The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
ENGLAND'S SECRET POLICE.
HOW THEY WATCH SPIES AND
ANARCHISTS.

international Crime EXpertS-TraInins and
utles-knOWIedGe or Languages and
Familiarity With People Of the
Continent - Understand H~eIlOgraph,
About twenty years ago, when the more
desperate section of the Irish Fenians was
almost battling the English and Irish police
by dynamite and other ~outrages, II was
decided 10 organize a distinct detective
m~achinerv known as the Special Branch
of the Criminal Investigation Depart
ment, for the purpose of locating and dis
secting the various murder n dynamite
plots, identifying the men connected there
with, and keeping them under observa-
ton; also of course, for protecting public
men whose lives were in danger-notably
Arthur Balfour, when he was the Chief
Secretary for Ireland.
The work Of organizing this branch.
writes a correspondent of the London
Chronicle, was entrusted to Chief Inspector
IittIechild, who retired on n pension some
eleven years ago. The machinery and
methods of the Special Branch were found
TO be equally well adapted 10 the ultra
earnest Russian patriot or the ~fanae1cal
bomb thrower from France, Italy or Spain.
The Criminal Investigation Department
Special Branch is, although composed
almost entirely OF c. !. d. men, more directly
under the control Of the Home Office than
the rest Of the Metropolitan police. Its
duties consist in what is described politely
as political work" including the super
vision OF anarchists and nihilists and other
persons who may be a source Of personal
danger to the King or Queen, or to MEM
-. - c,tr rnvnl family or fn foreign
p~otentates visiting our country. or our
own Ministe rs Of State. The branch is
sometimes kept busy in trying to trace
the source Of anonymous letters written
TO any Of the above; it also undertakes
the necessary inquiries in the case af APP
plications for letters of naturalization, or
on behalf Of the Foreign Office, for pass
ports. Persons suspected of being foreign
spies also receive attention from the $. B.,
generally at the instigation either OF the
Admiralty or the War Office.
The present staff consists Of Supt. Quinn
an admirable appointment-one chief
inspector. three inspectors and ffty-two
other detectives, in the case Of two or
three OF whom the old established rule
that every detective must nave started as
an ordi nary constable has been waived
These exception ms are linguists and men OF
very pecu liar experience among the most
undesirable aliens in this and other coun
tries.
Some thirty Of this number are divided w
among six foreign and seven British ports
which shall be nameless to keep observa-
ton on outgoing n incoming passenger
boats. a few OF them occasionally going
abroad on special duty connected with
roval visits 70 Continental countries or
otherwise.
One member Of the branch speaks and
writes seven LANGUAGES, another three. one
has resided in FIVE different countries and
spt axis four languages, and most OF them
know Fe1ch. HeliOgraphing il under
stood by some Of them.
Our detectives 10 not. ~ il often sup
posed, permanently safeguard the interests
Of other countries AZ regards FOREIGN "To-
litical- suspeCts in this country. Al least
three European governments arc repre-.
-entcd in England by their own secret ser
vice agents. who are attached 10 the EN-
haAfIies, and act independently ~ VS.. A
foreign detective cent here for srccial rur
pose, however. a. a rule places himself IL
communication with "the Yard" Az present
there is no combined international move,
ment against this class of crime.
The results 81 the special branch organ
ization cannot he Judged by what iS read II
-tbe new papers a. regards the suppression
Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. have been only two
prosecutions in the last two years, but