Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-14
PURSUIT OF a CRIMINAL
METHODS NECESSARY UPON THE
PART or 4 DETECT1yE.


During the meeting OF the chiefs of police
In New York recently. when Major Sy1ses-
ter was elected president Of the association.
William s. Deyery. Major Sylvester's prin-
cipal opponent. who il virtually In control
OF the New York police department, pre-
scented a paper on the subject OF Follow
ing Criminal" Inspector Adam Cross OF
the New York department read the paper.
which was rs follows:
One Of the most difficult Jobs police
officer ever gets Is to follow some person
who may be suspected of having commit
ted crime. or Of having knowledge OF
such crime. or one who FOR some reason or
other may lead the officer to the place
where valuable information Is to be found
1t generally happens that the person TO
be followed has reasons for being on the
alert, and that makes the job stin more
difficult. To follow a man who knows that
he ought to be followed, who tries to throw
of pursuits by any number of lodges. and
to hang about his heels without being dis
covered. Is a hard undertaking. and yet 1t
is a piece of work that the detective Is
often called on to perform. and very I'M
portant case may depend on how ne does
it.
Even If man is perfectly innocent OF
any crime, he win soon discover detective
who continually walks few PAGES behind
him, goes fast when he does, and stops two
feet behind him when he stops. The man
not be deceived for five minutes by such
maneuvers, and the follower will not alone
fail to accomplish his purpose, but viii also
put the other fellow on his guard and prob
ably do lot OF damage to the case
Not Laid Down by Rule.
The proper way to follow a suspect is
not one that can be laid down by rule, but
the improper way is the one just described
The intelligent detective realizes at the be-
pir hot bo has typp things to in-npyer
to lose his grip on the fellow in front and
to keep that fellow from knowing that any
body has a grip him. 1t will keep MIN
figuring pretty lively to make both of the
ends meet, and he must adopt variety Oh
tactics to do what he has set out TO DO.
Possibly he will be safe simply by keeping
on the opposite side of the street, but that
can't last forever, or the man in front VIII
take notice
The detective probably knows the ground
better than his man. and he must bring
this knowledge to bear. The man III front
has looked back. maybe, on deserted
street. and SO far as he can see there Is
not another human being in sight lie
presses forward, relieved in a measure OF
| his suspicious and does not dream that
the man he passes idling on the next cor
ner. in a shadow where his face cannot
be seen clearly, has only just stolen II ON
the rear, and by a doube-quick march
through some short cut gained a point
where he can watch the victim next
move. Or perhaps it is a friendly doorway
that hides the pursuer until the pursued
is safe distance away. Or he Jumps on
a car and rides a few blocks in front OF
the man he is following, to let him pass
unsuspectingly at the next dark alleyWay
Or in a crowd, the man that is being tGi-
lowed forces through the middle OF t,
while the detective goes around When
the man in front stops the detective must
STOP too, or if he would make himself
conspicuous by doing that he must go for
ward in an unconcerned way as any other
pedestrian might, and trust not so much
to luck as to his own common sense to
pick up the trail further on.