Milford chronicle., 1883-08-31
HOW PEOPLE HIDE MONEY.
A DETECTIVES "REMINISCENCES.

ct have been sent for very often il
my time, " said an elderly detective, etc
search for money concealed by eccentric
people. There was more of this hiding
away of cash forty years ago than there
is now, owing probably to the doubtfuI
character of some of the old savings
banks. Still there is more of it now
than most people suppose, and whenever
bank breaks the teapots and old stock
ings come into use again. Then, too,
there are persons who have a delight in
concealing money in such a way that
they can get a sight at it now and then,
or at the place in which it is concealed.
"What is my method of search 4?
Well, can hardly say; in detective
work set methods are only too apt to de-
feat the ends for which they are put in
operation. Our proceedings depend
wholly upon circumstances. The char
acter, habits, and surroundings of the |
concealer have to be considered. A |
knowledge of human nature and an apt
itude for perceiving the significance OF
certain classes of facts are especially
needful.
"For instance was once sent for to
find the money of man over in New
Jersey who had died suddenly, and left
no visible trace of his wealth. The
family had made a careful, systematic
search before I arrived I learned that
he was not miserly, and inferred that he Y
lad not used any of those complicated t
of concealment which are one
If the miser's chief characteristics. I I
ound that his business took him fre- I
luently from home, and that he had for t
nerly been a sailor. asked what room b
le usually slept in, and they said, all 6
yer the house, adding that they had a
ully examined every place in which he "
ad ever been known to be. I asked 81
bout his clothing. W
'Oh, the Oldest possible kind, said Ct
is wife. we couldn't get him to wear W
nything decent. p
50 May I see it?' al
" why, we have been all through it in
ith knitting needles, and my girls ripped ol
p the Innings everywhere, but we found ia
othing, and gave the old things away d'
81 insisted, Of course, upon seeing the to
Othes. You see, sir, I reasoned in this T.
NJ. Tho mon vr,oo ,ok - -: n,
erefore had used no extraordinary ev
cans of cOncealment; and he constant go
made short journeys from home. so I til
dyed that he carried his money upon Ii
person. You may set down as a gen us
Il rule that most men who conceal ge
)ney like to have it as near them as so,
ssible. The fact that he did not de- til,
g to sleep in any particular room ell
owed that the money was not hidden OBJ.
a room. 1t was either in his clothing ha,
buried in the cellar, favorite place for
hiding money. But he had been a ING
or. Now, it is characteristic of n hol
or not to conceal money on shipboard: TIL,
risks from fire and water are too my
at This feeling would be likely to 9
tinue after he had settled down con
ore. Then, too, a sailor is in the teri
1T of carrying his pay with him. So. viii
see, there were good reasons for nv and
IS. Well, some one brought the the
hes in at last, and very shabby-look- som
they we're. I went over them with tool
success until my eye caught the The
ling. He always kept them well cell.
nd, said his wife; sailors are good met
ers.' The binding was wide, but we hasr
had it of, and there we found. We
ed lengthwise and protected with ouic
silk, four 81, 900 bonds. A syste- that
c search is often not as good as nv
va guess by an experienced person. cove
Yes, there are men who conceal oles
tn away from their homes. Crimi- fami
almost always do it. lIiddle-aged He '
trymen viii do it, but when they coal
Id they are almost sure to hide It he sa
the spot where they pass most of fully.
time. a.