The Detroit times., 1909-07-26
FAMOUS SLEUTH
RAPs THIRD DEGREE
Sir Robert Anderson Says System
Used in United States Savors of
Oriental Barbarism.

the people will demand radical
changes-perhaps as England made
under Peel, when IL put The London
Iolice under the control Of the ma
tional government"
This 10 the prediction OF Sir Robt
Anderson. V. &. 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 IL continually
being borrowed by foreign govern
ments. He Is an expert ia police reg
ulation.
Condemning the third degree" az
barbaric, and asserting that American
people do 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, 50 robberies, SAT burglaries
in all that vast territory.
There is much for city officials and
police officers TO think about in Sir
Roberts article. which follows:
BY Sir Robt. Anderson.
To British police officials the reveal
tion OF the third degree" methods. as
they are called. used by the American
police to extract evidence from per-
sons accused OF crime. seem TO 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
q formal magisterial inquiry. The
magistrate sits at one side of the table.
the prisoner at the other. An official
stenpgrapher attends to report the
proceedings. Even with these pre-
cautions, the system is liable to great
abuses, and only few years ago a
prominent magistrate was summarily
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 a warning that
what he says may be used against
him. An intelligent police officer will
encourage his prisoner to talk, but he
must not question him and any abuse
of his opportunities OF getting infor
nation In this way would be severely
dealt with.
These old-fashioned ways that char.
acterize the English police administrn
ton have one result which visitors tC
England often notice with surprise
the police are the friends OF the peo
pie.
When an Englishman, strange in
London. applies to the London pc.
lice for aid of any kind. the parttcu.
lars OF his case are usually communi-
Gated to the police OF his home town.
Experience has proved that IL man
objects TO revelations OF his AFFAIRS TO
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 informa-
ton to blackmail them on their return
home.
do not assume that such fears are
we'll founded | merely state the fact
for 1t is a fact, within my own ex-
perience of police administration in
Lopdon-that Americans have no con-
iidencc in the police Of their own coun-
try.
The Metropolitan police system OF
London was created by a great states
man and administrator-Sir Robt.
Peel. Ii was the result OF years OF
study, and took the department out
Of the hands of city authorities. and
vested IT in the home Office Of the
national government.
Abuses, similar to those attracting
attention In America. led to Peel's in
PREVENTION. I firmly believe that un-
less police conditions In many Of Am
erica's chief cities improve, reforms az
radical as Peel's win be required.
London has had splendid results
from tire Peel system. One Is in the
character of the men. This was kept
up at first by iron discipline and nm
tagging vigilance. Now II maintains
itself through long traditions and the
spirit Of the department"
Refused Large Sums.
I know OF cases where officers
even retired offices-refused large
sums Of money for information they
had gained In the course OF police
duty. do not pretend that such a
high sense of honor Is universal.
do assert that 1t Is typical. or course,
we have black sheep, but the senti-
ment OF the force is against them and
they g. ra qqnprallV dQfaCtpd Their
comrades would not shield them.
II would be highly invidious for me
TO compare the crimes OF London with
the crimes OF the large cities OF the
United States. but few figures will
enable others TO frame such COM
parison
London's Metropolitan police dig
trict embraces an area Of 700 square
miles. with a population OF 7,25O.OOO.
One year ago the reported murders
numbered only IL. Fifteen or l6 has
been the average for many years. The
reported manslaughteT cases were 30.
the robberies SO. the burgiaries 647-
an unusually large number. The
actual less incidental to these was
returned at 1912 600. This. II must pc
remembered. Is In an area where the
rateable value OF property for police
purposes is s25S.19S.2S6.
Il should be borne In mind. too. that
II is much more difficult To police a
town Of 100000 than TO police three
separate towns totaling that number
OF inhabitants.
Bu.iness-Iike Printing. No fuss and
no feathers The plain, neat kind :aat