The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
AN ENGLISH MAN CATCHER
-
"REMINISCENCES OF DETECTIVE IN
sPECTOR CHARLES BRYAN.
His observations of PickpOckets and
confidence Men-SOme Amusing
Experience in the Service.
London Telegram

"NtR'hfirf e44tIAAAArl1 commence III
sters. ~long-hrm men. hotel and railway
thieves and sWindlers OF every description
viii rejoice to learn that ex-Detective In
spector Charles Bryan, after a quarter Of a
century's service under the vigilant Super
intendent MCMILLAN, of Old Jewry. is no
longer keeping them under observation"
Il am firmly of opinion" said the detec-
tive, reviewing his career, that a pick
pocket is rarely durable. / can recollect
only one man who abandoned his Old as
s~ociates TO take up honest employment, and
he was always i'm fear that he would be
found by his friends. once "a pickpocket.
always "A pickpocket. So it. is with long
firm swindling-once the taste for it is ac-
quired it must be continually gratifed. And
one might say the same of the evergreen
but never-stale confidence tr~ick-usuaIly
worked by Americans. but not always. L
have had any number of such men through
my hands, and have watched some Of them
from their youth upward
In disguise ever?' was the leading ques-
ton.
Not as an insDectOr-One gets too we'll
known-but as plain-cIothes man and de-
tective sergeant. in my early career. fire.
quently. 1 was at Snow Hill from 1876 un-
~ 0fhf AtNAA ANA ~ OAa wy -
naming until 1889. when 1 was made de-
tective sergeant and stationed at Bride
well. 1 recollect once. at a funeral in st.
PauTs, we were watching a woman, and
presently / saw her edge up to a lady in
the crowd and take her purse. She made
off and we followed and presently asked
Der what she was doing. telling her who
We were.
go do,ff b,Iio,.o ~, 80 Dotico oaFoarS
at all she cried.
Il forgot / was posing as a bTicklayer.
However. she dropped the purse and when
We returned 10 st. Pauls Church yard L
found the Tightful owner in the same place,
still unconscious of her loss.
Several involuntary compliments have
been paid 10 the effectiveness of my dis
suise. once observation was being kept
upon a public house and a trap drove Up.
Here. my man. cried the driver to
me. just look after my horse, and he went
into the bar.
I've got a job 1 said to a fellow-of-
hccr.
Fortunately, our man did not leave the
house. or / should have left the horse.
When the owner came out he said. Funds
rather low, and dropped three half pence
into my hand. That was not the only time
j earned money in that way. 1t was early
uApt nuns bAATAlt a runway cldlApts anu
the Keeper Of a coffee stall, noticing L
was lettering about. said:
Ere mani got anysnk 10 do? | told
him no. Then YOU look arter this little
lot So / was installed pro tenn, and when
my employer came back he gave me three
pence for the job.
were speaking about pickpockets. L
suppose they often give one another
away?
this extent. If one of them turns police
man there - never INV fhunRn fnr him
again. But they will often whip each
other. For example. it frequently takes
two men To get a purse one fellow will
watch the victim and seize a favorable
moment 20 Snick open the lazy bag. His
companion will come along and dip his
hand into the opened bag and take the
purse. Then No. / will reappear and ask
now much they have got to share. and
No . Will produce three sovereigns. per
haps, retaining a 60 note which was also
IN the purse, but which his confederate did
not have the chance of seeing i'm il"
Sometimes extraordinary condolences
lead To captures. Thus. ON the Under
ground Railway Bryan once saw "A pick
pocket take a gentleman's watch. lie at
once Informed the loser. whereupou the
victim turned round. crying You scOun-
dTctl You know something about it,. seiz-
ing him fast. Re quiet. whispered the
Police officer. = am a detective. Come with
me and we Will get your watch. But the
gentleman held him tight, and ne had To
b. NOR or less dragged along to the stairs
mp which the thief was making off, and ne
was only convinced of his error bV the
proof that the real culprit was not the
detective. IL so happened that the very
same hook WAS taught by Bryan n second
time red handed at another station. on the
Metropolitan Railway. which is perhaps
the only instance OF two arrests of the
same man for similar o~fenses by the same
officer.
Familiarity with the appearance and
gntecedeuts of rOgues was invaluable -
the detective. a.. Tor Instance. when he saw
two pickpockets running off and seized
both by the collar. one IN each hand. One,
however. was enough, and, as the other
broke away and made OFF, ne lay kicking
Cp the ground. lie kicked with a purpose,
because under him were two stolen purses.
on the way TO the station the owner was
met. bewailing her loss. She was speedily
CpmfOrted. Next 0ay. acting on the knOwi-
edge that the missing thief was once
traced 10 a certain common lodging house,
4 visit WAS paid to this haunt and the run-
away was recaptured. At one time II was
far more common than it is now for
thieves TO use such lodges as this one: y
piece OF some adhesive substance is slipped
under the edge of the counter, "a number
OF triukets are shown to the customer,
VINO SUCKS a ring. n may be. under the
counter and leaves his confederate. who
quickly follows him into the shop. 10 ab-
stract II unperceived. The method adopted
by One rogue was more ingenious. He was
always prepared with the money sufficient
10 pay Tor the ring he stole I'm case OF dis
C1Vcr-- lie went upon the ~well-knOwn re-
1uclahce OF snopkteperS 10 institute prose-
cutiOns when the property was recovered
aud there was risk of an action for false
Imprisonment.
Did YOU ever make a mistake in dentif-
cation was the question now put to the
officer. aud he candidly replied:
well. 1 dIu On one occasion. in. / think,
May. 1891. / had been sent for TO Marlbor-
ough-strect Police Court 10 recognize an
old iailbird. After my evidence the man
was committed for trial. with two others.
for picking pockets. The case came on
for trial al the MiddleseX Sessions. before
Sir Peter Ediin. an three prisoners being
found guilty. / was called upon 10 testify
TO previous convictions Of John Jones. who
fatty denied having been convicted as
alleged. and. 10 the general surprise and
70 my establishment. the real Simon Pure,
passing as Reave, was called into court.
Immediately / SAW him i realized | was
mistaken IN the prisoner. The judge Gid
not blame me. Another officer proved
convictions against the accused Jones, who
was sentenced To penal s~ervitude."
An amusing experience Is related by
BRYAN. while engaged. he says. I'm con-
was making Inquiries at "A West End rail-
way station. and for a few minutes sat on a
bench. An old fellow. apparently "A retired
farmer. walked toward me-. put on his spec
taCles and sat beside me, bur | recognized
him as a confidence trick man, known as
Johnny while "a few yards away was his
companion. whose nickname was The Nut
Johnny oaened his mouth. but before he
had got very far with his FAIRY story l eN-
claimed. Well. Johnny. aid YOU take me
FOR "the mug2' Who Is going 10 tell the
tale. YOU ear "The Nut
ON another occasion "a singular adventure
befel Bryan.
"a few years ago he says. 81 traced a
man wanted FOR embezziement To a small