Читать книгу Knots Untied; Or, Ways and By-ways in the Hidden Life of American Detectives - George S. McWatters - Страница 13

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But a change was to come suddenly over the spirit of his beautiful dream, and which he foresaw not. Eventually Mr. Dickerson intrusted Mr. McWatters with sundry collections. He found this branch of the business unpleasant in its performance. His soft heart ached for the poor debtors. He could not nerve himself to act the part of an extortioner. When a poor widow, or orphans, or some discouraged man just arisen from a sick bed, and in arrears for rent, etc., shed tears in reciting his sufferings, Mr. McWatters forgot the lawyer in the humanitarian.

Finally, one day he was sent to collect a debt of a poor shoemaker, who was barely able to get bread enough for himself and his family to subsist upon. The laws of Pennsylvania exempt from civil process certain portions of a housekeeper's furniture; but when contracting for rent, the housekeeper may waive his right to such exemption, if he likes. The poor shoemaker in question had done so; but in order to distrain his goods for the debt—in other words, to take away his very bed, and other necessary furniture—it was incumbent upon the officer to get peaceable admittance into the house; and that he might do so in this case, Mr. McWatters was sent forward to effect entrance as a person seeking the shoemaker's service, while the constable had his post at a corner near by, and was to rush in when the door should be opened.

The whole thing was sickening to Mr. McWatters. He went, however, as ordered, and rapped at the door, the officer watching at his post. For a reason most creditable to Mr. McWatters' heart, but which may be left here only to the reader's surmise, that door, which was unlocked when he rapped, became duly locked, without the officer's being any the wiser as to how it was done, and entrance was not then effected.

This was the crowning grief to Mr. McWatters' disgust with the practice of the law, and he quitted the further study of the "science" thereof, feeling that he could never harden his heart to the practice of a profession which often requires much of unscrupulousness of conscience and such mercilessness. But his year's study became of great service to him later in life, when called upon as a detective officer, or member of the Metropolitan Police force, in sudden emergencies, when a knowledge of the law in this or that particular was necessary for judicious action.