The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-30
The "Average Detective" In Murder
Cases-rhe Nathan Mystery Again.

Cases-Fhe Nathan Mystery Again.
The skill of the American detective has be-
come byword. Young people who read the
thrilling romances Of Miss Braddon, with the
inevitable detective of fascinating shrewd-
ness, or whose hairs have stood on end at the
stories of the sluthhound Fouche, or who
have been appalled, at the deft and deep doings
Of the detective of Edgar A. Poe, are easily
misled when they come to apply their ideal to
the detective as he f1ourishes in this vicinity.
The average citizen of honest ways and SIM
pie mind invests this being with cloud through
which alone peers forth the historic impenetra-
BILE face, '"in whose lineaments," according
to the novelists 'the shrewdest observer
might fail to detect the keen power of obser-
walton which in reality the man possessed"
AS page or two is generally devoted to ''the
searching eyes which never appear to search, f"
we decline to print the confounding descrip-
ton; but we have little doubt that the afore-
said average citizen has an implicit belief that
such cloud-enveloped bodies and impenetrable
faces are to be seen moving up and down on
Broadway at certain times. We cannot, how
ever afford to let this delusion rest upon the
average citizen, whose house is as liable to be
| robbed as the Ocean Bank, or whose dearest
| friend is as liable to be murdered as Mr..
! Nathan. So it may be no harm to remove
| the cloud and sketch the beverage detective"
He is very ordinary looking man, whom you
would scarcely ever suspect of shrewdness,
and he is never likely to belle this appear
ance. His training consists in knowing
great many vile characters and learning all
the slang of the profession of thievery. His
skill extends to recovering articles stolen by
pickpockets and sneak thieves. AS there is
seldom prosecution in these cases the merit
of the detective is hidden from the public eye.
1t may be modesty that prevents this but as
these are what are called compromise cases."
and the person who has been robbed gives O
handsome bonus to the detective as well as the
thief, q malicious world if the facts were made
known, would not be slow to imagine that
both the officer and the criminal understood
each other perfectly Above this his skill
does not soar. There is point, however, on
which he is strong-namely, ''theories"
If daring and successful burglary or muir
der Of some little mystery occurs the detec-
tive can describe to nicely every wink and
s.jimmy" wrench, every stab and pistol shot
which has taken place, the mode of entrance,
the mode of exit and the exact social status of
the criminal he can follow to a miracle.
Then comes the question, "Who is it,"
The average citizen is here respectfully re-
quested to mark the remnant of his romance
detective in the manner of the average detec-
tives reply to this query. He pauses, smiles
iust perceptibly at the corners of the mouth,
and winks his right eye. After moment 8
silence, with fine dramatic touch, he remarks
that it is q fine day or dark day, as the case
may be; but he never catches his burglar or
murderer. Nevertheless, he can fan up the
excitement of an admiring public through
some innocent members OF the press, who
! probably cling with fervor to the idea of the
astute face in the cloud He theories and
winks himself into notoriety, and finds his
profit in the recovery business as before !;
but he never catches his burglar or murderer.
. Led at times from his usual round, he makes
great show Of activity but the moment he
attempts the more delicate kind of work to
which belongs the discovery of criminals of
more than usual intelligence his blunders and
shortcomings are painful to behold. We have
said he never CATCHES such a criminal but the
criminal occasionally confesses and catches
himself, whereupon we hear of the average
detective again, as he struts with his name
abroad and his wink more oppressively owl
like than ever. Here and there we, perhaps,
have exceptions to this not very flattering
portrait, but they keep perseveringly out of
sight.
The latest phase in the Nathan murder mys-
terry is the peg wherein we hang the fore
going enlightenment for the average citizen.
man named Irving, who has been giving
himself up to the California police for the
past six weeks, has made confession, I" in
which he assigns to himself very modest
share in the deed, while he makes a charge Of
the most terrible and cruel nature
against the young gentleman who had
of all others the most to deplore
in his fathers horrible death. To another
man, unnamed, he gives the dogs part
of the bloody work. He has memo
randum book hidden in this CITY, he
says, in which some names, well known
to the Nathan family, are to be found,
) together with some writing in Hebrew Now,
D the detectives generally pronounce all this
7 fraudulent pretence for securing O return
: ticket to New York, and they may be
right. The story obtains very little
credence in any of its parts from Mr. Nathan 8
\ friends although the stou- Of q missing