The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-28
IN FAMOUS SCOTLAND YARD.
Edward Marshall Spends a Week With Its
Clever SIeuths.
The London Police Constabe Who Earn
Only Six Dollars a Week an English View of
Supt. Byrnes
Copyrighted, 1885,

4 MS lOIcG consists or la,1ol men,
Oh whom $50 are in the criminal investi-
cation or detective department. There is
a vast difference in the number of crimes
committed in London and in American
cues, pro rata of population, and some
reason for the English balance of Vir-
tue Will be found in the greater number
OF policemen here. New York, for in
stance Ntne most thoroughly pOliCed city
in the United States) has only Also men
on ITS entire force with whom to handle
a population of approximately 100000.
The Metropolitan police of London guards
less than twice as many persons-3, 49,
WO-but has almost four times New York
number of policemen to do it with
Technically, the Scotland Yard of pres
ent police fame is New Scotland Yard.
Old Scotland Yard opens off Whitehall
midway between the present police head
quarters and Trafalgar square. In long
bygone days the detectives had three lit
tie rooms in the old yard, cluttered beyond
belief with papers, dirty and unbusiness-
IKE. 1t was these three rooms which
Dickens knew. Detectives and police were
then under separate administrations, and
detectives We're called upon only when
the police made failure of case. Any
one who was willing to pay the cost
anywhere in the United Kingdom had the
right to call for a detective from Scot
land yard, however, and 1t was by no
means unusual for members of this ia
NOUS group of detectives to be sent out
side OF the queens domain. At present
a Scotland Yard detective is not permit
ted to leave London, except on rare oc-
casions. he is a part of the London po-
lice machine and he must play that part
and no other.
1t was from this old force that Dick
ems gathered material for the detective
sketches which first made him famous
Inspector Weld, "a man of portly pres
ence, with large, moist, knowing eye, a
husky voice and habit of emphasizing his
conversation by the aid Of a corpulent
forefinger, which was in constant juXtap-
oSition with his eyes or nose" was, in real
ttY Inspector Field, whose memory Is
still green. Field was also the original of
Inspector Bucket, in BLEAK House" In
speotor Stalker, one of Dickens characters
was Inspector Walker in real life. There
are many men still ON the force who re-
member Thornton, the man whom Dickens
changed to "Dornton," the sergeant ia
nous for pursuing the inductive process
and, from small beginnings working on
from clue to clue, until he bags his man.
Sergt. NTH, who told the Butcher story
at the Detectives Party in the Office of
Household Words, IS Sergt. Smith, still
alive and hearty. To this day he seems
qualified to play the part of butchers
boy in order to spy upon receivers of stol-
en- goods and one can understand that
"even while he spoke, he became the
greasy, sleepy, sly, good-natured, unsus-
picious. ehuekel-headed and confiding
young butcher. His very hair seemed TO
have suet in it, as he made II smooth
upon his head, and his fresh complexion
to be fabricated with large quantities of
animal food
A tragic story is that of the detective
whom Dickens celebrated as "Sergt. Wit
cneln IN MS youth. his True AldlAlE was
Whicher, and he did for thirty years good
and faithful work in Scotland Yard. At
last he was assigned to the Road Murder
Case" a crime somewhat similar in its
circumstances to the Borden murder in
Fall River, The victim was young girl.
Detective Whicher suspected and arrest
ed her step-sister. When the case went
to court it was found that he had little
real evidence, and public sentiment was
overwhelmingly opposed to his theory.
The outcry was violent and damning.
cffqlripcr n his fbaOTV fore
ed to resign from Scotland Yard and prac-
tically suffered public disgrace. Several
years later. when, a broken-hearted man,
he was poor and in distress, the step-sls-
ter indicated him by giving herself up
and freely confessing that Whicher'
statements of the motive and method OF
the crime We're absolutely correct. But
poor Whicher has never been reinstated.
This old Scotland Yard organization
continued until the exposure of what are
remembered here as the Great Turf
Frauds" This showed a state of affairs
more deplorable in Scotland Yard than
the LeXow committee revealed in New
York city. and almost broke the heart of
Mr. Williamson, chief officer. Growing
out of this unsavory mess of bribery Off
cial thieVery and general corruption, came
in 1878 reorganization on about the pres
At the same time the office was moved
from the old building to another in the
center of the square. This was occupied
by the detectives until, in 1885. dynamiters,
incensed by the constant espionage which
Scotland Yard subjected them to, blew
up the place. Fortunately, no one was
temporary headquarters the department
took its present commodiGuS offices.
Which is enough of history.
The detective department is the only
branch of the metropolitan police which
is of itself, interesting; but the plan of or
ganization of the whole affair is partic-
ing swept by a wave of police reform,
worth brief explanation. Under it fav
oritism is impossible and bribery is at
present believed to be unknown.
Any man may apply for appointment on
the force at any one of the division (pre-
cincO houses. In order to secure employ
ment as police constable he must be
over p and under IS. He must be at
least five feet tall. He must be able to
read WELL write legibly and have a fair
knowledge of spelling. He must be free
from disease and Of strong constitution.
He must be recommended by two house
holders who have known him for five
years, by his last employer, and by the
minister or church warden of his parish.
He must not have more than two living
children. He must file a statement of his
debts, and be able to pay such of them as
the commissioner of police may direct.
After his appointment he can do no
work for pay aside from his police duty
and his wife cannot keep a shop. His pay
is decreased when he is on sick leave.
His uniform and Goals for his cooking at
home or elsewhere are supplied by the
department without expense to him. If
he IS unmarried ana sleeps AT the station
house, he IS charged % cents a week Tor
lodgings. He cannot resign without per-
mission. He is liable to instant dismissal
for drunkenness and many other faults,
and he can be punished in many ways,
Principally by fines.
He egins at salary of So week. This
viii be advanced p cents week each year
that his conduct IS good until, at the end
OF eight years of service, he may be paid
IS a week one case, Of drunkenness, or
other violation of the rules, Is certain TO
bring about a reduction % pay TO the
original So. lie must then begin his adj
Vancement over again,
The pension system Is very complete.
Men who have served fifteen years may
retire on pensions Of hftecn-hftieths Of
their regular pay. and this increases 70
tWo-t birds Of the regular pay for those
who have served tWeuty-siK years and up
ward a tW0-thiIsis pension may also be
granted 20 a constable who ~ incapaciia-
ted for duty by injuries received in the
actual performance ~ service a. amy
time, no matter how long De has been
on the force. III DE- receives fatal injuries
iu the Performance 0f hif duty similar