St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-25
THE CITY DETECTIVES.
LOCAL Pr. YATE "5LEUTHS" ARE ON
THEIR 7RiiL.
INJURING THEIR BUSINESS.

1t IL Claimed That Certain Of the
Municipal "FIy Bobs" Are Do
iEg Work for the County and
Private individuals and Draw
ing Pay From All Parties,
Also From the City.
The private detective sagencies of the
city are up in arms. They maintain
that they are not being treated rightly
ny the police department. and today
several uf the "slruths" will call upon
Mayor Eustis and present their griev-
ances 10 him in person. 1t appears
that certain of the city detectives, who
are drawing pay from the city for their
services. are doing private detective
business on the side. ali of which tends
to make the living of the regularly es-
tablished agencies somewhat pre-
car.ons. One detective especially, it
is said. Is doing private work and
engaging men to work for him. This
one is none other than Johnathan P.
Hoy, who 1t is claimed has worked on
the side to such an extent that an at
tempt will be made to have the mayor
request" him to stop. Mr.. Hoy denies
the allegation. and SAYS that 1t is nee
essary for him as well as the other in
spectnrs to have what are known as
stool pigeons" These men, he says,
give pointers and aid in other work for
the city, and, of course, must be paid.
lie says this pay comes out of the
pockets of the detectives.
IL was stated last night that letter
had been received from Bessemer,
Mich, from hotel keeper at that
place, who some time ago was obliged
to call Ill the aid of private detective
to secure evidence. 1t is claimed that
! one of the city detectives did the work
for him and charged him $3.50. The
Bessemer man objected to paying the
! last so. for which the detective held
his note. and it was only after consid-
cradle correspondence had passed be-
tween the parties that the matter was
settled up. This incident and a num-
Der of others will be brought before the
mayor to Substantiate the claims OF the
private detective agencies.
w. E. GOodiug, deputy United States
marshal for the district of Minneapolis,
and tba manager of the Gooding Detec-
tive agency, was seen last night and
asked i'll reference to the matter referred
to. He said:
For the past year have kept sill ent
concerning phase of our business that
has worked to our detriment and in
! fllcted hardship on private detective
agencies. L have aScertained that it is
next IT, impossible for man who has
not the e. %. p. mark branded on his
chest to get any county or city work.
| The city detectives are supposed to at
| tend to criminal matters. ana are pail
So much per month for doug it. Some
of them are not content With limiting
their efforts to legitimate duties, how
ever. and are continually prowling
about and doing private business. One
OF them is SAID to have two or three
men in his employ who assist him in
doing this work on the side which is in
many Instances turned over to him by
the chief OF police.
"These city detectives aiso." contin-
ued MIR. Gooding, pat in part of their
time in doing county work and draw
pay from both sides, thus doubling their
| revenue. IL do not blame the boys for
wanting to make all the money they
| can, but it is not fair shake to make
| men conducting agencies. who depend
upon business coming outside the pale
| of police jurisdiction, to be brought into
competition with city detectives. who
| draw salaries from the city for attending
to its business. Same people may
say that l am sore because 1
do not get ali the business, but
l wish to say that have no unkind
feelings against any person at the city
hall. 1t Is about time. however, that IA
halt was called on system that
I, conduces to take the bread out of our
| very mouths. l shall make it my BUSH
| ness 10 lay the Eatter before Mayor
| Eustis, who is just enough. am sure.
F.; TO give il his consideration and see to it
that the detective, in the employ of the
| city confine their efforts to their legiti-
| mate duties. am getting tired of the
! way things have been running. and
i propose to see if l cannot put stop to
/ If },