Buckskin Mose

by George W. Perrie

  CHAPTER II.

  AS A DETECTIVE--HUNTING UP A HORSE AND BUGGY--A RUNAWAY FROM THE SHERIFF--ON THE TRACK--THE HIDDEN CORPSE--FOLLOWING THE MURDERER UP--STRUGGLE AND CAPTURE--QUICK JUSTICE--A GOOD "UTILITY" MAN--MOSQUITOES AND AN OLD STEAM-BOILER--"HOW RICH YOU BE"-- BECOMING A RUM-SELLER--WHAT IS IN THE BONE WILL OUT OF THE FLESH.

  As his deputy, I endeavored conscientiously to answer the good opinionof the sheriff. Suffice it, I so far succeeded, that he recommended mevery strongly to Pinkerton, the celebrated detective of Chicago. At thistime, Pinkerton was going to Waukegan for the purpose of arranging themeans with the authorities there for breaking up a gang ofcounterfeiters, then flooding the whole of Northern Illinois andSouthern Wisconsin with bogus money. After a brief interview with me,Pinkerton appointed me upon his staff, and on his return from Waukegan,left me in that city.

  Shortly after this, I received a telegram from my chief. It stated thata man, very gentlemanly in appearance (his description was given), hadstolen a horse and buggy in Chicago. The fellow had gone northward, andWaukegan was designated as the place where he might probably fetch up.

  When I received the despatch I was with the sheriff, and had just handedit to him, when an individual drove up with a horse and buggy, both ofwhich closely answered Pinkerton's description. This person was hailedwith the familiarity whose command is peculiar to the functionaries ofthe Law, and as politely, and with even more oppressive familiarity,requested to--

  "Get out!"

  The stranger was necessitated to obey this peremptory injunction, andrequested information of its object in a blandly imperturbable manner.

  "You are my prisoner," curtly responded the sheriff.

  "For what, sir?" demanded the man.

  "For stealing that horse and buggy."

  "Good God!" was the instantaneous ejaculation. "You were never moremistaken in your life."

  Certainly, the rascal would have made his fortune upon the stage, hislook of astonishment was so perfect, while the touch of indignation inhis manner heightened this appearance on his part so admirably. Thesheriff looked at me as if in doubt. I nodded my head slightly. Thatwhich the fellow was only doing as an amateur, was within myprofessional experience.

  "Yes, sir! you are the man," replied the sheriff.

  "In a few minutes," said the stranger, "I will prove to you, you are themost mistaken man in the world."

  "How?"

  "Do you know Mr. Sutherland, sir?"

  He had named one of the most prominent citizens in Waukegan.

  "Very well, indeed!" was the response of the sheriff.

  "Jump in my buggy, then, and we'll drive to his house. There, I canreadily convince you, you are thoroughly mistaken."

  "All right," ejaculated the sheriff.

  In spite of my remonstrating look, he jumped into the buggy, followedby the stranger, and they drove off.

  It would be needless to detail my reflections. The reader, if giftedwith a fair share of acumen, can readily determine them. In less thanthree-quarters of an hour the horse and buggy once more appeared, drivenby the sheriff. He had been making the poor animal pay for hisobtuseness.

  "Well!" I inquiringly uttered.

  "When we arrived at Sutherland's," said the local official, "the fellowgot out and rang the bell. He was some time in waiting for the door tobe opened. Then, he told me he would 'go round the house to the backdoor, and wake them up.' I waited some time longer, when the front doorwas opened by one of Mr. Sutherland's servants. Naturally enough, I gotout, expecting to see the man within the house. Would you believe it,the rascal had never entered it."

  "Very decidedly I should," was my exclamation.

  Jumping into the buggy, I requested the sheriff, it is to be feared in asomewhat too dictatorial tone, to "lay it into the horse," and driveback. On arriving at Mr. Sutherland's, I asked him to indicate to me theway the man had gone. He could only point out the side of the house therunaway had passed round. Leaping out, I prepared to track him. It wasthen, that, for the first time in my life, I discovered, I possessedsomething of that sleuth-like certainty and readiness, which fitted mefor portion of my future career.

  The morning had been somewhat damp, and by the help of the print hisfeet had left upon a field at the back of Mr. Sutherland's dwelling, thefellow's track was distinctly visible for some half a mile. Here, thebroken branches and twigs of a low hedge proved that he had crossed itinto a lane. On the damp sandy gravel his track was even clearer. Then,he had encountered some one else, and near this spot traces of a recentstruggle were apparent. From this point I could merely see one track,and was induced to believe there had been foul play, and that the fellowI was in chase of, had continued his flight alone. This led me to make abrief search in the neighborhood of the spot on which the scuffle hadtaken place. Just beyond the fence, roughly concealed by torn-upbranches, lay the dead body of a man. The skull had been crushed in asif by the blow of a heavy club, and the pockets were turned inside out.I raised the arm of the corpse with ease. The muscles were limp andflaccid, not having had time to stiffen. It was evident that the murderhad but recently been committed. My future trapper instinct was strongupon me, and I pursued the one trail for some mile and a half farther.There it was lost upon a stretch of higher and harder soil into whichthe lane had widened. Half an hour was spent in vainly trying to detectit, and then I made up my mind to return to the town, and giveintelligence to the authorities that a murder had been committed.

  After doing this, and reinforcing my somewhat jaded system with adraught of good Monongahela, I returned with the local police to theplace where I had found the body.

  On the way, I had made inquiries about the locality, and found that somehalf a mile beyond the spot where I had lost the trail, I should reachthe main road, which led to Shiloh. Convinced now that the man was adetermined ruffian, my young professional pride was aroused, and thedetermination was already formed by me to capture him.

  Consequently, on reaching the scene of the murder, I left theauthorities to convey the corpse to Waukegan, and recommenced mypursuit, making every possible inquiry at the houses and farms near theroad, until I arrived at Shiloh. But I have neglected to state, that onmy return to Waukegan I had disguised myself as thoroughly as possible,and placed in the pockets of my disguise a pair of darbies, (handcuffs)a revolver, and a brass-knuckle. The suspected murderer, and now knownhorse-thief, was a man of robust, almost of Herculean build. Whenrecognized in the buggy, he had been dressed in the most fashionablestyle. Added to this, he had sported black flowing locks, with a darkand well-trimmed beard. He had now to be found in whatever other guiseof dress or complexion he might choose to adopt, for the criminal_alias_ of person or apparel is to the full as--perhaps even morevariable than that of name.

  My whole evening was passed in Shiloh, in wandering from one place ofresort to another.

  As yet, my search had been fruitless. But I never dreamt of failing init, because I had determined to succeed. I felt certain, I shouldcapture my man.

  At last, I found myself in a beer-saloon, where, while standing at thebar and in the act of drinking, my eyes fell upon an individual whom Iinstinctively knew was the criminal I was in chase of. He had, however,undergone a great change. His beard was cropped, or rather it wasshingled off short. As for his hair, it was notched and jagged, as if ithad been curried with a comb that had razor-like teeth. His dress was byno means of that distinguished character which it had borne earlier inthe day. This, however, arose more from the apparently slovenly fashionin which it was worn, than any other change in it.

  It is true, he had been unable to alter his eyes, although, now, when hewas off his guard, their glance was freer and more insolent than it hadbeen when I had first seen him.

  Besides, he had kept with him a cane which he had carried that morning.This was subsequently a damning proof against him, as the sheriff ofWaukegan was able, as well as myself, to identify it.

  When convinced beyond the possib
ility of doubt that this was the man, Iquietly approached him, and dealt him a heavy blow with mybrass-knuckles under the jaw.

  This stretched him upon the floor. In a moment I was seated on his chestand his hands were secured and pinioned.

  "This stretched him on the floor. In a moment, I wasseated on his chest, and his hands were secured and pinioned."--_Page30._]

  All had been effected so rapidly, that I was again upon my feet, beforethe by-standers had recovered from their surprise, and, it might almostseem, before the criminal could realize what had occurred.

  The persons who had been so suddenly rendered mute by the rapidity of myassault upon the scoundrel, now found tongue. They approached me in ananything but friendly guise, demanding what all this meant, and why Ihad assaulted "Jackson" in this cowardly fashion. Only two or three, asI ought to mention, had given him this name, and these were decidedlythe most disreputable-looking individuals present. Naturally enough,opening my coat, I displayed my official badge, and told them of themurder which the fellow had committed on the morning just passed, forplunder. The two or three I have alluded to as calling him by name,slunk out, while the rest, changing their tone, complimented me warmlyupon the coolness and skill with which they were pleased to say thearrest had been made.

  As for myself, I must own that when I looked at the thew and muscle ofmy prostrate captive, I was far more inclined to compliment myself uponthe recklessness with which I had, single-handed, effected his capture.

  Word was immediately despatched to the sheriff, and, by the followingmorning, Jackson was safely lodged in the jail at Waukegan, the countyseat of Lake County. Shortly after this, he was indicted by the GrandJury, and a change of _venue_ having been granted, he was removed fortrial to Chicago; where, pleading guilty, he was sentenced to be hanged,and paid the penalty of his crime upon the gallows.

  As for my poor friend Lewis, he had already pleaded guilty tomanslaughter, and been sentenced to imprisonment for eight years. Hedied before the term of his imprisonment had expired.

  In those days, in the West, justice was far shorter and sharper than ithas recently been in New York. There was more pride in the detection ofcrime, and considerably readier justice in its punishment. Red-handedmurder had especially little chance of escaping the prompt retributionof the Law, and it will, I think, be granted by the inhabitants of themetropolis that the consequent fear was a tolerably fair degree ofpreservation for human life, considering the character of the variouselements from which life in that portion of the States was thencomposed.

  Having shortly after this returned to my home, I assumed the positionof under-sheriff to my parent, and lived for several months somewhatquietly, being lionized in no small degree by my friends and neighborson account of the capture of Jackson. In a few months, however,Pinkerton, who had evidently considered me a good "utility" man in thedetective line, wanted my services again. He was engaged in ferretingout a gang of counterfeiters and horse-thieves, who had been circulatingbad notes, and thinning out the stables above Chicago. Their base ofoperations had been made by them at the foot of Little Dalls, now calledDallton. This was some twenty miles above Portage City.

  Excitement was the only thing I lacked while under my father's wing, andconsequently, in spite of his remonstrances, I determined upon acceptingthe offer of employment which Pinkerton made me.

  Starting at once, after seeing my chief, I joined the party with whom Iwas to work, at Madison. Here, after laying our plans, or rather,arranging for the execution of those Pinkerton had laid out for us, weseparated, with the understanding that wherever we met, we were toproceed as if we had been strangers. The following day, myself and acompanion found ourselves at Big Bull Falls. It would be unnecessary totrace out our after-route from place to place. For some time wediscovered nothing which might afford any clue to the object of oursearch. At last we arrived at Grandfather Bull Falls, when somethingoccurred which convinced us we had continued too far in that direction.We consequently returned, and took a straight line towards Black RiverWoods.

  By the bye, the man who gave them this name must have had a hide tannedto the toughness of a leather boot, or he certainly never would haveomitted to commemorate the plague of the mosquitoes which infest it.

  Of all sections of the country populated with this delightful insect,that I have ever crossed, this is decidedly the worst. So much so, thatI believe it must have been that part of it, in which the man we haveheard of, took refuge from these winged atrocities under an oldsteam-boiler, amusing himself while in his fancied security by clampingtheir murderous beaks, with an old hammer he chanced to have with him,to the iron shell through which they were penetrating. The result ofthis style of proceeding was perfectly unforeseen by him. In some hourand a half, the muscle of the trapped mosquitoes was sufficiently strongfor them to raise the iron shell and fly off with it.

  Be this as it may, it is a complete purgatory. You, in vain, try tosmash one mosquito whose fangs you feel in your forehead. While doingso, another fastens on your nose, and half a dozen more upon eithercheek. The amount of profanity they caused on the tongue of myself andmy companion, I even now look back upon, with considerable contrition.

  The whole of this portion of the country, as far as Black River, wasunder Mosquito dominion; and when we quitted it, it was with the sincerehope, upon my part, that nothing might oblige me to revisit it.

  When we once more met the balance of our party at Stevens Point, whichhad been as unsuccessful as ourselves in tracking out the game, it isnow a question to me how our swollen and disfigured faces could be atall recognizable.

  After some consultation, it was decided that portion of the partyshould strike for the Little Eauclaire River, while another should go upthe larger stream called the Big Eauclaire. Myself and companionremained for a few days at this place, and finding nothing determinate,dressed ourselves as raftsmen,--in red shirts and overalls, making upour minds to separate. Then, I hired myself out to run the CaughnautRapids, on a trip to Plover Portage.

  It was on our way in return, when "gigging back," as the raftsmen termit, that I first caught a glimpse of success. One of the pilots, had toemploy a term well used in the west and south of the States, "cottoned"to me. This was probably on account of my youth and apparent verdancy,as well as my muscle. I was just the sort of fellow he evidentlysupposed could be employed as a green hand in his illegal calling. Wehad been talking of the ways of living in the West one morning, when hesaid:

  "Look here, young fellow, thar's many a way of making enough to live,that's easier than your'n is."

  "How is that?"

  "D'yer see this?"

  At the same time he pulled out of his pocket a lot of "queer," orcounterfeit bills. He must have had more than two hundred dollars ofbogus money of different denominations--fives, threes, and twos--withhim.

  "'D'yer see this?'

  "At the same time he pulled out of his pocket, a lot of 'queer' orcounterfeit bills."--_Page 34._]

  "How rich you be!" I ejaculated, with an innocent look of wonder.

  "Do you think so?" he asked, with a sly wink and chuckle.

  "Good Lord!" I cried out, as if the idea had just come to me. "They'renot--"

  "Ya-as! They ar'--but don't make sich a row about seeing them."

  As he said this, he glanced around as if he had been afraid somebodymight have been within earshot of us.

  "I only wish I could get hold of some of the blamed stuff."

  "If yer do," replied he, "I'll introduce yer to them as makes it."

  "Will you--re-eelly, do that?"

  "Ya-as! young fellow, I will."

  Accordingly, we started on the day after our return down the river, andhaving passed Dutchman's Rapids, entered upon what is called the jaws ofthe Little Dalls, at the Shingle. Thence, going by the Devil's Elbow andthe Sag safely enough, we came out at the foot of the Dalls proper. Heremy companion showed me the entrance to the cave in which the work of thegang was carried on.

  He th
en told me I would have to wait at Portage City, until he could seehis fellows in the business and obtain their permission to introduce anew recruit to them. Otherwise, it might be dangerous.

  Afterwards, he himself returned to the neighborhood of the Sag.

  While remaining at Portage, I met portions of my party, to whom Icommunicated the success I had met with. After talking the matter overwith them, it was suggested by me that I should enter into thedrinking-saloon business, which would not only afford me an apparentopportunity for disposing of the false money, but render it easy for meto bring my companions in contact with the counterfeiters. This wasagreed upon, and when the pilot returned, I suggested it to him. Heliterally jumped at the idea, and ostensibly helped me in hunting up alocation for my _debut_ in rum-selling, as well as vouching for me moststrongly to the individual from whom I hired it. The rascal was wellknown in the place.

  The whole of the time since I had arrived in Portage City, I was inconstant correspondence with Pinkerton, who thoroughly approved of everystep I was taking, and gave me to understand he would be ready at anymoment to join me.

  Well! my saloon was opened, and liquor-drinking was in full blast in it.The pilot was as good as his word. At different times, he brought downto me most of his accomplices, or rather of his employers, and I quicklybecame a sort of licensed favorite with them. Of course, if I had beendetected in "shoving the queer," and found myself within the grasp ofthe law, they wouldn't have cared one red cent, but while I apparentlybought their bogus notes, I was the best of fellows living. In themeantime, I had gradually introduced them to most of my companions, someof whom also took portion of their spurious money, paying for it in goodcash. It must be admitted that the whole of the gang were capital judgesof the genuineness of any of, or all, the currency of the variousStates. "Wild-cat" notes nothing could induce them to take in exchange,even for any of their own shinplasters.

  Shortly after this, I found that the counterfeiters were to have a fullmeeting in the cave, which I had now several times visited. It was, Ihad reason to believe from what the pilot told me, for the purpose ofdividing the spoils of the last mouth, which had been, so he hinted tome, unusually large.

  My chief was immediately notified.

  Very soon after, he joined me, with the United States Marshal, and madearrangements with the sheriff and city marshal to pounce upon the wholegang.

  I say, he joined me. But this is scarcely the case, as he only saw meonce previously to the night on which I knew they were to meet at thecave.

  Arrangements, under his shrewd supervision, were capitally made. Thecave had two entrances, one at the side of it, some considerabledistance from the main one. A part of his men, with a section of thelocal police, under the United States and city marshals, were to beplaced there to prevent any chance of escape. Himself and the sheriff ofPortage were to be conducted by me to the main entrance. It would beneedless to say, that as a desperate resistance to us was within theprobable chances, every man in either party was well armed. Oursuspicions respecting this were not, however, destined to be realized.Pinkerton's precautionary measures had been too well taken. When we werediscovered, a rush had been made for the other entrance. Here, theyfound out that they had been completely trapped.

  Then, rightly believing that the party at the main entrance was theprincipal one, they returned, and had a parley with the sheriff andPinkerton, or rather with the last, ultimately coming out andsurrendering.

  After having been handcuffed, and placed in the boats, part of our menwere left in the cave to secure the spoils, while the rest of usreturned with our prisoners to Portage. It was one of the largest haulsof counterfeiters, with their implements of trade and spurious money, aswell as a fair amount of good paper, which had up to that time everbeen made in the West, and redounded very much to the credit of mychief, as well as myself--the last, mainly on account of the warm way inwhich he was pleased to compliment the share I had taken in it. Mostcertainly it resulted in the breaking up of the gang at that time knownas the Guy Fox band, whose depredations had extended for several yearsfrom the Lakes to the Gulf. It had been the terror of the country, as ithad resorted to every species of crime with the view of furthering theirschemes. In due time they were all convicted and sent for various termsto the Penitentiary. All of them had the satisfaction of serving outtheir time, with one solitary exception. This was my friend the pilot ofthe raft, whose wish to make me a tool had led to their apprehension.

  He was not, in every respect, a bad fellow, and his look of bewilderedastonishment when, with the handcuffs on his hands, he saw me on theboat with Pinkerton, was so miserably pitiable, that I could not helpfeeling some tenderness towards him.

  In the fulness of my heart, I spoke to my chief about him on the samenight after our return to Portage.

  "I will see about it, Mose," he replied, with a dry smile. "But, if youhad as long an experience as I have, you would know how useless mercywould be to him. What is in the bone will out in the flesh."

  The fellow was released, upon Pinkerton's application, some twelvemonths afterwards, and, as I have heard, verified my chief'sappreciation of rascality. It has been said he was shot by a stalwartfarmer, some three years afterwards, in the neighborhood of Dubuque,Iowa, in consequence of an attempt at highway robbery. This fact,however, I am unable to verify. So, let my readers charitably hope, thelesson he had received bore the good fruit of turning him again into thepaths of honesty.