The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-24
WALL STREET DETECTIVES.
The ViGilant Watch that IB Kept Over the
Valuables of the Financial Region.

The ViGilant Watch that IB Kept Over the
Valuables of the Financial Region.
Special to the Indianaooiis journal.
New YORK, Oct. 22-In the office of we'll
known broker l noticed the other day, General
Wilson, who captured Jefferson Davis when the
confederacy had gone to pieces and its official
head had literally taken to the woods. General
Wilson at one time since the war was president
of the New York & New England railroad. He
now lives in Wilmington, Del. He is about
ffty-fve years of age, is of medium height, well
knit, and looks the personiication of pluck and
resolution. He is practical engineer, a man of
decided abilities, and now has comfortable
fortune.
Years ago it often happened that clerks or
runners of banks were robbed in Wall street or
somewhere in that region. 1t never happens now.
The reason is that the strctest watch is kept
over the financial region by the shrewdest Of de-
tsetives, who have their headquarters in a room
set apart for them in the Stock Exchange. Pro-
fessional thieves are not allowed in Wall street.
When q thief wishes to visit that golden
thoroughfate, even for an unobjectionable pur-
pose, he has to apply for permission to Superin-
tendent Murray, and | believe it is seldom
granted. This is rather primitive law; it sounds
rather Russian, but it serves the purpose
stout, heavily built man of ffty-fve, with
rather singular features and peculiar side.whisk
ers, and well-feG, selfsatisfed air, may occas-
ionaly be seen standing near the sub-treasury
building He is we'll dressed and looks like a
broker, but appears 10 have plenty of leisure.
and may be one of the monied men of the city,
who has come down to simply look around lit.
tie before going up town to his club for dinner.
lie seems to see nothing In particular. He has
a careless, apparently abstracted air. He is not
a broker. He is one of the keenest detectives in
Wall street Inspector Byrnes has been in Wall
street for seven years and during that time
believe there have been 10 important robberies.
Whatever robberies have been committed there
have been done by men of wealth and position,
and have been, as 1t were, legaliZed by custom.
But, speaking of detectives, it is something sur
prising to how little like detectives they look
broker pointed to good d-natured, clerkly
looking young fellow: and said to me:
do you know who that sW had for
gotten him. HE used to be clerk in such
aud such firm, but he is now detective" 1t
proved to be the case. He did not Look at all
like the traditional "lypX-eyed" detective, and
was probably good deal shrewder than the in
dividual of the lynx eyes. The slouch hat ard
the furtive eyes no longer in vogue The
detective cannot be distinguished from any one
else, and in this fact lies his power Then
young women in some cases make splendid de-
tectives, though from the nature of the case
they are perhaps, not quite so available in bus
ness affairs as IN purely social matters Some
OF them are beautiful and fascinating, and have
the traditional keenness of the serpent If not
the harmlessness of the dove. They deliver
summonses in cases where such citations are
eluded, and oftentimes show surprising shrewd.
ness IN what Is frequently task of peculiar diff.
nculty They trace stolen property and they
watch suspected husbands. | have heard of the
victim falling in love with the beautiful detect
tive who had wrought his undoing,