Detectives -- United States -- Biography; Pinkerton, Allan, 1819-1884; Robbery -- United States -- Case studies
The next morning they arrived in Memphis. The storm had passed away,
but had left mementoes in the fresh and balmy air and in the muddy
streets. Maroney stopped at the Gayosa House. Roch found it an easy
matter to move his baggage, and walked off with his hands in his
pockets, wondering where he could get a clean shirt. He put up at a
saloon where he could keep an eye on Maroney, and having bought some new
shirts and a second-hand satchel, he felt once more that he was a
respectable man.
From Memphis Roch wrote to me, informing me "that all was well; that
Maroney seemed perfectly at ease and confident that if any one had
followed him, he had, by his retrograde movement, thrown him entirely
off the scent." He had not the slightest idea what would be Maroney's
next move, but was certain he could keep track of him.
Maroney appeared familiar with Memphis, but had no friends there, and
amused himself loitering around, occasionally going into a saloon. The
second day of his stay Roch observed him write and post a letter. Then
he visited the livery stables, admired some of the fine horses and
afterwards strolled down to the wharf, where the steamer "John Walsh"
was being loaded with cotton and tobacco. He went on board and looked
over the Walsh, saw the clerk and entered into conversation with him.
Roch heard the clerk say that the steamer would leave in about two
hours, and concluded that Maroney was going down the river on her.
Maroney returned to the Gayosa House and paid his bill, which caused
Roch to hurry to his boarding-house, pay his bill, and with his newly
acquired treasure, the old satchel, hasten to the river and take a
steerage passage to New Orleans on the John Walsh. He was a little
afraid that Maroney might begin to notice him and found it necessary to
use the utmost caution. Before embarking on the Walsh he laid in a stock
of "bolognas," a few pounds of the rankest "Sweitzer kase" and an
abundance of "pretzels."
Coming down to the boat some time before Maroney, he filled his pipe and
took a seat where he could watch all that went on. After some time
Maroney drove up in a carriage, had his trunk carried up to his
state-room, and, lighting his cigar, took a seat and watched the
movements of the crew who were employed in taking on the cargo. It was a
busy scene: the negroes toiled along under the burning sun, lightening
their labors with a merry boatman's song. Their burdens were heavy, but
their hearts were light.
Maroney, instead of looking down on them with the contempt he did,
should have longed for their content and happiness. The meanest of them
possessed what he never could possess--"a contented mind."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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