rote to Porter to do all he could, and at the same time wrote to
the General Superintendent, suggesting the propriety of sending another
man, who should keep in the background and "spot" Maroney and his wife,
or their friends, so that if any one of them should leave town he could
follow him, leaving Porter in Montgomery, to keep track of the parties
there.

There were, of course, a number of suspicious characters in a town of
the size of Montgomery, and it was necessary to keep watch of many of
them.

Maroney frequented a saloon kept by a man whom I will call Patterson.
Patterson's saloon was the fashionable drinking resort of Montgomery,
and was frequented by all the fast men in town. Although outwardly a
very quiet, respectable place, inwardly, as Porter found, it was far
from reputable. Up stairs were private rooms, in which gentlemen met to
have a quiet game of poker; while down stairs could be found the
greenhorn, just "roped in," and being swindled, at _three card monte_.
There were, also, rooms where the "young bloods" of the town--as well as
the old--could meet ladies of easy virtue. It was frequented by fast men
from New Orleans, Mobile, and other places, who were continually
arriving and departing.

I advised the General Superintendent that it would be best to have
Porter get in with the "bloods" of the town, make himself acquainted
with any ladies Maroney or his wife might be familiar with, and adopt
generally the character of a fast man.

As soon as the General Superintendent received my letter he telegraphed
to me to send the second man, and also requested me to meet him, at a
certain date, in New York.

I now glanced over my force to see who was the best person to select for
a "shadow". Porter had been promoted by me to be a sort of "roper".

Most people may suppose that nearly any one can perform the duties of a
"shadow", and that it is the easiest thing in the world to follow up a
man; but such is not the case. A "shadow" has a most difficult position
to maintain. It will not do to follow a person on the opposite side of
the street, or close behind him, and when he stops to speak to a friend
stop also; or if a person goes into a saloon, or store, pop in after
him, stand staring till he goes out, and then follow him again. Of
course such a "shadow" would be detected in fifteen minutes. Such are
not the actions of the real "shadow", or, at least, of the "shadow"
furnished by my establishment.

I h