Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-06
THEY NEVER SLEEP.
THRILLING INCIDENTS IN THE
LIFE OF A DETECTIVE.
How French, English and American
Thief-Takers Work-Shadow-
ing Bank Clerks.

Ohiteu states sat In the lobby OF the
Windsor Hotel yesterday afternoon, says
the Denver Times, and after repeated So
licitations by reporter of the Times, con-
sented 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 differ
ent countries. People who read French
novels have an idea that the DISCUSSES
spoken of in them as being worn by the
Lecoqs of the different stories are some.
thing utterly untrue. Strange as it may
seem, however, it is true.
HE MUST BE VERY SMOOTH.
A French detective who cannot SO dis
guise himself that his superior officer can
not recognize him, could not find employ
ment in any detective bureau The dis
guises are wonderful, too, and even the
strong light of day shows no imperfections
in them.
There are two sorts of detectives in
France-State detective and the munich
pal or city force. Among the formor no
one knows who his fellow-detectives are,
and as they never work in pairs, the neces-
sity for knowing each other is not so great
The workings of the French bureau is
very thorough, and more like the Ameri-
can method than the English.
"The latter never think of Disgusting
themselves, and so to work openly. If a
bank is robbed in France, new assistant
teller or clerk appears in the bank day
or so afterward-he is a detective, of
course, and where in England the detective
would be called in front of all the en-
ployes and ask them all manner of ques-
tions, the French would say nothing, and
nothing more would probably be heard of
the robbery until the thief was caught
THE ENGLISH STOOL PIGEON.
"The English have a 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 a 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 a
large case containing the photographs of
all the detectives employed by the Bureau,
and the crooks and 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 sys-
TEN is not used much in America, as the
police do not place much faith in it.
HOW THE AMERICANS WORK 1T.
SIN France or England, if the employee
Of big banking house is suspected of ir-
Irregularities, his habits are watched, and
the facts ascertained, while in America a
man will be set on the track of the sup
posed thief, make his acquaintance, and
ingratiate himself into the suspected mans
confidence He will spend as much or
more money than the suspect, and will 60
into any dissipation with him. In the
event of irregularities in any large con-
Germ, the American detective becomes an
employe of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES as a
porter or Director of bank The clue
and the working up of it is made much
more of by an American than by anyone
else. He will jump at conclusions from a
faint something, and frequently hit the
mark, where the stolid Britisher would be
stumbling in the dark.
GOOD DETECTIVES QUALITIES.
ITO be good detective man must be
possessed of courage, brains and GOODNESS
There is no mystery, however impenetrablt
il may appear, but what can be solved i
Il. Il l.,
was a case | remember in Chicago a few
years ago.
"a well-known business man was fount
murdered one morning in his office. Th
crime had evidently been committed tn
night before, for the body had been cold
long time, and the mans family ha,
waited for him to come to his home tn
evening previous His valuables had beel
taken, the safe had been rihed, and be
yond the CHASTITY bullet-hole in the back c
the mans head there was nothing 10 ind
cate with what the crime had been CON
mitted. No pistol could be found.
WORKING UP A CASE.
u was put on the case and reasone
that as robbery was evidently committe
for gain, the murderer must be in poor Gil
in the city and found that FIVE revolver
had been pawned between 6 o'clock tn
previous evening and the morning Thre
were 45-calibre, the size evidently used
kill the man. Two of the men were we
dressed and the other wasn't. The latt,
was described to me, and took the pawi
broker down to the different railway d
pots where trains were leaving. We wei
Il. Il. L.. L..
the man in smoking-car. | arrested hir
and much of the dead mans property W
found in his possession. It's not much
a story-if the man hadn't pawned Il
pistol he would certainly have got off, b
il shows how much little things amount /
and will give you an idea Of how deteC
i've will go to work.
WATCHING BANK CLERKS.
"Those who are intrusted with &
handling of large sums of money are fl
quently watched by detectives, particular
if any money is missing from the instit
ton. Bank clerks are particularly liat
to be kept under surveillance. Not 10
ago a leak was known to exist in one
the banks of this city. Every clerk "
Swallowed by detective, until finally {
tnlei was uisco'ereu. LIS shVthSi ma
good his defalcation, and being of go
family he was permitted to resign I
other clerks didn't know they WI
watched, but they didn't make a mo
ment but what was observed. All was
ported to the President of the bank.
cost several hundred dollars to locate
leak.
DETECTIVES LIFE.
"The life of detective is startli
enough, but it gets tiresome and monot
Gus, and | expect soon to retire. | RENE
H. 1.o.a caca that hannenad in New w