Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-06
WORK OF DETECTIVES.
Why 1T Often Fails Some Notable
Failures.

An old and experienced detective in the en-
ploy Of the government. an educated gentleman,
and one who has worked not only in this coun-
try, but in Europe, commenting upon the Rose
Clark murder mystery, expresses the opinion
that the detectives now working up the case
were all wrong in their theories, and that no
satisfactory results would be obtained. "People,
says he, complain that the modern detective is
not as good as the average detective of past gen.
erations, but believe they are just as good as
they ever were. The trouble is that the aver
age detective Is, and always has been. a man
of little education, and, compared with his
fellow-cltizens generally, very ignorant
man. But with the advancement Of science
and the spread of general intelligence among
the masses, the criminal has become more scen-
tific and more intelligent in his work. was
struck with remark which Billy Forester, the
man supposed for long time to be the perpe-
traitor OF the celebrated Nathan murder, once
made to me, There have been,' said he, re-
wards amounting to $500 900 offered for my cap
ture. have known of at least 300 detectives
who were looking for me in this country and
Europe. While they were dyeing their mus
taches generally left the CITY, The trouble is
that nearly every detective does his work after
system. There is set way for the tracing ub
OF every crime, and when the average detective
hasfollOWed up every trail suggested by the usual
rules for working up certain class of crimes, he
Is unable to go any further, and the criminal
goes undiscovered Why, there's Josh Tag
CERT OF philadelphia who jumped enthusiastic
cally into the Charlie Ross case, and spent first
$40, 600 of his own money and $1,000 more that
ne borrowed, and then died. Then there is
Capt. Jourdan, who spent his wealth looking
Tor forrester, of whom I just spoke and then
he. tOo died. These men, stimulated by the re-
ward offered, tried the old systems In working
up their cases and failed, because the men they
were looking for were too intelligent and out
wltted their pursuers. The science of safe build
ing mas developed to such an extent that the old
style safe burglary Is lost art. There will be
bank robberies in the future, but no bank bur-
glarles; counterfeiting, too, Is carried on only
Oy lew amateurs. The Old-ttmers among the
cOunterfeiters turn their attention to other swim
dies where the outlay is small and therisk not so
great. Ask business man how long 1t has been
since ne saw counterfeit note. Ask your banker
the same question. II q counterfeit comes out
1t Is generally better executed than the genuine,
and 1t Is detected because 1t Is good work rather
than because 1t Is poor. To do detective work q
man must be of mature age, and must discipline
himself against arriving at conclusions too
quickly. l have general idea from closely
readlng the newspaper accounts OF the Rose
clark murder, that It was not deliberately
planned affair. / think the murderer's object
was at first, when he probably came unexpect-
edly upon the woman in the darkness, that he
might overpower her and crafty base passion;
but. finding he had used too much violence, he
made good the work of murder when once he
saw ne had gone too far, and threw the body
where It was found. The vanishing Of the theo-
ries OF the detectives shows that they az all
upon the wrong track"