The Washington times., 1903-03-10
Ready at All Times to Aid
in Discovering Crime.
EXCELLENT SYSTEM IN USE
Lists Kept of All Articles Put in Pawn
and Sent to Detective Headquar-
ters Every Day.

ton hears that detective or policeman
has recovered a quantity Of stolen prop.
erty and arrested the guilty party or
parties within a few hours after The
crime was committed he is somewhat
nonplussed and is at a loss TO under
stand how IL w5s accomplished without
the Official Of the law visiting clairvoy-
ants or soothsayers 10 learn the where
abouts OF the stolen property. Few peo-
pie outside of the police and the repre-
sentatlves of the press know of the
splendid cooperative system between
the pawubrokers Of this city and the de-
tectiyc bureau. II IL were more general
~ known. thief would no doubt hesi-
tate a moment before trctting of TO a
''three-balI" sign and disposing Of his
ill-gotteE property at a ridiculous fig
ure
The pawnbrOkeTs of Washington. al
though branded as the closest people
in this section OF The country. assist the
police in the recovery of stolen goods
more than any other persons in the city.
The cooperative system is second to
none in the United States. and more
good is accomplished by II than i'm the
the local sleuths and members OF the
gum shoe brigade" have not captured
two CT three men wanted for murders. il
cannot be said that many OF the house
breakers. pickpockets. sneak thieves.
and other members Of the light fingered
gentry escape the clutches OF law or de-
feat the ends OF Justice
The Cooperative system.
Whenever pawnbroker receives a
piece of clothing or an article OF Jew
elry, he enters IT. on a slip OF paper
at his establishment and at noon he
copies the list on an official blank fur
nished him by the Police Department.
Promptly at II O'Clock all OF these pa
pers. with the list OF articles each
money-Iender has received. are sent 10
Police Headquarters and delivered to
the policeman detailed TO receive them
and make the entries on the Police De-
partment books. The detectives are fur
nished with copy OF the lists. and each
one OF them looks over the papers to
see IL any articles which have been re-
ported stolen are among the receipts
at any OF the pawnshops Detectives
Tyser. Trumbo. O'Brien and Cornwall
have been the most successful men in
e recovering property which was stolen
and left at the money lenders estab-
Iishments.
II any OF the detectives discover on
the list an overcoat which John Smith
reported stolen. they go to the shop
where the coat was left. and question
the proprietor or the man who loaned
the money on the garment The pro-
prietor gives all the necessary infor-
nation. The detectives learn that the
man received only one-hftieth OF the
true value OF the garment. and seemed
anxious to dispose OF il at any figure.
The proprietor gives a description OF the
seller Of the garment. and tells which
direction he went after leaving the shop.
With this information, and the knowl-
edge that the coat was stolen. almost
any person OF ordinary intelligence could
recover stolen property, and arrest the
guilty parties
Stolen Goods Quickly Recovered.
After getting the description OF the
party. the detectives endeavor 10 fit IL
10 some person or persons they have had
in custody before. Frequently they fix
the felony upon some persons who have
in other cases they find men and women
who we're driven TO steal clothing and
iewelry TO keep the wolf from the door.
One OF the quickest cases on record
was that recently conducted by Detec-
tive Tyser young lady stopping at q
local hotel left her jacket on the back
OF a chair in the writing room. and
when she returned IL was not 10 be
found. She reported the theft 20 the
clerk at the desk. but he failed to com
municate promptly with the Police De-
partment. About an hour after the coat
was stolen a pawnbrOzer sent in his list.
when IL was delivered the messenger in
formed Detective Tyser that a lady S
Jacket worth S25 had been sold for 75
cents The detective fastened to the
pawnshop and was informed that the
man who sold the coat was in a saloon
adjoining the pawnshop. Detective
Tyser entered the saloon, and the pawn
broker pointed out the man who sold tho
coat When taken TO police headquar-
ters he said his sister. who was STOP
ping at a Pennsylvania Avenue hotel
had given him the coat 10 sell While
be was under cross-exa Mutation the
clerk az the hotel telephoned that a
lady's jacket had been stolen. and the
case was made out The lady was inn
mediately summoned 10 Police Court
and identified her jacket. and further
averred she had seen the man who sold
the jacket lurking around in the writing
room while she was there. The judge
disposed OF the case by fning the man
$50. with ninety days in Jail in default
of navmons Sentence usae fr,r,,ged trro-
the man within two hours after the
crime had been committed
ESTATE SELLS FOR s1,1oo A FOOT.
WILMINGTON. Del. March 1O.-James