Detective Bob Bridger — page 142: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. 135 It was from Detective Ned Hoffman, at Pittsburgh, and ran as follows: «¢ Have men described at police headquarters. They givetheir names as Pere Videre and Alfonse Godot. ‘Train arrived four hours late, Answer.” “And did you answer it?” asked Bridger. “Yes, over your name.” “Right. What did you say ?” ‘‘Hold men until I arrive. Large interest at stake, affording ample pay for trouble. Will wire you by and by.” “Good!” returned Bridger, and again the two detectives turned their attention to the line of letter-seekers at the window. Two hours passed fruitlessly, and the porters began to light the gas in*the building. Suddenly a delivery boy from the Wall street telegraph office darted in and placed a second telegram in Bridger’s hands. Tearing it hastily open the detective perceived that it was from the Alton coroner, and read: ‘‘Have viewed the body as asked. Find two English flags wrought in red ink, and the name Alfonse Godot in blue ink, upon the dead man’s breast. Body on ice. Answer.” Bridger passed the telegram to the Scotch detective. - Handon read it, and shook his head. Bridger swiftly penciled an answer, placed a bill in the messenger’s hand, and bade him haste awav, and have it instantly dispatched. As he turned again toward the Scotch detective he per- ceived that he had advanced closely toward the T window, and held his hand in a way to insure silence on Bridger’s part. On the instant the clerk’s voice at the window said dis- tinctly : “A letter for Margaret Bolard, New York city, you say?” “Yes, sir,” was the answer. And the detectives perceived at the head of the line - without the window a shabby lttle Hebrew man, whom they at once recognized as Sammy Muggins, the patent butter enthusiast. On receiving the letter which the clerk promptly handed him, Sammy stepped briskly aside from the line, carefully deposited the epistle in an interior pocket of his ulster, and GEomicbooks co