The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-21
WATCHING BANK CLERKS
nurECTIvES ON THEIR TRACK-A
SHARP TRICK ON A SHADOW.

tenn.
From the Ne,D York Star.
There are few banks that regard their
.Iarks as above suspicion.
In these DAYS, when old and trusted en-
,,oves are making hasty trips to Canada,
The banks think if they are not able to lock
,ba stable door the next best thing is to roll
a hiq stone against it. The stone in this
oose is the detective. Most of the banks
.mnlov detectives to shadow their clerks
and study their habits. 1t is the rule
n keep a detective on the trail of
clerk for about two weeks every
,iv months. Where a clerk has been but
short time in the employ of a bank he is
Uatched even more closely than this. An
old employe, whose habits are known to be
steady. is Swallowed may be only once
vasr Then clerk may be Swallowed two
NIGHTS in succession. and not again for some
fine. Besides, the clerk may come within
range of the detectives eye when the sleuth-
bon1d is engaged in shadowing some other
clerk.
So a bank clerk cannot be too particular
where he goes and with whom he associates,
for he never knows when the eye of the de-
tective is upon him. Just little too much
conviviality with ones friends may cost
him his Job or prevent what was almost a
certain promotion. There is practically no
chance for him to explain or excuse his
conduct, for there is probably not bank
nresident in the city who will admit that
he EMPLOYS detectives to watch his clerks
While the system is an offensive one, aside
from the banks being justified in adopting
it, it results in some good to the clerks. On
account of it there are any number of
bank clerks who could not be even induced
H., oNla - IL
reputation. Naturally, a person feels, to
say the least, uncomfortable when he thinks
that his steps are being logged. Particu-
larly is this so If he Is going to call on his
sweetheart, land he reflects that the detect
i've will probably not be contented until he
finds out all about the young lady, and In
consequence imagines that his courtship
may become common gossip about the
bank.
"A person can get used to almost any
thing, and we get so that we don't mind it
much, said a clerk in one of the Broadway
banks when speaking of this system to the
writer When | first became a bank
clerk and learned that | was to be occasion
ally "ShadOwed' | shuddered at the idea
had been given TO reading detective stories
and imagined all sorts of horrid things
What worried me most was to think that
50 far as the bank officials were concerned
my character was not above suspicion.
Now | seldom give the subject a thought
unless it be to have some fun with the de
tective. One night recently discovered
one was following me, and l kept the fel-
low walking over half the night"
The clerk then told a story of two of his
fellow clerks experience with a detective a
few nights previous. One of the clerks was
reasonably sure that he was to be followed
that night, and he arranged it with a fellow
clerk to meet him at his house and they
WOULD start out together. They left the
house uptown, and after a short stroll dis
covered that they were being followed
Then they took an elevated train and rode
TO Cortlandt street, and from there made
for ferryboat. As the boat was about to
pull out for the Jersey shore the clerks spied
the detective jumping aboard. At the
Pennsylvania depot the clerks called for
tickets to Newark in voice loud enough
for the detective to hear. Then they
boarded n train bound for the Jersey
metropolis. Before they had pulled out of
the depot they saw the shadow comforta-
lily seated in the rear of them Long be-
fore Newark was reached one Of the young
tnanciers had moved his seat to where the
detective was and had managed to engage
him in conversation. Arriving at Newark
the clerk insisted that the detective go and
have drink with him and his friends,
which be did. One drink followed another
and the detective grew more and more So
cable. They were drinking gin fixes, and
during an interval one Of the clerks man
aged to arrange with the bartender that he
should make the detectives drink very
strong and the others very
light The clerks pretended to
be much more under the in1u-
ence of liquor than the detective really was.
one OF the young mon produced time
table, and while making an examination of
cd Of oil A-,., l. IL.
detective, whose imagination was already
ablaze from drink, made known his iden-
uty and told tho young clerk to consider
himself under arrest. The clerk pretended
to be very much frightened and allowed the
effective to induce MIN to go back to New
York city. Reaching Broadway and seeing
apolceman near by, the clerk acted as if
ne was going to avoid the detective, who,
In his drunken way, threatened to pull a
pistol The clerk who was not under arrest
summoned the policeman. At glance the
oincer saw the CLERKS were sober while the
other man was intoxicated.
This man is evidently crazy and claims
TO be detective" said one Of the clerks,
addressing the policeman. HE has been
following us around all night, and several
umes has attempted violence and has even
threatened to shoot my companion"
This man is de-faulter and (hic) isis
bout to (hic) go to Canada" stammered
the drunken man,
~ on move on and let these young men
alone, or III lock YOU up" said the officer.
The detective persisted in trying to hold
on to the clerk, which resulted in the police
man giving him mild clubbing.
muscular clerk in a bank on Nassau
street also had an interesting experience
WIN detective short while ago The
clerk was on his way to Hoboken to make
ecall upon young lady. He had not pro
SSeeded far when he discovered that he was
oelng followed AS the man was stepping
on the ferryboat the stalwart clerk stepped
up to him and plainly told MIN that if he
persisted in following him there would be
enght, But the detective was not to be
frightened that easily. Arriving at Ho.
o9Aen the clerk got Off and stood at the
cage of the wharf until the boat was almost
ready for its return trip. The detective had
also got off and stood at a respectful dis
lance from the clerk As the boat was
pulling out the bank employe jumped
aboard. As the detective attempted to fol-
low suit the clerk dealt him terrible blow
ol The nose, knocking him back on tho
wwnarf: As the boat journeyed for the
1new York side the clerk watched the
shadow" caring for his badly battered