The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-07
afterwards picked up in the street where 1t
had nrnhnhlY been dronnah BY accident


! 10 send to New York for two of our men to
assist in preventing crime This by no
means argues any weakness on the part OF
| their own police force, or any lack
| Of confidence in their own powers to
! quell disturbances. 1t is done simply be
canse our men know the professional" OF
| New York, especially those who travel from
| place 10 place to fluid crowds. When such
| a request is received, the men are gene ally
| sent in citizens clothes, and after taking
care to provide themselves with any local
authority that may be necessary, they 20
on n still hunt for New York crook
In France, the secretary Of the interior
who is a member Of the cabinet, is the head
Of all the police. Next to him in rank
comes the project Of police, who is appoint
| ed by the government. Then there are the
chiefs Of the municipal police who
are the heads Of the police in their re-
spectiye cities. 1t may be said here that it
is only in the larger cities that they have
| the municipal police Under the direction
of the chiefs Of municipal police in the DIFF
ferent cities, are the coInuissaires de police,
whose duties are similar to those OF captains
in the New York police department, with
this exception, however, that in France the
cOmmissllres are magistrates. In Paris
there is a central department, which is I'M
der the direction OF the project de police,
and the force there mot the uniformed
force is divided into brigades who have
charge of some special part of the service
For instance, mans watch is stolen from
him by n prostitute either on the street or
in a house of prostitution, he makes COM
plant to the cosnmiss ire de police Of the
district, the complaint is taken and then the
matter is referred to the brigade having
charge of the houses Of prostitution for
looking after the lodging houses, for geler-
al information, etc. This last is not TO bs
confouuded with our bureau OF general in
formation, established for the convenience
of tine public. II is tho force relied upon
by the authorities for a supply Of such gen
| eral information as they may desire on any
| aud all subjects. This general kno Sledge
covers a wider field than the Now York po
lice force needs to cover, for one special
function lof which will say more present
| lyl of the French police and tbs European
police generally, Is TO exert an active II s.
lent, influence in politics. The police force
| over there is generally the most potent
weapon of the party in power.
If murder is committed in French
city the order Of proceeding is as follows:
TIE oommissaire Of the district being mott
fed of tho crime reports the matter 60 the
| project de police; he, accompanied by his
| secretary, a judge obstruction and the
chief of the secret police 20 10 the scene of the
| crime, view the body, which cannot be re-
moved until they have seen It. IL a detective
| receives information that would lead TO the
immediate arrest Of a person charged with
crime, no matter of how grave a nature, he
cannot make an arrest on the moment, bat
must first go the cOmmissSire, or project,
aud report the case to him. He Will then
send some one 70 make the arrest In Paris,
and in fact all over France, the gems d'arnss
do police duty, but they are under the di
rection Of the secretary of war.
force and that of most European cities is
that while the authorities there can hold
suspected persons much more easily than
we can after they catch them, they cannot
or do not secure them as often. In other
words We are allowed a larger discretion
and a wider latitude OF action in doubtful
cases, though as is proper enough, we are
held to an accountability that is perhaps a
little stricter.
We do great deal more toward the pre-
vention Of crime Than they do over there,
as is easily shown by the fact that number
of well-known thieves in this city go every
year or so for trip across the Atlau 10 and
generally come back with considerable
amounts of money. There are certain ad-
vantages though which the foreign police
have which we have not, and which we
ought not TO have For example, every
hotel keeper in Paris is obliged TO report
who arrive, and exactly what luggage he
has brought with him. Such thing would
not be tolerated here
The employment of secret agents-men
and women, some of them Of the highest
social POSITIONS spies in the serviea of
the detective police, forms the subject mat
ter for good many thrilling romanees.
but such agents are not police, they are po-
litical tools. They would be useless to the
orb fAr nEtfa ~
not in the clubs and the drawing rooms
that we want to look for criminals Those
are not the places where crime Is conceived
or carried out, as a rule, and | am Obliged
to select my people with regard to what
want done
Another fact, or series of facts, going TO
show the Justice Of what is said about the
efficiency of the New YORK police In pre-
venting crime. may be pointed out in the
system of detective work done in Wall
street. When l first took an Office DOVE,
there, Brayton Ives who was then prssi-
dent of the stock exchange sent for mo and
asked why | had gone there. We lad a
long talk and l told him of numerous ad.
vSntagss tnat would accrue to ths bankers
and brokers il they should have u placs at
hand where they could call fer the very
best order Of police help in any emergency
without charge. More than that the de-
tectives under my command are strictly re-
sponsible TO the public aud cen be called to
account by any citizen With far mora
ease than private detective can be. Mir.
Ives saw the force of whaL said, and from
that time till now tine stock exchange has
given me all possible aid in the work. In
consequence of the system then established.
ere has never been any money lost in
Wall street since by the act Of any habitual
criminal. This is a sharp contrast to former
times when pick pockets and highwavman