Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-07
DETECTIVE SERVICE
Some So-Called Sleuths DeS-
ignated as Accidents"
METHODS EMPLOYED
BL.ooDHoUNDs AND CLAIRvoY-
ANTS DIsCREDITED.
Difficulties Encountered in Country Dis
tricts-Some Notable Cases Recalled
by Washington Man.
METHODS EMPLOYED

Detectives are born; not made is a
statement that is frequently heard in po-
| lice circles, but there are many members
| of the local force who will say that some
| so-called detectives are accidents" 1t Is
| when there is a mystery to unravel that
| the abilities of detectives are most fire.
| quently discussed. Every case in which
| an arrest is made does not necessarily in
| volve clever piece of detective work.
People of the scientific schools sometimes
| think they can accomplish what the de-
| tectives regard as impossibilities, and they
accordingly write letters to the sleuths
| volunteering assistance. Thus far, how
| ever, their offers have awaited no more
| than the use of bloodhounds in some cases.
The bloodhound method of hunting
| criminals have been brought to the atten-
| ton of the local detectives a number of
| times with the result that not much stock
is taken in the dogs. Detective Trumbo
once owned two such animals and was for
|. a time quite enthusiastic over them: but
one of them deserted him, and the other
did not impress him as being good detec-
tive, so he is now satisfied to search for
criminals without their assistance. Clair
toyants have been consulted a number of
times, but not with any success. A num-
Der of victims of thieves have consulted
such persons and then impaired the infor-
When the latter refused to act in accord
| ance with the suggestions of the clair
voyants the losers of the valuables
thought they were badly treated 1t is in
this way that the detectives sometimes
fail to make friends 1t usually happens
that the person mentioned by the clair
voyant is some individual who is sinnocent,
and the following of such advice would
mean end of trouble for the detective or
the person interested in the recovery of
property.
A Case in Point
Il remember a case some years ago." re-
marked one of the detectives, lin which
several cows were stolen. The loser of the
animals did a little detective work and
then consulted the seventh daughter OF
seventh son. The first thing the loser was
told was that the cows had crossed water
(the Potomac river), but the loser knew
to the contrary and said so. A personal
encounter was narrowly aVerted
The cleverest detective work is not al
ways done in the matter of apprehendlng
a criminal. 1t is an easy matter to arrest
a suspect in a murder case, or IN any case
of Importance but it is not always an easy
matter to weave q chain of evidence ABOUT
the prisoner. Many a guilty person mas
heen permitted to escape because such
work could not be accomplished aIter tne
arrest had been made. sometimes IL nap
pens that too many detectlves are en-
pa eed upon the Investigation OF case anu
their theories clash to the extent that JUS
tice is defeated. In other cases arrests
are made too soon, and the prisoner Is
made WISE" as the detectives put IL, pc
fore there has been an opportunity to have
somebody outside the department Work on
the suspect. Confessions or valuable ciues
are often obtained in this way ana ,ne eh ufr
tectives are thus enabled to complete Their
case in a short time after the arrest mas
been made.
Clever Bit of Detecting.
.1. hoe heen hut a few years since one
of tho cleverest pieces of work ever done
IN this section of the country came to the
knowledge of this department, de-
+ective told a Star reporter. And, ne
oaded eft was done in Charles county,
Md, too. ,-,,,. 20 .
farmer by a man who earned his HVeh-
hood on the river twenty mlies r or ilno NOR,
from the home of his victim me man.
who caught fish in the summer ana oys-
ters in winter was suspected OF having
gone from his cabin to the nome Oh the
farmer in a boat. He reached there sun
day night about the time the farmer and
his wife returned from church. Climbing
a ladder to the second-story window or
the house, he discharged a shotgun ana
tore off the top of the farmers head.
TT was rumored that the fisherman
was in love with the farmers WIFE, SAID
the detective, and he was seen return
ing home in his small boat early the next
morning, lie was lOuSSd III Jdii win iio
other proof against him. 1t was, there
fore necessary that there should be some
detective work done after the man was
locked up In country places there are no
detective forces to call upon, and the
sheriff and states attorney usually have
the matter in charge. At the time this
crime was committed Adrian Posey was
the attorney for the commonwealth. He
was greatly interested in the case be-
cause of the Nervousness of the crime,
and made up his mind that such a dan
gerous man was going to be captured and
put out of the way if he could find the
means of doing it.
A Tedious Case.
The task was a tedious one" the de-
tective continued, but was successfully
worked and the criminal paid the death
penalty The attorney drove to the little
cabin on the river and made a thorough
search of it. There was the gun in one
corner of the little room, and scraps of
populiSt paper were scattered about on
the floor. Thinking these scraps might
tell story, they were gathered up by
the attorney and carefully slowed away
in his pocket. The gun was loaded, and
this was also taken away.
1T so happened that the county sur
geon who had performed the autopsy
found particles of the gun wad in the
brain of the murdered man. These pieces
of matted paper were preserved, and
when the states attorney had these ar
ticles in his possession he retired to his
home to complete the investigation.
The result was told in a most dramatic
manner at the murder trial at the next
term of the court After presenting the
other evidence the attorney went upon
the stand and told of how he had pursued
the investigation, describing the manner
in which he had proceeded and telling the
court and jury that having taken the
pieces of paper from the brain of the
murdered man, the wad from the re-
loaded gun and the paper found on the
floor of the cabin he had put them to-
gether so that he could read the length
of the lines.
There was deathlike silence in the
court room, and the prisoner gave way
for the first time. In the face of such
conclusive proof he was unable to make
any showing, and shortly after the YER
dict was returned he admitted his guilt"
The City Plan.