Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-16
DETECTIVE QQIS.
THINGS MT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM
'sTooL-PIGEoNs" AND ~"sPoTrERs."

IdlN1S ALnAl5 WhAI IhEI CELM-
'sTooL-PIGEoNs" AND ~'sPoTTERs."
"Half Of these reports OF robbers. are uu-
true" said adjective TO an APPEAL reporter
yesterday. "You see, we know hundreds of
people, their habits and their means Of OBJ
tanning a living, who do not dream CT such a
thing aud do not know one of us by sight.
This is one If the principal aims of the de-
~tective, and is OF vast importance 10 him. OF
course we do not keep a methodical record, as |
in France, but every policeman and detective
has a fund of Information slowed away I'M
der bis hat which he can make use OF when
it is wanted. Very few people have a cor
rect idea of the manner in which we go to
work 10 unsarth a crime. the process is rt-
ally easy and there is no good reason for the
air of mystery which SURF. uuds- detectives.
OF course we have our-o1n |
up q case and our plans must be KEEP. secret
10 order TO win, but we simply follow the
Dictates Of common sense. Sometimes chanc,
throws a clew in our way and sometimes We
know enough OF the habits OF The suspected
persons TO gain a pointer for ourselves. As
| said before, we keep no written record Of
the names aud habits of people here, and |
DO not think they do in any other city in
he United States. Most Of our work is
done by means Of stool pigeon" or
"spotters." Ga the principle that it takes
a thief to catch a thief we attach some
scamp to US, and give him to understand
that whenever he renders material assistane.
he will be rewarded. Sometimes a convict
sent from Memphis returus to the city, and
knowing he will be Stunned by all honest
men as dangerous, he becom s at once tue
companion Of thisvts. Some OF theee men
are bright and intelligent, ard would be glad
to abide by the law if Thy could make
money and not be expected to do hard work.
II they are thoroughly bad men we do not
allow them 10 remain, but out Of their ranks
we can always fnd a few of whom we C n
make Use. We allow them all the liberty
they desire, 30 that they do not commit an
ofense against properly or person. To all
appearances they become vagran's, and yet
they have a means Of support, though il il
not visible to The naked eye. They are our
"spotters." We watch them as closely SO
they deserve, and when once we c4ich them
mapping, in they go. Thus, you SEE, by
allowing q few to be Migrants We
| catch all the rest. These "spoiters' frequent
the dives and gambling deps, and are often
taken into plote. When they inform, to avert
| suspicion from them, they are thrown into
prison with the rest. To those who imagine
q detective ought to be emnipresent this may
seem wrong, aud a few will say we have no
right 10 allow one man to be a vagrsnt while
We arrest others for the same o~fense, but
tu6y VI luuItpcDbz D!e 10 u. luc lOICc Is SO
small that We must nave outside aid. When
a report comes to the Office. of an offenae
having been committed by unknown parties
we are almost certain where to go to fad
some one to whom suspicion at least can al
tscb. Ii the offender is known we eau learn
his probable whereabouts. We knew where
the notorious Reub Shaw was al some time
every night prior to his capture. But the
trouble was he was sharp enough TO have 10
confdant, and never told one night where he
would be the next. He made one appoint
ment only, and the person he agreed to meet
was one o. our men. He kept it, but as
you will remember, he managed TO escape.
He knew he had been betrayed and tried 10
kill the fellow afterWard. That WAS the
first and last time he kept an appointment.
He made several but broke them all.
If you want 10 be convinced OF what / said
OF the knowledge the police have OF men,
/ visit thu Police Court any time when there
are several vsgrants on the docket. When
one is Brought up for trial the policemen
present in the courtroom are questioned, sud
there is not the least difficulty in deciding
as 10 whether or not he is a citizen OF Mem
phis, and il SO, his character and business.
Very often if he ia not a resident We know
something of him.. There is one MAJ, a.
least, in the city who know VS. all the most NO.
torious criminals in the country by name,
and many by sight. He can often decide
when we are in doub:, ard we frequently
consult him.
Whenever you hear a prisoner plead in the
Police Court, as q reason for his d .scharge,
that the police know him, you can put him
Town as at least a suspicious character. 1
sm glad 10 be able to say that even the fast
est Memphians are not very knowing 10 the
methods and manners of thieves, because we
have absolutely none in the city Of the more