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Lottery Ticket, No. 1710

A Dignified Real-Estate Holder, Very Wealthy, Loses Seven Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty-Five Dollars—Our First Council at the Howard House—Visit to his House to Examine his Safe and Servants—A Lottery Ticket, No. 1710, Found in the Safe—How Came this Mysterious Paper There?—Conclusions Thereon—Visit to Baltimore, and Plans Laid in Conjunction with the Lottery Agent to Catch the Thief—The Ticket “Draws”—The New York Agency “Managed”—Trap to Identify the Thief—The Security and “Solitude” of a Great City—A New York Banker—Mr. Latimer Visits a Gambling-House in Disguise—Identifies the Suspected Young Man—The Agent at Baltimore Waxes Gleeful—His Plan of Operations Overruled—Meeting of “Interested Parties” at the Office in Baltimore—A Little Game Played upon the New York Agent—Mr. Worden, the Thief, Identifies the Ticket, and Falls into the Trap of a Pre-Arranged “Draft”—Discloses Some of the Identical Money Stolen—We Arrest Him—Exciting Scramble—The Money Recovered—Worden’s After Life

by George McWatters


"Your name is —, I believe, sir?” asked a tall, gray-haired gentleman of me one evening, as I was stepping out of the Carleton House, a hotel then on the corner of Broadway and Leonard Street.

“Yes, that’s my name,” offering my hand to receive the already extended hand of the gentleman.

“I have sought you,” said he, “at the suggestion of my friend and lawyer, James T. Brady; who tells me that you are able, if anybody is, to help me in my loss.”

“You’ve had a loss? Well, sir, you wish to tell me about it. Shall we go in here, or where shall we go to talk it over.”

“Can we not walk up Broadway, and I tell you during our walk?”

“Probably that would not be the best way,” I replied, “for it is doubtless as a detective that you need me, and we might meet somebody who knows me… Read More