The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-22
~ A WesO ~
Defecfixje Method.

lCOpyflknI, lSU9, Uy american fTebs tAboo-
ciation.l
"As to the Hunker case" said de-
tective who had been giving an admir-
Ing crowd samples of how the craft
ferreted out crime, ut was a stroke Of
genius.
"a message was sent IN to our Of
fice by Abraham Hunker, farmer,
that he had lost his llfe's savings,
some $1,000 In gold. He had kept 1t In
a stocking in his chimney, having tax
en- out a brick at one side, leaving a
space just big enough to hold the gold.
One day while the house was left
alone some one stole the money. He
asked us to send man TO work up the
case.
"Dan Chadwick was in charge of the
office at the time and arranged the
plan ON which the. work was to be
done. A few days after we got the
message a man from the agency APP
peared at the nearest station to Hun
ker's farm, hired horse and drove
out to see the farmer. He worked
openly, talking about the case In
presence of any one who happened TO
be about. After several days spent In
this kind of detective work he went
away.
"Some of the people thereabout who
knew a thing or two remarked that
the fellow was queer detective, let
ting everybody know what he and his
business was. He wouldn't be likely
to learn much that way. The way to
work detective case was for the de-
tective to keep In the dark himself
and put 'bullseye' on everybody else.
They gave up any expectation OF Hun
ker ever seeing any of his money
again.
"In about ten days another man
from our office went to the neighbor-
hood, though this one didn't spend
much time with Hunker. He went
about among the farmers, told them
all that he was detective and en-
gagged In hunting For the man who
stole Hunker's money. This man didn't
ask many questions. He didn't tell
anything except what l have stated.
Then he went away, leaving the farm
ers to talk about his visit and to specu-
late from what he had NOT said as to
whether he was getting on to clew.
Within few days after his visit the
news Of It was spread all over the
county.
ut was about two weeks later that
another man appeared In the same To-
callty. This man was more like what
people expect a detective TO be. He
went ostensibly as an agent for a
steam plow, but he took so many peo-
pie into his confidence that within a
week after his departure everybody
knew that another detective had ar
rived, detected aud departed.
''The next man that went ON the job
put ON an air of profound thought.
He stayed among the people several
days before he let 1t out that he was
a detective. But by this time they had
become wrought upon by so many de-
tectiyes coming among them that he
had only to let the cat out of the bag
to have the news go like a prairie fire
all over the country. He made no mys-
tery OF the matter. Indeed, he told
Hunker that the discovery had been
made that the money had been stolen
by a man living In the neighborhood
and 1t would soon be recovered.
"'Why doesn't he get away with IT.
asked Hunker.
"If he should move he would ac-
knowledge himself to be the thief. You
wouldn't need n detective to tell you
that any one leaving this region just
now would be going to spend his stol
en- money somewhere else
"After that the farmers began to be
dlstrustful of each other, they dldn't
talk any more about the case. They
were uncomfortable about It. Every
man felt that he was being shadowed
No farmer could so into his house Ol
out OF II without fancylng that some
one stood behind n tree watching him
They began to wish Hunker had lei
the money go without subJectlng then
to such surveillance.
about a month after the loss one o
the farmers sent word to the agencl
asking that man be sent TO him
When the detective arrived he fount
pale, haggard man who looked as Il
he had been keelhauled. He took thu
detective back OF his house and tolt
him to dig In certain spot The de
teetlye dug and brought up a cigar DO,
containing the stocking with Hunker'i
gold In 1t. When the money was count
ed every dollar was there"
The speaker paused, and some on'
asked, "Well, how did II all com,
abOutT
"The first man sent up did not ap
pear as "A detective. He learned tha
no stranger had been to the housr
about the time the money disappeared
The gold had been kept IN the sam,
place for years. and a knowledge of IL
location had doubtless come to som
- 1. "A. n