Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-26

chosen as in the old days. During the season this class of work requires con- siderable attention on the part of the central office, for if clever crook were allowed to smuggle himself into an as- semb1y of jewel-bedecked women and deftly gather up pocketful of the gems the scandal would be great, and some official heads would surely be decapi- tated.
 Where He Is to Be Seen.
 The society detective is called upon to officiate at fashionable weddings, at large banquets, at dances and receptions. He is always the first to arrive, and while the guests are trooping in he takes up a comfortable position near the door, where he can scrutinize the faces of all those who enter Nearly all of the 400 are known by sight to the experienced dude detective, both the men and the women. When a strange face appears he makes a mental note of it, and later asks some one he knows who the lady or gentleman is.
 He always follows the fashions care fully, so as to appear exactly like the men in the smart set If duty calls him to an afternoon wedding he wears a long frock coat, gray trousers, patent leather shoes, sprig of lilies-of-the-val- ley in his buttonhole, the finest of linen, silk hat of the correct block and spot less gloves. He always receives plenty or altent1On, TOT many or the young bleods know him and think it real devil ish to talk to a detective and be on terms of intimacy with him.
 But it is at patriarch's ball or an as- sembly dance that the dude detective Is at his best, both professionally and other wise. These functions are always at tended by many distinguished foreign CTS, who may be visiting the city, and naturally there are more strange faces than usual. The detective must be on the alert all the time and keep moving about, clad in an irreproachable evening suit.
 It is trying to any mans equanimity to move about crowded ball room floor, filled with the chosen of the fashionable world and concentrate the mind upon thugs and criminals But the work has it's compensations, for 1t is a well known fact at headquarters that the detectives who are thrown in with the rich men of the metropolis have benedted by 1t, In many ways. Ex-Superintendent Byrnes freely acknowledged that much of his wealth was gained by speculating in Wall street on information furnished by wealthy men whom he had benefited.
 At the Public Balls.
 It is at the large public balls where the fashionable world mixes with those outside the charmed circle that the great est danger of theft lies. By expending $1Q or S5 on a ticket anyone can gain ad- mittance. and if it were not for the horde of detectives stationed at the doors and throughout the house many criminals would doubtless take advantage of the opportunity and reap rich harvest. There are many presentable crooks of both sexes who could pass by the unso- phisticated as genuine swells But it is another matter for them to run the gauntlet of half dozen men whose lives have been devoted to thief-taking.
 Several of them try it, but they have no desire to go further when one of the detectives steps up and whispers in the crooks ear: You had better not go in there; you might get into trouble, you known It is pretty well understood in thugdom that they are not wanted in fashionable circles, and few of them try it. Once in while crook thinks that he or she has been forgotten by the po- lice, but. the mistake is soon made ap- parent. .sss
 Two years ago the notorious Sophie Lyons. gorgeously dressed and wearing $50,000 worth of diamonds, drove up to the Metropolitan opera house in a faultless equipage. She was smothered up in furs, and passed the guardians at the doors. She had an expensive seat in the orches- tra and enjoyed about one-half of the opera, when one of the detectives roam ing through the house discovered her. He lost no time in making his way to her chair and informing her that she. would have to leave.
 Sophie played the indignant fashiona- ble woman to perfection, but the detec- tive was confident of his position, and after a few minutes of excited conversa- ton the Lyons woman gathered up her furs and left. She might have intended no wrong, but is was safer for the honor of the police department not to allow her to mingle with wealthy people. Too many temptations would be placed in her way.