, 1873-02-10
THE PARIS POLICE,


In Wow OF tic attention which has boon lately
excited in our police syBtem and tint Of other
American Cities 1t is worth while to study that
Of raris, Which ID acknowledged to DO tho bout
In tho world. .
On the maxim, I" act thief to catch a thief"
Vidocq, n notorious convict, pas taken from tho
galleys into the service Of tie Fronoh Goyorn-
mont. It was ho who established, IN 1917, tho
sureto Ills exceptional ability enabled him to
effect somo notable cnpturos, but tho Bystom
which, under him and Coco-Lacour, hin SUCCESSION
another professional thiof-was fair1y tried,
developed auch evlB that it had to bo abandoned.
In 1882 tho corps was dissolved, and recon
atructoa on o ditfcront basis. III view Of tho
temptations OF thor position, Of which bribery
was tho most dangerous, 1t wns all important to
and ihoorruptible. Tho difficult taBk was finally
accomplished and tho moral character Of the
individuals composing La surato, who are noar
II all mnrriod rnoh, and fathers Of families, has
cheney. This corps, which keopa in chook tho
whole criminal population Of Parin consista of
about 160 persons, whose skill in tho detection
of crime amounts almost to intuition. Their
Bhnrponcd by experience TINT they aro enabled
to dotornine from few triAing Indications The
oircunlstancoB Of O case and tho offender con-
cornod In it. Cauleris said to havo discovered tho
clue to d murder from four words written OIL d
piece Of papor; in which some butter WIS
wrapped up, and numerous inBtnnoon are OIL roc
ord in which tho most insignificant aigns hnyo
boon mndo tho basis of B,iccessfnl detective OPP
oratiouB.
Some time ago, convict escaped from Gay
emo was ascertainsd to DO working US carpen-
ter In shopiu the Faubourg Saint Antoine. On
tho protonRo OF IN urgent Job Ao waa induced
to 60 out and was 67codily takon to tho Profeo-
turo iii cab. His protostationA wero siloncsd
described his rnst experiences: Your uamo ia
80 aud so you have beou condemned to ton
years Of ponal aorvitudo; yon lied through tho
Dutch posBessionD; you rc3idc.: In London i'll
such p1ace you came to Franco through
Calais you aro tattooca OIL tho loft arm !; you
hayo smallpox mark under the right nostril
There it iH. Donal is useless, and you flnd bet
ter admit all" The partionlarity ind precision of
once confeaaotl llis identity. II is curious to
learn how ail this Information was obtained,
and it ls hardly necessary to- say that
TIC noiia' oq IN seh oseasl9as nya
oratos. Thoae aro chosen among released
conyictu, WHO, in exchange for tho information
they impnrt, arc allowca certain im1nnnitios and
ronlunoration, but receive 10 regular pay- In
ponds, in many cases, upon thoir acting Us apios
upon criminals. They put the inspectors OH the
track, and their reward is graduated to the ma
turo Of tho orime, boing five francs for oyery
rohbory with Violence and fifty for every n,urdor
Which they llaye helped to ferret out. In tl1ua
a1ailing themselves OF tho knowledge Of crim-
inatH III regard to tho operations Of their follows,
subordinate capacity, the Paris oflloinla aro en-
nbled to keep IN effective check Oil the danger
ous e}nsses. Even condemned criminals aro
found roady to disclose the acts Of others for tho
tie privilege Of remaining in Paris ponitentary
instead Of being transferred to the country.
Tho prevention Of crime i8 also eff2ntcl by
tho agents Of La suIeto by looping such n sur
yeillanco over suspicious characters that thoir
alightost movements are known, md, If nccos-
eary, gunrdea against. Tho eyes Of tho detoct-
iyo6 arc everywhere, and such is thoir knowledge
Of physiognomy that q chance look, q casual
twtchiug Of the mouth, arc sufficient indications
Of tho manner in which tho criminal 1nay DO in
nets are tho means by which many Offenders arc
made useful instruments Of Justice. Tho ordi-
nary police forco OF Bergonnts do Vile keop Bucl
q cloao inspection Of all tho inmates Of tho
| dotectiyes arc greatly aimpliticd. Regiaters Of
| everything and everybody may ba found at
the Offices of the Prefecture aud tho person.
al history and aliases Of all criminals,
with tho Blightost misdemennor, aro recorded
for future referonco should tho OCCASION require.
Notwithstanding tie fact TINT the police Of Paris
are intruRtcd with secrets out OF which fortunes
might be male it iB sail that Of tho 6681 agents
] undor tho ortlora Of tho Prefecture, only ono
| instance Las occurred of an individual aeoking
| to profit by m adventure in which he was con-
| corued. While Tho minute supervision which
J the Plris police exercises over tho atfars Of i'll
dividuals aud tho public might not be relislc<l
a1nong us, 1t iB worth considering whether
como Of the featuroB Of tho RyHtom might not bo
| NJ. antagcouRly adopted hore. It ths anthorl~
ties Of Scotland Yard asl advico in critical casos
| from tho authorities in tho Ruo de Jerusalem,
we may certainly learn something from tho men
| and meanurcH that hnyo giYon q worldwide
! reputation to tho pnrls police.