Telegram-herald., 1889-04-16

-e ial,rs- @. . iss4at Ql fe4l sl1-ie44s 1s
Frsuit 81 90 al Na- thaf lu le>4 hyrlrs
ss.s 4g.s1s l-se ~ ts4c 1eat - ghe ests--
rive 1elsEtlssi-t ~lrL las Itis - luspse-
tsr ke4I - 1ss s~Ars later hs had .~ea-
sl9l ~ teIi legislative lufssrls lsatils
committee something 4ossr hls wolz.
sed il j. nainiy fram the testimony
there gwen IAss tAe writer cr4~s
thls description of The condition II
the force a. tAs time Byrnes took coni-
uald tie fo4ld about thirty ueu wno
were drawing pay a. detectives There
was almost n0 organization some 81
item were olc men ho had b-coiue ru-
Glre.y useless. Aat oti4srs we're young isl-
lo~s WHO lad never lad Aly training as
detectives aud anew little, II any thing, u
the most ordinary methods u pursuing
tDeir calling They were IA the nabit "
reporting Al . o'clock Ia ths morning for
roll cali. and what they did during the
rest u the day nobody anew. They were
not answerabie ID anybody, apparently,
and pursued Their Ways a. they SAN lt-
one Of the nrst things that byrLes ClC "a
the ganlzsIion OF the force. WAS 10
discharge a large part OF these men. All
reforms, Of course, could not be effected
at once, bat it was not very long before
he had his department under The c.sclp-
line and regularity that prevails Ia pO-
lice precinct. At the very beginning, IL
seemed 10 him that the southern end or
the city. where the greatest commercial
and fiscal institutions arc located, should
be made the object OF special police pro
lection He therefore hired an Office al
II Wall street. and put ten OF his best men
IN II. with a view 10 connecting them by
telephone with every bznk IN the vicinity.
At that time, Mr.. Brayton Ives was the
president Of the Stock Exchange. lie and
his associates were In the habit OF en-
ploying private detectives TO guard them
against professional thieves. Byrnes east
IN convinced Mr.. Ives that the regular de
tective force, under proper system,
could effect this protection 10 much bet
ter advantage than any body OF irresp spoDsi-
ble detectives. Ia accordance with this
idea. the Stock Exchange set apart AN
Office for the use of Byrnes and his men
with the happiest results. The detectives
were ordered 10 arrest every professional
thief or criminal seen in the district. un-
less he could give a thoroughly good ac-
count OF himself. Ii was not long before
these professional shieves made mp their
minds TO keep away from Wall street Il
had been their favOrite stamping ground,
but il is now several years since any OF
them have been seen there. Thefts and
misappropriatiOns Of moneys IN that
quarter Of the town have OF latter years
been accomplished by trusted employees
and other men whom the detectives can
not reach as a rule until their crimes
have been committed.
Durinr the first four years Of Inspector
Byrnes' service at the head OF his depart
ment, he made three times as many
arrests as had been made during the pre-
vous four years, secured a similar pro-
portion OF convictions and recovered more
than s., coo 900 OF stolen property.
One Of the best features of his system
has been the employment OF young men
and the education of them To do his
work.
In 1852, he pursuaded the Legislature
to extend the facilities Of his department
by establishing the Detective Bureau,
with larger force of men at increased
pay. IL now comprises forty detective
sergeants in active service, every one OF
whom, it is believed, is highly qualified
for his work.
II is said that Inspector Byrnes is not
novel in his methods. This may be true,
but if he has any original ways OF doing
his work, the reader may be certain that
he keeps them to himself. 1t is not
SO much matter of pride with him to
invent new and shrewd methods, as il i 10
prevent crime, and II he made public the
manner in which he conducts his busi-
ness. he would be simply educating pro-
fessional criminals in methods Of avoid
ing detection. That be has been a most
efficient head OF his department, Is CRATE
fully recognized and admitted 10y all resi-
dents OF this city. lie has actually compel
led the professional thief from whatever
class, to find some other field for his oper-
ations. The burglaries and rObberies OF
to-day are committed almost entirely by
the Younger men of the vicious classes. or
by foreigner who have not been in this
country long enough TO realize that the
commission OF crime is morally certain TO
bring about arrest and its subsequent
discomforts.
OF course it need not be said that In
spector Byraes, after his long and most
successful career, is a man OF unusual sa-
gaciiy in dealing with Ihen. Whether ia
be by terrorizng, or sErewd persuasion,
or clever surprises, that he makes crimi-
nails confess TO him Of their own misGeeds
and give important evidence ia the cases
OF others. may be considered "a the IN
spectors private business. II may not be
improper. however. to state that one Of
the most valuable factors in his system Is
his remarkable knowledge Of the crimi-
nal class and his wonderful memory. Ii
seems that he never forgets a face. He
knows Just who the men are who do the
various kinds OF crime. and IL. for in
stance. safe is broken, he is morally GER
tain that some one OF limited number Of
criminals. every one OF whom IS person
ally known TO him. did the business.
When be has settled the whereabouts OF
every one OF these men at tue time the
crime occurred. he has fixed upon the IN
dividual who was guilty. and it then re-
mains to secure the evidence that Is nee
essary 70 convict IN court This may. ~
course. be the most difficult part = al the
work. bat with his clever assistants. al
WAYS readyto DO his bidding. he generally
succeeds The records % convictions in
our criminal courts is the besl proof q
bis distinguished ability.
Tie super orfv of Tcoi's Sars8pa-
rf .1 Is due fo tho rrs1lr.f n.l1 arrIr... e