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  2. In a Compartment Car

In a Compartment Car

There is a story told of a lady and gentleman traveling together on an English railway. They were strangers to each other. Suddenly the gentleman said:

“Madam, I will trouble you to look out of the window for a few minutes, I am going to make some changes in my wearing apparel.”

“Certainly, sir,” she replies with great politeness, rising and turning her back upon him. In a short time he said:

“Now, madam, my change is completed, and you may resume your seat.”

When the lady turned she beheld her male companion transformed into a dashing lady with a heavy veil over her face.

“Now, sir, or madam, whichever you like,” said the lady, “I must trouble you to look out of the window, for I also have some changes to make in my apparel.”

“Certainly madam,” and the gentleman in ladies' attire immediately complied.

“Now, sir, you may resume your seat.”

To his great surprise, on resuming his seat the gentleman in female attire found his lady companion transformed into a man. He laughed and said:

“It appears that we are both anxious to avoid recognition. What have you done? I have robbed a bank.”

“And I,” said the whilom lady, as he dexterously fettered his companion’s wrists with a pair of handcuffs: “I am Detective J—, of Scotland Yard, and in female apparel have shadowed you for two days — now,” drawing a revolver, “keep still!”


Publishing Information

Published in

  • The Ottawa [IL] Free Trader, July 10, 1880
  • Gold Hill [NV] Daily News, July 22, 1880
  • The Benton [MT] Weekly Record, October 22, 1880
  • The Home Journal [New York, NY], July 5, 1882
  • The Newberry [SC] Herald, November 16
  • Herald and News [Klamath Falls, OR], December 13, 1888
  • The Wahpeton [ND] Times, October 25, 1888

Reprinted as
“Incident on a British Railway” in

  • The Observer [Raleigh, NC], July 11, 1880
  • The Evening Visitor [Raleigh, NC], July 17, 1880

“Keep Still” in
Public Ledger [Memphis, TN], July 14, 1880

“A French Story” in

  • The Lake County Star [Chase, MI], July 29, 1880
  • Alpena [MI] Argus, September 15, 1880

“A Detective’s Ruse” in
Chester [PA] Daily Times, August 8, 1880

“A Detective’s Story” in

  • The Fort Wayne [IN] Sentinel, August 8, 1880
  • The Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Saturday, August 14, 1880
  • Fayetteville [TN] Observer, August 26, 1880
  • Snyder County Tribune [Middleburg, PA], August 26, 1880
  • The Huntington [IN] Democrat, August 26, 1880
  • The Opelika [AL] Observer, September 2, 1880
  • St. Tammany [LA] Farmer, September 4, 1880
  • Derry [Ireland] Journal, September 8, 1880
  • Indiana Weekly [PA] Messenger, September 15, 1880
  • Kansas Weekly Herald [Hiawatha, KS], September 17, 1880
  • The Boston Weekly Globe, September 22, 1880
  • Butler [PA] Citizen, September 22, 1880
  • The McHenry [IL] Plaindealer, September 22, 1880
  • Wyandotte Gazette, [Kansas City, KS], September 24, 1880
  • Jamestown [ND] Weekly Alert, September 28, 1880
  • The Princeton [MN] Union, September 30, 1880
  • The Oskaloosa [KS] Independent, October 9, 1880
  • Racine [WI] Daily Argus, October 11, 1880
  • The Miami Republican [Paola, KS], October 15, 1880
  • Jackson County Banner [Brownstown, IN], November 4, 1880
  • Bridport [England] News, November 5, 1880
  • Richland Beacon [Rayville, LA], November 6, 1880
  • The Highland Weekly News [Hillsboro, OH], November 11, 1880
  • The Blue Ridge Blade [Morganton, NC], November 13, 1880
  • Exeter [England] Flying Post, November 17, 1880
  • The Fort Wayne [IN] Sentinel, December 1, 1880
  • Northampton [England] Mercury, December 4, 1880
  • The Fort Wayne [IN] Weekly Sentinel, December 8, 1880
  • Evening Star [Otago, New Zealand], December 16, 1880
  • Ashburton Guardian [Canterbury, New Zealand], December 17, 1880
  • The News Newport, PA], December 25, 1880
  • Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express [Victoria, Australia], January 21, 1881
  • Shipley [England] Times and Express, February 12, 1881
  • English Lakes Visitor [Keswick, Cumberland, England], February 12, 1881
  • West Somerset [England] Free Press, February 12, 1881
  • Stonehaven [Scotland] Journal, February 17, 1881
  • Cornubian and Redruth [England] Times, February 18, 1881
  • The Marysville [OH] Tribune, March 2, 1881
  • Rhyl [Wales] Record and Advertiser, June 11, 1881
  • The Eaton [OH] Democrat, June 15, 1882
  • Richwood [OH] Gazette, June 15, 1882
  • The Pickens [SC] Sentinel, July 6, 1882
  • The Troy [AL] Messenger, July 6, 1882
  • The Livingston [AL] Journal, July 7, 1882
  • Union Springs [AL] Herald, July 26, 1882

“A Good Detective Story” in

  • Helena [MT] Weekly Herald, August 12, 1880
  • Manitoba [Canada] Daily Free Press, August 28, 1880
  • Reno [NV] Gazette-Journal, October 22, 1888
  • Independence [KS] Daily Reporter, December 04, 1888

“A Magnificent Scheme” in
Daily Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock, AK], August 12, 1880

“Trapped” in

  • The Forest Republican [Tionesta, PA], September 29, 1880
  • The Evening Visitor [Raleigh, NC], October 1, 1880
  • The Marion [OH] Star, October 15, 1880
  • Choctaw County News [Butler, AL], November 10, 1880
  • The Anderson Intelligencer [Anderson Court House, SC], November 11, 1880
  • The Saint Paul [MN] Daily Globe, November 28, 1880
  • Jamestown [Stutsman County, D.T. (ND)]) Alert, November 30, 1880
  • Spirit of Jefferson, [Charles Town, WV], November 30, 1880
  • Interior Journal [Stanford, KY], December 24, 1880
  • Parsons [KS] Daily Eclipse, January 13, 1881
  • The National Republican [Washington, DC], January 17, 1881
  • Wood County Reporter [Grand Rapids, WI], January 20, 1881
  • Palo Alto [Emmetsburg, IA] Reporter, January 22, 1881
  • The Potter Enterprise [Coudersport, PA], February 9, 1881
  • Green-Mountain Freeman [Montpelier, VT], April 6, 1881
  • The Burlington [VT] Free Press, March 11, 1881
  • The St Johnsbury [VT] Caledonian, March 25, 1881
  • Lancaster [PA] Daily Intelligencer, April 14, 1881
  • The South Kentuckian [Hopkinsville, KY], April 19, 1881

“The Detective Story” in
Ellis [KS] Review Headlight, October 2, 1880

“A Detective Story” in
Marshall County News [Marysville, KS], October 30, 1880

“Mutually Accommodating” in
Penrith [England] Observer, November 23, 1880

“He Gave Himself Away” in

  • Lawrence [KS] Daily Journal, January 19, 1881
  • Ottawa [KS] Weekly Republic, January 27, 1881

“Very Neatly Done” in

  • Omaha Daily Bee, January 22, 1881
  • The Progressive Farmer [Winston, NC], February 10, 1886

“Disguised” in
Dundee [Scotland] Evening Telegraph, July 4, 1881

“Chat” in
Buchan Observer and East Aberdeenshire Advertiser [Scotland], July 22, 1881

“Diamond Cut Diamond” in
South London Press, June 28, 1884

“A Transformation Scene” in

  • Motherwell Times [Scotland], August 16, 1884
  • Wilts and Gloucestershire [England] Standard, March 30, 1889

“Very Cleverly Done” in
Cork [Ireland] Constitution, January 16, 1886

“Both Were Polite and Obliging” in

  • Woodston [KS] Register, October 12, 1888
  • The Plainville [KS] Times, November 1, 1888

“Queer Detective Work: Two Interesting People in an English Railway Compartment” in

  • Harrisburg [PA] Telegraph, October 22, 1888
  • Gibson City [IL] Courier, October 26, 1888
  • Ironton County [MO] Register, November 8, 1888
  • The Paola [KS] Times, November 8, 1888
  • La Plata [MO] Home Press, November 9, 1888
  • The Peabody [KS] Gazette-Herald, November 13, 1888
  • The Belvidere [IL] Standard, November 14, 1888
  • The Evening Tribune [Lawrence, KS], November 14, 1888
  • The Marysville [KS] Advocate, November 15, 1888
  • The Barton County Democrat [Great Bend, KS], November 15, 1888
  • Chase County Courant [Cottonwood Falls, KS], November 15, 1888
  • The Scottsboro [AL] Citizen, November 15, 1888
  • Ashland [KS] Clipper, November 16, 1888
  • The Wichita [KS] Beacon, November 21, 1888
  • The Charleston [MS] News, November 29, 1888
  • The Weekly Democrat-Times [Greenville, MS], December 1, 1888

“A Specimen Detective Story” in

  • The Wahpeton [ND] Times, October 25, 1888
  • Burr Oak [KS] Herald, November 29, 1888
  • Independence [KS] Daily Reporter, December 19, 1888 
  • The Index [Hermitage, MO], December 27, 1888
  • Brown County Star [Horton, KS], January 1, 1889
  • Smith County Bulletin [Smith Centre, KS], January 3, 1889
  • Sherman County Republican [Itasca, Kansas], January 4, 1889
  • Western Kansas World [WaKeeney, KS], January 5, 1889

“Cute Thief, But Cuter Detective” in

  • Monmouth Press [Freehold, NJ], October 27, 1888
  • The Daily Republican [Monongahela, PA], November 12, 1888
  • The Morganton [NC] Star, November 16, 1888
  • The Marion [AL] Times-Standard, December 5, 1888
  • The Davie Times [Mocksville, NC], December 14, 1888
  • The Newton [AL] Messenger, December 15, 1888

“Neatly Nabbed” in
Chanute [KS] Weekly Times, November 8, 1888

“Transformations” in
Nemaha County Republican [Sabetha, KS], November 10, 1888

“Caught” in

  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 30, 1888
  • Rolla [MO] Herald, December 13, 1888

“Queer Detective Work”

  • Stafford County [KS] Democrat, December 20, 1888
  • The Kingman [KS] Journal, December 20, 1888
  • The Daily City News [New Castle, PA], February 11, 1889

“A Little Drama in an English Railway Carriage”
Louisiana Review [New Orleans, LA], December 26, 1888

“An English Railroad Drama”
The Wahpeton [ND] Times, February 28, 1889 

“A Double Surprise” in

  • The Berwick Advertiser [Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England], March 1, 1889

Printed without a title in

  • The Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, July 8, 1880
  • The Atchison [KS] Daily Globe, August 10, 1880
  • Wheeling [WV] Register, July 27, 1880
  • The People’s Vindicator [Natchitoches, LA], August 21, 1880
  • Royal Cornwall Gazette, March 21, 1889
  • Coventry [England] Herald, October 10, 1890
  • Coventry [England] Herald, October 29, 1890
  • The Berwick Advertiser [Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England], November 5, 1880
  • Berkshire [England] Chronicle, March 30, 1889
     

Although these stories are essentially the same, they often have different introductory lines, including

  • “There is a story told . . .”
  • “The Devices of thieves are frequently brought to naught . . .”

This story continued to be reprinted long after 1891. In 1908-1909 it reappears as “There was a Great Surprise: What Caused a Queer Transformation in an English Coach” in at least fifteen papers, and as late as 1916 it appears as “It sounds well” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24, 1916, p. 52).