Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-18
Methods of Detectives.
Chicago Herald.


The detective to whom is attributed an
insight into affairs which is almost super
human nevertheless works on the most
obvious lines.
In nearly every case of express or bank
robbery, where agent or cashier is re-
lievcd of large sums of money at the
point of revolver but is himself un-
harmed, the popular suspicion ut once
fixes itself upon the man who is robbed.
He is unknown to the vast majority of the
people, as matter of course, and few of
them take the trouble to inquire as to his
antecedents, but If he survives, even
though desperately wounded, it is gen
orally thon9nt quite probable that he was
himself party to the theft. Nothing but
his corpse will dispute the suspicion, and
there have been cases where that did not
suffice. In Maine u few years ago
bank cashier was found at the door of
his open vault dying from many wounds.
The currency was gone, and 1t was evil
dent that he had been murdered by rob-
bers. His wife explained that 4 man had
called at his house early IN the morning
and on some preteXt had induced
him to go to the bank at an hour
when no one else would be there. That
was all that was known about the matter
The money was gone and the cashier
died a few minutes after his discovery
without reganing consciousness. De
tGctveS were put upon the case and
though the cashier had always borne ex-
cellent reputation, they at length ad-
vanced the theory that he was himself an
embezzler and that, fearing discovery,
he had committed suicide after arrang-
ing matters so as to make it appear that
the bank had been robbed and he had
been murdered in defense of the trust
which had been reposed in him. Popu-
lar suspicion was also quick to settle
upon this idea and after time, no one
else being apprehended, the case was
Abandoned the infaliple detectives hay
ing, as they believed, located the real
criminal. For ten years this mans
memory and his family rested under the
brutal calumny and then, on the arrest of
certain bank robbers in neighboring
state, indisputabe evidence that the
Maine bank had been lobbed, as it ap-
peared to have been, was found. Bonds
and other securities taken at that time
We're discovered and the confessions of
thief who turned states evidence showed
that the cashier had been murdered after
having been betrayed into the vault on
some spurious errand.
A few days ago an express agent on
road running west from st. Louis was
robbed, as re claims, by a man who
gained entrance to his car under false
pretenscs, and who, au the proper min
ute, covered his victim with revolver
and demanded his money, If the agent
had not given it up he would have been
killed, if his story is to be believed, but
seeing nothing to be gained for the COM
self, as the money would be taken in any
event. he yielded at the pistol point. was
bound and gagged, and, lying helpless
in the car, saw his treasure taken away.
Detectives of superior wisdom were
called, and, acting on the popular sus-
piciOn. they at once began their investi-
CATION on the theory that the man had
energies have been bent, and if such a
thing rs their being mistaken is to be
considered within the range of pos
sibilities, the men who actually may
have committed the robbery,a as he claims,
must be congratulating themselves some.
where in their retreat over the ease with
which they have escaped. 1t is only
few months since an express messenger
running out OF Chicago was killed and
robbed in his car when the train was in
motion. His dead body relieved him of
the suspicion that he dld the job himself,
but the detectives have not found any
body else whom they can fix the guilt
upon If he had offered no resistance he
might have been in Jail by this time. as
the man from st. Louis is.
1t is, of course, possible that cashiers
and express messengers sometimes rob
themselves, but that they do not do it in
every ease is shown by the occasional
death of one of them in defense of his
trust. The fact that even when murder
has been committed the overwse detec-
tives do not uncover the guilty parties
proves that highwaymcn OF this dcsGrip-
ton are still at the business, and that,
though it is much easier, it is not always
necessary, to suspect the agent himself of
the crime. If the detectives will unearth
the men who killed Messenger Nichols
near Chicago they may find the men who
robbed Messenger Fotheringham near st.
Louis.