Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-08


| track of somebody who is wanted, or to
| sntrap some particularly slippery fellow
who bad managed to conceal all evil
dences OF his guilt, but they regard the
women as unreliable for such business.
One smart but dangerous female whose
services have been at different times
ayailed of by the police, is Mrs. Ellen
Peck of confidence notoriety. She has
an extensive acquaintance with the
crooked fraternity and has no scruples in
turning against her comrades. She was
an instrument in running down Combo,
an Italian who stole a large amount OF
government bonds in NewYork some time
ago. She also tracked to earth Beck with,
the defaulting cashier of Rabbit, the
soap millionaire, and finally landed him
in cell. Beokwith absconded with 500,
600, and Mrs. Peck managed to get
about $50, 900 out of the millionaire
while she was engaged in the hunt. She
is foxy-faced woman, with thin, squi-
line features and dropping eyes. She is
about thirty-fivs years of age, but looks
much older, and has been playing the
confidence game on her own account for
nearly fifteen years, during which she
has served several terms in prison. Still,
the police find it advantageous to use her
occasionally.
Mrs. Mohau, formerly a Miss Kee-
Ian, is
THE CRACK WOMAN DETECTIVE
Of the Hub. She is of middle age and
wonderfully bright, O great talker aud
just the person to worm out snyoue's
secrets. She had sort of mania for
detective work, and was unhappy until
she became associated with the Boston
police. Occasionally she runs over to
New York to talk with detectives there
and get few points on the metropolitan
method of working up difficult cases; but
her own resources are generally sufficient
TO accomplish whatever she sets about.
inspector BYrnes owes some portion OF
his phenomenal success as rogue
catcher to the fact that he has not hest
tated TO employ women whenever he
could do so TO advantage, although all
the traditions of the Central office are
opposed to them. Hardly day passes
without one or two of these female
Hawkshaws calling on the big mus
tached chief of the detective SQUAD in
the white marble building i'll Mulberry
street. Few of the women SO employed,
however, make the business of detecting
crime regular profession. They gen.
merely take up police work ss means
of making extra money, or because they
are in love with the notion of playing the
detective. Women love mystery, and
the very mystery that surrounds the de-
tective's calling allures them, Just as the
glamou of the stage fascinetes others.
At headquarters the officers tell re-
markable story OF n smart woman who
hoodwinked the entire detective staff
She was plump aud pretty widow of
about twenty five, with q pair of snap
ping black eyes and a figure that would
have attracted attention anywhere. One
day she called and informed the inspec-
tor that she wished to become q dstec-
tive.
81 know l can succeed in tracking
people, " she said, with en- unutterable
look out of the depths of her beautiful
eyes. 81 can read character at
glance, and l only want chance to
show what | can do.'
OF course, it would not Go to let such
talent 20 a-beggng and she was given
an opportunity. The result was some
thing quite unexpected. The charming
widow succeeded in "mashins'' every
ease she was instructed to shadow and
made good thing ont of it in finan-
ciaI way; but the central office made no
progress. Her reports were turned In
with great punctuality AMI particular
ity. She told just where Mr.. So-and-so
passed his evenings, where he ate and
drank and when he went to bed. But
she was altogether too agreeable for |
detective and the central office reluo- !
family let her go and had to confess that |
for once it mad been duped by a woman. |
Female detectives proceed upon the |
principle
THAT MEN ARE MOSTLY FOOLS
and attack them at their weakest point |
their susceptibility. :When | succeed |
in getting man to stare at me- re- |
marked one of these ssgacious trappsrs |
Of men, al know we scored a point. |
With some men, however, it g different.
Some have to be moved by their sympa-
thies, others by their passions. You see
women have the advantage of men too;
1t the outset in detective work We can
iisarm suspicion. The first thing in be-
ginning case is to study how to sp-
orohch your man properly. l have lam
awake whole nights turning various
schemes over and over in my mind and
rejecting them, one by one, until the
night idea was hit upon at last
IL Is astonishing now Qeltly the women
'earchers in the custom house penetrate
he mysteries of feminine apparel
innocent coiffures are made to
1ield treasures as though they were
"a pillary Golcondas; busts and bustles
like sink prone beneath their hands,
md silks, velvets and lsces drop TO the 1
ioor, to the modification OF the rapidly
alternating smuggler. Hosiery is shown
o be favorite receptacle for ribbons
md jewelry trinkets and on one occasion
he artificial plumpers in the cheeks of
IN elderly dame were found to conceal
about $500 worth of diamonds, all done
Up in tissue paper and packed inside.
" hen they were forced out by the fingers
# the Inspector, the matronly smuggler
ooked as though she would fain have
wallowed them rather than have them |
all into such hands.
Several women are employed
IN A sEMI-DETECTIvE CAPACITY
y the surrogate's office for the purpose
II serving sdbpCenas and of gathering
acts concerning the antecedeats of par
les in disputed will cases. The system
3 for two to call together, about
, clock in the evening, ostensibly on q
friendly visit, and thus they are brought
q contact with the people they desire to
meet.
The female "spotter'' Ia the oldest es-
"A blisheG of all w0nen dafaafirea Sha