The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-10
NEW YORK LETTER.

by Wholesale
NEW YORK, July Cone of our Demo-
cratic gems OF Judges-who, withal, was once a
Duccaneer on the high seas-has made himself
tor the many eth time, talked about by making
loud bid last Sunday for the Irish Catholic
vote at the next election. In order to be more
IN favor with the Hibernan element he has
Just ratlhed his conversion from Professionalism
TO Romanism, by switching of under the con.
nrmlng hand OF Archbishop McCloskey. In
these deeenerate days there is nothing to which
men, lost to all sense OF honor al shame will
not turn for the sake OF office. There is nothing
so sacred that they will not pollute 1t with their
uninoly hands Tor the purpose OF making their
political ends meet, and that this is only another
instance of this kind OF thing, the previous
character of the Judge referred to sufficiently
.attests.
Another term of our criminal court-the Court
OF General Seseions-ended last week. NotWith-
standing the very long calendar, and the occur
renee OF many extensive swindles, robberies, and
frauds, not case has been brought to Justice
through the lnstrumentality OF the much-lauded
and well-advertIsed detectives The truth is
our detective police is as absolute a fraud upon
1hls community as any organized band OF cor.
ruptohists could well be. This has been fully
evlnced by the performances respecting the two
or three great BOND robberies, about which so
much has been SAID and so little done, In
strange contrast with what is called the energy
of our detective police, all the criminals who are
well known, and who happen to be brought into
court, are brought thither by citizens, or police
IN uniform, or both. II Cardozo would issue an
Injunction restraining the Metropolitan Detec-
hive Police from operating on the credulUy of
our citizens, great deal of crime in this CITY
would at once suspend, and criminals not able
10 Withstand temptation would have to leave
the city, or take an express train to Sing Sing
prison.
There is, however one man who has demon
strated TO the country that, in order to be sue
cessful detectives, men espousing that proles-
sion must be honest, and also Jealous for Justice
This parsonage Is Mr.. Allen Plnkerton Scotch
man, who began his detective career in Chicago
and through many difficulties and discourage
ments has at length established one OF the most
reliable, thorough, and successful bodies of dis
Greet detectives which has ever been brought
into being IN our own or any other country.
What is known as the "stool-plgeon" system this
PlnkertOn detective establishment ignores and
contemns. Assuming the modest title OF
'NatlOnal Police Agency it sets itself forth as
an individual and private enterprise, and is not
in any way connected with controlled by any
municipal corporation or governmental autho-
Tity. It was established for the purpose of pre-
venting and detecting crime. The detection of
crime is accomplished by means of a quite COM
plete system of branch agencies in the various
cities OF the United States, which are in connec-
tion with the Central Office in Chicago. Only
such business is undertaken as Is strictly
legitimate and right; and then only for the pur-
pose Of turthering the ends of justice, and
bringing crminals to punishment In his
pamphlet OF instructions 10 his employees, who
are OF both sexes Mr.. Plnkerton informs them
that "the existence OF the detective as an officer
should be entirely unknown. All his acts
should be surrounded with ,secresy, and in TACT
so lar as being recognIzed@s a detective is con-
cerned, he should strive to be the very last
person upon whom such Suspicion would be
likely tU fall" Crime" says Mr.. Pinkerton,
"has become more scientific; it Is, to many,
matter OF study how they can possess themselves
of the property o! others and yet shroud them
selves from the chances of detection" The
pamphlet goes on to say very sensibly, tnat
"the detective requires to be OF high order of
mind, and must possess clear, honest eompre-
henslve understandlng lorce OF VIII and Vlgor
of body, able upon any emergency, likely to
lead to discovery OF his character or plans, to
strlke out new course and prevent himself
from being detected by the criminal upon whom
be may be operating
Mr. Pnkerton claims for the profession "a
high and honorable calling" and adds that
%'ieW professions excel it" "Hhe detective,n he
says, sis an officer OF Justice, and must himself
be pure and above reproach"
He scouts the old axiom "set thiet to catch
thiet,' ano, after referring to the evils of that
theory, he says:-"All such practice Is ignored
by this agency, which holds as its cardinal prln-
ciple that crime is as foreign to the human
mind poisonous mineral substance is to the
body; and that the criminal, by his criminal
act weakens the whole fortress of his strength
both mental ana moral, by receiving therein an
enemy which Will always be on the watch to
betray him-and which certainly will betray
him sooner or later, when the right detective
appears, and brings to bear upon the criminal
all the armories of superior Intellectual and
moral lower. The detective, if he is TO operate
in the higher departments OF crime, must be a
man of considerable intellectual power, and pos
sess such knowledge OF human nature as will
give him quick insight into character. There
is no stronger evidence of weakness unfit
ness for his position than the continued resort
TO liquor, by the detective, with the criminal
upon whom he is operating. Crime and
must be detected by the pure and honest mind
obtaining controlling power over that of the
criminal; but In so dong he ought not to seek
TO weaken the mind he has to contend with
by any eXcesses such as have been alluded to-
The detective must, in every instance, report
everything which is favorable to the suspected
party, as well as everything which may be
against him. The object of every investiga
tion made by this Agency is to come at the
whole truth, in all the cases that are submitted
10 it, There must be no endeavoring, there
fore, TO OVer-COlor or eXaggerate anything
against any particular individual, whatever the
suspicion may be against him. 1t is the true
junction OF the detective to be impartial in al
his operations, and to guard himself against
prejudice on the one hand and favor on the
other. He is to learn all he can, both for an(
against the person who may happen to be hi
quarry tor the time being, and report accord
ingly. He must credit neither good or ill o
any man upon hearsay, His data should b.
founded on knowledge only, and 1T upon hearsay
the same must be fairly expressed. All suspi
cions must be verified by facts. No man Ough
10 be made 10 suffer on suspicion only. Action
alone are amenable to law and Justice. Thes
are fundamental aXioms OF this agency, ant
must be borne in mind by every detective VIII
is attached TO It,"
Such is a fair picture of what detectiv
police department should be- But the fraudu
lent and tarcical thing known as the Detectiv
Bureau of our Metropolitan Police ls organize
and operated upon system SO different tha
the ventilation OF Mr.. Pinkerton's views ma
Of hOfb f,, NaNUV