Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-25


others, but they have frequently to be put
into operation under circumstances which
detract somewhat from their meritorious
character.
Perhaps no thief taker of prominence
had such pains paid to his training as
William A. Pinkerton. For years before
Allan Pinkerton died, William was daily
frequenter of The Store in Chicago. This
was a saloon kept by Mike Mcdonald,
whose fame az boss Of the gambling fra
ternity of the west attracted crooks beyond
number to the place. Young Pinkerton's
presence there was the subject Of grave
comment for long period; it was said he
was throwing away the best portion of his
life by lettering in The Store, and that he
would never become as famous as his
father. But William knew what he was
about. 1t was his fathers wish that he
should acquire familiarity with the faces
and manners of the most notorious law
breakers in the west, and while he was ap-
parently loafng and drinking with tough
characters, he was in reality laying the
basis Of knowledge which was to prove
invaluable. With the probable exception
Of Inspector Byrnes, no one has wider
knowledge Of criminals than William A
Pinkerton. it was gained in manner
not altogether pleasant, but it was the
best way open for the task, and, as re-
marked before, a detective cannot afford
to be too particular in obtaining informa-
ton.
In most American cities the force of spe-
cial thief takers is often recruited from the
ranks of roundsmen and patrolmen. While
this system works well enough in some re-
ct - hall - ~,
Appointments to the police force are very
often the outcome of political influence,
and it does not follow that because a man
makes good policeman he will show abil
ity in the higher branches Of his calling
Many policemen are naturally adapted to
shine as detectives, but the training they
receive is not always conducive to success.
Shrewdness and sagacity do not follow as
a sequence to an appointment. As one of
the detective novelists has said, detectives
are born, not made, and those who achieve
eminence in their calling are few and far
between.
OF course, in the detective ss in other
business, there are tricks of trade which
are easily learned. 1t is simple enough,
when some enornity is committed, to rake
in all the suspicious characters and put
them through sweat box" process. Just
rs likely as not one may stumble on the
criminal, but number of innocent people
are subjected to indignities which are
scarcely in keeping with the spirit Of the
constitution. But "fns work" comes in
when the chief has presented to him diff
ficult problem in the solving Of which the
work of half a dozen or more experts is
needed.
have in mind Just such casa Not
many years ago largs banking institution
of New York was swindled out of e6o, 600
on a forged check which purported to be
drawn by life insurance company in pay
ment of a policy. The widow of the in
sured received the genuine check and went
to the bank to cash it. Before she arrived
b>weyer. another woman had appeared,
accompanied by supposed lawyer, and
drawn the money. When the real widow
arrived the cashier took alarm and reported
to the president the peculiar circumstances
OF the case II WIS found that the bogus
check bore the same number as the legiti
mate check. and 1t was at once suspected
that the forger had oonfederates
A very delicate situation at once present
ell ITSELF Tie tank president 6As inclined