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captured　one　of　the　party）；　and　that　he　was　going　to　make　himself

scarce。　　I　asked　him；　〃Where　do　you　mean　to　go；　Mr。　Shepherdson？〃

〃Why；　Butcher；〃　says　he；　〃the　Setting　Moon；　in　the　Commercial　Road；

is　a　snug　house；　and　I　shall　bang　out　there　for　a　time。　　I　shall

call　myself　Simpson；　which　appears　to　me　to　be　a　modest　sort　of　a

name。　　Perhaps　you'll　give　us　a　look　in；　Butcher？〃　　〃Well；〃　says　I；

〃I　think　I　WILL　give　you　a　call〃　…　which　I　fully　intended；　don't

you　see；　because；　of　course；　he　was　to　be　taken！　　I　went　over　to

the　Setting　Moon　next　day；　with　a　brother　officer；　and　asked　at　the

bar　for　Simpson。　　They　pointed　out　his　room；　up…stairs。　　As　we　were

going　up；　he　looks　down　over　the　banister；　and　calls　out；　〃Halloa；

Butcher！　is　that　you？〃　　〃Yes；　it's　me。　　How　do　you　find　yourself？〃

〃Bobbish；〃　he　says；　〃but　who's　that　with　you？〃　　〃It's　only　a　young

man；　that's　a　friend　of　mine；〃　I　says。　　〃Come　along；　then；〃　says

he；　〃any　friend　of　the　Butcher's　is　as　welcome　as　the　Butcher！〃

So；　I　made　my　friend　acquainted　with　him；　and　we　took　him　into

custody。



'You　have　no　idea；　sir；　what　a　sight　it　was；　in　Court；　when　they

first　knew　that　I　wasn't　a　Butcher；　after　all！　　I　wasn't　produced

at　the　first　examination；　when　there　was　a　remand；　but　I　was　at　the

second。　　And　when　I　stepped　into　the　box；　in　full　police　uniform；

and　the　whole　party　saw　how　they　had　been　done；　actually　a　groan　of

horror　and　dismay　proceeded　from　'em　in　the　dock！



'At　the　Old　Bailey；　when　their　trials　came　on；　Mr。　Clarkson　was

engaged　for　the　defence；　and　he　COULDN'T　make　out　how　it　was；　about

the　Butcher。　　He　thought；　all　along；　it　was　a　real　Butcher。　　When

the　counsel　for　the　prosecution　said；　〃I　will　now　call　before　you；

gentlemen；　the　Police…officer；〃　meaning　myself；　Mr。　Clarkson　says；

〃Why　Police…officer？　　Why　more　Police…officers？　　I　don't　want

Police。　　We　have　had　a　great　deal　too　much　of　the　Police。　　I　want

the　Butcher！〃　　However；　sir；　he　had　the　Butcher　and　the　Police…

officer；　both　in　one。　　Out　of　seven　prisoners　committed　for　trial；

five　were　found　guilty；　and　some　of　'em　were　transported。　　The

respectable　firm　at　the　West　End　got　a　term　of　imprisonment；　and

that's　the　Butcher's　Story！'



The　story　done；　the　chuckle…headed　Butcher　again　resolved　himself

into　the　smooth…faced　Detective。　　But；　he　was　so　extremely　tickled

by　their　having　taken　him　about；　when　he　was　that　Dragon　in

disguise；　to　show　him　London；　that　he　could　not　help　reverting　to

that　point　in　his　narrative；　and　gently　repeating　with　the　Butcher

snigger；　'〃Oh；　dear；〃　I　says；　〃is　that　where　they　hang　the　men？

Oh；　Lor！〃　　〃THAT！〃　says　they。　　〃What　a　simple　cove　he　is！〃'



It　being　now　late；　and　the　party　very　modest　in　their　fear　of　being

too　diffuse；　there　were　some　tokens　of　separation；　when　Sergeant

Dornton；　the　soldierly…looking　man；　said；　looking　round　him　with　a

smile：



'Before　we　break　up；　sir；　perhaps　you　might　have　some　amusement　in

hearing　of　the　Adventures　of　a　Carpet　Bag。　　They　are　very　short；

and；　I　think；　curious。'



We　welcomed　the　Carpet　Bag；　as　cordially　as　Mr。　Shepherdson

welcomed　the　false　Butcher　at　the　Setting　Moon。　　Sergeant　Dornton

proceeded。



'In　1847；　I　was　despatched　to　Chatham；　in　search　of　one　Mesheck；　a

Jew。　　He　had　been　carrying　on；　pretty　heavily；　in　the　bill…stealing

way；　getting　acceptances　from　young　men　of　good　connexions　（in　the

army　chiefly）；　on　pretence　of　discount；　and　bolting　with　the　same。



'Mesheck　was　off；　before　I　got　to　Chatham。　　All　I　could　learn　about

him　was；　that　he　had　gone；　probably　to　London；　and　had　with　him　…　a

Carpet　Bag。



'I　came　back　to　town；　by　the　last　train　from　Blackwall；　and　made

inquiries　concerning　a　Jew　passenger　with　…　a　Carpet　Bag。



'The　office　was　shut　up；　it　being　the　last　train。　　There　were　only

two　or　three　porters　left。　　Looking　after　a　Jew　with　a　Carpet　Bag；

on　the　Blackwall　Railway；　which　was　then　the　high　road　to　a　great

Military　Depot；　was　worse　than　looking　after　a　needle　in　a　hayrick。

But　it　happened　that　one　of　these　porters　had　carried；　for　a

certain　Jew；　to　a　certain　public…house；　a　certain　…　Carpet　Bag。



'I　went　to　the　public…house；　but　the　Jew　had　only　left　his　luggage

there　for　a　few　hours；　and　had　called　for　it　in　a　cab；　and　taken　it

away。　　I　put　such　questions　there；　and　to　the　porter；　as　I　thought

prudent；　and　got　at　this　description　of　…　the　Carpet　Bag。



'It　was　a　bag　which　had；　on　one　side　of　it；　worked　in　worsted；　a

green　parrot　on　a　stand。　　A　green　parrot　on　a　stand　was　the　means

by　which　to　identify　that　…　Carpet　Bag。



'I　traced　Mesheck；　by　means　of　this　green　parrot　on　a　stand；　to

Cheltenham；　to　Birmingham；　to　Liverpool；　to　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　At

Liverpool　he　was　too　many　for　me。　　He　had　gone　to　the　United

States；　and　I　gave　up　all　thoughts　of　Mesheck；　and　likewise　of　his

…　Carpet　Bag。



'Many　months　afterwards　…　near　a　year　afterwards　…　there　was　a　bank

in　Ireland　robbed　of　seven　thousand　pounds；　by　a　person　of　the　name

of　Doctor　Dundey；　who　escaped　to　America；　from　which　country　some

of　the　stolen　notes　came　home。　　He　was　supposed　to　have　bought　a

farm　in　New　Jersey。　　Under　proper　management；　that　estate　could　be

seized　and　sold；　for　the　benefit　of　the　parties　he　had　defrauded。

I　was　sent　off　to　America　for　this　purpose。



'I　landed　at　Boston。　　I　went　on　to　New　York。　　I　found　that　he　had

lately　changed　New　York　paper…money　for　New　Jersey　paper　money；　and

had　banked　cash　in　New　Brunswick。　　To　take　this　Doctor　Dundey；　it

was　necessary　to　entrap　him　into　the　State　of　New　York；　which

required　a　deal　of　artifice　and　trouble。　　At　one　time；　he　couldn't

be　drawn　into　an　appointment。　　At　another　time；　he　appointed　to

come　to　meet　me；　and　a　New　York　officer；　on　a　pretext　I　made；　and

then　his　children　had　the　measles。　　At　last　he　came；　per　steamboat；

and　I　took　him；　and　lodged　him　in　a　New　York　prison　called　the

Tombs；　which　I　dare　say　you　know；　sir？'



Editorial　acknowledgment　to　that　effect。



'I　went　to　the　Tombs；　on　the　morning　after　his　capture；　to　attend

the　examination　before　the　magistrate。　　I　was　passing　through　the

magistrate's　private　room；　when；　happening　to　look　round　me　to　take

notice　of　the　place；　as　we　generally　have　a　habit　of　doing；　I

clapped　my　eyes；　in　one　corner；　on　a　…　Carpet　Bag。



'What　did　I　see　upon　that　Carpet　Bag；　if　you'll　believe　me；　but　a

green　parrot　on　a　stand；　as　large　as　life！



'〃That　Carpet　Bag；　with　the　representation　of　a　green　parrot　on　a

stand；〃　said　I；　〃belongs　to　an　English　Jew；　named　Aaron　Mesheck；

and　to　no　other　man；　alive　or　dead！〃



'I　give　you　my　word　the　New　York　Police　Officers　were　doubled　up

with　surprise。



'〃How　did　you　ever　come　to　know　that？〃　said　they。



'〃I　think　I　ought　to　know　that　green　parrot　by　this　time；〃　said　I；

〃for　I　have　had　as　pretty　a　dance　after　that　bird；　at　home；　as　ever

I　had；　in　all　my　life！〃'





'And　was　it　Mesheck's？'　we　submissively　inquired。



'Was　it；　sir？　　Of　course　it　was！　　He　was　in　custody　for　another

offence；　in　that　very　identical　Tombs；　at　that　very　identical　time。

And；　more　than　that！　　Some　memoranda；　relating　to　the　fraud　for

which　I　had　vainly　endeavoured　to　take　him；　were　found　to　be；　at

that　moment；　lying　in　that　very　same　individual　…　Carpet　Bag！'





Such　are　the　curious　coincidences　and　such　is　the　peculiar　ability；

always　sharpening　and　being　improved　by　practice；　and　always

adapting　itself　to　every　variety　of　circumstances；　and　opposing

itself　to　every　new　device　that　perverted　ingenuity　can　invent；　for

which　this　important　social　branch　of　the　public　service　is

remarkable！　　For　ever　on　the　watch；　with　their　wits　stretched　to

the　utmost；　these　officers　have；　from　day　to　day　and　year　to　year；

to　set　themselves　against　every　novelty　of　trickery　and　dexterity

that　the　combined　imaginations　of　all　the　lawless　rascals　in

England　can　devise；　and　to　keep　pace　with　every　such　invention　that

comes　out。　　In　the　Courts　of　Justice；　the　materials　of　thousands　of

such　stories　as　we　have　narrated　…　often　elevated　into　the

marvellous　and　romantic；　by　the　circumstances　of　the　case　…　are

dryly　compressed　into　the　set　phrase；　'in　consequence　of

information　I　received；　I　did　so　and　so。'　　Suspicion　was　to　be

directed；　by　careful　inference　and　deduction；　upon　the　right

person；　the　right　person　was　to　be　taken；　wherever　he　had　gone；　or

whatever　he　was　doing　to　avoid　detection：　he　is　taken；　there　he　is

at　the　bar；　that　is　enough。　　From　information　I；　the　officer；

received；　I　did　it；　and；　according　to　the　custom　in　these　cases；　I

say　no　more。



These　games　of　chess；　played　with　live　pieces；　are　played　before

small　audiences；　and　are　chronicled　nowhere。　　The　interest　of　the

game　supports　the　player。　　Its　results　are　enough　for　justice。　　To

compare　great　things　with　small；　suppose　LEVERRIER　or　ADAMS

informing　the　public　that　from　information　he　had　received　he　had

discovered　a　new　planet；　or　COLUMBUS　informing　the　public　of　his

day　that　from　information　he　had　received　he　had　discovered　a　new

continent；　so　the　Detectives　inform　it　that　they　have　discovered　a

new　fraud　or　an　old　offender；　and　the　process　is　unknown。



Thus；　at　midnight；　closed　the　proceedings　of　our　curious　and

interesting　party。　　But　one　other　circumstance　finally　wound　up　the

evening；　after　our　Detective　guests　had　left　us。　　One　of　the

sharpest　among　them；　and　the　officer　best　acquainted　with　the　Swell

Mob；　had　his　pocket　picked；　going　home！







THREE　'DETECTIVE'　ANECDOTES







I。　…　THE　PAIR　OF　GLOVES





'IT'S　a　singler　story；　sir；'　said　Inspector　Wield；　of　the　Detective

Police；　who；　in　company　with　Sergeants　Dornton　and　Mith；　paid　us

another　twilight　visit；　one　July　evening；　'and　I've　been　thinking

you　might　like　to　know　it。



'It's　concerning　the　murder　of　the　young　woman；　Eliza　Grimwood；

some　years　ago；　over　in　the　Wate