CHANCE FOR A DETECTIVE.
Maybe He Can Find Out Who Bun-
coed the City Detective Force.
Consternation reigns among about ten detectives at police headquarters. They have work to do, detective work, and each one is keeping from the other his course of action. They are all searching for a clue to the wag who so kindly made them each a present of a substantial check -- all of which turned out to be bogus. Each of the detectives received a letter containing a check, worded as follows:
"Dear Blank: Inclosed please find my check for $10 which please accept for past favors. Merry Xmas, W. D. Blank.
One guardian of the peace immediately set out and paid his grocery bill with his check. Another indorsed his and banked it. Still another, in need of some ready cash, saw Captain Frank F. Snow, property clerk, who was accommodating enough to cash the paper for him.
It is not for everybody to know, but one of them is said to have paid a little saloon bill with his, while one did a very unusual thing -- he paid his doctor bill. This little detective wanted to surprise his physician, and he did, as the doctor indorsed the check to another, to whom he has not got to make good.
It was not until yesterday morning that the ten detectives, who had been so especially remembered "for past favors" this Christmas, began to get together and talk through their noses to one another about the matter. Then they began to take notes by way of comparing the letters. All are in the same handwriting, which is poor and the spelling bad. But the detectives never noticed that. All they saw were the checks.
