The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-26
FAMOUS SLEUTH
.RAPS THIRD DECREE
Sir Robert Anderson Says System
Used in United States Savors OF
Oriental Barbarism.

]
conditions in American cities improve.
the people will demand radical
changes-perhaps as England made
under Peel. when II put The London
Iolice under the control of the ma
tional government"
This Is the prediction OF Sir Robt
| Anderson. V. c. b., retired head OF the
/ famous Scotland yard, in an article
written for The Times. Sir Robert
has been called the greatest police
man in Europe" and is continually
! being borrowed by foreign govern
/ ments. He is an expert IN police reg
ulation.
Condemning the third degree as
/ barbaric, and asserting that American
people 60 not trust their police. Sir
Robert ends with "A short. significant
statement OF the effectiveness OF Lon
don police
! In the Metropolitan police district
/ live 1850. 900 people Last year there
were IL murders. 80 cases OF man
slaughter 60 robberies. 547 burglaries
! in all that vast territory
/ There is much for city officials and
police officers 10 think about In Sir
Roberts article, which follows:
BY Sir Robt. Anderson.
To British police officials the revela-
ton Of the third degree" methods. as
they are called, used by the American
police TO extract evidence from per
sons accused OF crime, seem 10 SAVIOR
OF oriental barbarism.
Even the French system of ques-
tioning prisoners. though abhorrent TO
| British notions. affords neither pre-
cedent nor parallel for the one which
! prevails in America In France the
! Interrogation OF an accused person Is
u formal magisterial inquiry The
magistrate sits at one side of the table.
the prisoner at the other. An official
stenDgrapher attends to report the
proceedings Even with these pre-
cautions. the system is liable to great
! abuses, and only a few years ago i
prominent magistrate was summary
dismissed for having recourse TO meth
DDS OF the kind which the American
police are said TO adopt to wear out
and bully the accused.
In England no investigation OF this
kind is tolerated. A too communicative
prisoner is checked by warning that
what he says may be used against
him. An intelligent police officer will
encourage his prisoner TO talk, but ne
must not question him and any abuse
OF his opportunities of getting infeF
nation I'm this way would be severely
dealt with.
These old.fashioned ways that char
acterizc the English police administra.
ton have one result which visitors 10
England often notice with surprise
the police are the friends OF the peo-
Pile
When an EnMishman strange In
London. applies TO the London po-
lice for cid OF any kind. the particG-
lars OF his case are usually communi-
Gated 10 the police OF his home town.
Experience has proved that II nah
objects to revelations OF his AFFAIRS 70
his own police there is generally a
sinister motive for his objection.
No Confidence In police.
Americans. however do not come
under this rule. Transatlantic visit
ors who are men OF high character and
excellent repute often protest against
the practice. They declare that the
American police will use the inform2-
ton 10 blackmail them on their return
home.
do not assume that such fears are
well founded merely state the fact
for 1t Is a fact. within my own ex-
perience OF police administration in
London-that Americans have no con-
fidencc I'm the police OF their own couI.-
try
The Metropolitan police system ~
London was created by a great states
man and administratOr-Sir Robt.
| Il he Of Of
study and took the department out
OF he hands Of city authorities AMI
vested II IN the home Office OF the
national government
Abuses. similar 10 those attracting
attention In America. led TO Peel's in
torvcntion firmly believe that un-
Jess police conditions. in many OF Am.
pricas chief cities improve. reforms az
radical as Peels will be required
London has had splendid results
from the peel system one Is In the
character 81 the men. THIS was kept
up al frst Nv iron discipline and nm.
tagging vigilance. Now 81 maintains
itself through long traditions and the
spirit Of the department."
Refused Large Sums.
know OF cases where officers
even retired Officers-refused large
sums Of money fer information they
had gained n the course OF police
duty do not pretend that such a
high sense OF honor Is universal
do assert that II Is typical or course.
We have black sheen. but the sent.
ment OF the force Is against them and
they are generally detected Their
comrades would not shield them
IL would be- highly inyidious for mo
To- compare the crimes Of London with
the crimes OF the large cities OF the
United states. but few figures will
enable others 20 frame such a conf
parisOn
Iondon's MetronoIltan uolIca dig.