Detective Bob Bridger — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

“ 164 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. less bring powerful influence to bear. We must offset these things with every point in hand.” “Will Goucher accompany you?” “T think so.” “You may have trouble. Had I not better stick by you?” <4 No. 9) “But if you should have trouble ?” ‘‘T will take care of number one. Hurry up now, there’s not a moment to lose. “All right; at nine you will find us ready,” returned the Scotch detective, as he sprang to a place in the coach, and the cabman drove off. CHAPTER XLI.. BRIDGER’S ADVENTURE IN THE DEN. A moment later Bridger was rolling along the Bowery in a second coach toward “ Boss” Goucher’s den in Delancy street. As before stated , Hoffman and Scott, the famous Chicago detectives, and Bridger, had once upon a time arrested Goucher in the city named for burglary. Bridger therefore felt that Goucher would recognize him so soon as he entered his premises. He was prepared to offer hima pecuniary inducement and immunity from arrest did he accompany the party to Alton, and identify Pere Videre, should the man in custody prove to be the person who purchased the sand-bag from him. He supposed that Goucher would consent to do so, nor did he anticipate trouble. He.did not afterward regret his visit, however, for it fur- nished him a clew to the whereabouts of some of those per- sons who had suddenly disappeared in New York, and were never heard from again. Had they been struck down on the sidewalk by the high- waymen, or murdered in their rooms by the burglar the facts would have become known. | Even had their bodies been cast in the sewers or the river, there had existed a reasonable possibility that the morgue would one day offer their remains in evidence of the manner in which foul play had claimed them victims. This clew assured Bridger that many of these missing persons had been allured aside by confidence sharps, such as bunco men, saw-dust operators, and hand-shakers. is : rT ° ’ . * ‘ \ . ; ’ ~ | +. sf — [* z > = —_ = wa - * comicbooks.com | a 1 lg’ = « ‘ . + a A * . 4 ‘> *, De a