The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-12

fire almost immediately after Il 10 reported. Nevs,
was money moro probably expended BY our city
government than In the establishment Of the polioa
telegraph, for by its agency the efficiency of
department has been Increased two fold.
1t sometimes happens that. the Chiefs attention 1
called, while engaged here, to some extensive for
gerry which has been committed the day before OF
one OF our great mercantile houses. The head o
the firm is taken by the Chief into q neat, comforta
BILE apartment off from his office, which is used BY
him as q sleeping room when his business Ia 30 ur
gent as to prevent him from going home. Here al
the circumstances OF the . case are related II
him. and after due . inquiries as TO The
character OF the man, he ~entrnsts the whole case to
one of his shadows, who generally succeeds in m ak.
ing an arrest if he has not already made his csc ape
from the country. These sh adows are remarkable
men in their line, and possess, as their recommen-
dstien to the post they occupy, q tsnacity OF pur.
pose that never gives way SO long as there is even
the lemotest chance Of success. We have known
hem to follow the track of q forger or thief for
several months, and over three or four thousand
milea. Mr.. Reed, who Is now o Sergeant Of Police,
ia one Of che most successful who has ever been In
the force.
Occasionally the Chief undertakes the detection
Of the offender himself, as ne did in the case Of Paul,
one OF the confidential clerks in q banking firm in
this city. The shadows, however, are generally en-
trusted with all matters Of this description, their
expenses being generally paid by the parties for
the recovery of whose property they are en-
ployed. They are not always engaged in
tho nnrouft IF onnh swat ANanIaro khosr
their attention being confined principally to those
Of q lower grade, such as burglars, shoplifters and
petty thieves. When they make an arrest their
prisoner is taken before the Chief, who can tell at a
glance If he has been long engaged in the business.
II he is an "old stsger," who has seen the inside Of
the State prison more than once, and who is up to
all the tricks of his profession, he generally ad.
dresses him in the slang language, with which he is
familiar.
Two of the shadows have just brought In a Ger
man Jew, who has been exercising his professional
talents in shopliftDg, and who has been caught in
the act by the detectives. The following converse
ton takes place between the a~rresting party, the
party arrested, and the Chief =
CHIKF-Wen, sergeant, l see you have made an
~arrest-you have at last got the fellow you have
been after for q week past. 1, he foul2
SERGEANT BELL-Yes, sir.
CHIEF-What did he tou:h2
SERGEANT--Only q case Of addles.
CHIT-Whati . whole caseP
SE~RGEANT-Yes, sir, and here they are.
Aiarge bag is produced, out of which is taken q case
containing a dozen violins. 1t Is now the turn of the
arrested party, and he delivers himself in the following
style
TlmEr-ven, Mishter Sheet, ish not do dis; / ish q
hodIIar. dar tab WIN I;charaa r~1un 4 ,L:t- Ayh.--
and you sees ] goes down town init my pag to get zum
tings for beddle, and you sees ! put to pag down and
goes into to store to see il l coot buy zumting, and ven l
Gums pack finds zum has but dis pox in my pag. Veil,
! takes him and puts him on my pack to take him home,
an puts him in de papers for fine who he belonged to,
and as ! was going long this shentleman Sergeant
Belly says, "vel,I tnk you had peter go NIT me and
seeite Sheet" Ven, 1 goes and sees de Sheet, and here /
bees, and hopes, Mr.. Sheet, you Will let me 20 init my
pox and puts him in to paper.
CHIEF-Oh, no-thst won't do Il Is necessary
that you should carry this box q little further. Ser.
gesnt Reed, show this man to the Tombs.
And so the thief was accordingly shown to the
Tombs.
The Chief remains till 9 late hour at night in the
ofice-in fact, he is only out of 1t during meal hours,
and not then when anything important is going on.
Every day, at 2 o'clock, he makes q report to the
Mayor Of everything Of conse quence that transpires
In the Police Department, and receives his orders
from him. The whole force now exceeds q thousand
men, including the captains, sergeapts, and the re.
served corps, and these are thoroughly drilled. The
new system Of appointing them by the Police Com
missioners, consisting of the Mayor, Recorder and
City Judge. and making their tenure Of office de-
pendent on their good conduct and eff cheney, must
be attended with the most beneficial effects on the
physical and moral character OF the force. As we
have said, there is room for impr and we
have no doubt that In the course Of q few years more
they will DO as distinguished for their vigilance as
TIE Charles were noted for their efficiency.
Lieut.. Bartlett's Lecture ON Frcsnel Lights.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Thanking your reporter for his general accuracy in
condensing his report OF my lecture last evening, be.
fore the Geographical and Statistical Society, l desire to
make some slight corrections for the benefit Of closely
observing readers.
The light exhibited in the passage way Of the Univer-
sity was not a &c specimen of the second class" but was
the fifth order or class, and Of the variety known as fix.
ed, varied by white and red flashes. Where the report
says, ''Tbe lecturer made q diversion to show that there
was no truth in the claim OF the English to the
priority of invention, Mr.. Stephenson claiming to
have been the Hrst to make a lens with concen.
trio rings" il should be as follows:-sThe lecturer
made q diversion to show that the English claim
to total reirsction, or, as they have termed it,
holophotai refiaction, Is not %tenable, no new principle Is
app.isd, and the fact is that all the calculations had
been made and the lenses modelled and cut under the
direction Of the French Engineers-by Mr.. Henry Le-
pau;e. Of Pnris-for the light now lighted at Cape HATTIE.
ras, but known in the reports on its construction as the
Sand Key light, Tor which it was originally designed,
long anterior To the English claim of invention OF holo.
photsl re~irsction. 1t Is but the mechanical devslopement
(and that took place in Frsnce) Of Fresnel's plans, and
existed independent Of the English pretension."
In h~olophotal or total reflection precisely the same
facts exist; il was executed In France before the English
authorities attempted the execution, but neither have
yet adopted II IN practice.
Where the United States Lighthouse Board lie referred
to as stating that il was not practicable 10 use refectors
on board light vessels, II should read that such was the
declaration of the department" before the creation Of
the present effective board, ReHectors are now being
substituted on all light vessels, in place OF the old torch.