The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-05-24
DETECTIVES AT WORK.
METHODS THEY EMPLOY IN
RUNNING DOWN THIEVES.
An Ex-Detective Reveals Some In
side Secrets-The Crook and the
"Stool-Pigeon."

oIOOl-IlkcOu.
The peculiar methods which detectives
employ in learning the inside facts in
cases intrusted to them. ferreting out
CRIME and running down rogues. is looked
upon by many as wonderful thing, and
is ofttimes misconstrucd into a. gift
which only few are endowed with-a sort
of mind reading or some such secret
power as the divining rod possesses
while to those who have carefully looked
into the matter the methods are very
simple and most unrOmantlc.
Such detectives as we read about in
novels are not common in real life any
more than are the brave heroes and ro-
mantle heroines pictured in the flash lit
erature of the day. Detectives are men
of the same caliber rs We meet every day.
The only way they differ from the or
binary individual is that they wear a
badge of office and have unlimited ac
quantance among pawnbrokers and
their customers.
The customs of detectives are kept so
closely guarded that people come to look
upon them as mysterious people who pos
Sess supernatural power in their peculiar
line of work. Not long ago / CHANGED
to run across an ex-detective who had
engaged in other business, and induced
him to reveal some of the remarkable
features of that mysterious occupation.
Detectives are usually men who are
brave and fearless, athletic and able to use
their hands. Further than that they are
not different from the everyday man.
They are brave because they never &C
alone, and a companion always makes
brave man Drawer.
They are fearless because they have the
law on their side and know when they are
aggressive that the other side has no re-
course, and, being under suspicion, will
not have any favors shown him in court.
They know many of the petty thieves
of the metropolis, because whenever one OF
these unfortunates is arrested he is eXhib-
tied to them for their careful scrutiny, and
they make notes of his peculiarities.
Should they chance to meet him again
in an Out-of-the way place, they imme-
diately take him into custody and lock
him up as a suspicious person. In this
way the "crook" is kept in constant
dread of the officers. and when he
engages in big job quits his usual
haunts and leaves for parts unknown.
The detectives are then put out on tho
case, and it does not take them long tc
find one or two of the gang" missing.
The lob" is then laid ON the missing
ones, and nine times out of ten it is
rightly placed. Now, the next thing is
to find the missing men. Having their
descriptions and many of their aliases,
the detectives notify the police of other
cities to look out for them.
At the same time they keep their eyes
open to sec if any of the missing men.
regular pals" are spending any more
money than usual. If they can't do this
themselves they put a stool-pigeon to
watch him, and should he he unusually
flush, he is Immediately taken into GUS
tody as a suspicious person and threat.
cned with Imprisonment for the crime.
Often. then, he ''squeals," or reveals the
names of those who did the job to get
his own liberty.
Should the missing light fingered gen.
try have wives" as they are pleased tc
call them, these. too, are closely watched,
i U
may not be legal practice, but every
thing goes when detectives are in the
swim. Very often these letters locate
the fugitives, and "a telegram to the police
of the city or town in which they are
hiding results in their arrest
Some thieves reveal plots about TO DO
carried out for revenge, and possibly be-
cause they were not allowed in the jobs.
while Others do so to curry favor with
the police and thus enjoy more freedom.
This latter class comprises most of the
stool pigeons, for they associate with
thieves only to learn their schemes and
then ''squeal, as they call it.
There are many of this class, and while
they are useful to the police, detectives,
as IA rule, have less respect for them than
they DO for the out -and-out highway rob
Der or bank burglar.
All detectives employ bright boys to
aid them in their work. These have
come to be called stool-pigeoas, too, but
the name is improperly applied. These
BOYS follow or tail suspected persons,
and then report progress to the detective,
who hovers conveniently near. They are
in reality tell tales for ali the actual
detective work they do is to watch and
see if a suspect is joined by second
party. who, perhaps. j, also ''tailcd" by
another of these 'sparrows."
TO give credit, however. where credit
is due, some of Byrncs' men have done
some real detective work, and Byrnes
himself won his present position Of Chief
Detective Ivy clever captures of thieves,
on whom there was 30 ">Gural" Hi
Judgment is remarkable. and beside, ho
IS a man Of great executive ability.
Ii lAf IL,