The Somerset reporter., 1885-06-10
The Detectice Ferer.
CRIMINAL HUNTING ia, oHAKsls 70. IHE
Youth OF THE COUNTRY.

"Do You have many applications for Pc
stiuus gu yaGr tJTcr:' WIS asked Ot
manager 81 b. k-4r1y street detective aLeu-
cy recent
80 m4ay. wl~ tie reply, that | some
times thihk Tat hal the population j, any
iuu- To pace Itself IN a position 70 f-rret
o.i TIE climrs Jf fhe other half. These
srlf-recammeudeu CANDIDATE, fur the emp
" honor, Of directive life are chiefs Il II
the country. some Of tn m have read tle
Thrilling tales t. which the name oi ! .I4u
Piuherton has been attached By unknown
dis-enina' or> OF uIooi-4nd- thunder u,erA
ture, and have income Infatuated by tle
glamour thrown around tie heroes Of habk
burglary captures, tie snadowing OF sB>-
pucted muruerer> aud the.r detection hS
means Of bu ton or ~uSTeuder buckle.
receive GOOD many letters from the IgTal
districts. Here is one from mAu al
Woodland. who says he mas been schooling
himself il Swallowing people up there. AM
his success has been 20 differing that he
has come 10 the conclusion that he i, pos
se>,ed of detective ability of no mean or.
der. He j atxjJus TO try his hand a. the
real BUSINESS. l. there are any sale rob
berries or murders On hand to wOrk up, ue
would gladly accept position on my fore
at a nom nal salary ! have written 0aCb
informing him that am very sorry Mt t
be able TO avail myself Vi his yalusb.e ser
vices, hut there l. no vacancy on my force
at present have several letters from
youths o: from - TO Is years. VINO arr
i'm >Sed with the idea That they are
yoaa Hlwksnaws of the first grade
SuH. o. them nave visited the office and
urLe me to give them a trial, but | hay
noV= p vel considered il wise 70 encourage
/, -,
pic i We what | call attacks Of detective
ity They hear OF some robbery or 9th
ct ol4.ne and proceed 10 work up The case
without the know edge OF the officers or
the regular detectives. These cTalkS Of
ten shadow some Innocent person lor days
at time, making a careful note OF every
suspicious action. This class of would-1e
detectives are harmless enough. | never
Yet heard Of one OF them being Of The
slightest use in 4 case, or atiariinE the
least clue, although they sometime OFF,
voHminouS reports Of the coming> aoj 90
ingS of their suspects Nothing, how Yer,
can make people on whom the detective
mania has II ed lis hold believe that they
are not endowed by nature With special
qualification, inspiratonal or otherwise,
Tor hunting down criminals
lis employment ever given II the appi-
cantS from the country"
Not very often. Sometimes | end one
of these verdant customers out on some
trivial case, aud then detail another man 10
watch his proceedings | have gone out
myself, and it is uftru Us good As circus.
The fellow viii hunt up his man aud >had-
ow him up and down the street. lodging
behind corners aud posts, and sometimes
attracting great deal OF attention from
people along the way, if nos from the
man be is sladoWiug. Occasionally. how
ever the apprentice detective Will "a Se
hold Of a case in good shape, and work it
up with such dies atch a. 10 create surprise
among the Jlder men gu the force. Pfoba'
~ worst crauts of tho class Of which |
am speaking are women who often get the
detective fever in lis worst form. | have
often had Is many as six applications a
day from ladies Who were sure they could
he of great service in hunting up fem lie
criminals and restoring stolen property,
hat have never yet employed one. They
ara constant source of annoyance, and
will not be put OFT A. readily rs the men.
As a rue, however, woman OF any DELI
caCy will not insist on becoming a detec-
tive when she is given to understand the
dangers of the position, the kind of COM
pauy ste is likely 10 meet, aud tn sort of
Liaces she must visit. Some OF the app'i-
can have the queerest notions of what is
required uf detective when on active du-
ty. One fellow, who evidently thought
that in detective life insomnia WAS one Of
the most important qualifications. wrote
from Santa X lSa that he was sure he could
live up 10 the motto of the detectives.
We uever sleep rs his nervous system
was such Us to prevent him from akinI
any rest AT nigh, sometimes, too, have
applications from eX.convicts, who tell me
with a great air OF my stery that they are
acquainted with the ways of burglars aud
other criminals, and are capable of Il st
class work III the detective line. 1t is per
| haps unnecessary to say that have never
| lntrusted case with any of these gentry.