Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-01
WORK In SCOTLAND YARD.
q GLANCE INTO THE SYSTEM OF
ENGLISH DETECTIVES.

Men who Keep a Watch on All the Ma
tons OF the World-SnaIl Rewards to In
formers-SaIaries and Expense Accounts.
Ciphcrs Used by the London Police.
4 little grimy archway on the left hand
side as you walk from Trafalgar square to-
wards the abbey on the street that governs
England is the entrance to Scotland Yard
Against the pillars lean everInOre two or
three indilferently dressed men whose func-
ton it istoe eye the passing public suspiciously
THE SECRET SERVICE.
Up to 1877 the London detective police was
a close corporation, irresponsible and indie
pendent, managed entirely from within. In
that year occurred the great detective scan
d2l," in which three members of the force
We're proven beyond all doubt to be in regular
partnership with an organized gang of swim
dlers. The usual remedy for all The ills that
civilization is heir to was applied-a royal
commission, namely-and the present system
Is the outcome Of the work done then by Nj
Howard Vincent Plain Clothes men were
first put on the force in 1872 They were
formerly attached to each station Now they
in summer time and 100 in winter. the ranks
being filed from the uniformed force Still,
these do not make the body which is usually
referred TO as Scotland Yard. These are a
chosen corps Of about eighty men of whom
each has the rank of inspector-about equiva-
lent to a lieutenant Of Chicago police. They
form division by themselves called the SC
O." and are under the immediate command
of the assistant commissioner Of police of the
home Office. Their general duty is confined
TO the metropolitan area, but they are con
stantiy ut work on Investigations for the
government ana for foreign governments
About twenty Of the men are employed OH
political matters solely, and of these ten have
made a speciality of Irish affairs both in Ire
land and Ar'erica. The political detectives
have the best of it. They are intl'ustad with
the spending Of the secret service moneys,
and much of il of course Is expended without
vouchers or accounts. Sometimes they re-
ceive handsome presents from foreign govern
mentS. One London detective was given
g 600 in 1856 for information furnished the
Russian minister, which is said TO have saved
the cars life. The secret service fund is a
large one. Indeed it is as large as the home
office may at any time demand. In the years
1S8l-S2-S3-S4 when dynamite activity
was at its worst, bills for information"
reaching e5,000 were on several occasions
paid, according 10 the statements OF the OH
GERS themselves. Smaller sums, from CLEO to
5000, are paid out freely to smaller informers.
THE MEN AND THE WORK
The pay Of the Scotland Yard men proper
averages e23, or about $40 a month-a large
salary for London, where five shiIlings a day
j considered fair wages and expert clerks and
statesmen are glad 10 make $40 a month. Be
side the salary there i always a liberal travel
ing allowance. and all expenses incurred in
the line Of duty are paid without question
Vouchers are seldom asked for, not even
itemizel accounts. Sometime these expense
bills are heavy, especially when there are
ocean voyages to be made. The ordinary
travelling expenditure is aboug - a day.
As the secret service Is largely political, one
function OF Scotland Yard is the foreign cor
respondeuce, which Is carried on invariably
in the language of the country 10 or from
which the letters are directed As Englands
relations cover the whole world this part Of
tho work is exceedingly Interesting. Poly
glot traDSiat0rS who know every tongue IN
der the sun are constantly 1T work turning
Russian. Hindoostani, Persian and Chinese
into police English, and vice versa. There
are also employed expert cryptologists. who
are supposed 10 be able Co unravel the blind
est Of cjphers; and il Is = fact that the aid Of
the English experts has been more than once
called IN by both Pus5a and Germany in this
work The cipher uS-d by Scotland Yard it
self Is the old movable keyword the kew
generally hoing the name of the place to