New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-22

TO fhe EdttOF Cf yhe TrfGH"e.
SIR: The Police Department might, if does
10, already u. pare records which would at all lines
show The locality and description OF every gambling
house. every den q prostitution OF Other irfamy. every
place Of resort Of gangs OF dangerous or notorious crni-
nails every receivers house, in Ills metre loAs. The
prnr...isual lorr,Ys AMI "efacksncE" are limited
class, whose names anil phlsioGnomy are familiar 10
many OF c detectives and would sclh TO be 40 great
tasS to place them all on record, With particular ac-
count Of the career and connections Of each. detective
coming here nom another city in search Of fugitive
criminal should bo able 70 lCOk through, rapidly ana with
certainty such "rogucs' gallery" as would generally
enable HIN to discover lie Identity OF the person sought
There appears, however 10 be sad want OF system In
these matters. knowledge Of crime and criminals has,
indeed is tie stcck!ntrado Of most detectives They
tle care TO keep their operations means Of detection
ard instrumcntutics generally, as far as possible,
wrapped in mystery The result Of this policy is
TO give great facility for compromised or division Of
SOILS between he criminals md tie officers appointed
TO bring hem 70 justice. The information which dctcc
tiycs acquire IN the Of their experience belongs to
the public by which they are employed. There Is, or
course much which il would be nadyablc to allow tho
public including the criminals, 70 know; but the nfcr-
nation acquired shOuld not DO left IN the possession OF
lin alone who has gathered it, Detectives should bo re-
ourCG to render central CCe daily and minute
reports Of iLcr Investigations The nature OF The pursuit,
the progress mJdc what ucy propose TO accomplish,
what agencies they employing. The honest dctcc-
live would naturally desire TO give such account,
constant guarantee u good fah: Lis statements woud
be ever subject 10 NeIlncatiOn. in Of doubt and
"CUmpIOUi.c" with tho criminals would TO seen TO lie,
under such circumstance difficult end dangerous for
him, as to be n thing OF which Lo could not
be reasonably suspected. 1t is related, Cor ex,,
ample, thai noted thieves broker. when approached
come months ago by person wn0 Drought lnn
what he deemed prop5r Credentials rpre5gn.ing That
said that he did not have so many within reach but
that a certain country bank would he robbed within
lew days and That then he could faThish NC bonds.
The buyer in reality detective; He received this
iLfJrmation Of the contemplated robbery five days
Beforehand, and actually purchased one OF tine bonds
within week after tie robbery the seller delivering tho
b0ad through The same broker. The detective had moi
believed 10 possible thai the brokers statement was
worthy u attention ond he did not formally report ie
systematically detailing AL such matters ~ wrlting
daily, the ratter Would undoubtedly have been duly
noted and not only the robbery prevented but the rob
bers captured AS was all that could be done was to
place closer watch on the broker, aud find with what
Apart, however, from The immeauralc advantages
which wOnld accrue TO the detective service Itself IN
epcc 81 efficiency from better system there - also TO
BE- taken into account the public good winch might be
done By enabling the press 90 BECOME more elective
TespeclhDe connexions c9htehpiates thc commission o.
crime, he ia invariably deferred more by the fear of
bringing public disgrace through the press. upon his
family and friends than Of being sentenced TO solitary
confinement and hard labor in prison many years II
j. terrible TetrbutlOn 10 have IL known In ones native
village that he If convicted feon and this Is wrthed
under more Than any otter punishment A the number
minute details given by the press, in each case, 40 must
inevitable publicity be Of the most effectual
preventves OF every other form Of crime 1t very often
happens, however, that the press does not obtain sua
bly, accurate details. If be the Of noted crmi
nal there il regular place OF resort for full and trust
worthy information and details often distorted to
such extent according to the whm of the particular
detective who may be applied b. for infor-
nation, as TO be irrecOnclsble with such "a
may be derived from other sources. III 1t
DO the case of any one who. though long under
surveillance, and though detected in crime but left
an unconscious "stOOlpgeon," maintains n quasi-re-
spectacle standing then 1t becomes especially Of import
that such observations may have been made by
the officers should have been recorded at their dates un
der proper supervision. Judges would then be enabled
10 decide ntclligenty In cases OF appeals Tor
mercy and the other hand, In publication OF extra
judicial matters the press would have surer guide
Buch records those referred should not be accessible
before conviction except 10 the police and yet, upon
conviction, the full details 10 The criminal ana his
crimes should be blazOned forth for warning ana lnsic
tiOD guard against future similar Oensos. Proceed
ings In court often very brief and merely TECHNICAL
and Vic press VIII aud must beyond thon nv goou