Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-11
EXPERIENCE OF POLICE DETEC.
TIVE.
The Element of Chance TnfnyOrable "a
the Criminal Glasses.


IA great deal Of whit passes for fine detec-
tive work is nothing more or less than sheer
luck" said Police Captain washburn, of the
Twentieth precinct, to New York Tribune re-
porter. II have had a. goodlde of experience
In that line myself. [ remember particularly
the case o. kankonsky, who murdered Lena
Muller, In New Jersey. From q package OF to-
bacco found at the scene of the murder 1t was
thought that the parties lived in my precinct,
and Coroner Virgins, who had charge of the
case. asked my assistance, which, of course, was
cheerfully given, although the work did not
properly belong to me. worked hard on it,
but was unable to gain any clew. and other
work coming up which unfortunately demanded
my attention. let the matter partly drop.
One day German butcher, Philip Emden,
came to the station and said that man named
kankonsky had been receiving letters addressed
under the name of Kettler, and he thought he
was the man who committed the murder. I at
once put men to watch the house. Shortly
after our men got there two men who turned
ont to be Jersey City policeman and re-
porter from Jersey City paper arrived. They
had tracked the baggage to the house, and they
acted in such suspicious manner that they
were arrested. 1t was solely due to the fact
of that German butcher noticing that Kan
konsky was receiving letters under false name
that led to the murderer's arrest
"When was keeper in Sing Sing pris-
oner named Dunn escaped The papers said
there had been bribery and all that sort of stuff.
Mr. Lockwood was warden then and he told me
that he wanted me to find the man. l came to
the city and put in about q month of the hard
est kind of work. l found plenty OF traces but
never could lay my hands on him. At last
gave up the chase in disgust, went back to the
prison and reported for duty. When the war
den saw me he asked me what meant by COM
ing back without the prisoner. / told him that
l couldn't do anything more. He said, Go to
New York and don't dare to come back without
the prisoner l asked him for money, and he
gave me an order on Leggett & Co. the prcvi-
sion merchants who furnished the prison with
supplies, and came back to the CITY, drew
$50. and made up my mind if the state of New
York could stand payiE@ my expenses l could
stand it too. had no idea of worrying myself
about Dunn Invent up to tom Hyers place
and had a rafting good breakfast and bottle
of wine. Then | spent fifty cents for three
cigars, and lighting one of them started out for
stroll. l went down the Bowery as far as
Bayard street, when man whom recognized
as an ex-convict cameup to me and said: Hello.
Washburn! Have you found Dunn YETI No.
answered, 'and don't care much whether do
or not )"
''Fm sorry for that he said. because he and
1have been dom" some work together and the
blank thief won't divide, and if you'll put up
enough I'll give him away / clnched bar
gain with the fellow and the next night he took
me to Dunn's place and 1 got him. When l
took him back to the prison the warden COM
piimented me on my perseverance. 'Persever-
ance be hanged said and then / told him
the whole story. He enjoyed it immensely, and
made me tell it to the prison inspectors
"Another case that call to mind was when
was patrOlman in Beekman street. My day
post was in Maiden Lane. One morning man
came to me and said he had lost firkn of but
ter: could get it for him. / told him of course
could. l thought then and still think the
man must have been fool to think / could
find a tub of butter that had been stolen for two
hours. He gave me the marks on the tub,
which Immediately forgot. My night post was
at Fulton market and | had hardly gone on
post when saw man with tub of butter on
his shoulder. l saw that the marks were SINH
lar to those given to me, and stopped him.
He gave lame explanation of how he got the
butter aud took him and the butter to the
station. 1t turned out that it was the very but
ter that had been stolen. The owner took the
recovery as matter of course. and I'll bet if he
ever lost another tub and it wasn't recovered at
once that he accused the police OF incapacity.
L could give numerous other instances. but this
is enough to show that great deal of the So
called fine detective work is the result of luck,
pure and simple. l don't deny though that
great many, in fact, a large percentage of the
work is the result of cheer down right hard
work and keen detective ability"