Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-10
Daily gennshtf journal
DEPOT DETECTIVES.
6HARP FELLOWS WHO HAVE INTER
ESTING EXPERIENCES.
Keep an Eye on the Crooks and Protect
the Travelling Public-spotters and 9th
err Detectives Employed by tlis Halfway
Companies.

err Detectives Employed by tbs Halfway
Companies.
1t was in the waiting room of a Jersey
City railway station. People were fiying
to and fro for trains, and the scene was
quite as animated as the rush of people
around circus ticket wagon. A smooth
shaven, mild eyed man was standslg 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 scru-
tiny. After a few minutes stoutly built
man, plainly dressed and wearing a black
mustachc, walked up behind the man at
the door and tapped him on the shoulder
The man turned about, and the two men
hoid quiet but earnest two minutes
conversation. When it ended, the man
with tho mustache pointed toward tho
street door, ana the other man, with an
saSry 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 curl
osity prompted him to make an inquiry.
What sort of q play was that2' he
asked of the man with the mustache
what business is it of yoursi" asked
the man.
He seemed somewhat Modified when he
learned that the inquiry was natural and
was not caused by ultorior motives
We'll, " 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 fcrryboats watching for victims on
the incoming trains. l suspect that no
was looking out today for the safe dcpar-
ture of some victim who has been finished
up by the gang and would not Squeal be
cause he did not want his name il the pa
pcrs. You see, we can't hold tho crook,
Tvs we have no evidence. So we give him
the run"
And what is your busincss?" tLo re-
porter asked.
'Oh, / am railroad detective, dc. allied
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 hard
est and most trying work, They are trav-
cling from one end of the line to the other,
looking up all sorts of deprcdations except
the work known rs spotting employees,
That work is usually done by detectives
hired from an agency. The reason is easily
explained. The railroad detective in or
der to carry on his work successfully must
have n large personal acquaintance with
the employees of the road. 1t is Il ten t.
one shot that if any one of them caught
him sputting a friend he would be thence
forth useless. But there is no end Of labor.
The protection of patrons in large railroad
stations from pickpOckets and bunko men
is q most important work. 1t requires u
detective with remarkable memory for
faces and most extensive acquaintance
with sncak thieves. He must carry the
rogucS' gallery in his brain. 1t often h.'1-
pens, enough, that q man possessed Of Tx
real detective intuition can come prc;tt
near locating a thief by his appoaranr"
and manners.
For instance, while moving about in n
crowd at Il railroad station--a crowd that
changes constantfy-hc will perhaps no
ticc one man who remains there after the
departure and arrival Of several trains
That man is classified by the detective a
suspicious character Tho detective
watches him carefully, and then, if he is
not quite sure he politely asks the man
whether he is waiting for train. IL tho
answer is unsatisfactory, the detective
will observe that the waiting room Is not
public loaGng place, but is intended for
passengers In ninO out of ten cases the
experienced detective will know whether
the man is lying. Station detectives, as
they are called, must have a better knowl
edge of thieves than the average agency
detective, for there is great roar in n
railroad Office whenever n pocket is picked
in a waiting room. 1t is to be said, how
ever that such occurrences are compare
lively rare. The green goods man who
goes to meet his victim waits outside the
station or on the terryboat 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 so
briuuet because he was usually found
hanging about the Grand Central station.
Tho railroad detectives work for the
most part is hunting out freight thieves
and employees who have destroyed proper
ty and in detecting thieves who make rail
road property a mark. He is set on the
trail of the man who draws spike from
the track or the small boy who throws n
stone through car window. When n
switch is turned by an unknown hand, he
investigates.
The thcft of ticket office calls form
talent which may have been wasted III
profitless search for n boy who threw
stone ut the locomotive.
duty that keeps railroad detectives
busy in times of labor troubles is the
hunting down of writers of anonymous
letters to railroad officers. Letters from
cranks are thrown in the wastebasket,
hut letters containing threats to destroy
railroad property are held for investiga-
ton. During strikes the detective corps Is
enlarged. the help being furnished by
such agencies as Pinkerton's and Drum
mord's. Whenever case involving largo
interests and requiring special form OF
skill is TO be handled, the agency Is called
upon.
EXPRESS companies usually employ two
detectives unless special guard Is re-
ouired for large shipments OF money Ill