The Opelousas courier., 1884-10-11
4 LONDON DETECTIVES
Certain Peculiarities which
They Almost All Show.
The Successful Sergeant Unwisely Al
lowed to Leave the Service.

~ ASNN
I am personally acquainted with sew
eral of the leading London detectives;
l know many more of them by sight
and as 1 ramble around London I ire
quently spot a detaetive Gas | have
often proved) with unerring certainty.
No matter how these men are dressed,
whether they wear full boards OF are
clean shaver, l only want to see them
walk a block to be satisfied of their
calling. There is a certain poise OF
the body, a certain measured tread,
which. to the practiced eye, reveals the
English detective under any disguise
he may assume. This all comes about
through the men having for years acted
as patrolmen, for a policeman who has
been on duty for a few years acquires
a department which he unconsciously
retains to the last day of his life. OF
course, there are a few notable excep-
tions to the rule,
Inspector Chamberlain, one OF the
cleyerest thief-takers in London, looks
lust as a detective should. He is q
quiet, unassuming man, of medium
height. With nothing particular about
him to attract attention, but he has
before now, unarmed, captured desper-
ate men who have not hesitated to
empty a few barrels of a revolver In
his direction. Ex-Sergt. Ham, who
was allowed to leave the police, very
unwisely, as l think,o on his completion
Of fifteen years service, will not be of
Tended at me when I say that he looks
like an overfed bucolic, all fresh from
the plow's tail. This officer during
his period of service in the police was
a perfect terror to the burglar fraterni-
ty. Again and again he was eompll-
mented by the magistrates and ordered
rewards by the judges. He knew
every notorious craftsman in London
and Ibelieve / am correct in stating
that during the fifteen years deserved
on the police he brought more offend
ers to Justice than any other officer was
ever known to do during a like period OF
service. Notwithstanding this, wher
J his term of service expired, no materia
( lnducement was offered him to remain
in the force, consequently in the prime
f: of life he retired with his handsome
persion of So a week. He has since
5 organized a special staff of detective
of his own, and is now responsible TO
4 the maintenance of order and the OK
Z. clusion of thieves and other unwelcom
members of the predatory class a
9 many OF the ace meetings throughou
the country.
1t viii be remembered that a fey
i. years ago four u the leading detet
{ tives attached to Scotland Yard wei
tried for completely in the great tut
frauds. One of them, Chief Inspecto
b Clarke, a willy old gentleman Of beneN
il olent mein, who was instrumental
j working up the case against th
ID claimants to the Tichborne estate
y was acquitted, but the other thre
As with popular feeling running hlg
ID against them, were convicted on tn
le evidence of conviets, who unbiushinl
ID " came into court and denounce
their Whilom confederates. Drusc'
q witch, finished linguist and an alb
ID officer. who, previous to this one laps
ty had been one of the most valued OF
GERS Of the force, lived to complete b
sentence of two years imprisonmen
but died O after, as report has it,
a broken heart. Another. who. maj
be- thought, was harshly dealt with by u
court, is to-day the prosperous prop
ng etor of a large suburban hotel. II
ed third. since his release from prise
has conducted a private inquiry aggene
he Report has it. that he enjoys q f.
ID. amount of patronage from the publ
to With the exception of the cases ! ha
be quoted, no officer Of any standing
,ef the detective police force has, as far
mt / am aware, laid himself open to 7
ir. accusation of proving unfaithful
* the confidence reposed in him BY t
M executive Of the detective departmel
ks