The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-28
RAILWAY DETECTIVES
SMART FELLOWS WHO HAVE MANY
INTERESTING EXPERIENCES.
They Watch Crooks and Protect Pas
sengers-Chasing Big Thieves Out
West-How Are Handled.

New York Sun.
II was in the waiting room of a Jersey
City railroad station. People were flying to
and fro for trains and the scene wes quite
as animated as the rush OF people around
a circus ticket wagon A smooth-shaven,
mild-eyed man was standing near the door
when people were pouring out for departing
trains. The man. who was well dressed,
seemed to be looking for some one about to
leave His eyes were fastened on the door
and each person who passed was subjected
to his careful. scrutiny After a few min
utes a stoutly-built man, plainly dressed
and wearing a black mustache. walked up
behind the man at the door and tapped him
on the shoulder. The man turned about
and the two men held a quiet but earnest
two-minutes' conversation. When it ended
the man with the mustache pointed toward
the street door and the other man with an
angry look followed his direction
Don't come back" said the man, who
gave what was apparently an order from
one having authority. He spoke firmly. in
a voice that could be heard several feet
away.
1t seemed strange that a man attending
TO his business should be ordered out, and
submit to the order. The reporters curios-
ity prompted him to make an inquiry.
What sort of a play was that?' he asked
Of the man with the mustache.
What business it is of yours?' asked the
man.
He seemed somewhat Modified when he
learned that the inquiry was natural, and
was not caused by Interior motives.
"Well, he said. that innocent-looking
gentleman that you saw leave Is one of the
best-known of the confidence men and
thieves in the East. He is out OF prison
just now, but is watching out for his line
Of business. He sometimes hangs about on
the ferryboats watching for rural victims
on the incoming trains. 1 suspect that he
was looking out to-day for the safe depar-
ture Of some victim who has been finished
up by the gang and would not squeal be-
cause he did not want his name in the pa
pers. You see we can't hold the crook, as
we have no evidence. SO we give him the
run"
"And what is your businessg" the re-
"Oh, / am a railroad detective. detailed
here to protect patrons of the road and
the detective moved away.
Every railroad company has a small corps
of detectives-bright fellows, who do not
win big regulations in big cases. but who
are constantly employed in the hardest and
most trying work. They are travelling from
one end of the line to the other, looking up
all sorts of depredations except the work
hAtO WI ce oPOtNAAe
usually done by detectives hired from an
agency. The reason is easily explained. The
railroad detective, in order to carry on his
work successfully. must have a large per.
sonal acquaintance with the employees or
the road. 1t is a ten-to-one shot that II
any one OF them caught him spottlng a
friend he would be thenceforth useless. But
there is no end of labor. The protection
of patrons in large railroad stations from
piclSpockets and bunco men Is a most I'M
portant work. 1t requires a detective with
a remarkable memory for faces and a most
extensive acquaintance with sneak thieves.
He must carry the rogues' gallery In his
brain. II often happens, though, that a
man possessed of the real detective intui-
ton can come pretty near locating a thief
by his appearance and manners. For. in
stance, while moving about in a crowd at
a railroad station-a crowd that changes
who remains there after the departure and
arrival Of several trains. That man is clas-
sified by the detective as a suspicious char
acter. The detective watches him carefully
and then if he is not quite sure. he politely
asks the man whether he is waiting for
train. If tie. answer is unsatisfactorydthe
room is not q public loafing place, but is
intended for passengers. In nine out of ten
cases, the experienced detectiye VIII Know
whether the man is lying. Station detec-
tives, as they are called. must have a better
knowledge of thieves than the average
agency detective. for there is a great roar
picked In a waiting room. 1t is to be said
however. that such occurrences are COM
DdTdllNclN TdTe. He STtcl-kOOUS mai VIII
goes to meet his victim waits outside the
station or on the ferryboat. There is an end
OF the old days when bad men could play
their work in waiting rooms: men like
Grand Central Pete, who got his soubriquet
because he was usually found hanging
about the Grand Central station.
The railroad detectives work for the most
part Is hunting out freight thieves and en-
ployes who have DESTROYED property and In
detecting thieves who make railroad prop
erty a mark. He Is set on the trail Of the
man who draws a spike from the track oil
II the, snail boy who throws a stone through
a car window. When a switch is turned by
loss. no matter how small. is investigated
by such large companies as the Pennsyl-
vania and the New York Central.
The theft of a ticket Office calls forth tai.
ent which may have been wasted in profit.
less search for a boy who threw a stone a
the locomotive.
A duty that keeps railroad detective.
busy in times of labor troubles is the hunt.
ing down of writer's OF anonymous letters
to railroad officials. Letters from cranks are
thrown in the waste basket, but letters con
tanning threats to destroy railroad property
are held for Investigation, During. strikes
the detective corps is enlarged, the heir
being furnished by such agencies as Pinker.
toms and Drummond's. Whenever a case
special form Of skill is to be handled tn
agency Is called upon. Express companies
usually employ. two detectives unless a
special guard Is required for large ship
ments of money in sparsely settled regions
These men are principally employed to keer
track of the messengers and to learn their
records and habits. and to trace out claims
| Whenever a big robbery occurs the compa.
ny detective is in charge over all assistants
that NAV be furnished. They do not come
into conflict with railroad detectives unless
there is a lawsuit between the two COM
panies.
The railroad and express detectives are
paid according to the requirements of the
companies. In the far West, where freight
stealing Is often carried on by organized
bands OF highwaymen, men of nerve as well
a G brain re needed and there fhax- raaofxre
salaries as high as $3.50 a month. The or.
binary railroad detective in the East re.
| ceives considerable less. but enough for a
good living. There is always a chance for
caraathinn hattar Il ha daaS o hi. e .--si