The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-31

Away along the Embankment, I
a big, businesslike red brick build |
ing, the headquarters of those whose |
business 1t is. to solve mysteries.
Scotland Yard is the home of |
thrilling occupations, and has many |
tasks undreamed of by those who re-
gard 1t merely as the directing Office |
of the army OF blue-coated London |
constables, and among those tasks is
that of probing the mystery of lost
by romance, often by tragedy, and
occasionally surrounded by black
obscurity into which no human inge-
nuity can pierce. 1t Is part of the
work of Scotland Yard to endeavor
to extract from the bewildering hu-
man continent of London those in
dividuals who have suddenly walked
off the track of human knowledge,
who in ordinary speech with friends
and acquaintances In one hour have
in the next, for no reason and with
out a word, disappeared.
Some of these mysteries never
have been solved and never will be
solved, but they are astonishingly
few compared to those which Scot
land Yard unravels every week. Only
one case here and there is heard of,
because the work is in the ordinary
routine of the Yard, and the force
has no eye for romance, rigidly re-
stricting itself to practical thoughts
and practical work.
Stretched over twenty square miles
of London, with its population of
nation, are the nervous tentacles of
Scotland Yard, ever alert for the
work, responding in moment to an
impulse from that centre of intel
ligence-the red brick, businesslike
building on the Embankment. Fre-
quently throughout day and night
the agents of Scotland Yard are
securing London in the search for
missing persons. The great organiza-
tion spread for miles works like a
machine.
To give an idea of the work 1t will
be best to take an instance of what
happens in an individual case.
A prosperous, middle-aged civil
servant living at Clapham is amazed
and alarmed to find that his son, a
bank clerk, aged twenty-four, does
not return home one night after
business. He is a well behaved
young fellow and has never before
stayed away all night. IN the
morning his father hurries to the
branch of the bank in Kensington
where his son is employed, and finds
that he left at about balf-past five
on the night before In quite his
usual manner, giving no indication
that he was not going straight home.
From the time he left the bank door
he has not been seen. His accounts
are in perfect order; he was a young
man on the way to promotion.
The bewildered father takes cab
to the nearest police station and re-
lates his story to the inspector in
charge. "Oh, daresay he'll be
found in couple Of days" says the
CHEEKY inspector. We'll get on to
1t at once. What is his descrip-
tion?"
Thereupon the father gives de-
scription of his son, running, per-
haps, something like this: Height
five feet eight inches; fair hair;
slight, fair moustache, gray eyes
slim build; wearing silk hat, morn
ing coat, dark-striped trousers and
glace kid lace boots. The inspector
enters this in a book, together with
some details as to the disappearance
He hands the book to a policeman
clerk and turns to give another word
of reinsurance to the father.
Within a minute the latter hears
the ''tick-tick-tick of telegraph
instrument In the hands of the po-
liceman clerk. The description he
has given is being telegraphed to ev'
cry police station in the London area
and is also being sent to Scotland
Yard. Thus within few minutes
the police depots from one end ol
the metropolis to the other are or
the qui vive for the slim, fair-halet
young man.
But the process has only just be
gun. AS soon as the father has lef
the police station the inspector calh
out from another room two "specia
inquiry officers" who are exper
searchers for missing persons anC
who have wonderful knowledge o
their district, with its doubtful re
sorts, low-class clubs, boarding
houses and other places where los
people drift. They hear the detail
and they go out on their quest, start
ing first with inquiries at the hos
pitfalls within their reach in order t,
make sure that no accident has be
fallen the young man.
BY the time they are in the stree
headquarters at Scotland Y.Srd hav
the matter in hand. At interval
throughout the day the privat,
printing presses at the Yard pro
duce a printed sheet with the lates
confidential information on polio
matters, and this sheet is distributes
hot from the press to every polio
station in London, and as there ar
three or four issues every day onl
an hour or two elapses between eacl
edition. AS a result, by midday tn
description of the young man ha
been printed and is being distributes
broadcast to the police. Every eS
pedient is used to get it roun
| .T 4.