Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-26

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| frequent, who they are running wit
and all about them. Indeed, on
great function of the bureau is to pu
thieves under as perfect surveillanc
as possible. All this information
made matter of careful record an
classification. We know the peopl
in every line OF business, and can pu
our hands on most of them.
"Now. take q case of house bun
glary. Usually there is little or n
trace left behind. Well, we look owe
the people who are in that line: W
know that John Smith is in prison i
| Massachusetts, that George Jones
| in Chicago, and 80 on. With perse
verence the thing is brought down t
perhaps half dozen people; we SET
tie it without doubt that one OF then
committed the offense, then we mus
fix on the right person. 1t take
persistence, downright work and in
genuity after you are certain o
the man, to get sufficient eviden {
to convict him. But all the way
through it is our knowledge Of thieves
their haunts, ways and companions
that helps us out. We don't trust tt
marvellous intuition. 1t requires, frs,
OF all, knowledge of the people you
are dealing with, then patience, thor.
oughness, pertinacity and intelligence
81 am speaking, you see, of profes.
sional criminals and their doings. II
is very different with cases of aggra-
vated, unprecedented crimes, as Of
murderous assault or actual killing.
Most of such cases are due to women,
drink or the heat of passion, and nine
out of ten of them are easy, for the
tracks are not covered, and there are
frequent witnesses. But with the pro-
fessional, working at night without
detection in the act, it is a different
and more complicated matter.
"Come out here, and I'll show you
how we keep track of these fellows"
As we walked back to the main
Office. inquired concerning women
as detectives.
"Well," said the Inspector, "you
must not print this, for it might
sound uncharitable, but I will just
say that, though / have used women
in some classes of work, they are not
to be depended upon. I've always
had to have some one else to watch
the women who did any work for me.
1t is ungracious to say it, but that is
my experience. A good, virtrous,
pure woman is not likely to 60 into
the detective business, and if one
does she probably loses her self
respect, gets slangy in her language,
and even worse. No, there is little
need of women in this business, and
l advise them to keep out oft. There
are exceptions to the general rule, of
course, but they serve only as a foil
to Others"
When we reached the general Office
of the detective bureau the Inspector
unlocked q tall case in the wall.
"This is the rogues' gallery, and is
like huge book with the side fas-
tened to the wall. When the door is
unlocked the panels swing out, one
after another, like the leaves of a
book. Each of the huge pages con-
tains the history of many crimes and
criminals, for on both sides it is cov-
cred with photographs of professional
thieves and evil-doers.
"This form of the rogues' gallery is
the invention of Sergeant Adams, who
has charge of the photograph and
record department. Only those who
are professionals are honored with
place in this collection. We could
not mako room for first offenders.
The Inspector took out one of the
photographs. Here, you see, is the
fellows pedigree printed on the back.
This, for instance, is Jimmy Hope,
the famous bank burglar, whom we
brought back from California a short
time ago to fill an unexpired sentence
at Auburn prison. He was the prin-
cipal in the robbery Of the Manhattan
Saving Institution, from which nearly
50 600, 900 in money and securities was
taken, in 1873. He is supposed to be
the only man who knows where the
unrecoyered securities are.
REPORTED CRIMINALS.
"When we take a mans picture we
have fifty copies struck off, Forty OF
these are placed in the rogues' CALLER
les, Just like this one, in different pre-
cincts of the city. The rest are care
fully fled, to be sent away or used in
case of need. We exchange with po-
lice OF other cities, both here and
abroad. By this method we get pict-
ures of nearly all the first-class peo-
pie, as we call them, of the country,
and good many foreign criminals
When a man dies or reforms, his pict-
ture is removed. If reformed GRIM
inal goes back to his old life, his
picture is replaced. One thing we in
sist on is that no obstacle shall be
placed in the way of man who
really wants to reform, and he is
aided in every reasonable way to
carry out his good intentions. Quite
q number do reform. 1 can think of
perhaps a dozen men now, who years
ago, were professional thieves, and
who have become wealthy citizens
a great many are not, Of course, so
successful"
"What class are the most difficult
to deal WITH"
Burglars are the most desperate
class of criminals, and if arrested with
plunder, often resist. Then, too,
burglary is hard to handle, because if
the criminal escapes it is hard to To-
cate the particular people who did
the job. Sneak thieves, too, are diff
cult to trace, because both this class
and the burglar as rule, enter and
get away without being seen."
care many of them educated
men?"
':No, not large per cent. Forgers
and confidence men have better
schooling and training than the other
classes, except, perhaps, counter
feiters."
This fellow, DIR. Bliss, sneak, is
q man of fine education, and physi-
clan by profession"
"Here is smooth-looking young
rascal. Charles Fisher. with a lot of