The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Science
The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction; Parapsychology
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 again--no, 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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