The sun., 1890-01-12
POLICE SPIES AND DECoYS.
The Captains Say They DO Not Send u oung
Girls nn Detectives to Evil Resorts.

POLICE SPIES AND DECOYS
| The Captains Say They Do ~ ot Send n ounE
Girls nn Detectives to Evil Resorts.
The recent action Of the Grand Jury in
condemning the use OF young girl spies by
| the police" to secure evidence against resorts
| OF doubtful repute, caused much talk at
| Police Headquarters. and has set the Police
Commissioners and lots OF other people talk
ing about the practice OF using spies and de-
cOys in obtaining evidence against malcfactors
The effect OF the Grand Jury's warning 10
tho police" rs the sensational recommenda-
tion has been called was immediate. District
Attorney Follows presented it to the attention
of the Police Commissioners In IN official
letter. and Superintendent Murray at once
issued a circular letter 10 police Captains to
report forthwith to him whether girl spies
were employed in any particular precinct, and
to describe in detail! any case where such spy
was used. Thus far the Superintendent has
received from the Captains nothing but denials
that they use girl spies. he will lay all the
! replies before the Board.
The particular evil that the Grand Jury had
girl under is years Of aye TO visit an evil resort
| in the city to discover whether girls ni her own
the bb, Place police
jurors presented. an ,offlcfai recommendati
!
and dehasing."
Whether or not children are now used for
as spies ave heen taken advantage OF, up TO
! recent date by detectives. They have been an
the Chinese opium Joints where il had been
| known to the police that children were allowed
to smoke opium and we're taught, other lebns;;
Ing habits. There iS one particular young girl
in The, Sixth ward who was known to nearly
everybody but the opium Joint keepers as a
herself. although not yet II years OLD and. as
II was reported. she gave evidence to the de-
and secure the conviction OF the proprietors.
It was said BY y. the Goee at M the time Of these
out prompting or lnducement from them and
because she had taken fancy to the police.
1t is certain that the police ,prohted by her
long @ time. til ~ She was arrested ferseliP in the
raids but N was dssharged BY the police mags
plant TO make against her.
Boys have also been used in n securing evil
could send a boy into suspected shop to buy
tickets with much better success than if they
tried TO do the work themselves. 49,
There are certain women who are often
spoken OF n police CIRCLES. and are known to
mauy outsiders as police decoys;" Some are
tain branches OF detective service they are by
reason Of their sex. better able o trace and trap
said. and the assertion is. extensively believed.
that these women are the, secret aids OF In
Re R serTpe m eeE
ticuar after the Paris system, in which female
detectives are said to playan important part.
Inspector Byrnes himself denies thar he has
any female assistants, and repUdiates the idea
OF the necessity of women spies or decoys. or
1t is known that he has made use Of women
whom he has arrested 10 secure information
with phenomenal power OF maxi ing pr Is oners.
particularly women prisoners. turn decoys."
1t should be said in Justice to the police, how
such use OF any person oi good character. The
children and adults who are reputed 10 be spies
and decoys are all OF shady morals and accus-
toned 10 criminal associations.
Iu the enforcement OF the Excise law and the
Blue law sections of the Penal Code the Can
tains are accustomed to detail men in civilian
dress to make arrests. Superintendent Murray
TRo "s fH U mem are are trained desc
tives, but 1t Is not so with all the men used by
the IrSecincti eGmInms9ders I na The temporary
selected. ard they make an awful botch OF
the special duty. Instances are lar from rare
battered hats and boots. to rig themselves up
as countrymeu TO deceive some bartender
his coat inside out, tuck his trousers legs into
hiS boots, and threw his hat aside temporarily
Ehe ne nns asEeS IKE o drS 81 m baSl
He didn't ret it, but he collaTed the bartender
al the same, and had him locked up because
peatedly been made too. where there was no
evidence that liquor was sold. The SPY bust.
mapping. Look at his collar and his feet" tho
fly dealers tell their bartenders. and you cant
This tin is based upon the well-known fact
that the regulation police collar Is a standing
one. with Piccadiily flaps at the throat while
the shoe is broad, heayy-soled, and wide
Policemen viii sometimes 70 into tailor
shops in plain clothes Oh sunday and ask the
tailor to sew button on, and then collar him
for doing II, or will beg drink OF milk, or buy
meat, and yank In the milkman or butcher for
sell nG his wares after O'Clock on sunday. |
This method OF enforcing the law Is not in favor
with the officials at headquarters. and tho |
police magistrates do not admit 1t as a legitl- |
mate way OF enfor ing the law. They don't |
like the notion that II Is proper for policeman
- coax man to commit an unlawful act and |
then arrest him for doing It.
The news that the Grand Jury had pitched |
into the spy system drew u variety OF COM |
ments from the Police COmmis soners Com !
idea but PARTICULARS to the fantastic style Of
policemen Disgusting Themselves TO make ex-
cse arrests." he said. That work can be |
done In legitimate way. and u better way. II |
the policeman Is only persistent enough and |
really meRne to prevent violations OF the law" |
Another Commissioner thought that the |
cause OF the Grand Jury's action was that |
somebody Interested In an illegal resort had |
misreprrsented things, and had been able to |
secure the unwilling aid OF the Grand Jurors |
In tying the hands Of the police.
, bupeIintendent Murray says that he doesn't /
that he has no knowledge that the poiice ever |
used young girls aH sples. Policemen In plain |
CLOTHES SECURE evidence for the police In every |
Instance, he d0olRfOA