Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-03
CROWDS OF YEARS AGO
Tales Told by an Old De-
tectiVe.
CHARLES E. Film DER
ENGAGED IN WATCHING CROOKS
AT MANY EVENTS.
Hard Work in the Early Days, With
No Mechanical Assist
CHARLES E. Film DER
Hard Work in the Early Days, With

takes an active interest in all big gather
ings here because of his knowledge of pro-
fessional crooks. Years ago when such
crooks operated here by the wholesale at
inauguratfons and on other occasions when
thousands of strangers We're attracted to
the city he participated in the investiga-
ton of cases and turned up many a
professional man. Although he has partly
given up the business he still takes an in
terest in the work, and shows it much in
the manner of the retired fire engine horse
when he hears the sounding of the bells
In conversation with a Star reporter he
told of how the crowds We're worked years
ago, and pointed out the great improve
ment that has been made in recent years.
Years ago. he said, we had no Major
Sylvester to advise the people in the COM
munity how to protect their homes and
VaIuables, and give valuable hints before
1t was too late. Neither did the people have
a Major Sylvester to bring detectives here
from all over the country to keep down
the I1ght-hngered ones when they reached
here 1t is due to Major Sylvester that the
people of Washington and their guests have
been spared the loss of thousands of dol
lars worth of property at such gatherings
as the one here this week. When the pres
ent chief of police was the chief clerk of
the department he inaugurated this sys-
tenn OF getting protection from a number
OF cities, and the scheme has worked re-
markedly well. In addition to having such
an effective force at work there are other
things to be considered in the matter of
the people beng given such good protection.
Freedom of City.
You see" he continued, there was q
time when crooks enjoyed the freedom of
the city the same as they do that of some
other large cities now. They understood
that 1t was an easy matter to come here,
Joste the crowds and pick a few pockets.
They also knew that in case of detection
they could give a straw bond or other
security which would never be collected if
they failed to appear for trial, and they
were well satisfied to take the chance of
getting in a little trouble and paying fee
10 lawyer But things have changed, and
the crook knows that he gets but little
show here now. With only the local detec-
yves on duty, some of them understand
that they might come here and take a
TICK or two and get out but with men
from all sections the chances are so much
against them that they are not at all willing
to take the risk. Then, too, it used to be
that crook could rob people and get away
with feeling that he was safe. No mat
ter If the authorities did get an idea that he
mad committed crime, they would spend
no money to send for him. and he had little
to fear. Now, however, the superintendent
OF police Will send across the continent for
them, or even to a foreign country and
well they know it. This fear of being pur-
sued keeps many of them away, and has a
great deal to do with making the police adj
mlnstration so successful. Aside from
these conditions, it must be borne in mind
| that Major Sylvester has trained his men
properly, and there Is none of the middle
man business here on part Of the sleuths
who are intrusted with the work of pro-
tectlng the property from the work of dis
honest people.
Help From Baltimore.
Finder, the local detectives had to de-
pend almost wholly upon the members Of
the Baltimore detective corps, and occa-
sionaly a man or two from New York. In
those days it was not an unusual thing to
hear of the crooks getting a half bushel
of watches and pOcketbookS enough to
start a man in business. With all the hard
luck of the victims there was amusing
side to the work of the crooks. 1 remem-
Der on one occasion, when scores or visitors
We're robbed and a score or more pocket
books were thrown into a sewer at bust
ness house. The sewer became INSTRUCTED,
and when a plumber was sent for he fished
out the pocketbooks. They had contained
hundreds of dollars, but had been 'weeded'
of every cent before being discarded The
| proprietor Of the place could not under
stand how such an apparently fine lot of
gentlemen who had been his patrons could
| have been guilty OF theft 1t Is the finely
dressed man, however, who is usually to be
feared, for a first-class crook is always a
good dresser, and is more likely to be taken
for a United States senator than for a
| thief Many a man who has been robbed
| by them has afterward expressed surprise
| at being touched by such fine gentlemen.
Pretty Smart Fellows.
"Thieves who follow the crowds and take
| a watch pocketbook or diamond are pretty
| smart fellows continued the detective.
People are wiser now than they were
years ago, and the thieves are also keep
| ing pace with the times. Years ago
| people were not warned to take care of
| their property, and were more careless than
| they are now. Devices of different kinds
are now being made to guard against the
| thieves. There are watch guards, diamond
| studs are made so that they cannot be re-
| moved from a shirt front without diff1culty
| and pocketbooks are also better protected
| than they were formerly. Among the light
| fingered people there are always some who
| seldom care to take the chances of entering
| a city, and these men confine their opera
| tons to the railroad trains. l recall several
| celebrations in this city when men of this
| class operated between Harper's Ferry or
| Baltimore and this city. They made many
good hauls on the trains from the west, and
| most of their work on that road was done
| between Harper's Ferry and Point Of
Rocks. They left the trains at the latter
| place, and when the passengers discovered
| they had been robbed 1t was too late to
| have the thieves apprehended."
The detective told of an incident that &C.
! CURED IN this city a number of years ago,
| when q man who had acted as a 'stalp
| for a mob of pickpockets was placed under
| arrest. He carried an umbrella. and when
| the rain protector was opened empty pocket
| books showered from ii. Another incident
! he related occurred during the dedication
| of the park at Antietam There had been
| a freshet, and walking by no means
| good. In order to reach desirable place
| in the park Ii was necessary to cross a
| stream. There was no bridge over the
| stream, and 1t was not until some obliging
| young man procured board and made an
| impromptu one that the people were able
| TO get over. Not only did they assist the
| people over the bridge, but they helped
| themselves to pocketbooks. watches and
| jewelry as a matter of toll. The young
| men were thanked for their kindness, al
| though 1t became necessary for them to
| leave the grounds in a hurry when it be-
| came known that they had committed so
1 "a asyotf