Читать книгу Knots Untied; Or, Ways and By-ways in the Hidden Life of American Detectives - George S. McWatters - Страница 5
ОглавлениеCOL. NOVENA, PRINCE OF CONFIDENCE MEN.
THE CONFIDENCE MAN, PAR EXCELLENCE; A REAL "ARTIST"—"COL. NOVENA," "COUNT ANTONELLI," "GEN. ALVEROSA," "SIR RICHARD MURRAY," MAKES A VISIT—A MAN OF GREAT NATURAL ABILITY, WITH "A SCREW LOOSE"—A BIT OF "PHILOSOPHY"—THE MAN DESCRIBED, VERSATILE, AGILE, BRAVE, DARING—THE COLONEL AS A GALLANT—CURIOUS TALE ABOUT TWO SISTERS AND COL. NOVENA—PRESIDENT BUCHANAN, PROFESSOR HENRY, GEN. FREMONT, AND MR. SEWARD OF THE NUMBER OF HIS FRIENDS—DISHONEST WAYS OF DOING "LEGITIMATE BUSINESS"—A SHOCKING BAD MEMORY—THE COLONEL AS A PHILANTHROPIST—COMES TO GRIEF—AT WASHINGTON, D. C.—SARATOGA TEMPTS THE COLONEL.—HIS SUCCESSES THERE—A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES—A VALUABLE DIAMOND NECKLACE LOST—THE GREAT MYSTERY—HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE NECKLACE—THOROUGH SEARCHING—THE SHREWDEST SCAMPS GENERALLY HAVE BETTER REPUTATION THAN MOST PEOPLE—TOO GOOD A "CHARACTER" A MATTER OF SUSPICION—"MR. HENRY INMAN, ARTIST," IS CREATED—HEADWAY MADE—THE NECKLACE COMES TO LIGHT IN THE POSSESSION OF A MOST REMARKABLE WOMAN—GOODNESS IN BAD PLACES—A LIVING MORAL PARADOX—AN "UNFORTUNATE" GOOD SAMARITAN—THE GENERAL'S SENSE OF HONOR WOUNDED—TO CANADA—DOWN THE RAPIDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE—A TOMB IN GREENWOOD—RENDERING TO WOMAN HER DUE—A BLESSED CHARITY—WALL STREET CORRUPTS THE MORALS OF THE NATION.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
A ROBBERY—ONE OF THE FEMALE ATTACHÉS OF THE GREAT KOSSUTH—A WIDOW LADY OF RANK IN HUNGARY—KOSSUTH'S SISTER—A BOARDING-HOUSE AT NEWARK, N. J., AND ITS INMATES—SUNDRY FACTS AND CONSIDERATIONS—BEAUTY WINS—AN INVESTIGATION—SERVANTS EXAMINED—THE PATENT-ROOF MAKER—"TRACING" A MAN—A HOLLOW WALKING-STICK WITH MONEY IN IT—NO CLEW YET—A PATHETIC BLUNDER—REVELATIONS IN DREAMS—A BIT OF PAPER TELLS A STORY—IDENTIFICATION—THIEF ARRESTED—CONDITIONAL SETTLEMENT—TRIUMPHAL VISIT TO THE WIDOW—"WHITE LIE," AND ANNOUNCEMENT—DOUBTING—PERFECT EVIDENCE SOMETIMES IMPERFECT—UNSOLVED PROBLEM; WHO DID THE ROBBERY?
THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY SPECULATORS.
"MONEY"—THE COUNTERFEITERS' MORAL PHILOSOPHY—THE CUNNING OF BANK BILLS—NO VALID BANK BILLS ISSUED—A TRICK OF THE BANKS TO EVADE THE LAW—SWINDLING UNDER "COLOR OF LAW," AND IN DEFIANCE THEREOF; A VAST DISTINCTION—COUNTERFEITERS AS "PUBLIC BENEFACTORS"—THE REGULAR COUNTERFEITERS EMBARRASSED BY THE BOGUS ONES—MR. "FERGUSON'S" MARVELLOUS LETTER—COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS—THE "HONEST FARMER" OF VERMONT, AND HIS SPECULATION WITH THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY MEN—WHAT HE SENT FOR, AND WHAT HE GOT—A SECURELY DONE-UP PACKAGE—A "DOWN-CELLAR" SCENE—THE "HONEST FARMER'S" CONFUSION—A BIT OF LOCAL HISTORY RELATING TO THOMASTON, CONN.—THE HONEST OYSTER DEALER THERE, AND THE NINETY DOLLARS "C. O. D."—A QUESTION UNSETTLED—HOW THE "HONEST FARMER" OF VERMONT CHEATED ME AT LAST.
THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM.
THE NECESSITY OF THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM GENERALLY DISCUSSED—STATE OF SOCIETY WHICH CREATED IT—REGULAR AND IRREGULAR ROBBERS—THE YOUNG MAN OF INTELLIGENCE ENTERING UPON ACTIVE LIFE, A PICTURE—HE NATURALLY ALLIES HIMSELF TO THE TYRANT AND ROBBING CLASSES—NO HONESTY IN TRADE—TRADE RULES; AND ALL ARE CORRUPT—NO CONSCIENCE AMONG TRAFFICKERS—LYING A FINE ART—ALL VILLAINS, BUT NONE INDIVIDUALLY AT FAULT—THE DETECTIVE BELONGS TO THE CORRUPT GOVERNING CLASSES—WEIGHING HIM—GREAT THIEVES—"THE PURVEYORS OF HELL"—THE ETERNAL TALKERS, AND WHAT THEY AMOUNT TO—THE USE FOR DETECTIVES AN INCIDENT; "CATCHING A FLAT"—THE DETECTIVE'S VOCATION FURTHER CONSIDERED—HOW THE DETECTIVES PROTECT SOCIETY—ILLUSTRATIVE INCIDENTS—A GREAT DETECTIVE DESCRIBED—STRATAGEMS—WHAT THE PHILOSOPHERS SAY—IS THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM FROM ABOVE OR BELOW?
