Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1882-03-09
FRENCH DETECTIVES.

Secret Police who are Really Secret and who
Actually do Detect. ~ Artists In their Proc
'fession- An Incident Showing how Neatly
and how Effectively they do their Work.
From Macnnillans Magazine u M
~ Sosle i've or SIX years ago being on q vista
to Paris, 7 went to see q friend, b French !
gentleman5I had known FOR many years,
who, with his wife and only dang liter lived
as second in small house IN the Fan bouFg
st. Germains. found the family one and I
all in the greatest possible excitement.
During tbs night their domicilo had BEEN
broken into and property to the value Of 1
about 80, 900 francs {g1 ZOO, consisting Of |
plate, jewels, money, and bonds, had been
stolen. My friend was BIZ no means a rich |
man aud the loss was to him d very serious /
one. he strange part of the affair was
that no one seemed ID have the slightest
iaea by whom OF how the lost things had
been taken. They were kept IN a large
IRON clamped chest, which was never moved
out Of the sale q manger, and
which was found in It's usual place next !
morning, but with the look forced open.
The servants Of the family we're only two
in number and consisted Of al elderly man
and his wife, who had been ia the same /
service for more than ten years. They did
net sleep on the same floor as their master
and mistress; but, as is usual in Paris, oc-
cnpied @ room some stories higher I'D the
rnangard or attic. They had a key BY
which to let themselves in from the back
stairs to the kitchen In the morning, but at
the tinle of the robbery neither one nor the
other had been in the dining room where
the chest was kept until my friends daugh-
ter had found out what had happened. 4
The lady of the family had locked the /
chest--it was her usual habit before she
had retirad to rest the previous night. The
key was found hanging on nail at the
head Of her bed, its usual place. Jhet theft
must have been committed between III 4p.
M, when the chest was locked, and s o.
M, when her daughter discovered The loss,
The concierge declared that no one who
lived in the house had passed his lodge!
during those hours. The door Of the apart
ment opening on to the main staircase was
found locked and the key on the inside.
Altogether it was d most mysterious bust
ness Of which no one could make anything
save thnt the property had vanished; there
fore, IT must have been taken by some one.
My friend resolved to 60 at once to the
Rue de Jerusalem the Scotland Yard OF I
Paris and ask the authorities to inquire
into the matter. suggested an agent de
police or policeman from the nearest sta
ton might be called, but was told that that
was not the way they did things in Paris.
The policemen that Kept order in the 4
streets. and those whose business it is to
discover what has become OF stolen proper
! ty, ere two depart ents perfectly distinct
from each other. Being anxious to see
how OH neighborS managed affairs OF this
kind, and whether they were better up to
their work than our London detectives, Il
accompanied my friend to the perfect de 4
police. where he sent In his card, and we
were at once usharea into the presence of
a quiet looking, elderly gentleman, one Of
| the sous chefs Of the department, who
looked more like bank manager, on head
clerk in large mercantile house, than q
man whose occupation was to indicate
where the thieves and others who were
= wanted could be laid hands on sS
| A Ffenchman is nothing if he is not 4
polite. The individual into whose san G.
tum We were shown welcomed us with a
ciyility which nothing could exceed He
heard my friends story from first to last,
made few notes with a pen in kind OF
| diary which he had on bis desk, and now
and then asked q few questions or two res
pecting the house and apartment which had
been robbed, the servants, visitors and 9th,
er matters. But he did not elesa ia us long
The interview was over ia twenty minutes
The sous hef shen told my friend that he
would sen6t one Of his subordinateH to see
the chest the next day. In the meantime
would my fsiena prepare a list and as min
ute description as possible Of he proper
~ that had been Stolen? AS a rl1ls French
men, no matter to what rank Of life they
belong, have the greatest possible respect
for all who are I'M any way connected with
the police and never draam of tiisputin
what they say; but my friend was some
what annoyed at what he deemed use
less delay, and asked whether the police
agent could not be sent at once. The sous
chef, however, oyerrul ed his objection, and
SAID it was best for many reasons The agent
should not 90 to the house till next day.
In the FIRST place. he said, 81 do not wish
any one but yourselves to know that the
gentleman who will call On you to morrow
is in any way connected with the police.
He will send up card and you will be kind
enough to recieve him as a friend 8 talk to
him OF the robbery In the presence OF your
Servants as you would to any casual ae-
guaintance. He then turned to me and
said, laughingly We do not manage these
affairs IS you n do IN London.
We don afiche orr police;
we don't II send constables Che pro-
nounced the word conestahe . ito make a
russ ana put eVeryOn on lelr qua rd;; We
like to dc things quietly, the RESULTS bet
ter lie then bowed us out and We took |
our departure, not over assured as to what
the upshot Of the affair would be-. s !
8 IN monsieur Gali desire yous yoir. Y said
my friend man servant next day, putting II |
card into his masters hand, Just as we were |
finishing our mid day meal, and d gentle
like, midd aged man was shown in.
He was close shaved, as TO the chin aud
upper but wore small syhis ke5s, more
like IN English man OF business DC ten [
years ago than q nat We Of la8 belle France.
Was N hut not sEik,nallu 6rassa1i /