The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-02
RAILROAD SECRET SERVICE.
new the Detectives work to Keep Professional
Crooks on tho Trains.

Crooks on the Trains.
or all tho wheels of service that turn under.
meath tho modern railroad there 10 mono less
frequently heard Of than tho secret service
wheel. Tho railroad detective rarely comes in
direct contact with the travelling public and
even the other employees OF tho road do not see
much OF him. When he travels at all he travels
on a special pass and usually ats in ono corner
of the 81 oking car of a local passenger train.
At each terminal Of most of tho big railroads
there is q head detective. who has two or three
assistants directly under him.. The head man is
usually an expert, having large acquaintance
with the criminal classes. Ho walks back and
forth where he can scan the faces Of passengers
OF both the outgoing and incoming trains. and
he frequently succeeds In stopping a crook. A
tap on the shoulder is enough in most cases to
turn one out OF the stream of passengers. II the
crook insists on going aboard. however. the do
tectivc has no other resource than to inform the
conductor. Provided that he is nowhere want
ed" no is allowed to take the train. where the
conductor straightway leads him to a front seat
with the polite injunction TO stay there. He may
stay there or not as he chooses, but the moment
he approaches any other passenger the latter Is
informed Of the crooks professional proclivi.
ties. 1t is a very unsatisfactory method, bat
there zap apparently Sssrs ,s Is no : better sisEsi or,,t =, on, .,
rions train rambler a Ticket 10 a certain point.
cooliiys.F ri Ts sue t the road fsT s2s'oo seS gambler
1t was q double case Of bluff. but the agent
action. and the matter ended in the gambler get.
ting his ticket. In this way the Identification
train sifat esSd shar pS"s and !" f S5fPiESs'a wai sos sF the
seenr eS < ssssh ,f on tie Oh Chicago s"s s Sleeper s5S0t M isisS %
the regular. steamer gamblers now vary the
m0n2oony 81 sen hr y ~ yrh an 9ccnsnonai srnns-
y pc hnses an t easis ~ time fn'!: to 'e eSa sIse Kim a S"f s Stili
keep within the law. There are no bcrtha to no
but they are ali occupied. Unless each pas.
songer present intends to occupy two sections it
somewhere: but Il the applicant Is wise he viii
waste no time ip sdinualT dr In audible reflections.
assuming a"ss nhiaa.'u and t rather 'e than 20 o anroS sho this Iii,
ordeal again he boards the next train at @
In case Of an actual robbery on a train the
conductor at the next stop wires a report to the
division headquarters So far as possible the
person leaving the car thereafter is seen by tho
station agent In case It is a small station. or BY
or his fence often can be- located approximateiy
and tho local police called into reapisition.
tive detains and searches any crook coming
ESQ Tar as we afford protection to passenger.
the service Is entirely Rratuitous on the part of
recently. 1--WE insure. limited by certain rules.
" o ~ w W II poihI MILO
the loss Of valusb1es in his "a" actual rSig posse"sio On.
or SeSss cf th # K sin ss or OF io ant' SSt r 70 ASSUME lssssn the he
more moral obligation in tho matter than .
e 'B9f the t rsil rs%aPS setessti h9sRB1 81 No means spends
n I'll HI sht si%s IL p sei1arss r ns:sssn e. %s-s Sssh
disc lies side.tracked in freight cars in the yards
IT thu but end . ais Of e 81 sot ai i.s% wire T .ssI. tSa s6 sSt 6f
a car containing local freight. Fast freight and
PASSENGER train schedule. But. %pilferine Of tho
local freight goes on constantly, and here It Is
sion. makes himself necessary to his employers.
Tho class and standing In the community OF
refers to the occasional thief. The real railroad
ehief is a caste as distinct as the shoplifter. and
viii steal anvthing from the brassss of an engine
The linz detectiye T. Gsgslly 2 special police
Ssnee beS sna Is ,s sso iim nis ' of tSs eifn i does wb not 1 ns
has his headquarters, although his duties cali
him over from fifty to one hundred miles Of
and dives in ali the towns along the route. for
there is whore he most often locates his man.
the fence" He works up ticketscalping cases.
and goes out with the wrecking crew to protect
detective has adopted with success the small.
boy system OF reporting inaugurated by Mr..
Tho average life Of the railroad detective is
not very romantic. For days at "a time he does
nothing more picturesque than prowl about tho
great yard at tho end OF tho division where he
Is stationed md chase coal thieves. arrest
rides on coal dumps. Sometimes he is borrowed
by tho attorneys to serve subpnnas and work
up cases. But although tho terminal mon como
in for all the more important railroad jobs. the
man on the division sometimes is able to STUN
BILE upon something Of Importance to some one
else-a hand Of counterfeiters. or, along the
coast and Canadian border. a gang OF smugglers.
A matter OF this kind he will work up In odd
moments. and whom no is sure Of his game no
sends for a Federal secret service man and
comes in for a share of the reward.