The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-12
SPOTTING CRIMINALS.

''Do you knew IL Brown has returned
that parcel Of stones yetT
The scene may be the shop Of a fash
ionable west end jeweler Costly
gems CLINT IN velvet tned cases. One
frock coated shopman turns casually
to another with the perfectly natural
question quoted above.
To those customers who may ba in
the establishment the remark means
nothing. but to the man who Is ad
dressed Il spells volumes. Brown" Is
a secret code word, and II means thai
the elegantly clad woman to whom
the speaker Is displaying tray Of
sparkling stones Is suspected BY him
Of being a thief and that her every
action must be watched.
Quite recently IA connection with q
terrible outrage ia the west end Of
London. IN which an unfortunate mon.
ey changer was done to death in his
once by a desperate robber, the fact
was disclosed that IN the case Of a
sudden attack it had been arranged
that one OF the assistants should EN-
ploy the distress signal" Of hurting a
brass paperweight through the win.
dow OF the Office.
Although most people are quite IN
aware Of the fact practically every
banker. money changer and 1eweler
IN the fashionable quarter Of the me-
troPolis has some prearranged code BY
which one employee may warn bis
fellows that dubious character has
entered the establishment
In one well known bank this Is the
system adopted: Should a cashiers
suspicious be aroused by the actions
or speech Of a man upon the other
side OF the counter be win step across
ia a perfectly innocent way to GER
tain desk which stands quite apart
from the others. The custodian at the
doorway sees the action, knows its
Significance and Is instantly on the
alert.
In the case Of another bank the
cashier whose suspicious are aroused
need net even move away from bis
desk to warn the watcher. The
scheme employed Ii this: Along the
guarding rail II the counter are Sc
ries Of plates bearing the word
Prayer" or Receiver" according to
the duties Of the cashier in each par
ticnlar section.
These, By design, are an placed
slightly aekew. Should one Of the Of
ficials behind the desks suspect the
good faith Of an individual to whom
he Is attending all he has to do In or
der to place the patrol IN uniform
upon the qui viye is to reach up a
leisurely hand and turn one Of these
plates 50 that it Is IN a perfectly
straight line with the rain from which
II projects.
The ingenuity OF this idea lies ia the
fact that, while the action Is perfectly
natural, it is SO unmistalahle that even
when the bank is full OF people it can
not fall to be observed by the man
who is upon the lookout.
Quite the most elaborate system OF
which details are obtainable is that in
stalled by a firm of electrical engineers
for one prominent west end ieweler
The manager who is on duty sits at 0
glass screened desk in the rear OF the
shop IN such a position that. while
scarcely being seen himself and Ger
tainIy without making any movement
he has an absolutely unimpeded view
Of every counter and show case.
Near him, on a small board shielded
from view, is q row Of tiny red electric
light bulbs. One corresponds to the
position OF each OF the suaYe assist
ants who attends to the wants Of tn,
Jewel buying public. Sunk in the 1oor
near the foot Of each assistant, is q
button, and his duty is done when
should he think a customer he is serv
ing may not be ION the square, be
places his foot on this convenient but
ton. The little glow lamp lights up at
the other end Of the wire and the
managers attention is promptly 70
eused IN the direction indicated.
Should his keen scrutiny reveal an
actual theft from the articles displayed
on the counter or from some unpro
tected tray he himself presses but
ton as the thief turns to leave the
shop. This serves to warn smart at
PENDANT who Is on duty at the portals,
and the wrongdoer finds his or her
pathway barred without a word hav
Ing been uttered or sigr Of wsznine
given.-London Answers