National Republican., 1886-10-09
A GREAT DETECTIVE.
Something About Inspector Byrnes
and His Book on Criminals.

ana BOOK ON
Mr.. George II. Clay, Of Inspector Byrues's
force, has been In town several days this
week. Speaking to the REPUBLICAN re-
porter Of Inspector Byrnes's forthcoming
book about criminals aud their operations,
he said: "The inspectors work will prove
boon, not only to the police of the United
States but also to bankers, business men,
and the public generally. The operations
In every species OF crime are shown up
clearly. and the book contains portraits
of all the leading criminals In the country.
The police of every city will use II ass sort
of handbook for reference. Cashiers Of
banks will always have iJ at hand to iden-
tify sharpers; aud business men in general
will learn from Its pages all the tricks OF
men who live by their wit, and how to
guard against them. Canvassers are al
ready In the field, and hear that an i'm
mense number OF orders are coming In. In
speetor Byrnes is perhaps the only man In
the country who could have written that
book. His experience with the criminal
classes extends over quarter
of Il century, and he is naturally one Of
the shrewdest OF men. Had he written
out only his personal adventures, the book
would have been as interesting as the Sara
bian Knights" but he preferred to make
the book a scientific Investigation into the
ways Of criminals rather than an autobi-
ography. 1t will surprise the average citi-
zen TO know that the inspector Is ac-
,quainted personally with nearly every pro-
fessional law. breaker In America. More
over, he can locate them at any given time.
Not only does he keep the run of the higher
order of thieves, such as bank burglars,
forgers, and high toned swindlers, but there
Is hardly pickpocket's face which is not
familiar TO him. He has so carefully trained
his men also that they are almost equally
skillful In picking out thieves. The skill
OF the inspector was never shown In such
marked way as during the ceremonies at
tending the funeral Of Gen. Grant. When
the day for the funeral was announced all
the pickpockets In New York practiced up
for extensive operations. Their brethren
from other cities likewise prepared for a
harvest In New York. Well, the day before
Gen. Grant was brought down from
Mount McGregOr Inspector Byrnes had
every picKpocket In the city ar
rested, and, stationing his men at all
the depot and ferry entrances, took In all
the light-fngered gentry who came In from
out Of town. That night and the next day
the police stations were overcrowded with
disguised pickpockets, but, as result OF
the inspectors action, not pocket was
rined in New York during Gen. Grants
funeral.
II ia with the higher class Of thieves,
however, that Mr.. Byrnes concerns himself
chiefly. He never arrests a man till con-
elusive evidence OF his guilt has been OBJ
tanned, and In securing this evidence the
inspector has no equal In this country. The
number Of burglars, sneak thieves, forgers,
&C., whom he has sent up reaches far into
the thousands; nor do remember a single
case where he failed to secure conviction
after taking his man in. You remember
how nicely he drew confession out of
JaehDe. Well, he has done the same In
hundreds of instances where he had to con-
tend with shrewdness almost equal to his
law breaker 10 known to him, and II is hard
to see how any one who reads his book
carefully can ever fall a victim to the sharp
est OF professionals