Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
BY sCAND BOYEsEN

A BODY BLOW has been dealt mes
"a senger boy literature and readers
"A Of "OId Sleuth," "Old King Brady
and "Silent Soled Sam" type OF fiction,
and the unkind jolt has come from no
less personages than William A. Ham
mel, sheriff of the county Of Los An
geles, and Edward f. Dishman, Los
Angeles chief Of police.
According to these men, who should
know what they are talking about, gum
shoes, false Whiskers and whispered
alleyWay conversations are practically
a thing of the past, and the modern
effective sleuth more often has fe-
course to the newspaper columns imam
sifted cigar ashes for cleW, ana lu-
stead of midnight messenger on hrose-
back and mysterious notes, now the
speeding automobiles, electric switch
board warning signals and far-reacn-
ing telegraph land more criminals IN
week than could be caught by the old
methods in ten years.
Just so fast as desperate men adopt
new and scientific methods in commit
ting their crimes in am even greater
ratio of development the tireless man
traclters have recourse to the most I'M
proved devices in effecting the capture
of the malefactors. Safe blowers no
sooner find a way to burn through
I1dIAGNlLEu oLEEl NeilC9 WIN Nl1N'' -
than guardians of the public laws in
vent such intricate electrical devices 20
hamper the wrongdOers that even the
most hardy are forced to hesitate, and
those who now attempt 10 commit
depredations upon the property or the
more lawabiding must hesitate upon a
consideration of the appalling probabil-
ity of ultimate capture and conviction.
Thorough System in Los Angeles
Here in Los Angeles there is a
thorough system of criminal ideutilica-
tion which is in many ways an I'M
proVement upon the Bertillon system,
so celebrated on the continent and in
use in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia,
san Francisco ana Boston. High power
motor cars, fitted with searcnHghtS ana
stored with ammunition and provisions
for a long run, stand i'm constant readl-
ness for action at both the sheriff
office and at the central police station.
Motorcycle police are always ready
TO rush to the scene of reported trouble.
and an electric warning system of red
lights which flash from telegraph poles
has been installed in some of the
suburbs through the scientific zeal Of
Chief Of Police Dishman.
often within a couple OF minutes
after a call has been sent into the po-
lice station, the putting automobile and
Whizzing motorcycles are on the scene
of disturbance and, in many instances,
w0uld-be robbers have been completely
surrounded by the guardians of the
peoples peace and safety before the Of
tenders could get a half block away
from the scene of the crime.
In the district near the University OF
Southern California q successful test
Of the electric warning signals has been
made on several recent occasions, and
il lis proba bic that Chief Dlshman viii
install the same Sy tenn i'm all other
parts Of the city, TAc working Of the
signals is ass follows.
If a call is sent iu to any Of the police
stations tho operator at once presses
Il button in the electric switchboard
and lights placed upon numerous tele-
graph poles in the district show a red
glare so that any police officer in that
district may know that il is his imDer-
ative duty to call his station at once
and receive orders and directions, 50
that he may rush TO the scene where
his services are needed.
with Cordous of police surrounding
the territory in which a crime has bcen
committed, automobile searchlights
throwing their powerful and fcrreting
glare up dark alleys and motorcycles
ready to dash in instant pursuit tho
men who attempt to take advantage Of
the cloak Of darkness TO prey upon the
law abiding now ind their vocation no
sinecure.
No longer could a law breaker such