magic and real detectives-第4部分

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Houston　in　the　JOINT　custody　of　Captain　Hughes　of　the　Rangers　and

the　United　States　Marshal。



Jesse；　through　his　counsel；　in　proper　course；　made　application　to

forfeit　Dodge's　bond　and　remand　him　to　jail；　but　the　Hummel

attorneys　finally　induced　the　Court；　on　the　plea　that　to　confine

Dodge　in　jail　would　be　detrimental　to　his　already　badly　impaired

health；　to　permit　the　prisoner　to　go　free　on　a　greatly　increased

bond；　nevertheless　restricting　his　movements　to　Harris　County；

Texas。



While　Jesse　had　fought　a　winning　battle　up　to　this　point　he　was　at

the　end　of　his　resources　so　far　as　the　extradition　of　the　prisoner

was　concerned；　for　Dodge　was　now　at　liberty；　pending　the　decisions

upon　the　habeas　corpus　proceedings　of　the　United　States　Circuit

Court　of　Appeals　at　Fort　Worth；　and　the　United　States　Supreme　Court

at　Washington。　　But　his　orders　were　to　BRING　DODGE　BACK　TO　New

York。　　Hence；　with　the　aid　of　some　new　men　sent　him　from　the　North；

he　commenced　an　even　closer　surveillance　of　the　prisoner　than　ever

before　by　both　day　and　night。



Meantime　Kaffenburgh　departed　for　New　York；　fleeing　from　the　wrath

of　Judge　Burns；　who　had　issued　a　summons　for　him　for　contempt　of

the　Federal　Court　on　the　ground　that　he　had　induced　Dodge　to

attempt　to　jump　his　bond。　　In　place　of　the　blustering　Kaffenburgh

was　sent　another　member　of　the　famous　law　firm　of　Howe　and　Hummel；

David　May；　an　entirely　different　type　of　man。　　May　was　as　mild　as　a

day　in　Juneas　urbane　as　Kaffenburgh　had　been　insolent。　　He

fluttered　into　Houston　like　a　white　dove　of　peace　with　the

proverbial　olive　branch　in　his　mouth。　　From　now　on　the　tactics

employed　by　the　representatives　of　Hummel　were　conciliatory　in　the

extreme。　　Mr。　May；　however；　did　not　long　remain　in　Houston；　as　it

was　apparent　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　by　either　side

pending　the　action　of　the　courts；　and　in　any　event　Dodge　was

abundantly　supplied　with　local　counsel。　　The　time　had　now　come　when

Hummel　must　have　begun　to　feel　that　the　fates　were　against　him　and

that　a　twenty…year　term　in　state　prison　was　a　concrete　possibility

even　for　him。



In　the　meantime；　Dodge　and　Bracken　had　taken　up　their　headquarters

at　the　Rice　Hotel　in　the　most　expensive　suite　of　rooms　in　the

house；　a　new　scheme　for　getting　the　prisoner　beyond　the　reach　of

the　New　York　courts　apparently　having　been　concocted。　　Dodge　was

now　indulged　in　every　conceivable　luxury　and　vice。　　He　was　plunged

into　every　sort　of　excess；　there　was　no　debauchery　which　Bracken

could　supply　that　was　not　his　and　their　rapid　method　of　existence

was　soon　the　talk　of　the　county　and　continued　to　be　so　for　ten　long

months。　　There　is　more　than　one　way　to　kill　a　cat　and　more　than　one

method　of　wiping　out　the　only　existing　witness　against　a　desperate

man　striving　to　escape　the　consequences　of　crime。



Dodge's　daily　routine　was　somewhat　as　follows：　　He　never　slept　at

his　own　hotel；　but　arose　in　the　morning　between　ten　and　eleven

o'clock；　when　he　was　at　once　visited　by　Bracken　and　supplied　with

numerous　drinks　in　lieu　of　the　breakfast　for　which　he　never　had　any

desire。　　At　noon　the　two　would　have　luncheon　with　more　drinks。　　In

the　afternoon　they　would　retire　to　the　poolrooms　and　play　the

races；　and；　when　the　races　were　over；　they　would　then　visit　the

faro　banks　and　gamble　until　midnight　or　later。　　Later　on　they　would

proceed　to　another　resort　on　Louisiana　Street　where　Dodge　really

lived。　　Here　his　day　may　be　said　to　have　begun　and　here　he　spent

most　of　his　money；　frequently　paying　out　as　much　as　fifty　dollars　a

night　for　wine　and　invariably　ending　in　a　beastly　state　of

intoxication。　　It　is　quite　probable　that　never　in　the　history　of

debauchery　has　any　one　man　ever　been　so　indulged　in　excesses　of

every　sort　for　the　same　period　of　time　as　Dodge　was　during　the

summer　and　fall　of　1904。　　The　fugitive　never　placed　his　foot　on

mother　earth。　　If　they　were　going　only　a　block；　Bracken　called　for

a　cab；　and　the　two　seemed　to　take　a　special　delight　in　making

Jesse；　as　Jerome's　representative；　spend　as　much　money　in　cab　hire

as　possible。　　The　Houston　jehus　never　again　experienced　so

profitable　a　time　as　they　did　during　Dodge's　wet　season；　and　the

life　of　dissipation　was　continued　until；　from　time　to　time；　the

prisoner　became　so　weak　from　its　effects　that　he　was　forced　to　go

under　the　care　of　a　physician。　　A　few　days　of　abstinence　always

restored　his　vitality　and　he　would　then　start　out　upon　another

round　of　pleasure。



During　this　period　Jesse　maintained　a　close　and　vigilant　personal

espionage　over　the　prisoner。　　For　over　ten　months　he　slept　less

than　four　hours　each　day；　his　fatigue　being　increased　by　the

constant　apprehension　of　treachery　among　his　own　men；　and　the

necessity　of　being　ever　on　the　alert　to　prevent　some　move　on　the

part　of　the　defense　to　spirit　the　prisoner　away。　　During　the　summer

attempts　were　repeatedly　made　to　evade　the　vigilance　of　Jesse　and

his　men　and　several　desperate　dashes　were　frustrated　by　them；

including　one　occasion　when　Bracken　succeeded　in　rushing　Dodge　as

far　as　Galveston；　where　they　were　forced　to　abandon　their　design。



From　time　to　time　Bracken　would　disappear　from　Houston　for　a　week

or　ten　days；　stating　on　his　return　that　he　had　been　to　New　York；

after　which　there　was　invariably　some　new　move　to　get　the　prisoner

away。　　Time　and　space　prevent　giving　a　detailed　account　of　all　the

marches　and　counter…marches　that　took　place　in　this　battle　of　wit

against　wit。



In　August；　1904；　Bracken　made　one　of　his　periodical　visits　to　New

York；　and　when　he　returned　sought　out　Jesse　and　said：　〃Blocher；　you

might　as　well　be　a　good　fellow　and　get　yours　while　you　can。　　I　mean

that　Dodge　is　not　going　back　to　New　York；　even　if　it　cost　a　million

dollars　to　prevent　it。〃　　A　few　days　later　Bracken　sent　a　gambler

named　Warner　to　Jesse；　who　offered　the　latter　thirty…five　hundred

dollars　to　get　〃lost〃　long　enough　for　the　prisoner　to　slip　over　to

Mexico。　　Acting　upon　the　advice　of　his　attorney；　Jesse　encouraged

this　attempt；　under　the　belief　that　if　he　could　get　the　Hummel

forces　in　the　position　of　having　attempted　to　bribe　him　the

prisoner's　bail　could　then　be　forfeited　and　Dodge　himself　taken

into　custody。　　Hummel　became　wary；　however；　and　apparently

abandoned　for　the　time　the　idea　of　bribery。　　Later　on　Bracken　again

disappeared。　　On　his　return　a　marked　change　was　noticeable　in　his

demeanor　and　Jesse　observed　that　he　was　in　constant　consultation

with　Dodge；　from　which　the　detective　drew　the　inference　that　some

last　desperate　move　was　to　be　made　towards　the　escape　of　the

prisoner。



On　one　occasion　Jesse　saw　Bracken　showing　Dodge　a　map　and　some

drawings　on　paper；　which　so　excited　his　suspicions　that　he　followed

the　two　with　unremitting　assiduity；　and　within　a　day　or　two　was

rewarded　through　Bracken's　carelessness　with　an　opportunity　for

going　through　the　latter's　coat　pockets　in　the　billiard　room。　　Here

he　found　a　complete　set　of　plans　worked　out　in　every　detail　for

spiriting　the　prisoner　from　San　Antonio　into　Mexico　during　the

State　Fair。　　These　plans　were　very　elaborate；　every　item　having

been　planned　out　from　the　purchase　of　tickets；　and　passing　of

baggage　through　the　customs；　to　hotel　accommodation　in　the　City　of

Mexico　and　Tampico；　and　steamship　tickets　from　Tampico　to　Europe。



The　plan　had　been　to　secure　permission　from　the　Court　for　Dodge　to

leave　Houston　long　enough　ostensibly　to　attend　the　fair　at　San

Antonio　and　to　〃lose〃　him　during　the　excitement　and　crowded

condition　of　the　city　at　that　time。



It　is；　of　course；　needless　to　say　that　these　plans　were　abandoned

when　Bracken　discovered　that　Jesse　had　been　forewarned。



Almost　immediately　thereafter　the　Circuit　Court　of　Appeals　at　Fort

Worth；　Texas；　decided　one　of　the　habeas　corpus　cases　adversely　to

Dodge；　but　it　still　permitted　him　to　retain　his　liberty　pending　the

final　determination　of　the　questions　involved　by　the　Supreme　Court

at　Washington。



The　Hummel　forces　were　apparently　losing　hope；　however；　for　early

in　October　another　attempt　was　made　to　bribe　Jesse。　　Bracken

entered　his　room　one　evening　and　informed　him　that　he　could　get　his

own　price　if　he　would　only　be　a　good　fellow；　and　even　went　so　far

as　to　exhibit　a　quantity　of　money　which　he　stated　was　twenty…five

thousand　dollars。　　The　only　result　of　this　offer　was　to　lead　Jesse

to　redouble　his　precautions；　for　he　argued　that　the　situation　must

indeed　be　acute　when　such　an　offer　could　be　deemed　worth　while。

Thereafter　it　was　obvious　that　the　revelry　of　Dodge　and　his

companions　was　on　the　increase。　　Accordingly　Jesse　added　to　his

force　of　assistants。



On　December　2；　1904；　Nathaniel　Cohen；　another　member　of　the　firm　of

Howe　and　Hummel；　arrived　at　Houston；　and　the　next　day　the　Supreme

Court　at　Washington　decided　the　appeal　in　the　habeas　corpus　against

the　prisoner；　who　was　at　once　ordered　by　Judge　Burns　into　the

custody　of　United　States　Marshall　William　M。　Hansen。



Things　looked　black　indeed　for　Dodge　and　blacker　still　for　Hummel。

How　the　little　attorney；　eating　his　midday　lunch　four　thousand

miles　away；　at　Pontin's　restaurant　on　Franklin　Street；　must　have

trembled　in　his　patent　leather　boots！　　His　last　emissary；　Cohen；　at

once　procured　an　assistant　by　the　name　of　Brookman　and　with　him

proceeded　to　Wharton　County；　Texas；　where　they　secured　a　new　writ

of　habeas　corpus　and　induced　the　local　sheriff；　one　Rich；　to　swear

in　a　posse　comitatus　of　one　hundred　men　for　the　purpose　of　coming

to　Houston　to　take　the　prisoner　by　force　of　arms　out　of　the　hands

of　the　United　States　Marshal。



This　was　one　of　the　most　daring　and　desperate　attempts　made　in

recent　years　to　frustrate　the　law。　　Jesse　believes　that　the　real

object　of　this　posse　was　to　precipitate　a　fight　between　themselves

and　the　Federal　authorities。　　It　is　not　inconceivable　that　in　such

an　event　Dodge　might　either　have　escaped　or