including one occasion when Bracken succeeded in rushing Dodge as
far as Galveston, where they were forced to abandon their design.

From time to time Bracken would disappear from Houston for a week
or ten days, stating on his return that he had been to New York,
after which there was invariably some new move to get the prisoner
away. Time and space prevent giving a detailed account of all the
marches and counter-marches that took place in this battle of wit
against wit.

In August, 1904, Bracken made one of his periodical visits to New
York, and when he returned sought out Jesse and said: "Blocher, you
might as well be a good fellow and get yours while you can. I mean
that Dodge is not going back to New York, even if it cost a million
dollars to prevent it." A few days later Bracken sent a gambler
named Warner to Jesse, who offered the latter thirty-five hundred
dollars to get "lost" long enough for the prisoner to slip over to
Mexico. Acting upon the advice of his attorney, Jesse encouraged
this attempt, under the belief that if he could get the Hummel
forces in the position of having attempted to bribe him the
prisoner's bail could then be forfeited and Dodge himself taken
into custody. Hummel became wary, however, and apparently
abandoned for the time the idea of bribery. Later on Bracken again
disappeared. On his return a marked change was noticeable in his
demeanor and Jesse observed that he was in constant consultation
with Dodge, from which the detective drew the inference that some
last desperate move was to be made towards the escape of the
prisoner.

On one occasion Jesse saw Bracken showing Dodge a map and some