COLLECTIONS OF A LONDON DETECTIVE.-(Continued.)

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 28 February 1891, Page 4

COLLECTIONS OF A LONDON DE-TECTIVE.-(Continued.)

and' a man's coat; an m with a broken-rimmed felt hat, glossy K wttlrßfease and old age. The face wasn't (pi" Bxactfy known to me, but then I see so many K. '<No harm sir," he humbly answered. ■' "You're in the pleece, they tell me — a "teck E? jjr somethink of that kind ; and I heard that W~ you was askin* arter Poll— Spankin Poll of k the 'Ighway. Ain't it so, sir ?" K^j V You know her then ?" ■Ht" Know her, sir ? Wy, everybody knows B^ner *° r S o °d' I>ve teen missin' her all the Hktime, sir, She stood me two taters, all 'ot, Bland a pint of warm rice water w'en I was W^ Mead beat one night, and arter that give me m' a tanner to start me with some collar studs. Kafe Where is she gone to, sir ?" and again he BPTaidffibat icy hand on mine, and turned his HtQyes up to mine in a queer way, which Ktfartled me more than the touch of his Hungers. : ;> ■^-"'Aye you seen her anywheres about, W Ul shook my head, and watched his eyes. ■ They were full of suppressed horror, and the K lad was trembling all over. WL ft "Is she alive, sir ?" he said at last, in an W awful whisper. K f " Alive ? I believe so. I was told she m went away to Ramsgate on Saturday." B I "I saw her on Friday night," said the R*lad, in the same strange tone. "I saw II: where she went with a man, and I never K tow her come back. You know the burnt Bf block, sir, along near Black Raven's Ally, ■§' close by the river ?" ■ | I had seen the place— a big warehouse K which had been burned nearly to the H| ground. ■ - * "Well, I saw her going about all night k, with that man ; they say he's her husband," Mjtcontinued the boy, in a whisper. " She was drunk — werry drunk, and he'd to help her along by the arm. I wanted to speak to ■ her, and get the loan of a shillin 1 to buy Hpsome stock for Saturday, but I didn't like to ■I? bother her while he was with her. She B hadn't on her pretty dress, but I know her ■§i.ice, and I heard her speak, so I'm sure it Bf fe " Weil, go On." B| T " I'm a-goin' on. I followed them to the Hf burnt block. I've slept there sometimes, ■Nor there's a hole at the end of the hoarding ■^ you can get in by. He went in there, and H came out again in a little while, but Poll H didn't come out with him. He noticed me, H and came up and gave me a sixpence. I H wanted to see that Poll was all right, for Hi 'she was not fit to be left there herself, so H~ when he was gone I crept in and looked all ■ 'over the place, but she wasn't there." B lit •> Why do you look so queer ! Out with ■* it all! "What do you suspect?" I cped, ■ him by the ragged coat. ■ > •• 'Spect ? w'y, that Poll either fell into B^the river or was dropped in. I've never since. If she went in there the ■S»,*wq^l suck her out of sight -in two ■fjpars.S' 3^® been in it often, and I know." ■|-;''J How coJ 11^ yOu see her if she'si gone to ■kaiflsgate?'^-^.. 'S \. ■f " JRamsgaTe be b»V>wed. If she wet;t there ■jihe went by the riv£r." he sbarp.ly re■iurned. " I heerd them speak a£>otU her I ■going away there on Saturday, but f Aspect ■ft was ony her pretty dress stuck on Sv" 3 " l6 gal about hej^ size. I've nne v er ■been able to get that burnt block out of n\V ■head, and the mud outside of it, and whal be under the mud. I can't sleep for it, ■or, if I do sleep, I'm always scraping away ■at the mud with my hands, and getting hold something I don't want to touch. \Tecks good at finding out things. Couldn't you ■find out if.Poll is under the mud ?" •• -- \ " You can swear that you saw her husgo in there with her and come out •• Sweat 1 ii a hundred times over,'j-:h«|j5Ol» returned, v. %'& ;» ' H^.l took him with" m^, and by the side of He fire in the police stai^n he soon got : and went to sleep. <-:"«*«-»- s> \ • I then got some assistance and explored burnt block. We turned out some waifs who had burrowed there for' night, and who scurried off into the looking thankful at not being into custody. We searched the whole carefully, sSid found near a door openout on to the river a brass ear-ring, the <Sf. which was pulled straight as with sudden wrench. The tide was getting low, and we decided have the mud dragged. The river police us, and we were nearly three hours ■ the job. At length we "touched" a find, and slowly brought up the form a woman. During the search. I had that my informant the ragamuffin ■as still slumbering by the fire in the police but the moment the body was put I heard a shrill boy's , voice from bflrpt block above Us cry out— ' « it. That's Poll. I've seen it out before in my sleep." •• *^j The shout came from the ragamuffin, who come back from ths station-house and looking on for more than an horfr. - the body was taken ashore and laid the face was so changed that I said.dev isn't Poll— l'll swear it isn't." tf-fefi Even the ragamuffin stared at it in doubt J was one brass ear-ring in the left ear that which we found in the burnt the boy said it was like those Poll had worn regularly. But the a plain gingham, and the undera great deal better than Poll could afforded to buy. It was at that point I remembered the tatooed initials had always been so conspicuous Poll's breast-bone when she wore her dress. The ; gingham was turned and there were the letters, as plain when they were pricked into the white "M.T." There was a bruise on the eye, which had helped to make the more difficult, and which apto have been inflicted by a heavy from a fist ; otherwise there were no of violence, and death was clearly by drowning. I didtnot expect to find Travers at RamsWhen a man commits a crime and word that he is Off to a particular my way is to look in that place last, I generally get the man long before I to the place he has named. Travers been seen at Ludgate Hill Station, and man who saw him there declared that had heard him ask for two tickets for With these tickets he might at any station nearer London, and I all these places first. He was not I came to Ramsgate, and there one the station men remembered, not Travers, the white dress with pink flounces had been worn by his companion.had got out there, then — had they further ? I went through the place smartly, knowing it so well and so many acquaintances there, and in hours found out the lodging occupied Travers and his wife. There was no about that; they were married, and for some days. I was shown into they occupied, and found them a dinner the delicious scent of made me hungry on the spot. * Blue sat at the head of the table serving ; sat opposite. They both started the sight of me,* and the divider fell the young bride's hands splash into Travers' face turned white and and he flopped down into his chair as quickly as he had started up. h» stuttered out at last. a warrant here for your appre* aaid quietly, "you're both ooaolnd«dj