Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19
KEEPER OF KINGS
Melville, the Irish Detective, Has
Earned This Title.
how ROYALTIES ARE GUARDED
Hate Surveillance, but Submit to
QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S FEAR
ecial Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

w EEN AEEAANDRA'S FEAh
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON. October 10. 1891.
Melville. special guardian of royalty.
special Nemesis of anarchists and all sorts
OF plotters against the state has had a
lively time of it since President Mckinley
was shot Melville was in Homburg with
the King of England when Czolgosz's fatal
bullet was fired, and went soon afterward
with his majesty to Denmark, and that
was a good place for him to be. for the
extraordinary collection of royalty gath
cred at the palace of the kings aged faith
er-in-law at that time was badly fright
ened by the news, and Melville was the
man to reassure them. He did it so well.
in fact. that King Christian decorated him
with the Order of the Danebrog.
The detective had a lot to do at home
but when the king decided to go to the
continent he particularly insisted that Mel
vile in person should go with him, and so
''the special and political department of
the criminal investigation department at
Scotland Yard had to get along as best 1t
could without its famous chief
That department with the long name is
used to the. chiefs absences. however. for
ney without taking his especial protector
along. usually the same compartment
Of his train or in the adjoining state room
of his steamer. The detective was an ordi-
nary policeman not long ago and never
had much schooling, but he is good look
ing, quick witted, fits the clothes that one
of the most fashionable of London tAilors
makes for him, has beautiful touch of
Irish brogue and is an entertaining COM
panion. AS result the king rather en-
joys his guardians society, and many are
the games of cards they have played to-
gether when there was nothing better to
do on long journey.
At Homburg and at Fredensborg it is
said that the king was never out of Mel
ville's sight except in moments of relaxa-
ton, when one of the chiefs three assist
ants took up the watch. At the family
gathering at King Christians palace this
remarkable Irishman was among personal
acquaintances, to nearly every one of
whom at one time or another he had been
personally introduced and for whose safety
he had been personally responsible. as
eacl: important royalty who visits England
is usually placed under Melville's wing
from the moment of setting foot on En-
glish soil Besides the King and Queen Of
England there were at Fredensborg the
car and czarina, the King and Queen of
Greece, the King of Sweden. three crown
princes and some twenty lesser royal high
nesses, and as the topic naturally upper
most in the minds of all of them was the
topic on which Melville is supposed to
know more than any other man living the
chief was in great demand.
Up From the Ranks.
This detectives rise from the ranks has
been extraordinary. The IEish dynamiters
brought him into prominence in "a, when
he was scarcely thirty. The alleged at
tempts to blow up the house of commons
and the Tower bridge and the dynamite ex-
plosion at the old Scotland Yard gave him
his chance and he caught and secured the
conviction of most of the men implca ted
in the plots, including DAILY, who is now
mayor of Limerick. He was bitterly charg-
ed at the time with having planted the
whole conspiracy for his own glorification.
His reputation. became secure when he
dug up nest of anarchists who were
manufacturing bombs at Walsall. One of
the lot had set out with some bombs to
blow up Greenwich observatory, but acct
dentally blew himself up instead, and was
found scattered about in small pieces in
Greenwich Park. Melville made speciality
OF anarchists and monarchs after that. and
1t is asserted that he now knows, at least
by sight, every anarchist of any conse-
quence in England and most of the i'm
portant ones on the continent, and can lay
his hand on them at any moment Natur-
ally enough, he is declared by the brother
hood to be utterly inscriptions and ready
at any time to sacrifice any one of them
to his own ambition. They have for him a
hatred that speaks well for William Mel
ville
The chiefs position in the detective SER
vice is rather peculiar, as the place that
he now holds was especially created for
him. The detective department, under the
supreme control of Sir Edward Bradford.
now consists of two branches. One, under
Superintendent Donald Swanson, looks af-
ter burglars and pickpockets and the ordi-
nary run Of criminals. The special and po-
litical department, of which Melville was
lately made superintendent, has the more
gilded and picturesque end Of the business,
dealing with state affairs.
Quick-Witted Irish.
1t is an odd fact that nearly every man
in this department is, like Melville. an
Irishman and a Roman Catholic. About
five years ago the proportion of Irishmen
became so large that recruits from the
Emerald Isle were barred 1 am told on
Irish authority. that as result of this
rule the efficiency of the special Cepart-
ment became so seriously impaired that
the order had to be relaxed suddenly.
1t might be supposed that a body Of men
whose business required them to be so
chummy with royalty might consist largely
Of those chosen partly because of cduca-
ton, breeding and social address, but as a
matter of fact most of them have been
ordinary policemen at $40 a week. Many
of them get precious little more than this
now, and salaries all the way up to that
of Melville, who gets $4,000 q year, are
low from the American viewpoint This
detectives, and on one or two occasions
within the last few years 1t has threat
ened serious trouble
The expenses for the protection of the
royal family, cabinet ministers and royal
guests are paid out of what Is known as
the secret service fund. of which the items
are known only to the home secretary.
who is the governor Of the police depart
ment and to the chancellor of the ex-
cheQuer, who Is the governor OF the home
secretary by virtue Of holding the purse
strings. 1t would be mighty police de-
partpent that could squeeze any extra
pennies out of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach.
but since the murder of President McKin-
ley the precautions for the welfare of the
royal family, cabinet ministers and visiting
royalty have been redoubled and the secret
service fund has suffered accordingly Ex-
penses for visiting royalties are regulated
on the Qutd pro quo system. England paws
all the expenses of guarding its ROYAL
guests, and whenever any of its own roy
atty goes abroad the country that acts as
host pays the secret service bill.