Connecticut western news., 1881-04-13
SET UPON BEING A DEFECTIVE,
Some Good Advice to a Young Man
 Who Wishes to Become a Detec- tive.

be graduated, it is customary to obtain from the young men statement as to the profession or business they intend to pursue when they go out into the world. The larger number of them, so far as we have observed, declare their purpose to go into training for the legal profession. A smaller, but still very considerable proportion, have of late years confessed that they had hopes of becoming great editors, and desired to study what they call the prIsssion of journalism. Theology invre;s sone, but they arc few in these skeptical days. Trade and commerce invite many more, and medicine has it's attractions for these young men. Of late years engineering, and especially mining engineering, engages the at- tention of numerous college graduates.
 Ayoung man at Vanderbilt Univer- sity, however, has other ambitions, which he thus explains
 ''s1R-I am young man just turned into my
 
 @ desire to study the art of detection-I SUD- pose it is termed an aFt-or, in other words, would like to be first-class detective.
 'I was born and reared in the northern DOT tion of Arkansas. My father is practicing physician I am the youngest child. Have been in school continually for some years past. I am now attending the Vanderbilt University at this place. came here last Sep tember Expect to continue my education at this university. shall commence the study of law after I have attended the literary depart- ment three years. shall take the law course at the Vanderbilt. My father is very anxious for me to become man of some note. Do you not think the study referred to above would be an advantage to me ill connection with law have one or two qualities, think-which shall not mention-that are requisite for the above-named study. If I should conclude to make a detective of myself, what would be the best course for me to pursue? What works on the subject should l study, and where could procure them? What natural qualities should a person possess to be 8 detectiye2 Would it not be best for me to connect myself with some wen-organized club of detectives? Please give me the addresses of some of the leading detec- tiyes of the United States"
 We see how it is. Our young friend has been reading the marvellous stories of French detectives, by Ga boriau, for instance, and no pursuit seems so fascinating to him as that of unearthing mysterious crimes. There is really no reason for supposing that he is mean sort of fellow who has 8 taste for prying into other peoples af- fairs and housing about to discover the weaknesses of his companions. When he talks about having an aptitude for the business of 8 detective, he is think ing of one of those almost superhuman detectives he has read about in ten cent novels, the brilliant men of genius whom no criminal can elude.
 But, young friend, there are in truth no such detectives. There is no school in which detectives of that sort are trained, and there are no works which you can pro6tably study with view to becoming one. Detectives, as rule, are men of very ordinary abilities, who are as apt to be deceived as other peo- pie; more apt, oftentimes, for their narrow minds are as likely as not to construct false theory of probabili- ties which prevents their discovering real facts right under their noses. It part of their business to lie, and they get so much in the habit of mixing up truth and falsehood that the stories they tell of the1r adventures are not worth credence, while the imaginary de- tectives created by man like Gaboriau are made out of the whole cloth.
 The great reproach against detectives is that they may be no more than go- betweens. They are on intimate terms with thieves, and are ready to con- pound offences for 8 consideration. When it comes to great and mysteri- ous crime, they are often found want ing and unless they are directed by cleverer and honester men than most of them, they are pretty sure to confuse the whole business either through in- tention or through stupidity, and to render the offender more assistance than the injured party. The danger about employing some detectives is that the man you are after will make it more to the detectives profit to serve him than you.
 But, of course, detectives can be safely used and do render valuable aid in the cause of justice. Their princi- pal employment is in shadowing indi- viduals, as it is called; following men and women about without their knowl- edge, to see what they are up to. But to do that requires no remarkable cleverness, and it is not business fol which an ingenious youth has hank. ering. Men who can make their living in some other way usually prefer it. They have repugnance to doggine other peoples footsteps.
 Yet the work has to be done to some extent, though not to any such extent l as it has been undertaken of late years The business of private detectives if altogether too much patronlzed anc pious people who objec' to the course of life of many of their neighbors have
 organized detective societies to watcl the movements of men and women they suspect of immoral conduct. It is tho business of the public machinery O l ustice to look after crimes and misde
 meanors, and no private society whicl employs detectives to investigate thu
 morals of people is tolerable. I'm
 men who will consent to earn wages a
 such despicable trade must of cours'
 be mean fellows, whose reports canno
 be trusted, as we have seen in some re
 cent instances; but they are employee
 by clergymen and others of high re
 pute, who would be indignant if the.
 were accused of pursuing the bushes themselves.