With the captaincy hanging in the tree ready to be plucked, I went to my friends at Police Headquarters and told them practically what I’d said to Tweed, and they agreed with me. Having gotten both ends of the game working, I rested for the outcome, and it wasn’t long before I had the pleasure of congratulating Captain James Irving. And in this manner was formed the first real Bank Ring and satisfactory combine between members of the police force at headquarters and certain precincts, with the Under World, in which money was to be paid for protection--the thieves to rob right and left and be allowed to sell bonds and securities unmolested, upon the payment of a ten per cent “rake-off.” All the friction which had hitherto annoyed, not only the members of my profession, but the policemen who were inclined to be on the “square” with us, disappeared. In this connection I am referring to high-class men, such as bank burglars, bank sneaks, and big forgers and the like. The small-fry thief was, naturally, for some time after that, paying his “bit” to the coppers on post; but these fellows soon got to squealing on us, and we had them sent up the beautiful Hudson River, thirty miles, where Sing Sing was their home for such a time as they could be taught better ways. The Bank Ring, or the patent safety switch, as you please, soon getting into excellent working condition, its members began to realize what they’d lost in the great Lord bond robbery, the Star Insurance Company and the Royal Insurance Company “tricks,” all of which would have paid them a fine “rake-off,” but of which they had been deprived by the methods of Captain Young. Besides these big “tricks,” there were many others, not quite so important, but a mighty good investment of government service, in vice-protecting stocks. But the bitterest medicine of all was the recent New Windsor Bank loot. It pinched the Bank Ring, even to recall the profits lost to them in that “trick.”