Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1886-07-06


of the service requires a continuous
around with the men from one
road to another in order to reduce az
much as possible the chances of attract
ing suspicion by the conductors and
railroad employees in general. 1t is
thus usual thing for spotter to travel
through every State in tho Union in the
course of few months, and his work
is really harder than most people would
imagine. Naturally he must assume
different roles to meet any emergency
and throw off suspicion. You find him
posing as land speculator, insurance
agent, merchant, missionary, gambler,
newspaper man or politician, all ac.
cording to the particular job on hand
and the character of the section through
which he travels.
"rhe general course is to assign one
agent to each car, thus checking every
passenger, but the entire registration
must be done mentally. The art con-
sists in evincing the least possible con-
Germ, and the spotter should always
have straight story to tell when he
engages in conversation with other
passengers or pals of the conductor.
At the end of each trip the detective
makes out an elaborate report covering
a certain car and sends it to head
quarters, whore it is iscompared with the
conductors balance sheet. The spotter
is frequently instructed to pay cash
fares himself, and the most conclusive
proof is derived by holding out the
tempting bait in such manner as to
entrap the conductor. When the evil
dence is found to be of a very dam
aging character all formalities are dis
pensed with and his walking papers
served at once. Nevertheless there
are some shrewd conductors who man.
age to delude detection in spite of all
vigilance. They possess sort OF in
tuitive tact through which the presence
of a so-called Hawkshaw is revealed.
The conductors. without exception, en-.
tertain bitter hatred to the detective
service, and in this age of dynamite us
an agent of redress for supposed griev.
ances it is rather surprising that no at
tempt has so far been made TO blow up
the spotter headquarters. Vengeance
has, though, been executed on several
of our men out in the Territories,
where the public, as a rule, is in sym
pathy with the conductors, and reioiccs
in the sport of hunting down an awk
ward Spotter.
"a favorite scheme with the con.
ductors is occasionally to turn in a fare
or two in excess of the number really
collected, for the purpose of creating
an impression upon the company that
the spotter's report is untrustworihy
at all times Now and then the trIin
employees suspect an entirely innocent
person, and it is amusing to behold the
puzzled mien of such passenger when
he encounters the strange looks he
slowed upon him by conductor and
porter. The mutual interest existing
between these functionaries tends tC
overcome race prejudice, and conse-
quently they arc both on the
alert to get on the track ol
their sworn enemies. One way, prac
ticod with view to extending secret
warning to colleagues on the different
lines, Is to cut notch in the heel Of
the supposed spotter's shoes while the
porter ostensibly subjects them to 4
tirst-class shine. Identification is by
this and other devices made quite easy
and the further use of the shown uE
detective is seriously impaired.
"Thc unwary traveller on entering {
palace sloeping-car is likely to become
impressed with the notion that an nil
of distinguished respectability is per
yading every visible Object alike
Whether he may cherish thi. Idea t.
the end of his journey, even in case thu
passengers are somewhat r1fked. dc
pends largely upon the conductor
talent to manage each party IN defer
enco to their particular wants. Shady
individuals, professional gamblers, etc.
are, of course, not permitted ta operate
upon the trains, but a smart ccnductoI
can arrange such things 10 suit al
parties concerned when he ID decently
recompensed, and, consequently, yol
might make an interesting siiSly in Tho
dubious art of high-staked poker i
you happen to drop into the fmoking
| saloon of sleeper after eleven p. IN.
"The professional spotter has to keel
an eye on all transactions of this kind
and his report affords frequently som,
very spicy reading. There are, besides
n number of other duties he is required
to perform, such as observing whether
all tickets and checks are properly can
celed, noting the condition of car ant
closets, paying attention to the conduc
of train cmployes-ifthey should sleep
drink or smoke or use profanc Language
on duty. Sometimes it is next to i'm
possible to catch a conductor, although
suspicion rests upon him, and a detect
i've is then put on to shadow the raal
in order to learn his habits, compan
ions and general conduct in private life
Through this source very valuable tes
timony is often procured and circum
stantial evidence furnished, showing
the suspected party is dissolute fellow
spending much more than his salar,
would Justify at the gamblers den o
in dissipation, Yes, the spotter system
is big thing, and you can't afford t,