The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-02
THE FACE OF A CROOK
WHY 1T is THAT A THIEF IS GEN.
ERALLY DETECTED.

There Are, Almost Invariably, Some
Marks About His Countenance or About
His Appearance That Inevitably Be
tray Him to Officers of the Law.
s'Police! Police! Where's the police?
Some thief's stolen my pocketbookr'
A tall, bearded and excited country
man yelled out these words in the Grand
Central depot one morning some months
ago. The alarm created the usual ex-
element which follows the announce
ment of q robbery in a crowd. Some of
tho stream of arriving and departing
travellers stopped in their places to has
tily ascertain whether or not their own
wallets were safe. Others crowded
around the countryman IN eager curios-
ity to hear what he had to say. Some
of the chemically cautious hurried their
steps a tribe from the scene of trouble
and looked back somewhat fearfuIly at
the big policeman who was elbowing
his way vigorously toward the center of
the crowd.
Any one of the score of people who did
not stop might be the thief. The rob-
berry had just come off, for the eoun-
tryman had set up his outcry the mo-
ment his wallet was jerked by some
mysterious force from his fingers. Now,
in all this confusion of hurrying people,
how was suspicion TO be pointed toward
any particular man? One would say
impossible" But one would be- wrong.
a plainly dressed man, with sharp,
black eyes, who had been standing IN
the door of the restaurant when the cry
of robbery went up, stepped quietly out
of the doorway ari turned his keen eyes
IN a series of quick glances to right and
left. He did not once look at the coun-
tryman or the little crowd around him,
bat in ten seconds he had scanned with
lightning rapidity the face of every per-
son who was walking away. A sudden
look, as though of recognition, and he
walked quickly, unhesitatingly toward a
rather well dressed man who was carry
ing small vslise up the stairway. He
overlook him at the top of the stairs and
tapped him on the shoulder.
you are my prisoner" he said.
The thief was found.
WHY He WAS RECOGNIZED.
How did the detective know him? That
is complex question 70 answer. Nat
ural instinct of an order unbiased II
human psychology is what makes the
detective. \ fox hound has it, and 1t
makes the dog hunt foxes and find them
and catch them where other dogs would
fail impotently or through lack of effort.
If this instinct was lacking IN the man
he would he no detective. He wonld
not only lack ability in thief catching,
but would have no disposition to go into
the business
This instinct which teTnpts him into
his distasteful and often perili0us call
ing Is developed by experience and OBJ
servation and constant study until il be-
comes almost a supenumerary sense.
He knows thief when he sees him, If
it is for the first time. Il sounds I'M
possible. doesn't Il? BIT il has been
proved hundreds Of times.
Physiogno1nv has something 10 do with
II; fund of knowledge Of the tricks and
devices OF the escaping robber, quick
perception cf tiny details which lead 20
suspicion, q supe-seusltIveness - the
hints OF circumstance, all go TO make UP
the professional instinct of the detective.
But the most powerful element of all,
and that which all serve bat - reinforce.
Is tina mysterious sort q animal magnet
ism which tells a detective genuine
derectiye-that a thieFs thief
The man who vas arrested n the
Grand Central depot WIS afterwarl
proved 70 be q professional Iae kpocket.
He made a bold front when the detective
asked him for a moments conversation.
and became highly indignant before the
cause o. b. detention was tod his L