magic and real detectives-第5部分

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

an　event　Dodge　might　either　have　escaped　or　been　killed。　　The　men

composing　the　posse　were　of　the　most　desperate　character；　and

consisted　largely　of　the　so…called　〃feud　factions〃　of　Wharton

County；　known　as　〃The　Wood　Peckers〃　and　〃The　Jay　Birds。〃　　Jesse　has

been　informed；　on　what　he　regards　as　reliable　authority；　that　this

move　cost　the　Hummel　forces　fifteen　thousand　dollars　and　that　each

member　of　the　posse　received　one　hundred　dollars　for　his

contemplated　services　in　the　〃rescue〃　of　the　prisoner。　　But　civil

war；　even　on　a　small　scale；　cannot　be　indulged　in　without　some

inkling　of　the　facts　becoming　known　to　the　authorities；　and　prior

to　the　receipt　of　the　mandate　of　the　Supreme　Court；　Judge　Burns

ordered　the　prisoner　removed　to　Galveston　for　safe　keeping。



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　againno；　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。





There　is　a　class　of　post…office　thieves　who　make　a　specialty　of

rifling　the　registered　letters　that　pass　through　their　hands　in

transit　on　journeys　of　greater　or　less　length。　　Some　of　them　have

managed　operations　very　shrewdly；　in　the　evident　belief　that　they

had　discovered　an　infallible　method　for　doing　the　work　and　at　the

same　time　escaping　detection。　　Too　late　they　generally　learn　by　sad

experience　that　no　patents　can　be　taken　out　for　the　protection　of

crime。



In　this　class　of　cases　something　tangible　always　remains　to　exhibit

the　peculiar　style　of　workmanship　belonging　to　each；　and　it　would

often　surprise　the　uninitiated　to　learn　how　many　traits　of

character；　what　indexes　of　habit　and　vocation；　can　be　picked　up　by

careful　study　of　the　minute　points　presented　for　inspection。

Unless；　however；　an　agent　cultivates　a　taste　for　thoroughness　even

to　details　and　trifles　that　might　at　first　view　appear　utterly

insignificant；　he　will　never　succeed　in　interpreting　the

hieroglyphics。



At　intervals　of　two　or　three　weeks；　beginning　in　the　summer　of

1871；　registered　packages　passing　to　and　fro　from　Chicago　to　a　town

in　the　interior　of　Dakota　Territory；　which　for　convenience　will　be

called　Wellington；though　that　was　not　its　name；were　reported　to

the　department　as　rifled。　　As　the　season　wore　on；　the　complaints

increased　in　frequency。　　Under　the　old　method　of　doing　business　at

headquarters；　which　often　amounted　practically　to　a　distribution　of

the　cases　about　equally　〃among　the　boys；〃　the　agent　stationed　at

Chicago　received　most　of　them　at　first；　then　a　part　were　sent　to　an

agent　in　Iowa；　and　as　the　number　multiplied；　Furay；　at　Omaha；　was

favored　with　an　occasional　sprinkling。　　Under　the　present　more

perfect　system；　great　care　is　taken　to　group　together　all　the

complaints　growing　out　of　each　series　of　depredations；　to　locate

the　seat　of　trouble　by　comparisons　carefully　made　in　the　department

itself；　and　to　give　everything　bearing　on　the　subject　to　the

officer　specifically　charged　with　the　investigation。



March　came　around　before　Mr。　Furay　found　time　to　give　personal

attention　to　this　particular　thief。　　He　then　passed　over　the　route

to　Wellington；　eighty　miles　by　stagecoach　from　the　nearest　railroad

station；　with　ten　intermediate　offices。　　All　the　packages　remained

over　night　at　Sioux　City；　Iowa；　a　fact　sufficiently　important　to

invite　close　scrutiny；　but　the　detective　soon　became　satisfied　that

he　must　look　elsewhere　for　the　robber。　　His　suspicions　were　next

directed　to　another　office；　where　also　the　mails　lay　over　night；

but　the　postmaster　bore　a　countenance　so　open　and　honest　that　he

too　was　eliminated　from　the　problem。



He　continued　on　to　Wellington；　skirmishing　along　the　line；　and

observing　the　faces　of　the　postmasters；　but　these　studies　in

physiognomy　threw　no　light　on　the　mystery；　as　the　officials　of　the

department　on　the　route；　though　far　removed　from　central

supervision；　seemed　to　be　all　that　their　affectionate　uncle　at

Washington　could　wish。　　On　the　return　trip　the　detective　was

equally　observant　and　equally　perplexed。　　At　that　season　the　stage

stopped　for　the　night　at　Hannibal；　but　there；　likewise；　the

postmaster　shared　the　honest　looks　that　seemed　to　prevail　through

eastern　Dakota。



Proceeding　on；　the　passengers　dined　at　Raven's　Nest；　where　one

Michael　Mahoney；　Sr。；　kept　a　small　store　and　the　post…office；

running　alsowith　the　aid　of　a　young　son　and　a　son…in…lawa　farm。

The　store　was　managed　by　Michael　Mahoney；　Jr。；　a　married　son；　who

happened　to　be　absent　both　when　the　special　agent　went　up　and　when

he　returned。　　The　face　of　the　old　man　indicated　that　he　was

vicious；　ignorant；　and　unscrupulous；　but　clearly　he　was　not　sharp

enough　to　execute　nice　work　like　that　under　investigation。



With　the　exception　of　a　general　knowledge　of　the　offices；　the

special　agent　returned　but　little　wiser　for　the　trip；　and

concluded；　as　the　best　that　could　be　done　under　the　circumstances；

to　allow　the　bird　to　flutter　a　little　longer　before　renewing　the

hunt。　　Meanwhile　the　thief　grew　more　reckless；　and　the　papers　that

came　to　Mr。　Furay；　though　covering　a　fraction　only　of　the

depredations；　located　the　thief　on　the　lower　end　of　the　route；

within　fifty　miles　of　the　terminus。



During　the　summer　one　or　two　other　agents　took　up　the　matter

cursorily；　but　made　no　discoveries。　　In　the　meantime　Mr。　Furay　was

kept　too　busily　occupied　with　a　succession　of　important　cases　in

Nebraska　to　give　much　thought　to　the　outlying　territory　of　Dakota。

At　length；　in　September；　he　went　carefully　over　the　papers　that　had

accumulated　during　his　late　prolonged　absences；　and　soon　knew

exactly　where　to　look　for　the　chap　who　had　so　long　plundered　the

public　with　impunity。



For　some　time　Chicago　had　been　closing　registered　package　envelopes

with　wax；　which；　on　this　route　at　least；　effectually　secured　them

against　molestation。　　Imitating　the　example；　Camden；　Dakota；　began

to　do　the　same；　but；　having　no　seal　suitable　for　the　purpose；

improvised　a　substitute　by　using　the　flat　surface　of　a　rasp。



Camden　placed　the　wax　near　each　end　of　the　envelope；　which

materially　interfered　with　the　game　of　the　thief；　because　it　was

just　here　that　he　operated。　　Evidently　piqued　that　a　rural

postmaster　should　presume　to　outwit　him；　he　studied　hard　to　devise

some　means　for　opening　these　particular　packages　without　leaving

such　traces　of　his　handiwork　as　would　attract　the　notice　of　other

officials　through　whose　hands　they　might　subsequently　pass。　　The

effort　was　crowned　with　a　measurable　degree　of　success；　for　Mr。

Furay；　at　the　general　overhauling　referred　to；　was　the　first　to

discover　that　the　seal　had　been　tampered　with。



As　it　was　necessary　to　break　one　of　the　seals；　the　object　of　the

robber　was　to　restore　it　as　nearly　as　possible　to　its　original

appearance；　and　to　effect　this　he　used　a　dampened　thimble；　rolling

it　over　the　wax　while　the　latter　was　hot。　　There　was　but　one

envelope　of　the　kind　in　the　lot；　but　it　told　the　whole　story　to　the

eye　that　could