The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-08
SCOTLAND YARD MAN ON
OUR DETECTIVE system
Interesting Exposure of American
Private Detective Agencies by
Able Sleuth,
Says That System of Yankee De-
tectives Would Not Be Toler-
ated in England.

zine. 1t is from the pen of Thomas
Beet, American representative Of John
Conquest, former chief of Scotland
Yard, the most famous detective bu-
reau in the world. Under the caption
of Methods of American Private De-
tective Agencies" Mr.. Beet exposes
the barnacles that graft upon employ
ers and attempt to Cypress and degrade
labor in a manner that cannot be con-
troverted and Is quite familiar to those
who have watched the movements Of
the shameless scoundrels who will even
stoop to murder to accomplish their in
famous purposes. Mr.. Beet says.
among other things:
There is another phase of the pri-
vate detective evil which has worked
untold damage In America. This Is
the private constabulary system, by
which armed forces are employed dur
ing labor troubles. 1t is a condition
akin to the feudal system Of warfare,
when private interests can employ
troops Of mercenaries to wage war at
their command.
"Ostensibly, these armed private de-
tectives are hur"ie to the scene of
the trouble to maintain order and pre-
vent destruction of property, although
his work should always be left to the
official guardians Of the peace. That
there is sinister motive back of the
employment of these men has been
shown time and again. Have you ever
followed the episodes Of q great strike
and noticed that most of the disorder
ly outbreaks were so guided as to work
harm to the interests of the strikers?
1t Is not going too far to state that
many of the great strikes have been
lost to the workers because after a
time public sympathy and support
were withdrawn. And this change of
public sentiment invariably follows the
alleged lawless and violent acts of the
strikers. Therefore, instead Of pre-
venting these acts, it Is to the interest
of the employers that they should oc-
cur.
I'm this, perhaps, lies usually the
reason why private detectives are
brought on the scene: Before every,
duty to the public as whole, their
duty consists in bringing about the re-
salt des1rea By q 1sf1pIo Ioyer@fffat
is. breaking the SVq1ke. Time and
again it has been shown that private
detectives employed every effort, feir
or foul, to accomplish this end by turn
ing public opinion against the strikers.
Private detectives, unsuspected in
their guise Of workmen, mingle with
the strikers and by incendiary talk or
ar.lon sometimes stir them up to vio-
lcrce. When the workmen will not
participate it is easy matter to stir
up the disorderly faction which Is in
variably attracted by strike although
it has no connection Herewith.
During the famous strike Of car
builders in g western city some years
ago, the country rang with details Of
acts of extreme violence alleged to
have been committed by the strikers.
Cars were destroyed. buildings burn
ed and rioting carried on until in dis
gust the public withdrew all sympathy
from the striking workmen. There
probably were instances in which the
strikers were responsible, but to my
knowledge much of the lawlessness
was melted by private detectives, who
led mobs in the destruction of prop
erty.
"In one of the greatest of our strikes
that involving the steel industry, over
two thousand armed detectives were
employed supposedly to protect prop
erty, while several hundred more were
scattered in the ranks of strikers as
workmen. Many of the latter became
officers in the labor bodies, helped to
make laws for the organizations, made
incendiary speeches, cast their votes
for the most radical movements made
by the strikers, participated In and led
bodies of the members in the acts of
lawlessness that eventually caused the
sending of state troops and the declar-
alton of martial law. While doing
this, these spies within the ranks were
making daily reports of the plan and
purposes of the strikers. To my know
ledge. when lawlessness was at its
height, and murder ran riot, these men
wore little patches of white on the
lapels of their coats that their fellow
detectives Of the two thousand would
not shoot them down by mistake.
"This has been the history, more or
less, of all the great strikes. I do not
intend to convey by this that all the
violence, lawlessness and murder was
fomented by private detectives, but 1
do say that much Of it can be laid at
their door.
"This feuda! system carried even
further. Witness the struggle of two
rival corporations over piece of land
or right of way, and what follows.
Injunctions of courts are set at
naught and armies Of detectives are
employed to gain the issue by force
of arms. Pitched battles are fought
and the success of one or the other
detectives employed and the strategic
tactics adopted. In no other country
in the world, with the exception Of
China, is it possible for an individual
to surround himself with standing
army to do his bidding In defence of
law and order.
1.-THE conditions I have outlined
could never under any circumstances
obtain In England. During labor
troubles the government looks after
the policing, and under no circumstance
es permits the meddling 81 private
detectives. Thus it Is that the public
welfare is guarded by unbiased Off