Show HOW I 1 r I 1 F OW REFORMED A v KING ING OF CROOKS cy arx a 11 F ll 11 TRICKS I 1 cila 0 WORST ST GANG IN EUROPE EU R OPE by GEORGE BARTON father of detectives eugene francois becomes member of the most moa desperate paris band known to crime annals seemingly immune from police interference and he lands entire outfit in fearful danger cf of death sleuth I 1 as denizen of the underworld der world joins cracksmen and leads them on for he Is Bett believed eved dead by ch henry A of police at pans parts france who has been electives was born 75 the son of a in n an acrobat with ker er in the french kirer ger and a con vahe nhe galleys tor for t escaped and joined a aymen he arned state states s fame ame of 0 his companions and nade chief ot of the secret po Is exemplifying the phrase cef to catch ca ch a thief he was elef y successful but finally lost his 35 3 5 he ile opened a private detec acy y and also published shed four vol ti 11 Ine memoirs he ile died in poverty 1 HENRY the prefect of the paris police sat at his desk in his private office bis his faie fae a picture of perplexity he picked up a paper that lay jay before him and read it care fully for the third time it was an official of a desperate robbery that had occurred in the heart of the french capital lie night before moreover it was one ot jul many similar reports theis had been an epidemic of robberies and the police seemed powerless to stop them M henry summoned M ber der tamed famed as a cross examiner of criminals and al parisot the gov erno ot of prisons and the three men d long and earnestly but without fg to any presence Pre senCy took it ot of overspread the I 1 countenance of M henry henr he turned to his colleagues ol leagues gentlemen I 1 haye it what Is if they called in chorus be seated he responded I 1 and rait wait towy thay did as they were bid and the prefect touched a button A messenger responded tell to come here at once said aid M henry in a few minutes the door opened and a strong well built man with square shoulders shambled into the room he ile bad had gray hair a thick nose bills eyes a smooth face and a per V petral smile he glanced about him in a furtive way and realized that he was in the presence of the triumvirate of talent that ruled the underworld of paris he squared himself as a man would v ho bo was preparing to be on the but the first words of the art prefect feet reassured him we d your assi tance the be h mo bowed low AI henry I 1 am at your service ab cutely T the be prefect handed him the report take that and read it carefully Is one of many the criminals are ils iving a carnival I 1 want you to cap ire this gang my regular police have failed they bring me only ex I 1 wish you to bling nie me the prisoners a smiled that eNer everlasting lasting smile and nd bowed again it shall be as you wish M henry he ile left the room with three bat atries of sharp eyes leveled at him M bertaux shrugged his shoulders A quack doctor sent to burglars M parisot spread out his hands in disgust A showman a clown a petty thiet thief fon on the defect re force M henry smiled blandly gentlemen you are not alone in our disapproval do you see these tapers apers pointing to a high pile on the de of his desk these there are all pro ts and complaints against the em ament of some are from ore t men some from thieves but he shall ive his chance his past Is behind aitu his future in his own hands I 1 shall judge him solely by re suits 1 11 I spent all morning in going over the reports that had been placed in his i ands after that he returned to his lodging and throwing himself oc OL the bed lay awake all night de a plan of campaign when day light arrived it was completely blocked out in bis his mind not a detail was over looked looke the first step was to discard his own personality person persona allt liti and take up that of another it would have to be a thief the honor of being impersonated fell to one germain alias the captain he was a galley slave f had known him in the days well in the days before he became a detective germain had bad dark brown hair thit of idock was light he was as thin va locq s sto was sallow 0 ear bu athe i al 4 6 f DIZ Z 5 5 za 77 A 4 these obstacles days were employed in perfecting the likeness first he be attained a seven days growth ol 01 beard then he dyed his hair and beard black by the generous use of white walnut liquor he attained a most unhealthy complexion the original was a snuff fiend garnished his upper lip with a mixture of coff coffee ee grounds and gum arable he made blisters on his feet by rubbing in a composition with which he was ta fa millar he made the marks of the fetters on his ankles and dressing himself in a suitable garb was ready tor for bis his enterprise after that he became a regular tre ire guenter of the thieves dens of paris parts he lie drank cheap gin tossed off ab sinthe cursed the police pollee showed the marks of the irons on his legs and al together made himself a general fa evorite night after night he visited a cheap concert hall in the faubourg Fau bourg st germain where he met most of the disreputable characters of the french metropolis he lie became very friendly with most of them and made them drink his health in sundry glasses of bad wine the resort was a veritable clearing bouse house tor for the gossip of the underworld A man or a woman who had not served time was out of place in that assemblage talk of burglaries past and prospective was as free as remarks concerning the state of weather told of his experiences with great vividness and with a degree of exaggeration that would have won a medal from the an anias anlas club among so many little thieves there was one big thief his name was con st antine a former fencing master who having run the gamut of dissipation had now reached the closing stages of crime in his ill spent life his ills corn com pail lons looked upon him as a man of enterprise bold in execution and on all occasions possessing the most un blushing effrontery the attention of the police had been directed to him more than once but they had never been able to secure the least scintilla of evidence against the man knowing this moved cau can piously he knew that a misstep might mean his own oan life for he was in the midst of desperate characters who thought nothing of murder he put on a sad face bemoaned his awn own fate and be bewailed walled the fact that be he had no means of recouping his fallen tor for tunes he became friendly with one of the intimates of constantine and that worthy being plied with liquor gave the detective full particulars of the habits of the big thief they passed the night together and before morning knew all about the haunts of consta constantine ntine the following day he again met his voluble informant in the dance hall on the faubourg Fau bourg st germain he was quite excited would you like to meet constan tine he asked most assuredly replied the detect ive they remained in conversation for or some time presently the door opened and a smart looking fellow came in s companion plucked at bis ills sleeve now Is your time if you wish to speak to constantine Constant lne he Is here the detective looked up and saw a neatly dressed man of 30 with good broad shoulders he was about five feet six inches high extremely good looking fine black hair and regular teeth only waited long enough tor for the newcomer to be seated when he went up to him carelessly and said would you kindly oblige me with a little tobacco from your box the famous thief looked the detect ive over from head to foot before re plying after an embarrassing inter val constantine passed his tobacco box to then he said abruptly you have been in the armye the detective could have fallen to the floor had all of his carefully contrived disguise counted for noth ing did constantine Constant lne know who he wasa was in any event it would serve his interest to answer the question truth fully so with pretended nonchalance he said why ies es how did you know IP simply because no man can con ceal it once in the army you carry the badge of it with you through life in your walk in your shoulders in your talk in your manners laughed uproarious as it if he considered this a good joke and in the contusion confusion invited his newfound new found friend to take a drink he accepted and in the course of their conversation the detective was delighted to find that the other had not penetrated his dis guise I 1 like you finally cried constan tine and I 1 want you to take dinner with some friends of mine that night dined with a party of charming cracksmen every one of them noted in his profession con st stant antine lne was the chief joubert his able lieutenant and the others faith ful followers the wine flowed freely and the best of feeling prevailed one of the company said facetiously that he had just come into a fortune and was celebrating the event As a mat ter of fact he had cracked a crib the night before and was spending part of his ill gotten wealth con st antine turning to said sa I 1 d hows yur nerved rn a are you in for an adventure surely with whom with the locksmith locksmiths s daughter made a grimace as if mock ing and said I 1 don t believe I 1 ever had the honor of the ladys acquaintance all hands laughed loudly at this sally constantine put his hands down into his pocket and produced a big brass key he handed it gravely to the detective permit me to present you to the minx keeping up the spirit of the thing bowed gravely acknowledging ledgin 9 the introduction and inquired when he would have the pleasure of going out with the lady it might be to night he said grum bling it if it were not for that in fernal the detective pricked up bis his ears at the mention of his own name he preserved the gravity of his coulten ance however as he remarked care lessly oh I 1 don t mind him it if I 1 can keep clear of the informers they tell me paris parts swarms with the parasites that s true said constantine but it if you can keep from guessing at your business you are safe enough with me As for these informers I 1 don t tear fear them I 1 can smell those beggars as easily as a crow scents powder well said I 1 cannot boast of so much penetration yet I 1 think too that from the frequent description I 1 have heard of this his fea tures are so well engraved in my decol lection that I 1 should pretty soon lecog nize him if I 1 came unexpectedly in his way god bless youl you cried constantine it Is easy to perceive you are a stran ger to the vagabond just imagine now that he Is never to be seen twice in the same dress that he la is in the morning perhaps just such another looking person as you well the next hour so altered that his own brother could not recognize him and by the evening I 1 defy any man to remember eyer having seen him before only yesterday I 1 met him disguised in a manner that would have deceived any eye but mine but he must be a deep hand it if he gets over me I 1 know these sneaks at the first glance and it if my friends were as knowing as myself his business would have been done long ago nonsense cried eveia body says the same thing of him and yet you see there Is no getting rid of him constantine was on his feet at once with an oath he cried out to prove that I 1 can act as well as talk if yoa a will lend me a helping M hand this very evening we will waylay him at his door and warrant we 11 settle the job jolt so as to keep him from giving any of us further uneasiness immediately acred and was placed in the unique position of going out with a party of thieves to waylay himself they actually went to the home of the detective hut but as may be imagined he did not appear and after three hours of waiting they gave up the vigil in disgust many days had passed and still wg was without the specific evi dence which would enable him to put his hand on the shoulder of constan tine and say thou art the man of one thing he was morally certain it was that the erstwhile fencing master was at the head of a band ot of resource ful and unscrupulous thieves one night after a jollif jollification leation at the dance hall the crisis came friend said constantine with a leer do you feel like an adventure to night with whom asked with my lady love the locksmith locksmiths s daughter join you with all my heart exclaimed the detective in undisguised sincerity the plot was revealed with great attention to details the cracksmen had been spotting the mansion of a wealthy banker on one of the boule yards of paris through the treachery of a housemaid who had been smitten with the charms of constantine the gang had been provided with the key which would admit them into the gar den of the house listened very attentively and occasionally answered in monosyllables he was careful not to say anything which would expose him to the reproach of having caused them to commit crime midnight Is the hour said con st stant antine lne and I 1 want every man to do his duty there were six in the party in eluding each of the cracks men was ass ened to his part in the enterprise constantine was in corn com mand and joubert was chief of staff was to be lifted into a ground floor window but the detective de burred to this particular assignment on the plea that he was as yet only a novice he has a weak stomach sneered joubert he will never make a good cracksman constantine hotly repelled the in he put his hand on s shoulder affectionately and said when this boy has had a little more experience he will beat you all in the business smiled in a sickly way at this unexpected if dubious compliment it seemed a shame to deceive such a big hearted scoundrel but then busl busi ness was business and it was too late to turn back now it was finally ar ranged that should remain on the outside of the garden wall and give the alarm it if the police should come in sight it was now within an hour of the time when they should sally forth on their unlawful mission come boys cried constantine a dr drink I 1 all around and then well get down to business on the plea of searching tor for his hat and coat contrived to separate himself from the others for a few minutes he wrote a hurried message 0 on n the back of an old envelope and finding a gendarme in the vicinity of the restaurant rest aurent dispatched him with the note to the nearist nearest prefecture it was to the point it told of the place of rendezvous ren devous and added have half a dozen men on the spot frighten the cracksmen but make no arrests until they have been driven to a place of refuge when returned to the table his unsuspecting confederates were preparing to leave in 20 minutes minute a they reached their destination after that the chief advanced to the gate with his brass key the famous locksmith a daughter to his sur prise it would not work he turn fum bled with it tor for nearly a minute and then gave it up as a bad job blast the girl he muttered she s permitted them to bolt the door from the inside perhaps ashes she s beached whispered insinuatingly she wouldn t dare cried constan tine showing his teeth she knows me and she knows that I 1 would kill an informer once again that cold shiver ran up and down s spinal column but it was merely a fleeting emotion he ile had nerve in plenty and to spare boys called the chief we ve got to jump the wall and get down to busl busi ness we cant can t fool around all night here you to the detective give us a hand 0 planted himself against the wall of the garden and holding out his two hands boosted the cracksmen over the wall one at a time constan tine was the last one up he held bis his hand down to and assisted him to the top of the stone coping now germain said constantine to the detective you get in ill the shad ow near the end of the wall and keep a sharp lookout it you see the po ice ilce give a low whistle be on the alert because everything depends on ou nodded his head yes he repeated 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