The Evening critic., 1883-02-09
A STRONG PROTEST
Against the Passage of the Thonip.
son.Neal Bill Concerning Private

~
son.Neal Bill Concerning Private
detectives.
10 ne Editor OF he Erenin0 Critic:
There is, perhaps, ON the average, ton.
deDcy In human nature to side with the under
dog in the Tight and he who always turns up
MS a hacker OF the winner, will have his smart
ness euloeized at the expense OF his gener-
oslty. Let me, therefore, say few words In
Police, who have been legislated out OF oflice
at the Instance OF John W. Thompson and
others OF his kidney. That a. fat dccompN, rs
the Frenchman says, and don't know that
any OF the parties so legislated out care to dis
turb the situation oven had they the power TO
do so. don't propose, IN this communication,
TO dwell upon the peculiar and secret causes
which led to the action OF Mr.. Thompson aud
his associates, or to enlarge upon the TACT That
the late detectives were the victims OF sys,
tenn or practice which prevails In every city OF
the Union, n system OF which said Thompson
was a bright and shining exemplar when he
called upon Detective James A. AIeDevltt to
politan Bank, with promise OF immunity to the
thieves" immunity, reward, compromise,
anything to get back my bonds" saith John
w.Thompson. The detectives have been go
betwcens because
Prominent Citizens
OF the Thompson stripe and pillars OF the
State, moreover, preferred TO recover their
goods quietly at a pecuniary sacrifice rather
Than TO jeopardize the loss thereof by Instruct
| ing the detectives 70 push matters for tho
| recovery of the goods. And who that knows
| anything of our District Government does not
| know that the places OF the detectives would
| not have been worth an hours purchase had
| they at any time refused or neglected TO act
| hand and glove with the prominent citizens
and pillars OF the state aforesaid in matters
| submitted TO them under such Instructions as
| ] have referred to. The citizens of this Dis
| trict, when they come to reflect for moment,
| will readily realize the fact that Mr.. John W.
| Thompson Is one Of that class OF citizens who
| do not at all object 10 little glorlncation by
| their fellow citizens, but arc very careful, In
| the main, in their efforts for the general vel.
| fare to consider whether any private OK OF
| their own Is TO be gored thereby. And here 1t
| may be said that, with the exception OF tho
| statements OF two convicted thieves, there
never has been tangible charge against the
| late detectives except those which arose from
the recovery of goods. from pawnbrokers,
| whose business Is legallZed by the act of the
| District Legislature, and cases where 4" promi-
| nent citizens" were so anxious to recover their
goods that they insisted upon putting the de-
| tectiveswith promise OF reward in communica-
| tion with the thieves In order TO recover them.
And here will state that any man with COM
mon sense knows that 1t is ono thing to have
| n suspicion OF parties who have committed
| robbery and 1t Is quite another to
Weave Such " Web of Evidence
| about them so as TO convict them before jury.
And 1t would be manifestly absurd and a
source of useless expense to the Government
for a detective to make an arrest even though
he had moral certainty that no had the right
party, unless he had also such legal evidence
as would stand the test OF the Criminal Court.
But, leaving all the defense of the late de-
tectlves aside, whether they have been foully
treated and aspersed, or whether not, let 1t suf.
flee TO say that they are functus ofllco by act Of
Congress. Yet Mr.. John W. Thompson and his
allies are not satisfied with the attempt to
ruin these men In their official capacity, and
to disgrace their families, and they are all
men with interesting families. Like the tiger
that having tasted blood works havoc and
massacre for the mere pleasure Of killing,
they even pursue with unrelenttng anlmoslty
these men, whom they have officially MUIR
dered, into private life and seek TO deprive
| Inn, nf flR f1a al W
the only manner In which they are properly
qualified to earn II. These appointment citi'
are they, anyhowO hearing that the late Me-
tropolitan detectives, McDeyitt and NIGEL
fresh, had associated themselves with Charles
| Finder In
APriynte Detective Agency.
not satisfied with their Gc pdrte newspaper
slanders, their having had these men legls
lated out OF office, and their attempted procu
| ration of II criminal indictment by the Grand
Jury, at once rushed to Mr.. Neal, chairman OF
the House Committee on tho District Of Colum
bia, and influenced him 10 bring in q Bill tc
out out shinele as private detective, unless
under ponds and penalties. Mr. Neal has
compiled with readiness that does very lit
lie credit to his judgment as constitu-
tional lawyer and the committee who have
authorized him to report the bill, have surely
made no examination OF the legal aspects
thereof, or they would not have been 80 com
rlaisant 10 Mr.. Neal ana the ''prominont citi
zens" aforesaid. Now sctions 1886 OF
the Revised Statutes read as follows:
Sec. 125. No person shall assume or prac
/ tice the occupation of detective within the lin
i Its OF the District who shall not first receive q
+ specific appointment for that purpose, nEes
pUgsliHg he deteCtiOa Of criminals as n private
business outside of such authority, and moi
otherwise specifically authorized by law.
Sec. 426. Any person practicirg as private
r detective shall enter into bonds to the Boar
of Police with surety in gum not less thai
; $4,000, to be approved by the board, for
| faithful and correct return to tho board II
4 | such manner and Mt such times as the boar
) shall direct, of all business transacted b.
such private detectives.
Sections 427, I2S, 429 and I3o simply refe
Q 10 the penalties for violation OF the bond.
You viii SEQ that the words "unless pursu
' Ing the detection of criminals as prlvat
. business, outside OF such authority, and nc
: otherwise specifically authorized by law ar
e inserted in the section that is the
o PIth and Marrow Of the Whole Mat
Ter.
II that 'upless, etc." had not been lnserte,
y all wkich preceded or followed In relation
private detectives would not have been wort
d a continental d-n, so to speak. The entil
o act would have been unconstitutional ana vol
n and OF no effect as affecting the liberty or I'll
y citizens. Modern progress, as the result
l modern ideas, from the timo that the assen
If bed barons forced from King John the MeSi
'Charta on the plain OF Runnymede, has tende
y more and more 10 throw off the trammels th
: government has sought 10 throw about u
II liberty OF the clt2en and not even John
II Thompson and the appointment citizens" ca
m successfully declare, so as TO have that decl
~ ration legally TtSptCttt, tndt ln6 iclttE u II
10 law shall be subservient to malice and
)f venge. People may wonder why l use the
words, malice and revenge, as applicable
"a the proceedings of John W. Thompson ct c
just ask Thompson himself and may be
won't tell you.
But TeuelOHS nous a nos aiORtOhS. Just let n
explain what the sections OF the law ab)
E quoted mean. When man hangs out his sii
4 as private detective and seeks TO be endow
~ with police powers, that Is, power OF arre
u | &C., Just as one OF the regular force Is pC
d | sessed OF, he IS commissioned by the Distrl
m | Commissioners, who stand In the place OF q
4 old Police Board, and he thereupon becom
~ subject to the terms Of the act. Except that
D, is not regularly paid by the Government he
u | TO intents and purposes member OF u
A | Metropolitan police force as far as his su
IL | lection to the control and supervision of q
- District Commissioners is concerned. 1t W
il be seen that this is the meaning of tho law
&c. reading from ''unless'' in section l2o as abo
n, | quoted, and II has been so put in practice he
90 | since the law was enacted. There can be
~ mistake in that. But here these men, }
Is Dewitt, Finder and McElfresh, enter into I
ut legitimate business OF furnishing informant
lg on criminal and other matters 10 the pub
a for pay. Instead OF styling their place
ar business ''prlvate detective agency" IN
% might Just as well have put 1t "intellieer
ofnce."
s. They DO Not Seek Police POwer'
OF the power Of arrest, 6c.-they only claim to
q able TO give Information and aid u part
of who seek their services. The Thomps
as Neal bill ls framed 10 prevent them fr'
80, .NVsf, saNNl