Gilpin observer., 1908-09-17

got in with Robyns, saw him make his
spurious dollars and all that sort of
thlng-but one day he tripped
Robyns wanted some acid and asked
our man to buy it. The operator con-
sented. and when his report reached
the office he was recalled and the case
against Robyns dropped We could
not afford to make the governments
agents particeps criminis. Three
months later, however, we jugged
Robyns on an entirely new charge.
by the way" Chief Wilkie OBJ
served, as new angle of thought
struck him, did you know that
sleight-of-hand is figuring more and
more in the operations of the secret
service? l am trying to get the art
down to thorougly practical working
basis, and so far have had good re-
suits. Yes, it's little hobby of mine
this hand is quicker than the eye
business-but believe l have several
men in this bureau who have me
beaten at it.
One of our men who is pretty
handy with his fingers was trying to
land gang of counterfeiters and sue
ceeded in establishing friendly rela-
tions with the bunch. Every new
conner is naturally looked upon with
suspicion until he commits some overt
act, and in this instance the gang de-
termined to have a showdown In
floating bad money each man is given
so much of it and keeps half of the
h.,
the remainder in to the makers. The
operator was given lot of one-dollar
limitations and told to get rid of them,
another of the gang going along to see
that he made good. Each time he en-
tered store to make a small pur-
chase, as the real crook thought, he
came out with the proper change
But for some reason his companion
was not satisfied and adopted the pol
icy of entering the place with him,
watching him closely as he bought.
Ii was pretty trying situation, but
our man managed TO do the sleight-
of-hand trick so we'll that good Amer
lean dollars found their way to the
cash drawer. while the 'phony' ones
disappeared somewhere on his per.
son. as evidence against the count.
erfeiters.
"Shadowing and roping," said Chief
Wilkie, may seem mighty easy to an
outsider; this thing of merely follow
ing man, but any one who has ever
turned his hand seriously to it will
tell different story. It's hardly put
ting 1t too strongly to say that it is
an art in itself Remember. the
shadow is dealing with criminals. who
feel that at all times they are being
watched. They suspect every one
and are constantly on the alert to dis
cover whether they are trailed. One
will go to the gutter. ostensibly to
expectorate. and look backward under
his arm or over his shoulder or start
on run. and, turning corner sharp
ly. stop stock still TO see whether the
shadow comes piling after him. only
to be given the laugh. The double
glass windows Of drug stores also af-
ford an opportunity to crooks to re-
assure themselves that they are not
being followed. And sometimes where
the suspicion Is strong a second man
will be put out to see IL No. has a
shadow in his wake.
obviously, what is needed to make
a successful shadow then, is a man
who looks like everybody and nobody;
who, II you meet him in one block with
his hat down over his eyes would not
be identified as the fellow you met
in another block five minutes before
with his hat on the back of his head.
He must be a man OF intuition, too,
who knows In some way or other
about the next move the crook will
make. and who is always on his
guard against surprises.
"Roping is accompanied by more
danger than shadowing. The term
embraces worming oneself into the ac.
quaintance OF a gang for the purpose
OF effectins arrests. or course mans
life isn't worth much II he's caught
at such a game and has the goods on
those whose confidence he has won.
Tha door throuph which our urai.o.