Evening star., 1907-09-03
DISCUSSES OF DETECTIVES
ADVENTURE AND MASoUERADEs
OF RETIRED ENGLISH sLEUTH.
Capture Of the Gang Long Known az
THE Cabinet Of Crime"-Captor
Played Many Roles


| From the London Mall
After twenty-six years exciting service
AT scotland Yard. Detective Sergeant
Ihomas Gregory, known as Gentleman
iohl' mas retired on a full pension.
II was IN 1881 that Mr.. Gregory Joined ths
metropolitan force. He performed his frst
TOUR or duty in Regent street and Piccadillv
ana was stationed at Vine street. wb.r. ha
remained for seventeen and a half wears
In ms prime Gregory arrested many no.
| torious criminals. He captured a gang
who were known as the Cabinet Of Crime -
ana under whose guidance all big robberies
were carried out. Gregory was gifted with
FACILITY for Disgusting, and he appeared
IN many strange characters In order 10
enter and raid club in Soho he was given
'he TASK or gaining adpittance to the prem-
lses AT an appointed time dressed as a
poor Old man. he was lurching against the
ooor laden with a basket OF groundsel The
doorkeeper, a pugilist. knocked him over
INTO the road, but this gave the waiting
onicers an opportunity for getting inside
and effecting their mission
Cabman and Bootblack.
In order to keep observation on certain
houses Gregory often adopted the role of a
pavement artist. Another disguise was thar
or cab minder on the ranks, and while
! shutting a cab door and taking a top he
many time heard a snatch of conversation
winch put him on the track" OF some crime
or criminal
One summer for weeks he mipbt p,r.
psen seen daily outside the general post
once as boot cleaner, and eventually he
orought or the arrest of a gang.
obtaining the position of valet To a
Weaithy coiner, who kept a mansion In
westminster, Gregory, with other officers
contflVed big coup, four confederat ties
pelng sent to penal servitude.
Yet Gregory himself did not escape ar
rest. once while lounging about Portland
piace, dressed in rags, he was arrested and
taken to Marylebone police station as a
Vaerant He was watching a house when
a a. constable arrested him. Gregory tried
all ne could TO persuade the constable that
ne was detective but to no avail. 1t was
oniy upon arrival at the police station that
his identity was established.
At one time DOZENS of cases were being
reported to the police of women decoyIng
men into houses in the Soho district where
they were drugged and robbed. Gregory
one n1sht dressed as a woman, and by this
ruse brought to Justice several men who
alded the women in these robberies
Scotch Thrift.
An amusing story is told OF one of Greg
ory's adventures. He was keeping observa-
| tion at the corner OF Dean street west and
had adopted the plan Of selling matches
He had only two boxes a large and a
small one. Scotchman went up to him
and offered a halfpenny for the large box.
at the same time handing the officer a
penny. Gregory said he could not let him
have that one. but would try and get one
for him. Just at this moment the man he
was watching passed by and Gregory went
after him and located his residence. Some
forty minutes afterward Gregory returned
to the corner of Dean street and found the
Scotchman awaiting him for his matches
and change
A Bond street capture Is quite q dramatic
little story. One morning Gregory noticed
In Bond street a landau stop outside a Jew
elers shop. A woman dressed in the height
OF fashion alighted and looked into .Ie
window. She somehow attracted the de-
tectives attention. and was seen to drop
her parasol through the grating under the
window.
The shop assistants noticed her trouble
and came out to help her recover the article
No sooner had they left the shop than two
"swells" entered and proceeded to fill their
pockets with jewe!ry. The detective got as
sistance and arrested all three, who turned
out to be old convicts.
Gregory received many rewards for his
exceptional acuteness and many commenda-
tons. One of the metropolitan magistrates
once said: 1T is useless to keep on COM
mending Gregory; he has been commended
so Often