENTIFY THE THIEF—THE SECURITY AND "SOLITUDE" OF A GRE
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LEWELLYN PAYNE AND THE COUNTERFEITERS.
LEWELLYN PAYNE AND THE COUNTERFEITERS.
AN IDLE TIME—A CALL FROM MY OLD "CHIEF"—THE CASE IN HAND OUTLINED—I DISCOVER AN OLD ENEMY IN THE LIST OF COUNTERFEITERS, AND LAY MY PLANS—TAKE BOARD IN NINETEENTH STREET, AND OPEN A LAW OFFICE IN JAUNCEY COURT—MAKE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF MRS. PAYNE, LEWELLYN'S MOTHER, AND FINALLY GET ACQUAINTED WITH HIM—HE VISITS MY LAW OFFICE—I AM INGRATIATED IN HIS FAVOR—I TRACK HIM INTO MY ENEMY'S COMPANY, AND FEEL SURE OF SUCCESS—LEWELLYN FINALLY CONFESSES TO ME HIS TERRIBLE SITUATION—CERTAIN PLANS LAID—I MAKE
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THE GENEALOGICAL SWINDLERS.
THE GENEALOGICAL SWINDLERS.
PRIDE OF ANCESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES—IT IS SOMETIMES MORE PROFITABLE TO OTHERS THAN TO THOSE WHO INDULGE IT—"PROPERTY IN CHANCERY"—A WESTERN MERCHANT, HIS STORY, AND HOW HE TOLD IT—A FAMILY MEETING AT NEW HAVEN, AND WHAT A MEMBER LEARNED THERE—THE GREAT "LORD, KING, & GRAHAM" SWINDLE—THE WAY IN WHICH THE FRAUD WAS ACCOMPLISHED—A CUNNING LETTER FROM "WILLIS KING," OF THE FIRM OF "LORD, KING, & GRAHAM," TO ONE OF HIS RELATIVES—THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THIS NOTED FIRM—THE SEARCH—THE
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ABOUT BOGUS LOTTERIES.
ABOUT BOGUS LOTTERIES.
HOW THEY ARE "GOT UP"—THEIR MODE OF OPERATIONS DETAILED—HOW THEY MANAGE THE "DRAWN NUMBERS" BEFOREHAND—THE GREAT SHREWDNESS OF THE OPERATORS—THE SOCIAL RESPECTABILITY OF THESE—THE GREAT FIRM OF "G. W. HUNTINGTON & CO."—THE IMMENSE CIRCULATION OF THEIR JOURNAL—THEIR VICTIM, A MAINE FARMER, WHO BELIEVED HE HAD "DRAWN" FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND COUNSELLOR WHEATON, HIS LAWYER, A STORY TO THE POINT—WHO INVEST IN LOTTERIES: CHILDREN, WIDOWS, CLERGYMEN, BANK CASHIERS, ETC.—HOW THE FIRM OF "G.
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THE BORROWED DIAMOND RING.
THE BORROWED DIAMOND RING.
THE DETECTIVE OFFICER'S CHIEF "INCUBUS"—AT WINTER GARDEN THEATRE—"HARRY DUBOIS"—AN EXPERT ROGUE EXAMINES HIS PROSPECTIVE VICTIMS—SOME SOUTHERNERS—HARRY "INTRODUCES" HIMSELF IN HIS OWN PECULIAR AND ADROIT WAY—HARRY AND HIS FRIEND ARE INVITED TO THE SOUTHERNERS' PRIVATE BOX—HARRY "BORROWS" MR. CLEMENS' DIAMOND RING, AND ADROITLY ESCAPES—MY DILEMMA—VISIT TO HARRY'S OLD BOARDING MISTRESS—HIS WHEREABOUTS DISCOVERED—ACTIVE WORK—A RAPID DRIVE TO PINE STREET—A FORTUNATE LIGHT IN THE OFFICE OF THE LATE H
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THE MYSTERY AT NO. 89 —— STREET, NEW YORK.
THE MYSTERY AT NO. 89 —— STREET, NEW YORK.
"KLEPTOMANIA"—THE TENDENCY TO SUPERSTITION—AN OLD KNICKERBOCKER FAMILY—A VERY "PROPER" OLD GENTLEMAN, A MR. GARRETSON—HE CALLS ON ME AT MY OFFICE, AND FINDS A CURIOUS-LOOKING ROOM—HIS STORY OF WONDERS—"EVERYTHING" STOLEN—TALK ABOUT DISEMBODIED SPIRITS—THE MYSTERY DEEPENS—PROBABLE CONJECTURE BAFFLED—VISIT TO MR. GARRETSON'S HOUSE—MRS. GARRETSON, A BEAUTIFUL AND CULTIVATED OLD LADY—WE SEARCH THE HOUSE—AN ATTIC FULL OF OLD SOUVENIRS—WE LINGER AMONG THEM—MR. GARRETSON'S DAUGHTER IS CONVINCED THAT DI
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THE DISHONEST CLERK, AND THE FATAL SLIP OF PAPER.
THE DISHONEST CLERK, AND THE FATAL SLIP OF PAPER.
IN AN UGLY MOOD WITH MYSELF—A VISIT FROM A CINCINNATIAN—A LOSS DETAILED—THE FATE OF A BANKING-HOUSE RESTING ON "COLLATERALS" STOLEN, WHICH MUST BE RECOVERED—A LAWYER FIGURES IN THE MATTER AND IS BAFFLED—THE THIEVES SPECULATING FOR A SETTLEMENT—THE SCHEME LAID FOR THEIR DETECTION—A BUSINESS VISIT TO THE BANKING-HOUSE—THE CHIEF CLERK SENT TO CHICAGO ON BUSINESS—A SEARCH REVEALING LOVE LETTERS, AND A LOVELY LITERARY LADY—ON TRACK OF MYSTERIOUS "PAPERS"—THE FATAL SLIP OF PAPER—THE WAY THE STOLEN BON
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THE THOUSAND DOLLAR LESSON.
THE THOUSAND DOLLAR LESSON.
CHARLES PURVIS: TAKING HIM IN CHARGE AT A DISTANCE—HANGERS ON AT THE ST. NICHOLAS AND OTHER HOTEL ENTRANCES—A COLLOQUY, SPICED WITH REMINISCENCES OF "OLD SAM COLT," OF THE "REVOLVER," IN HIS GAY DAYS; A PARTY AT THE "OLD CITY HOTEL," HARTFORD, CONN., AND OTHER THINGS—TRINITY COLLEGE BOYS—"GEORGE ELLSWORTH"—PURVIS AND HE START ON A WALK—"WHERE CAN THEY BE GOING?"—GOING TO SEE ELLSWORTH'S "FRIEND"—AN EXCHANGE OF COATS—A SURVEY TAKEN—A FIRST-CLASS GAMBLING SALOON—A NEW MAN IN THE GAME—PURVIS DRUGGE
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THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.
THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.
THE ANTIQUITY OF THAT SHEEP'S SKIN AND ITS PIOUS USEFULNESS—A LARGE LOSS OF SILKS, SATINS, LACES, AND OTHER GOODS—A CONSULTATION—A LONG STUDY—THE VARIOUS CHARACTERS OF SEVERAL CLERKS, WHAT THEY DID, AND HOW THEY KILLED "SPARE TIME"—INFLUENCE OF THE CITY ON MORALS—NEW YORK CENTRAL PARK—A MOST WONDERFUL SERIES OF THEFTS—THE MATTER INEXPLICABLE AT FIRST, GROWS MORE SUBTLE—A GLEAM OF LIGHT AT LAST—A BRIGHT ITALIAN BOY PLAYS A PART—A LADY FOLLOWED—MORE LIGHT—AN EXTEMPORIZED SERVANT OF THE CROTON WATE
44 minute read
THE COOL-BLOODED GOLD ROBBER, AND THE WAY HE WAS TRACKED.
THE COOL-BLOODED GOLD ROBBER, AND THE WAY HE WAS TRACKED.
A SUDDEN CALL—GREAT CONSTERNATION AT THE —— BANK IN WALL STREET—TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GOLD STOLEN—A HARD, INSOLUBLE CASE—"TRY," THE SOUL OF SUCCESS—BANKS COMPELLED TO GREATEST CAUTIOUSNESS—NO ESPRIT DE CORPS AMONG MONEY-CHANGERS—THE WAY I "CREATED" DETECTIVES—RAG-PICKERS MADE USEFUL ABOVE THEIR CALLING—AN UP-TOWN CARRIAGE HOUSE, AND ITS TREASURES—A LAUGHING COACHMAN—A PRESENT—COMPLICATED EVIDENCE UNRAVELLED—AN OLD OFFICE-WOMAN INVOLVED IN THE MYSTERY—A BIT OF FUN FURNISHES THE DESIRED "KEY"—"S
31 minute read
WILLIAM ROBERTS AND HIS FORGERIES.
WILLIAM ROBERTS AND HIS FORGERIES.
A MAN OF THE OLDEN TYPE—HIS SAD STORY ABOUT HIS WIFE AND HIMSELF—THEY ADOPT A BRIGHT BOY—THE WIFE'S PROPHET SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE BOY—THE BOY GROWS UP, AND GOES TO COLLEGE—A PLEASANT YEAR—HE LEARNS CERTAIN MYSTERIES OF LIFE—STUDENTS' PITCHED BATTLE WITH THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE—OF THE "WHITE HORSE"—A WHILE IN A LAWYER'S OFFICE—BECOMES A MERCHANT—MAKING MONEY TOO FAST—A FATAL HOUR—THE VORTEX OF WALL STREET—SUNDRY FORGERIES—A STRANGE CAREER—AN IMPORTANT WITNESS LOST, AND FOUND IN THE INSANE RET
27 minute read
OLD MR. ALVORD'S LAST WILL.
OLD MR. ALVORD'S LAST WILL.
THE DESTRUCTIVE GREED OF GAIN—A WEIRD, WONDROUS TALE—"WHAT IF THEY BUT KNEW"—TELLING STORIES AWAY FROM HOME—REVELATIONS—AN OLD MAN OF THE HIGH MORAL TYPE—CURIOUS NOTION ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FAMILY; THE MYSTIC NUMBER THREE—PORTRAITS OF A FAMILY; A PERFECT WOMAN—DEATHS AND INTRIGUES—A "FAITHFUL SERVANT"—OLD WILLS AND NEW—LEGAL COMPLICATIONS—THE LAST WILL MISSING—A CRAFTY LAWYER—A THOROUGH SEARCH—A DIABOLICAL COURTSHIP, AND FIERCE STRUGGLE DURING THREE YEARS—A DETECTIVE AT LAST CALLED INTO THE MATTE
51 minute read
THE CONFIDENTIAL CLERK.
THE CONFIDENTIAL CLERK.
THE INNOCENT OFTEN SUFFER WITH THE GUILTY—THE DETECTIVES' "KEYS"—REGRETS—LEONARD SAVAGE, A YOUNG MAN OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND HIS FAMILY STOCK—RICHARD BROOKS, A WEALTHY NEW YORK MERCHANT—HIS VISIT TO YOUNG SAVAGE'S FATHER—RESULTS—PARTIAL BIOGRAPHY OF MR. BROOKS, IN WALL STREET AND ELSEWHERE—A SLAVE TO FORTUNE—A FATHER'S PRIDE—MR. BROOKS'S FEARFUL DREAM—MR. BROOKS IN THE OLD HOME OF HIS CHILDHOOD—HOW A TRUE MAN TREATS HIS WIFE—FAMILY ASPIRATIONS—THE LOVE OF YOUNG MEN—COUNTRY AND CITY TEMPTATION—A "N
43 minute read
THE PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE DOCTRINE OF CHANCE—A NIGHT AT THE GIRARD HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA—AN INOFFENSIVE GENTLEMAN, MY ROOM-MATE—I DISTURB HIS SLEEP—A QUEER TALE—NELLIE WILSON AND HER UNCLE—WILLIAM WILSON, NELLIE'S DISSOLUTE COUSIN—FEARFUL LOVE-MAKING—A RESCUE—A CALL TO DUTY—A DEAD MAN'S WILL MISSING—STUDYING UP THE CASE WITH THE GREAT CRIMINAL LAWYER, JUDGE S.—FATE INTERPOSES—A MYSTERIOUS AND PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENT—AT THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL, WAITING AND WATCHING—AN "APPEARANCE"—WILLIAM WILSON AGAIN—AN UPPER ROOM, AND TH
20 minute read
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE: A KNOT STILL UNTIED.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE: A KNOT STILL UNTIED.
A ROBBERY—ONE OF THE FEMALE ATTACHÉS OF THE GREAT KOSSUTH—A WIDOW LADY OF RANK IN HUNGARY—KOSSUTH'S SISTER—A BOARDING HOUSE AT NEWARK, N. J., AND ITS INMATES—SUNDRY FACTS AND CONSIDERATIONS—BEAUTY WINS—AN INVESTIGATION—SERVANTS EXAMINED—THE PATENT-ROOF MAKER—"TRACING" A MAN—A HOLLOW WALKING-STICK WITH MONEY IN IT—NO CLEW YET—A PATHETIC BLUNDER—REVELATIONS IN DREAMS—A BIT OF PAPER TELLS A STORY—AN IDENTIFICATION—THIEF ARRESTED—A SETTLEMENT MADE, WITH CONDITIONS—A TRIUMPHAL VISIT TO THE WIDOW—A "W
26 minute read
THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY SPECULATORS.
THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY SPECULATORS.
"MONEY"—THE COUNTERFEITERS' MORAL PHILOSOPHY—THE CUNNING OF BANK BILLS—NO VALID BANK BILLS ISSUED—A TRICK OF THE BANKS TO EVADE THE LAW—SWINDLING UNDER "COLOR OF LAW," AND IN DEFIANCE THEREOF; A VAST DISTINCTION—COUNTERFEITERS AS "PUBLIC BENEFACTORS"—THE REGULAR COUNTERFEITERS EMBARRASSED BY THE BOGUS ONES—MR. "FERGUSON'S" MARVELLOUS LETTER—COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS—THE "HONEST FARMER" OF VERMONT, AND HIS SPECULATION WITH THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY MEN—WHAT HE SENT FOR, AND WHAT HE GOT—A SECURELY DONE-UP
25 minute read
THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM.
THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM.
THE NECESSITY OF THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM GENERALLY DISCUSSED—THE STATE OF SOCIETY WHICH CREATED IT—THE REGULAR AND IRREGULAR ROBBERS—THE YOUNG MAN OF INTELLIGENCE ENTERING UPON ACTIVE LIFE, A PICTURE—HE NATURALLY ALLIES HIMSELF TO THE TYRANT AND ROBBING CLASSES—NO HONESTY IN TRADE—TRADE RULES; AND ALL ARE CORRUPT—NO CONSCIENCE AMONG THE TRAFFICKERS—LYING A FINE ART—ALL VILLAINS, BUT NONE INDIVIDUALLY AT FAULT—THE DETECTIVE BELONGS TO THE CORRUPT GOVERNING CLASSES—WEIGHING HIM—GREAT THIEVES—"THE PUR
33 minute read