The times., 1899-05-21

on the streets for years before they were
made detectives.
These twelve men are supposed to look
up every complaint that reaches Police
Headquarters, and TO fathom out every
mystery that comes their way. They have
few of the latter to attend TO, but the num-
Der of the former that come into the office
daily is almost beyond reckoning. The
men get little more pay than the police
men, but this hardly compensate5 them
for the extra expense they are often COM
PEELED to incur, and the work required of
them is three times as much as that which
falls to the lot of the ordinary policeman.
The daily routine of detective at head
quarters is not at all romantic and has
very little of the glamour OF the story
about it. They are often shown family
skeletons hung away in the dark closets
and often have domestic troubles aired for
their benefit. but beyond this their work is,
to say the least grinding and monotonous.
detective is never off duty and
seldom has any time to devote to
his family. He must be active and
have good health He reports at the
detective bureau at O'Clock each
morning and receives instructions at roll
call from the inspector These instruc-
tions consist of reading out from the bull
Ietins and morning reports of the various
missing. Two roll calls are held each day
at a m. and p IN. description of the
alleged thief is often given, very seldom
being anything like the man when he is
caught. but the detective is supposed TO
recognize him from 1t, all the same. Then
one of the twelve is detailed TO stay in
the front Office to receive whatever COM
plants may come in for twenty four
hours. These are entered in small book
tha
out at roll each morning and evening. The
man who is detailed for Office duty is sup
posed TO remain in the office throughout
the day. while the other men are out at
work on the cases they have received to
investigate. It is the office day that gives
each man his cases and each man has an
office day about once in ten days. The
complaints that are received during the
day are entered in the scratch book and
are also recorded in the detectives private
notebook. He is expected TO thoroughly
investigate each complaint that is re-
ceived and make some report on it. OF
course if there are any important matters
that require immediate attention the man
In the Office is allowed 10 go out and in
stitute instant Investigation, some one else
being detailed TO receive complaints dur
ing his absence.
Every detective is expected to clear up
All his IttDEu5 btlOIt ne ID dEstll utldlitu
for Office duty. He may have the matters
entirely settled or he may have only one
or two more moves TO make, but he is re-
quired to have all of the matters reported
to him thoroughly under control before he
is allowed to receive more work.
The local sleuths generally work in
pairs, so that the man who is on Office
duty is relieved some time in the day by
his partner and is allowed to go out 20 his
meals. The work that devolves upon the
men Is enormous. as there is probably
more petty thieving in this city than in
any other in the country. The work is
also increased by the carelessness of pee
pie who persistently leave their valuables
lying in out OF the way places and for
get where they have placed them. After
hunting for time without finding them
they report the matter to the police, and
detective is assigned to the case. OF
course. each person who makes a report
to the bureau expects that his case is the
only one which requires attention and the
entire force of detectives must be put 10
work TO find his lost property to the ex
clusion of everything else, although 1t may
be that the article lost Is an umbrella,
or pair OF shoes, or something of like