Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-10-04
TWO DETECTIVE STORIES.
The Difference Between tue English ard
French Detectives.

Our English detective is the exact
contrary OF his French ~confrere. H does
not wear uniform, but he might just IS
well do SO, ioJ Us appearance and dress
proclaim him 10 ~ what he is as plainly
as if he was claa Ike z JAP Of the force.
He is a well-meaning, Intelligent fellow;
but both his want OF. training and the
system under which he has 10 work
quite unfit him for the detection of any
crime which is hidden In mystery. |
remember, some years ago. being on a
visit to a country-house where the
jewel-casc If a lady visitor was stolen.
It was quite safe when the owner had
finished dressing for dinner; but o
couple OF hours later her maid missed it,
ana gave the. alarm. Search was made
it is needless to say, in vain. TIE
house was full of visitors, many of whom
had brought with them their own Wallets
and ladies' maids. besides which there
was a large staff of servants belonging
to the house itself. A telegram was dis
patched to Scotland Yard the next
morning, and in due time two detective
officer arrived from London. They ex-
amincd the Don from which the jewel
box had been taken; questioned, and, as
a natural consequence, set by the ears,
all the servants of the house as well as
those Of the different visitors; made in
quiries at the neighboring railway
station about the travellers who had left
the place during the last few days; and,
finally, took their departure, leaving
matters exactly where they were-where
they have remained to the present day,
and where they are likely to remain for
all time.
As a comparison with the foregoing
! may mention O case of o very similar
kind which once witnessed in Paris. A
friend of mine, living with his wife,
daughter and a male and female servant
an Second Of a large old-fashioned
house, found n morning that all his
plate had been stolen. It was quite safe
wien the family went to bed the pre-
viOns night, but in the morning it had
vanished. He communicated with the
police; and an elderly gentleman, who
looked like the manager or one of the
head clerks of a bank, was sent to the
house. Neither the concierge nor any
II else had the slightest idea who the
individual was. He came ostensibly to
see my friend on some business and
only told him what this business really
was. He came again the next day and
the following four or five days, making
his visits purposely when my friend and
all his family were out SO IS TO have an
excuse, while awaiting their return, of
talking to the servants, or of wasting q
quarter of an hour in the cOncierge's
den. He managed to ingratiate himself
with this latter individual, and in the
course of the next few weeks, during
which time he still paid occasional Wis
its. ostensibly to my friend, became
quite intimate with the servant. 1t end
ed IN the concierge being arrested one
fine day on the charge of having stolen
the plate. This was brought about
partly by something the detective had
seen in the concierge's room. but chiefly
on account of what he had heard at a
place where a number of the agents or
brokers for stolen goods used to congre.
gate for business and to which the de-
~tective went in the character of a thief.
The crime was thus discovered and the
thief was duly punished Mambers's
.}p1Yu0}.
DEATI OF THOMAS DICKSON.