The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-12-07
New York Detectives.
REVELATIONS CONCERNING FFscVLiAR
PHASE OF CITY LIFE.

Absya' IL. ciity-iive years ago, ere tie
Centennial aas dreamed %, II vas dis
covered tA.t frauds were tFacliced IN
the New York Clearing True.
taeS@ franiS were Jrifiing, compared 70
,il. enormosls pccnlas o.ss ~ famI' i-.r M
this era of Grst.siSun. St..l they @eie
regarded =. that tiaae as danger ns!y
large. ard the. officials nf the Clearing
hr',is+ w-rr grady exercised III spsrit
in regard tsiaeG. ~Fmally i was sus-
g~s.ed that some person 81 shrew dnsss
and fidelity should be employed by the
institution a. a special spy upon sms-
pectesi persoos snd as general pro-
plrylsc'ic against fraud, who should
give bis whole time and attention io
this department. snt 10 nothing else.
and who should no. ne public police
officer but a "private detective" The
idea was acted upon at once, and from
that time the private detective (as dis
tinct from the regular police de,eetive)
became known 10 Americans
The first private detective. as such,
who figured in New York. was "Gil'
Hayes, the son OF "Uli Hayes." who
had been Il Clearing house s,tache all
his life. "Gil" Hayes was not very
bright; still, he managed 10 do very
well for his time. He encountered a
good deal of opposition from the police.
who regarded him as an intruder who
interfered with their perquisites. but he
held his own and he was really useful.
A man named Stockley came a few
years later into prominence "a u pri-
. va.e detective in New York. lie acted
not for any one institution, but took
salaries from several. for looking after
their police work generally. while he
managed to DO large amount Of busi-
ness in special '.iobs" He may be re-
garfiet, ~" the first man i'll New York
who did distinct uu,,~ass Oh his own
account rs private detective. From
these beginnings the business spread,
and as the ramitications If trade in
creased. the wealth (and fraud) Of the
country magnified, there naturally arose
great demand for private detectives.
who are now part and parcel of our So
cial and criminal life. aud very curious
portions of it, Necessary evils. per-
haps. but odd. interesting and essential.
All in all. il is estimated there are
about eighty-fve men in New York
who make a living as private detec-
tives," their incomes varying from
81 900 year TO $4,000. This. of
course. does not include the detectives
l~-rt~y-s I- -.~r~--..~---s -s~rss, oss.
From New York the system Of private
detectives has spread to other cities; it
flourishes in Philadelphia. where Tag
eart, q private detective used bv Ton
Scott. has been made State Senator.
As rule private detectives are used
only in civil cases; one firm, IT IS true,
has dealt in criminal matters, but with
this exception. private detectives find it
necessary to contine themselves to civil
or social cases. The reasons for this are
obvious. Private detectives have no
official authority, consequently they are
less dreaded by. and are less brought IN
contact with professional thieves and
cut t-throais again the class OF persons
who employ private detectives general
" desire privacy and secrecy the Of
fences which they desire ieretsi out be-
Jog such as they Do not wish 10 make u
noise al,oat in the public criminal cal
endar
The field for the usefulness of the
private detective, even with this iimi-
tation, is. however, ample. 1t covers
All immense numbFr of separate classes
OF cases. Private detectives, for Oil ex
ample, are found very serviceable in the
service of processes iu civil suits. All
sorts OF stratagems are resorted tn by
the parties dreading the serving OF
these processes upon them to avoid said
service. and consequently ali sorts OF
counter strstagems are resorted to 10y
the side ,ieslrous Of serving who often
employ private detectives TO accomplish
this object 4 recent case in point will
serve to illustrate.
A man-called, let us say, Robinson
was concerned In a case III which Ad-
ans Express Company was largely in
terested. This Robinson WAS very wiry
and resorted tn every known dodge to
avoid being summoned in the case. he
assumed aliases. he left town. he denied
his identity At last private detec-
tive employed by the company hit on
All idea, aEd reduced it to practice.
One day an express wagon, not Adams
Express. drove up 10 Roblusons store,
and = messenger alishted. The mes
senger bore regularly marked mosey
package for a Mr.. 80 and-so Robinson.
Everything was in regular business
shape: there could be no possible trick
here: there was genuine money await
ing him here--so thought Mr.. So-and
so Robinson. who. accordingly. though
he had within twenty fou. hours de-
nicd bis name. now confessed il with a
7 smile Of anticipation, even .o,k his cath
~ 1t with earnesiness. only 10 find too
+ late that he had fallen into trap. that
/ the express messenger was private de-
tec,,ve and ths, the money package
. contained the hated AMI long avoided
/ Summons
/ Another imporeans line oil byssinoss
which i row attended by private de-
/ .eciises is the watching. in behalf #
the sewing machine companies AMI
other large carporations. OF infringe
neu's ~ their csients.
One Company employed at oae time a
leading lawyer . politician OF this eiiy
A. their private detective. who charged
such prices fer his services s. even
( frightened the president himself.
The hunsiHg up ef absen, or unwiil-
ing witnesses il very common branch
of business with private detectives.
The keeping on the track of persons
who may he Wanted is Also directly in
their line. This inya,vcs good deal