Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-29
TIE DETECTIVE FEVER.
Criminal Eaaagnw Has ChaRna Ter ehe
yoash from rhe 86nnsKv.


Iron tAe' Ean Franchises Chr0nicle.l
do you have many applications fOa
positions on your force r. waa asked Of
. manager 81 Kearny street detective
agency recently.
$50 many, was the reply ssthat /
Sometimes fhinh that half the popula-
lien Is anxious - place itself in 9 posi-
ton 30 ferret out the crimes o. the other
haH These eelf-recommended candi-
dakeg Tor the empty honors OF detective
life ere chiefly from the country. Some
Of them have reaalthe thrilling tales 30
which the name oe Allan Pinkerton hiss
been attached by anknown disosmina-
tors o4 blood-andA thnnder literature,
and have become infatuated by the
glamour thrown arCand the heroes Of
bank burglary captures, the shadowing
Of suspected murdexoEs and their de-
lection by means OF button or suspen.
der buckle ] receive q good many
letters from the rural districts. Here ia'
one from . man at Woodland, who says
he has been schooling himself in ehads
owing people MP there, and his success
has been SO. Gattering that he has come.
10 the conclusion that he Is possessed O..
detective ability Of no mean order. Hes
ID anxious to try his hand at the reals
business. IL there are any safe rob-
berries or muDders on hand 20 work mp
be would glaaly accept position on my
force at q nominal salary. have
written back informing him that am
very sorry not to be able t0avail myself
ogslais valuable services, but there Is no
vacancy in my force nc present. / have
several letters from youths Of from Ia
so18 years who are impressed with the
idea that they are young Hawkshaws of
The firBt grade. Some CO them have
visited the Office and urged me to give
them q trial, but have never yet con-
sidered il wise 90 encourage them in be-
coming detectives. Some people have
what [ call attacks of detective fever.
They hear OF some robbery or other
crime and proceed TO work mp the case
without the knowledge of the officers
Dr. the regular detectives. These cranks
often shadow seine Innocent person for
lays at time, making careful note of
every suspicious action. This class of
WOuId-be detectives are harmless enough,
[ never yet heard of one ofthem being of
The slightest use in q case, or affording the
east clue, although they sometimes offer
reports of the comings and
goings of their suspects. Nothing, how
aver, can make people on whom the de-
tective mania has fixed its hold believe
hat they are not endowed by nature
with a special qualification, irspira-
5iOnal or otherwise, for hunting down
els employment ever given to the ap-
picants from the country ?"
''Not very cften. Sometimes / send
One Of these verdant customers out ON
! trivial case, and then detail another
man to watch his proceedings. / have
gone out myself, and it is often as good
Is o circus. The fellow will hunt mp
his man and shadow him up and down
The street, dCdging behind corners and
posts, and sometimes attracting q great
deal Of attention from people along the
way, If not from the man he Is shadow
ing. Occasionally, however, the APP
prentice detective will take hold Of q
case in good shape, and work It mp with
such dispatch as TO create surprise
among the older men on the force. Prob
ably the worst cranks OF the class of
which am speaking are women, who
often get the detective fever IN it's worst
form. / have often had Is many as six
applications q day from ladies who
we're sure they could be 81 great service
Ia hunting up female criminals and re-
storing stolen property, but have
never yet employed one. They are q
constant source Of annoyance, and will
not be put off as readily as the men.
As rule, however, q woman:of any deli
cacy will not insist On becoming q de-
Eective when she is given to understand
The dangers of the position, the kind Of
company she is likely to meet, and the
sort Of places she must visit. Some Of
the applicants have the queerest notions
Of what is required Of O detective when
On active duty. One fellow, who evil
IDENTIFY thought that Ia detective life In
somnia was one of the most important
qualifications, wrote from Santa Rosa
that he was sure he could live MP TO the
motto Of the detectives: We never
Sleep as his nervous system was such
rs to prevent him from taking any rest
at night. sometimes, too, have ap-
plications from ex-convicts, who tell me
with q great air ofmyBtery that they are
with the ways Of burglars
and other criminals, and are capable Of
irst-class work in the detective line. II
Is perhaps unnecessary 70 say that I
have never intFrsted case with any Of
these gentry"