Mississippi Outlaws and the Detectives
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"What is your limit to-night?"
"Five hundred dollars," was the reply.
Bernardi then placed four hundred dollars on the nine spot, and, a moment later, he was again a winner. He now seemed satisfied, for he presented his "chips" for payment, and received cash therefor. The proprietor then invited Bernardi and Newton to drink with him, and, while standing at the sideboard, the proprietor asked Bernardi whether he had many acquaintances in the city.
"No," replied Bernardi, "I have very few; why do you ask?"
"Because one of them is your enemy, or else he was trying to play a trick on the 'bank' this morning," continued the proprietor, watching Bernardi narrowly. "He came in about noon, and wanted the cards put up so that you should be cleaned out of all your money."
"The devil you say!" ejaculated Bernardi; "why did he want to clean me out?"
"That I can't say; but he told me that he had a bitter grudge against you, and that he would give a great deal to injure you."
"I do not know any one here who could say that of me," replied Bernardi, thoughtfully. "There is only one man in the city who knows me intimately, and I do not see why he should wish me to lose, even if he did hate me. Was he a South American, like myself?"
"No; he might have been a foreigner, but he was not dark-complexioned."
"Well, I cannot imagine who it could have been," mused Bernardi; "and I guess I need not be afraid of him, if he goes to work in that roundabout way. However, I am obliged to you for the information, and I will take care that he does not drop on me unexpectedly. So-long."
As Bernardi walked down the street with Newton, he was evidently deeply abstracted, for he muttered to himself in Spanish, and swore at intervals in quite an excited manner. Finally, he said aloud:
"I don't know what to think about this story. It may be that this gambler made it up to shake my nerves, or to cover some plot against me; but I have a sort of feeling that Don Juan is at the bottom of it. I don't fear him one bit, but I want to solve the mystery, and if he has been plotting against me, I will have my revenge upon him. But, no; I can't see what he could gain by it, and I think, perhaps, this gang despair of breaking my luck, and are planning to rob me by force."
"That seems reasonable," replied Newton, "for then you would attribute the act to this unknown enemy, and they would escape suspicion. Still," he continued, anxious to lead the conversation back to Don Pedro as a subject, "your first supposition may be the correct one, and your pretended friend may be scheming to ruin you."
"But why should he want me to lose money?" persisted Bernardi. "He knows that I should come to him for more, and that he would be obliged to give it to me."
"Perhaps he would like to get rid of your presence," cautiously suggested Newton; "and if you were penniless, he could insist upon your departure as a condition upon which alone he would give you money."
"Caramba! I believe you are right, my friend," Bernardi exclaimed, furiously; "and if I find that it is so, I will make Don Juan, or Don Pedro, as he calls himself now, regret the day he played me false."
"Don't be over-hasty," counseled Newton, "for the whole story may be a gambler's lie after all."
"Oh! I will investigate it carefully," answered Bernardi, "and, when I am satisfied about the truth of the matter, I will consult with you as to the best course to pursue. It is a good thing to have a friend to advise with, especially among such a gang of thieves as seem to hang 'round these rooms. Meet me to-morrow, as usual, and I will go see my friend again."
The men then separated, and went to their respective lodgings for the night.
In the morning they met, took breakfast together, and afterwards sauntered down to visit Don Pedro. As before, Bernardi was conducted straight to the Don's room, and Salter again stationed himself in the closet to listen.
"So you are still successful?" was the first remark he heard.
"Yes, moderately so," replied Bernardi; "but it is strange how cards run sometimes."
"Well, you ought not to be astonished at anything after your long experience in gambling."
"Oh! I'm never astonished," said Bernardi, who had drunk a good deal of brandy before and after breakfast; "but I was thinking how lucky it was that I changed my mind last night about playing those three cards – the jack, ace, and queen."
"How so?" asked Morito.
"Well, if I had played the jack 'coppered,' and the ace and queen 'open,' last night, all the evening, I should have been entirely cleaned out; what do you think of that?"
"I think you were very lucky in having played elsewhere," replied the Don; "but what's the matter with you? What makes you look at me so strangely?"
"I want to find out whether it was you who sent a man to tell Dave Carter, the gambler, how I was playing, and to ask him to fix the cards so that I should lose all I had."
Bernardi's voice was husky with liquor and anger, and he had evidently worked himself up into a great rage; but, in spite of his partial intoxication, he was very determined, and his tones foreboded no good-will to the Don. In a contest of words, however, he was no match for his opponent, and Don Pedro instantly took the most effectual method for quieting his visitor's suspicions.
"My dear Pietro," he began, contemptuously, "I gave you credit for more common-sense than you seem disposed to claim for yourself. Why should I want you to lose? On the contrary, I would like to see you win enough to start in business for yourself, and repay me what I have loaned you, for I assure you that I much prefer to have you spend your money than mine. I have none too much for my own wants, and if you could repay me, I should be delighted. What is the reason for your question?"
Bernardi did not reply for two or three minutes; he was evidently keenly scrutinizing Don Pedro's face; but at length he said:
"Well, it's all right now, and I suppose I was wrong to suspect you; but the proprietor of the place where I gamble told me that some one had been trying to get him to play a trick on me, and I determined to find out who it was."
"Well, Pietro, I don't think you would have thought of suspecting me if your head had not been fuddled with liquor. Why can't you stop drinking for a month or two?"
"What do you care about my drinking?" asked Bernardi, in a half-cowed manner.
"Because Pietro drunk is a very different fellow from Pietro sober; and some day you will let out some damaging reports about me, and then all hope of making anything here will be destroyed. If I could feel sure that you would remain sober, I would gladly start you in a good 'bank' here."
Of course, Don Pedro had no intention of doing anything of the kind, but he saw that Bernardi was in a dangerous mood, and that he must handle him very skillfully if he wished to get him to leave the city. The Don knew that to urge him to leave would be the surest way to make him stay, but that, if left to follow his own inclinations, he would be anxious to go South, where the climate and people were more congenial to him. Hence, Don Pedro boldly took the ground that he was quite willing for Bernardi to stay if he would only keep sober, and Bernardi quickly fell into the trap.
"I don't want to start a 'bank' in this place," he said, "and I can't get along in this climate without drinking. I have been moderately successful here, and I am in no hurry to leave, but I should like to go back to New Orleans, if I could fit up a good place there, and deal a first-class game."
"How much would you need for that purpose?" asked the Don. "If I can let you have it, I will do so, and you can stay here or go back to New Orleans, as you may prefer; only I shall make one condition: that you promise faithfully to drink nothing but wine while you are in this city, until I get ready to leave. Will three thousand dollars be enough?"
"Hardly; I have won some money here, to be sure, but it will cost a good deal to spread a handsome layout in New Orleans – as for this place, there are not enough gentlemen gamesters here; the gamblers are all trying to live on each other. If you will make it five thousand, I will start for New Orleans day after to-morrow."
"That is more than I ought to pay out in my present circumstances," said the Don, thoughtfully; "but I guess I can run the establishment on credit for about a month, and that will help me out; so if you will go to-morrow, I will give you five thousand when you start."
"Done!" replied Bernardi, much gratified at having obtained so large a sum. "I have nothing to do except to get a young lady friend to go with me, and she won't need a great while to make her preparations. So you can have the money ready to-morrow?"
"It shall be awaiting you any time that you call for it," answered Morito, and Bernardi then took his departure.
On joining Newton, Bernardi was in high spirits, and he talked very freely of his intended plans.
"My friend convinced me that he had nothing to do with the trick which the gambler said some one tried to play upon me, and as a proof of his regard, he is going to give me a start in New Orleans. I shall leave here to-morrow, and if you would like to go in with me, we can make a pile of money there."
"I can't very well leave here for some time yet," said Newton, "for I have a large sum staked in bets on the races next month, and I shall have no money until they take place. I have a sure thing on a new horse, and I have got such large odds that I have put up every dollar I could reach. I shall clear about ten thousand dollars sure, and then if you are so disposed, I will join you in New Orleans."
"All right, we'll do it; but then, you may lose everything instead of winning. I don't care to bet on races, myself; there are too many chances to deal from the bottom."
"There is no danger in this case, so you must let me know where I can find you, and within a month I will join you in the Crescent City."
Bernardi then went to see his fair and frail charmer, to obtain her company on his Southern trip, and Newton came to my room to report. I instructed him to stay with Bernardi as much as possible while the latter remained in the city, and to be sure to obtain his address in New Orleans. I then called upon Senator Muirhead and informed him of the proposed departure of Bernardi. The Senator was very anxious to detain him in some way, in order to get his testimony, in case we should fail to hear from England or Peru in time; but I was unable to suggest any plan for holding this man without exposing our whole connection with the case. Bernardi was evidently ready to act in good faith with Don Pedro, and any endeavor to retard his departure would be regarded by him as coming from the gang of gamblers from whom he had won money. There was no doubt but that he would keep up a correspondence with Newton, and we should thus know where to find him in case his presence should be needed. We decided, therefore, to let him go as he intended.
Early in the evening, Bernardi and Newton went as usual to the gaming-rooms. There they met a stranger, who seemed to be a Spaniard or Cuban. Bernardi addressed him in Spanish, and after some conversation, they sat down to play. By some freak of luck, Bernardi continually won his small bets, but whenever he put out a large amount, he lost. The Cuban stranger had the same experience, and at length Bernardi rose in disgust and left the rooms with Newton, having lost about two hundred dollars.
"Those fellows have got some kind of a 'skin-game' at work," he said, "and they tried to beat me and that Cuban out of all our cash. I gave him a hint in Spanish before I came away, and I hope he will stop before they fleece him. Now let us go to the theatre."
They attended one of the theatres, and then had a glorious supper at Bernardi's expense after the performance was over. About midnight, they parted with mutual good wishes, and Bernardi promised to write to Newton as soon as he should reach New Orleans.
The next morning Bernardi called upon Don Pedro and received the promised amount of five thousand dollars, assuring him that he should leave the city that afternoon. As soon as he left the house, the Don asked Lesparre to keep a watch upon Bernardi to make sure of his leaving according to promise. When Lesparre returned about three o'clock, and reported that Bernardi was then actually on his way to Cairo, accompanied by a young lady, the Don was overjoyed, and he expressed himself greatly relieved thereby.
"Now we can take more interest in our fête champêtre, and we will make it the most delightful affair ever known in this country," he said, exultantly. "When it is over, my dear Lesparre, we will make a tour of the fashionable watering-places, and enjoy life to the full."
CHAPTER IX
Important Information from the Peruvian Government. – Arrival in Gloster of the Peruvian Minister and Consul. – In Consultation. – "Robbing Peter to pay Paul." – Mr. Pinkerton's card is presented. – Juan Sanchez, I arrest you, and you are my Prisoner. – Mr. Pinkerton not "For Sale." – A Dramatic Scene. – The Bubble burst.
Several days now sped by with no fresh developments, and Don Pedro was almost constantly engaged in his preparations for the fête champêtre. As the day approached, society was stirred to its very center, and nothing was spoken of save this grand event of the season.
But four days remained before the fête, when I was delighted by receiving a letter from the Secretary of State for Peru, giving full particulars of the forgeries and frauds committed by Don Juan Sanchez in that country, and enclosing a fine portrait of the man. One glance at the picture was sufficient to assure me of the identity of Don Pedro P. L. de Morito with Don Juan Sanchez, and I now felt ready to act. The letter informed me that a Peruvian official would be dispatched to Gloster at once, to obtain the arrest of Don Pedro, though there were a great many difficulties in the way, owing to the lack of an extradition treaty. Every effort would be made, however, to bring him to justice, and the Peruvian Minister at Washington would be instructed to confer with me.
I informed Senator Muirhead and Judge Key of this news, and they were both much encouraged at the prospect, especially as we learned that a Peruvian man-of-war had arrived in New York from Aspinwall, it being doubtless intended that this vessel should take the prisoner to Peru, in case he could be frightened into surrendering himself.
The fête was to take place on Wednesday, if the weather should be favorable, or on the first pleasant day thereafter, and everything was already in complete order for the grand occasion. A large and elegant steamer had been chartered to convey the guests to the island, and she was to make several trips during the day for the convenience of business men who could not go early. There remained nothing further to be done, except to pray for fine weather on the important day.
On Monday morning I was told that two gentlemen were waiting to see me, on very important business, at one of the leading hotels. I accompanied the messenger, and was at once shown to the room of the Peruvian Minister, who was accompanied by the Peruvian Consul at New York. Before proceeding to business, I informed the Minister that I was acting under the instructions of Senator Muirhead, and that I should like to send for that gentleman, and for my legal adviser, Judge Key. The Peruvian officials made no objection, and both Judge Key and the Senator were soon with us, ready for consultation. As the new arrivals were tired and dusty after their long journey, we merely exchanged information relative to Don Pedro, and agreed to meet at ten o'clock next morning, to make plans for his arrest.
At the appointed hour, we were all prompt in arriving at the parlor of the Minister. The latter and the Consul, in accordance with a suggestion I had made the day previous, had not mentioned their official rank to any one, and had remained as secluded as possible, in order to prevent Morito from knowing of their arrival in the city.
The Minister stated that the forgeries of Don Juan Sanchez in Peru had been so enormous, amounting to more than seven hundred thousand dollars, that the government had taken up the pursuit of the criminal with unusual zeal, and no effort nor expense would be spared to bring him to justice. Unfortunately, however, in the absence of any extradition treaty between Peru and the United States, the chances of securing Don Juan, even now that he had been discovered, were not bright; indeed, the Minister acknowledged that he saw no way of accomplishing it.
"By an appeal to law," said Judge Key, "nothing can be gained; but it is possible that my friend, Mr. Pinkerton, may have a plan which will induce Don Pedro, as he now calls himself, to surrender voluntarily rather than stand trial here or in Great Britain. Let us hear your opinion, then, Mr. Pinkerton."
"Well, gentlemen," I replied, "this is a case where the greatest care must be exercised, for the criminal is a bold, skillful man, of good education and address, with, probably, a fair knowledge of his legal rights. We cannot afford to make any mistakes, for he would surely take advantage of them. We must, therefore, present the case to him in such a way that he will believe it to be to his interest to give himself up. The presence of the Peruvian man-of-war in New York is very fortunate, for, once under her flag, he cannot escape; but he must be induced to go on board voluntarily, or else we shall be liable to the charge of kidnapping."
I then explained the method by which he had had swindled the citizens of Gloster, and showed how difficult it would be to convict him of anything, owing to the probability that his victims would refuse to testify against him; besides, for obtaining money under false pretenses, a short imprisonment only could be inflicted, and then he would be free to go where he pleased.
"However," I continued, "I think I can present to him his position in such a light that he will regard a surrender to the Peruvian authorities as preferable to a long trial and detention here, with the possibility of being sent to California or Great Britain for trial on a more serious charge. When he knows that we are fully acquainted with his past career, he may be willing to accept our terms rather than to defy us."
"Suppose, however," said the Minister, "that he should refuse all terms, and determine to fight it out?"
"In that case," I replied, "we should be obliged to arrest him here for obtaining money under false pretenses, and be prepared to arrest him again the moment he should be set free, repeating the operation as often as we could get different victims to enter complaint against him. The number of stockholders in this bogus company is quite large, so that we could easily hold him until a requisition could be obtained from California or England."
"How large a sum has he in his possession now?" asked the Consul.
"About half a million dollars," replied the Senator.
"Well," said the Consul, "that sum will go far toward reimbursing the people whom he swindled in Peru, so I think that Mr. Pinkerton's plan is the best that can be adopted. We might induce him to go aboard our vessel by promising to use our influence to lighten his sentence, in case he makes restitution to his victims in Peru."
The Consul made these remarks with a wise expression, as if he thought he had hit upon a very easy way of solving the problem. The Senator, Judge Key, and I exchanged looks of astonishment and amusement at this cool proposal to take our citizens' money to reimburse the Peruvians; it was a case of "robbing Peter to pay Paul" which we could not appreciate. Finally, I said:
"I presume that there can be no question as to the way to dispose of this money which Don Pedro has in his possession. Not one penny of it came from Peru, and we cannot permit any of it to be taken there. On arriving here Don Pedro had only a few thousand dollars, which he obtained in England by forgery. This sum he has already used up, and the only money in his possession has been obtained by the sale of his fictitious diamond fields in Peru. It would be manifestly unjust to allow this money to be taken away, and it is our intention to obtain it at all hazards, whatever may become of the Don."
"Oh! I shall make no such claim, Mr. Pinkerton," said the Minister; "that was only a suggestion of the Consul, who did not understand exactly how the money referred to came into this man's hands. All that I care for is to get Don Pedro on board our vessel, and I shall be pleased to pay for your services in the matter. We must be careful, however, that there shall be no opportunity to charge us with kidnapping, for we wish to avoid any possibility of complications with the United States; the fellow has made us trouble enough already."
"I will arrange that matter satisfactorily," I replied; "as for the question of payment, I am acting wholly in the interest of Senator Muirhead, and under his instructions, so that I can accept nothing except from him."
We spent an hour or two more in preparing papers and arranging the details of our plans, the conclusion being that we should make the arrest that evening, about seven o'clock, when there would be few or no visitors at Don Pedro's house. As I had supposed, there was no charge whatever against the Donna, and my only intentions with regard to her were to see that she did not carry off any of the money belonging to the Diamond Company stockholders, nor assist the Don to escape. It was decided to send Don Pedro to New York immediately, in case he yielded to our terms, and the Donna would be at liberty to go or stay, as she might see fit.
On returning to my office, I found Bangs and Lesparre awaiting me, and the latter said that he believed the Don and Donna intended to take flight immediately after the fête. They probably desired to finish their career in Gloster in a blaze of glory, and, as they would not be expected to receive visitors for two or three days after the fête, they would have a good start before their departure would become known. I told Lesparre to see that Madame Sevier and Salter kept a close watch for the remainder of the day, and in case any attempt should be made to remove the box containing Don Pedro's coin, he must send Salter to me instantly with the news. I also suggested that the servants be kept out of the way that evening, so that no one should know of our visit. Lesparre departed to attend to his duties, and I remained to complete the details of my plans with Mr. Bangs, who had arrived from Chicago with two detectives, in obedience to my summons.
About six o'clock, Senator Muirhead and Judge Key arrived, and a more nervous man than the former I never saw. In a few minutes the Peruvian Minister and Consul arrived, and we proceeded in carriages to Don Pedro's house, the Senator remaining at the hotel, however. We left the carriages a short distance away, so as not to attract attention, and, while Mr. Bangs's two men stationed themselves to watch the house, the rest of my party ascended the steps and were admitted by Salter.
"The family are still at dinner," said Salter, "but they are finishing the dessert, and I presume Don Pedro will go to the billiard-room after dinner to smoke, as usual."
"Give him my card as he leaves the dining-room," I said, "and tell him that I am waiting to see him in the drawing-room."
In a few minutes, Don Pedro and Lesparre rose from the table, and Salter gave my card to the former.
"Pinkerton! Pinkerton! I don't know any one of that name; do I, Lesparre?"
"Possibly it may be some gentleman having business with you in connection with the fête," suggested Lesparre.
"Ah! very true; where is he, George? I will see him at once," said the Don, unsuspectingly.
Salter led the way to the drawing-room, where I alone was waiting, the rest of the party having waited in the vestibule. As he entered, followed by Lesparre, I rose and said:
"Juan Sanchez, I arrest you, and you are now my prisoner!" and, so saying, I put my hand on his shoulder.
He turned very pale, and sat down in the nearest chair, while Lesparre quickly brought him a glass of water. I then continued:
"Juan Sanchez, or José Gomez more properly, we will retire to the library if you wish, as we may be interrupted here by the arrival of some of your friends, and I do not wish to expose you at present."