They bore news of considerable importance to the German and French passengers, and no less to the captain; that since our departure from America, war had been declared between Germany and France. Before I left the ship, the German and French men and women were ready to pitch in and wallop or scratch the eyes out of each other. To me it was amusing in the extreme. My good fat German neighbor, to whom I expressed great concern over the declaration of war, rose up in her might and exclaimed loudly: “Ach Gott! Have no alarm, for we’ll lick ’em! We’ll lick ’em!”
I decided to debark at Plymouth and go to Scotland by rail. I arrived there safely and was received with open arms. I told the good Scots that I had decided at the last moment to pay them a visit, but to my wife I said that I’d got in some difficulty with the United States custom-house officials.
When it was safe to do so I communicated with my police friends in New York and learned that affairs were pretty hot there and that I was a very badly wanted man by the Secret Service. But in September, having made a good visit and being somewhat of the opinion that I could return to America and “square” things, my wife and I sailed. I had, however, sent a timely word to McCord and Radford that I was coming and indicated on what steamer I might be expected. I knew that they would be on hand to see me safely landed.
So when the Europa, of the Anchor Line, on a Sunday about noon, was pretty near her wharf at the foot of Liberty Street, I had Albert Wright, the purser of the Europa, a long-time acquaintance of mine, on the lookout. I had previously confided to him that I might get in some trouble with the custom-house officers. Presently Wright informed me that two Police Headquarters detectives were aboard, having put out in a small boat to meet the ship. They proved to be McCord and Radford. I met them on deck, where they assured me I could land without any fear of being arrested by the Secret Service agents. I thanked the boys for their good offices, and presently my wife and I were let out at the Ashland House on Fourth Avenue. Not long after this she went to our home in Twenty-first Street, but I remained at the hotel.
It was not much after one P.M. that we arrived at the hotel, and but mighty few minutes were allowed to pass before I was in ex-Judge Stuart’s house looking for legal advice and urging him to assist me out of my troubles. He said he’d see what could be done. Perhaps he might be able to settle the case with Colonel Whiteley, the Secret Service chief. Then I went to Cashier Van Orden’s house in Harlem. He fluttered like a bird in captivity when his eyes fell on me. I presume he had a mental picture of my arrest, and the possibility of his own implication, vividly before him. I wanted a settlement of my account in the Stuyvesant Bank. My visit was fruitless.
“Pretty soon,” he said, and I left him, intending to call again for further information as to what he had done or would do.
My next call on ex-Judge Stuart met with some satisfaction. He had seen Colonel Whiteley, and there was hope that I might fix the case. I went to Cashier Van Orden again, and told him that I must get my financial affairs in the Stuyvesant Bank settled; that I wanted to and must withdraw my account, and that I was anxious to get hold of the seventy-five hundred, Jim Burns’s money, I’d deposited there. Again was confronted with procrastination. Van Orden said he hadn’t been able to get to my account owing to the press of business in the bank. He was so sorry, you know.
A week passed in this manner and I was beginning to grumble not a little, when ex-Judge Stuart brought me further good news.
“I have arranged a meeting with Colonel Whiteley for you,” he said, “and you’re to name the place and time.”
“That sounds like business,” was my reply; “but are you sure you can trust this Secret Service man? Mind you, he’s about the hungriest fellow after reputation in his business that ever came along. He may be putting up a job to nail me. I’ve escaped the nab too long in this case to have it come now.”