The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-28

Thames II is one of the highest build
ings IN London and more nearly rcscm-
bles the modern American office building
than any structure / have seen here.
Its interior is very plain and matter-of-
fact, with smooth white walls and tilcl
corridors. Nowhere within IT'S doors IS
there any hint of sensatiOnalsm. The
huilding was designed especially 10 af-
ford a headquarters for the vast police
business of the British metropolis and II
Is busincss-from it's foundation stones
10 it's weather vanes.
eli this eNplodos ono Of the pet bubbles
Of your imagination l nm sorry. But the
real Scotland Yard is as interesting i'm its
way as the scotland Yard of the fiction
lists has been. ONE reason why most
writers have 50 utterly gone wrong when
tfty approached LOldin dctcCtiVcs ami
their work Is that the police here like TO
Shroud their operations iu manifold mys-
tcries. Among the officials. excepting
tiief Supt ShOre-as honest and hearty
"A gentleman as one may meet in days
lourney-there Is an intimatiOn that de-
tectiNe work is fun OF red fire and mclO-
drama. An eN-lnspeCtOr " no was with
me iR miserable Nhitechapel lodging
house, graVely assured me that there
was not "a man .n tho place who would
not have cut my throat ~ the police had
not been along 10 protect me. although
an experienced eye could quickly class
me inmates of the place as simple pau
Scrs, and as far from professional GRIM
inality as possible. The cN-inspcctOr
well knew that a beef-fed citizen, With
good thick club could have driven the
whole unfortunate crew from Whitcchap-
u TO the Highlands OF Scott ma II they mad
strength TO run, but he liked TO pose.
For two hours this Oiica~ kept assur-
ing me of the bloOithirsty character OF
the stupid half-starved and wholly sub
mts4vc creatures whom we passed on
the streets. until finally ! WearieQ OF u
and LETT him. As j went on alone i
found. as | expected. that not one Of
them had any crime more horrible than
that ha' penny would send their hands
TO their caps quick as lightning.
THs BGIlIsH DETECTIVE,
The British objective first treats YOU
as n YOU were dirt beneath his feet. Then.
when ne finally finds that he must recog-
nize your humanity, he gfavely proceeds
on the assumption that You are an ass
and gulls you into spasms Of hidden
How rare the information which I have
succeeded in extracting from him during
the week IS evident by an experience
which 1 had just before l LETT Sew YORK
4 certain new spapcr man there mas maze
up a reference system Of newspaper Grip
pings Clerks have for years cut articles
iron all sorts OF publications., Nih'i'NHA
and foreign. containing lnlorma uoh Voli-
cerning afi sorts Of things. THESE nave
been placed IN envelopes indeNed ana
fled away Ina the collection almost tN-
cry conceivable subject IS iepiesehteu'
II this newspaper man Nlfntu W VIZ
an article about the Mdhaiajah OF KIM
porc twhom | met last night he wouil
probably ind Il biography Of I'm ana
there was not one word cOncern-nS hlh'
in his envelopes. But an all his collection
there WAS not one word cone ernlng the
real Scotland Yard. In fact only Two
authentic articles are remembered pN
lie officials there. one was written ipf
Society. London weekly. 10y MIR Les
TOGO. The author OF Jane and now MI.
Charles Frohman's representative over
hsre and the Other was published wears
ago ia the London illustrated News 30
whether or not what ! write interests
YOU. Il may be a satisfaction to note mat
scotland Yard fronts on the Thames
cnhankment but Il Is as easily access
sihle from Whitehall the broad thor
oughfarc which leads from Trafalgar
S,iiare 10 the Houses of Parliament.
The big building stands 10 one SIDE OF a
great court and towers h.gh above Tvs
nelghbOrs. IL Is surrounded by luhi-
ble OF cabs for a good part OF the daE
conveyances In which complainants nave
come 20 state their up 10 ME ther re-
oorts" In which officials having reports
10 make have arrived. IL IA the mead
quarters OF the Metropolitan police. MADE
,,n OF TWO bragches-the constaouiary cor
uniformed mem and the Criminal lnVes-
tigation Department Tor detective torce).
T'he word detective Is rarely used over
here. The private detective omces are
Inown as private Inquiry Bureaus
Londoa, II should be explained. Is un-