The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-11-07
RAILROAD DETECTIVES.
Every Line Has its Men-Shrewed,
Intelligent and Brave.

I
corps of etectives-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 known
as spotting employees. That work is
usually done by detectives hired from
an agency. The reason is easily ex-
planned. The railroad detective, in or
der to carry on his work successfully,
must have a large personal acquaint-
ence with the employees of the road. 1t
is a ten to one shot that if any one of
them caught him spotting friend he
would be henceforth useless. But there
is no end to labor. The protection of
patrons in large railroad stations from
| pickpockets and bunco men is most
important WORK.
1t requires detective with a remark
able memory for faces and most ex-
tensive acquaintance with sneak
thieves. He must carry the rogues'
gallery in his brain. 1t often happens,
though, that man possessed of the
real detective intuition can come pref
ty near locating a thief by his appear
ance and manners. For instance, while
moving about i'm a crowd at railroad
station-a crowd that changes constant
ly-he will perhaps notice one man
who remains there after the departure
and arrival of several trains. That man
is classified by the detective as a suspi-
cious character. 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
the answer is unsatisfactory the detec-
tive will observe that the waiting room
is not public lOafing place, but is in
tended for passengers. In nine out Of
ten cases the experience detective will |
know whether the man is lying. Sta
ton detectives, as they are called, must |
have a better knowledge of thieves |
than the average agency detective, for |
there is great roar in a railroad office |
whenever a pocket is picket in a wait |
ing room. 1t il to be said, however |
that such occurrences are comparative |
ly rare. The green goods man goes to
meet his victim waits outside the sta
ton or OH the ferryboat. There is an |
end of the old days when bad men |
could ply their work in waiting rooms,
men like Grand Central Pete, who got |
his sobriquet because he was usually |
found hanging about the Grand Cen
trail Station.
The railroad detectives work for the
most part is hunting out freight thieves
and employees who have destroyed prop
erty and in detecting thieves who make
railroad property mark. He is set
on the trail of the man who draws a
spike from track or the small boy who |
throws "a stone through car window. |
When switch is turned by an un-
known hand he investigates. Every
loss, no matter how small, is invest:-
gated by such large companies as the
Pennsylvania and the New York Cen
tral.
The theft of a ticket Office calls forth /
talent which may have been wasted in
profitless search for boy who threw
stone at the locomotive.
a 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 i'm the vase basket, |
but letters containing threats 10 destroy |
railroad property are held for investiga-
ton. During strikes the detective |
corps is enlarged, the help being fur
nished by such agencies ~ Pinkerton's /
and Drummond's. Whenever a case |
involving large interests and requiring |
a special form Of skill i to be handled |
the agency is called upon
Express companies usually employ
two detectives unless a special guard is
required for large shipments Of money
in sparsely settled regions. These men
are principally employed Ia keep track
of the messengers and To learn their
habits and To trace out claims. When
ever big robbery occurs the company
detective i i'm charge over all assistants
that may he furnished. They do not
come into conflict with railroad detect
ives unless there i lawsuit between
the two companies.
The railroad and express detectives
are paid according To the requirements
Of the companies In the far West,
where freight stealing l. often carried
on by organized bands of highwaymen,
men of nerve n well as brains are need |
ed, and there they receive salaries rs
high "a $50 a month. The ordinary
railroad detective i'm the East receives
considerably less, but enough for a good
living. There Is always chance for
something better. IL he does bit of
work clever enough 10 attract the at
tention of big agency, he receives |
plenty of offers. Good detectives are
scarce.