Better Gutenberg
Free, beautifully formatted public-domain ebooks

Twenty Years a Detective

by Clifton R. Wooldridge

220 sections · Download EPUB

Start reading ›
  1. 1Epigraph
  2. 2Preface
  3. 3Publisher’s Preface
  4. 4Words of Commendation
  5. 5Sherlock Holmes in Real Life
  6. 6Clifton R. Wooldridge — America’s Foremost Detective
  7. 7Born in Kentucky
  8. 8An Unparalleled Record
  9. 9Cannot Be Bribed
  10. 10Tremendous Amount of Work Done
  11. 11Life History of Wooldridge
  12. 12Numberless Hair-Breadth Escapes
  13. 13Saves Women and Children in Fire
  14. 14Rides to Station on Prisoner’s Back
  15. 15Hangs on Window Sill
  16. 16A Plot to Kill Detective Wooldridge
  17. 17Detective Wooldridge Roughly Handled
  18. 18Fine Work in a Thieves’ Resort
  19. 19Makes High Dive
  20. 20Story Rivals Poe’s “Black Cat”
  21. 21On Duty in Great Strike
  22. 22Remarkable Work as a Ragpicker
  23. 23Hero of Some Fierce Fights
  24. 24Crooked Gambling Trust
  25. 25Try to Corrupt Schoolboys
  26. 26Detective Wooldridge Secures Evidence in Novel Way
  27. 27Acts as Vendor of Fighting “Chickens”
  28. 28Bribery Tactics of No Avail
  29. 29Graft Nation’s Worst Foe — Are You a Grafter?
  30. 30Fleecing Invalids and Cripples
  31. 31Sharks Ruin Business Men
  32. 32Shrewd Beggar Graft
  33. 33Book — Lovers Easy Prey of Frauds
  34. 34Detective Clifton R. Wooldridge’s “Never-Fail” System
  35. 35The Best Rules for Health, Happiness and Success
  36. 36Pride Costs More Than Hunger, Thirst and Cold
  37. 37Coining Cupid’s Wiles
  38. 38Concrete Examples
  39. 39Bigamy and the Bureau
  40. 40Breaking Into the Nobility
  41. 41The Horrible Gunness Farm
  42. 42In Lighter Vein
  43. 43One of the Lucky Ones
  44. 44The Faker and the Press
  45. 45Matrimonial Agencies’ Advertisements for Rich Wives and Husbands
  46. 46The Great Mistake — Our Penal System Is a Relic of Early Savagery
  47. 47Intelligence in Punishing Crime
  48. 48The “Silent System” Is a Crime Against Criminals
  49. 49Extreme Methods Faulty
  50. 50Jails Make 50,000 Criminals a Year
  51. 51Crime Based on Suggestion
  52. 52Suggests Great Prison Farm
  53. 53Improving the Public Health
  54. 54Road Work for Convicts
  55. 55Solves “Good Roads” Problem
  56. 56Extend the Parole System
  57. 57Vagrants; Who and Why
  58. 58Colonies for Tramps
  59. 59The Young Criminal — How He Is Bred in Chicago
  60. 60Preventing Crime Better Than Cure
  61. 61The End of the Gamin
  62. 62Chicago Has Her Children
  63. 63Graduate of the Streets
  64. 6410,000 Boys Worse Than Homeless
  65. 65Schools for Pickpockets
  66. 66Modern Boys Are Gamblers
  67. 67Remedies Suggested by Some
  68. 68Failure to Rule Children Makes Criminals
  69. 69Respect Rights of Others
  70. 70Reformatory After First Crime
  71. 71Guide Child of Fifteen Carefully
  72. 72Child Like a Plant
  73. 73Rear Child in Love
  74. 74The Greatest Reform Movement of the Day Is the Chicago Juvenile Court
  75. 75Illinois in the Lead
  76. 76Wiles of Fortune Telling
  77. 77Spooks Raided — Detectives Wooldridge and Barry Descend on a West S…
  78. 78Wife or Gallows? — Prefers Hanging to Living With His Wife
  79. 79Woman Was Robbed and Murdered
  80. 80Devel Confesses to the Crime
  81. 81Police Learn He Is Not Guilty
  82. 82Searching for Motive of Confession
  83. 83A Clever Shoplifter — Detective Wooldridge Finds a Fair Criminal
  84. 84Sleeps All Day; Makes Night Hideous
  85. 85Stole $1,000 Worth of Goods in Two Days
  86. 86Kept at South Bartonville Without Locks
  87. 87History of “Fainting Bertha”
  88. 88Criticises the Linen Purchased by the State
  89. 89Bertha Says Gunther Promised to Marry Her
  90. 90Most Unruly Prisoner in Joliet
  91. 91Penitentiary Glad to Be Rid of Her
  92. 92Pale Blue Color Scheme of Bertha’s Ward
  93. 93Delighted at Chance of Going to Town
  94. 94Took Pie and Candy Back “Home”
  95. 95Detention Record of “Fainting Bertha”
  96. 96Front
  97. 97Stanley Field’s Buggy
  98. 98Fake Pride Leads to Crime
  99. 99Last Chance Gone
  100. 100Instructions for Taking Finger Prints
  101. 101Burglary a Science — Electricity Now a Factor
  102. 102Cell Terms for “Con” Men — Four Are Sentenced for Long “Graft” Records
  103. 103Panel House Thieves
  104. 104Must Have Pretty Woman
  105. 105Gambling and Crime
  106. 106Danger to the Patient
  107. 107Hastened McKinley’s Death
  108. 108Letter From Edward A. Kuehmsted, the Principal Dealer in Spurious D…
  109. 109The State Laws Covering the Fraudulent Adulteration of Drugs and Me…
  110. 110Bucket-Shop
  111. 111“Speculation” an Unmeaning Term
  112. 112“Board of Trade” Falsely Blamed
  113. 113What Is a Bucket Shop
  114. 114Ready to Make All Deals
  115. 115Name Coined in London
  116. 116Game Neatly Fixed
  117. 117How the Suckers Are Skinned
  118. 118Other “Fakes” “Boost” the Game
  119. 119Big Dividend Promises False
  120. 120“Outsider” Has No Chance
  121. 121On Level With Lottery and Faro Bank
  122. 122Open Gambling Under Ban
  123. 123Open Door to Ruin
  124. 124On “Sure Things”
  125. 125All “Brite & Fair”
  126. 126Dodge Uncle Sam and Conspiracy Laws
  127. 127Wildcats Give Good Reference
  128. 128Huge Swindles Bared
  129. 129$300,000,000 Capital
  130. 130Did Heavy Business
  131. 131Scheme of the Company
  132. 132The Guarantee Co. Methods
  133. 133Good Advice on “Guarantee”
  134. 134Do Booming Business
  135. 135The Social Evil
  136. 136America Follows Old Lines
  137. 137Only Burned Orphan Asylum
  138. 138Give All Honest Chance
  139. 139Average Evil Life Very Short
  140. 140Argument Against Segregation
  141. 141Evil Not Necessary
  142. 142Nobler Womanhood the Goal
  143. 143Suppress Manufacture and Sale of Dangerous Weapons — They Are a Con…
  144. 144Queers the Town
  145. 145Getting Something for Nothing
  146. 146Trying Their Hand at Life Insurance
  147. 147Assurance Given Investors
  148. 148Purchases “Guaranteed”
  149. 149Want AD. Fakers
  150. 150Home Work Scheme Catches Many
  151. 151Money Charged for Fake “Outfits”
  152. 152A Smooth Scheme
  153. 153Financial “Journal” Frauds
  154. 154Millionaire Banker and Broker Arrested
  155. 155List of Branch Offices
  156. 156Exclusive Offices for Lady Speculators
  157. 157On the “Oil Exchange”
  158. 158Reasons Which Caused Investigation, Raid and Arrest
  159. 159Wooldridge’s Raid
  160. 160Offices Filled With Patrons
  161. 161Names of Prisoners Arrested
  162. 162Crowd Gathers
  163. 163“Red Letter” Well Known — Patrons Told They Would Not Lose If Advic…
  164. 164Sullivan Has Record
  165. 165DORA McDONALD
  166. 166No Witnesses of Killing
  167. 167Woman Cut by Broken Glass
  168. 168Mystery Too Much for Coroner
  169. 169Friends Get Busy Quickly
  170. 170Guerin’s Life Story
  171. 171Dora McDonald Divorced Wife of “Sam” Barclay
  172. 172Beauty of West Side
  173. 173Boy of 14 Enters
  174. 174Stole Him as a Boy, Slew Him as a Man, Says Archie Guerin
  175. 175Mike McDonald Deluded by Wife
  176. 176Provides for the Defense
  177. 177Dramatic Meeting of McDonald and First Wife
  178. 178Trial Begins
  179. 179Names of the Jury
  180. 180Packed Courtroom
  181. 181Dramatic Scene in Courtroom
  182. 182Bloom Gone From Cheek
  183. 183No Madness in Her Eyes
  184. 184Traces of Siren Left
  185. 185A “Sappho” and “Salome”
  186. 186“Kill Me If You Will,” She Says in a Verse
  187. 187Sought Vindication to Spare Her Aged Mother
  188. 188Strong Defense by Lewis
  189. 189Strikes Hard at Archie Guerin
  190. 190O’Donnell Moves to Tears
  191. 191Quotes the Gospel
  192. 192Acquittal Creates Thrilling Scenes
  193. 193Suspense Frightful
  194. 194McDonald Jurors Tell of the Verdict
  195. 195Woman Serene as Verdict Is Read
  196. 196The Vampire
  197. 197Mike McDONALD
  198. 198Begins Life as “Candy Butcher”
  199. 199Patriotic for a Price
  200. 200Solved Gambling Problem
  201. 201Once Ruled All Chicago
  202. 202Near to Penitentiary
  203. 203Case Finally “Fixed”
  204. 204Rises in His Profession
  205. 205Throne in “The Store”
  206. 206The Big Courthouse “Job”
  207. 207Domestic Life Rough
  208. 208Sam Barclay Tells “How Mike McDonald’s Coin Won Dora Away”
  209. 209Opens Saloon in Chicago
  210. 210Likely Lad of 200 Pounds
  211. 211Nothing Like Real Love
  212. 212Day of Harrison Funeral
  213. 213Deep Game Well Played
  214. 214Wife Gets Divorce
  215. 215Second Wedding in Milwaukee
  216. 216Induces Husband to Disinherit Son
  217. 217The Sting and Curse of Ill-Gotten Money
  218. 218Wife No. 1, Widow; No. 2, Repudiated
  219. 219Have You Read
  220. 220Clifton R. Wooldridge

← Back to Twenty Years a Detective

Scroll to Top