The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-24
HOW TO BECOME A SLEUTH
Ex-Chief Thomas Byrnes Tells How to Succeed as a
Detective.

To become a successful detective a
natural aptitude; then plenty of brains
and, last, but far from least, an almost
inexhaustible fund of perseverance.
Without all of these qualifications he
may grow to be a satisfactory, or even
an excellent policeman, but he never
can hope to be a successful detector
of crime
Such was the dictum of Thomas
! Byrnes, ex-chief of the New York po-
lice, himself, perhaps, the most re-
nowned detective of the generation.
The famous ex-chief, although retired
from active life, has never abandoned
his lifelong pursuit, and from his new
offices, at Broadway and John streets,
New York, he looks out today on the
identical spot wherein, is years ago,
he drew his famous dead line" and
said to the criminals of America:
Beyond this corner you shall not
pass
IF a man is cut out for detective
work" continued Mr.. Byrnes, reflect
lively, the fact will manifest itself at
an early age. l don't mean that every
young fellow who soaks his mind in
so-called detective literature is a pre-
ordained detectives; quite the reverse.
Nothing is so harmful to a good career
in my chosen profession as an acquain-
tanee with trashy works of this char
acter.
Il remember that, when L was lad,
my mental tendencies ran toward in
vestigation. Although l didn't know it
at the time, that was good sign for
nv future success. For instance, the
- Af
smashed and destroyed at irregular
but frequent intervals. The good peo-
pie of the district were divided as to
whether spiteful acquaintance or the
hens themselves were in the habit of
doing the smashing. Now, ! knew very
we'll that the owners of those eggs
were simple, honest folk, without any
enemies; and l also felt sure that, al
though one or even two of the hens
might be unnatural parents, the en-
tire feathered population of the hen
house would not be likely to develop
mania for egg destruction.
THE puzzle bothered me, and for
two nights slept in the loft overlook
ing the henhouse, on the lookout for
solution. The solution came, too. Late
on the second night a red Irish setter
of our own jumped in through the
open window and proceeded to amuse
himself by chasing the hens hither and
thither, at the same time crushing all
the new-laid eggs which happened to
be beneath his paws. l coliared the
culprit in short order and ever alter
ward the henhouse window was board
ed up. That was my first piece of de-
tectiVe work.
las to a practical way by which to
start upon a detective career 1 am
somewhat in doubt. Perhaps the real
truth is that there is no royal road. l
myself began as an ordinary police pa
trolman on Dec. 10, 1863, but ii is
moot question whether routine patrol
work has its advantages. In one sense,
it is a detriment, in another a beneht.
The man in uniform has little chance
of getting to know criminals par
ticularly useful possession for the de-
tective His brass buttons are warn
ing sign: and all the thieves, buncO
men and the like give him wide berth. !
On the other hand, the patrolman's life /
gives a young man habits of discipline |
and obedience. Then, too, "a lucky /
chance may give a patrolman the OPP /
portunity of showing certain talents !
which will win him a place on the regu- |
lar detective force. During my incum
bency of the detective force chiefship /
it was my habit to keep a sharp look /
out for promising young patrolmen. If |
1 learned of any such ! sent for them |
and gave them a months trial. During ]
the month they had the power and the /
time to show the sort of stuff they were |
made of. I believe the same custom is /
in vogue in the police bodies of all big /
American and European cities.
LITERATURE NOT AC- /
CURATE.
But let me caution the intending de- |
tective to keep away from all fiction |
protesting to describe the pursuit. Even |
the better class of literature of this |
kind is harmful, because it is untrue.
Take Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes
To a practical detective it is absurd
from start to finish The young man
who fancies he could make himself a
detective by diligent study of works /
such as those of Doyle, Gaboriau or Du .
Boisgoby, is grievOusly mistaken. The
proper study of mankind is man The