Wichita eagle., 1889-05-28
MEN WHO NEVER SLEEP.
Thrilling Incidents in the Life Of
an American Detective.
How French, English and American Thief
Takers Hunt Their Game-Sbadowing
Dishonest Clerks-A Few Cases
Illustrating the Methods.

Takers HUNT Their Gamc-ShadOWlnS
Dishonest Clerks-A Few Cases
Illustrating the Methods.
One of the best-known detectives in the
United States, after repeated solicitations
by reporter for the Denver Coli Times,
consented to talk about the business.
There Is all the difference in the world"
he said, ''between the methods used by the
secret service agents of different countries.
People who read French novels have an idea
that the DISCUSSES spoken Of in them as be-
ing worn by the Lecoqs of the different
stories as something utterly untrue.
Strange as 1t may seem, however, it is true.
"a French detective who can not so dis
guise himself that his superior can not
recognize him could not find employment
In any detective bureau. The DISCUSSES are
wonderful, too, and even the strong light Of
day shows no imperfection in them.
There are two sorts of detectives in
France-State detectives and the municipal
or city force Among the former no one
knows who his fellow detectives are and
as they never work in pairs, the necessity
for knowing each other is not SO great. The
workings of the French bureau is very
thorough and more like the American
method than the English.
1.-THE latter never think of Disgusting
themselves, and go to work openly. If
bank is robbed in France a new assistant
teller or clerk appears in the bank day or
so afterward. He is detective, of course,
and where in England the detective would
be called in IN front of all the employees and
ask them all manner Of questions, the French
would say nothing, and nothing more would
probably be heard of the robbery until the
thief was caught
1.-THE English have great system of
stool-pigeons. Among the vicious of all
classes, male and female, are always those
to be found who, for the sake OF being pro-
tected in certain way, carry all the news
of the crooked work done among the swell
mobsmen, as high class thieves are called,
to Scotland Yard, where is situated the
Criminal Investigation Bureau. If Harry,
the Swell, is flashing great deal of money
about the fact Is at once reported to the
police, and If any large forgery or robbery
has recently occurred, Harry, the SWELL
Is liable to prove an alibi. Inside the great
portico of Scotland Yard is large case
containing the photographs of all the detect
ives employed by the bureau. and the
crooks or thieves can have free access at
any time to study the faces of those who
are liable to be after them at some future
time. This stool-pigeon system is not used
much in America as the police do not put
much faith in it.
''In France or England, II the employe Of
big banking house is suspected of irregu-
larlties his habits are watched and the
facts ascertained, while In America man
viii be set on the track of the supposed
thief, make his acquaintance and ingratiate
himself into the suspected man IS confidence
He will spend as much or more money than
the suspect. and will go into any dissipation
with him. In the event of irregularities in
any large concern, the American detective
becomes an employee OF the corporation
whether as porter or director of bank
The olew and the working up of 1t is made
much more OF by an American than by any
one else. He will jump at conclusions from
faint something, and frequently hit the
mark; where the stolid Britisher would
be stumbling In the dark.
ITO be good detective man must be
possessed of courage, brains aud coolness.
There is no mystery, however impenetrable
1t may appear, but what can be solved if
the right methods are employed There
was case remember IN Chicago.
"a weil-known business man was found
murdered one morning in his Office. The
crime had evidently been committed the
night before, for the body had been cold
long time, and the mans family had waited
Tor him to come to his home the evening
previous His valuables had been taken,
the safe had been rified, and beyond the
CHASTITY bullet-hole in the mans head, there
was nothing to indicate with what the crime
had been committed. No pistol was found
Il was put on the case and reasoned that
as the robbery was evidently committed for
gain the murderer must be in poor circum-
stances. Visited all the pawn shops in the
city, and found that five revolvers had been
pawned between six o'clock the previous
evening and the morning Three were Is
caliber, the size evidently used TO Kill the
man. Two of the men were well-dressed
and the other wasn't The latter was
described to me, and l took the
pawnbroker down to the different rail-
way depots where trains were leaving. We
went through three trains, ard finally
located the man In smoking car l ar
rested him, and much of the dead mans
property was found in his possession It's
not much Of q story-if the man hadn't
pawned the pistol he would certainly have
got OF, but IT shows how much little things
amount to, and will give you an idea Of how
detective viii go TO work
The life Of detective Is startling
enough, but 1t gets tiresome and mouoto-
nous, and expect soon 10 retire. Iremem-
Der one case that happened in New York
A very swell reception was given by one OF
the leaders Of society. One Of the guests
had laid valuable solitaire in the ladies'
dressing-rcon on the wash-stsnd, and for
getting il. had left il. On her return to
nnd II, 1t had, of course, disappeared No
BODY knew where 1t was. The trunks of all
the servants were searched, but no trace
could be found of the Jewel, which was
worth $500. l finally found il where it
had been pawned for $500 in pawnshop BY
aFrehen woman took the visiting list Of
the hostess, and finally, after q weeks
search. found that one Of the guests. rich
woman, had French maid, and that she
had gone 70 EuroDe shortly after the re-