Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-05-06
A NEW DETECTIVE METHOD.

Gas to the Hunker case," said a de-
tective who had been giving an admirlng
crowd samples of how the craft ferreted
out crime, "it was stroke of genius.
"a message was sent in to our office by
Abraham Hunker, farmer, that he had
lost his life's savings, some 81 900 in gold.
He had kept it in stocking in his chim-
ney, having taken out brickrat 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 a 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 man
from the agency appeared at the nearest
station to Hunker's farm, hired a 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 thing or two remarked that the
fellow was queer detective, letting
everybody know what he and his busi-
ness was. He wouldn't be likely to learn
much that way. The way to work de-
tective case was for the detective to keep
in the dark himself and put 'bullSeye' on
everybody else. They gave up any ex-
pectation of Hunker ever seeing any OF
his money again.
"ln about ten days another man from
our office went to the neighborhood,
though this one didn't spend much time
with Hunker. He went about among the
farmers, told them all that he was de-
tective and engaged in hunting for the
man who stole Hunker's money. This
man didn't ask many questions. He
didn't tell anything except what ! have
stated. Then he went away, leaving the
farmers to talk about his visit and to spec
ulate from what he had mot said as to
whether he was getting on to clew.
Within a few days after his visit the news
of it was spread all over the county.
at was about two weeks later that an
other man appeared in the same locality.
This man was more like what people ex-
pect a detective to be. He went oStensi-
bly, as an agent for a steam plow, but he
took so many people into his confidence
that within a week after his departure
everybody knew that another detective
had arrived, detected and departed.
"The next man that went--on the job
put on an air of profound thought. He
stayed among the people several days be-
fore he let it out that he was detective.
But by this time they had become wrought
upon by so many detectives coming
among them that he had only to 1et the
cat out of the bag to have the news 60
like prairie fire all over the country.
He made no mystery Of the matter. In
deed, he told Hunker that the discovery
had been made that the money had been
stolen by man living in the neighbor-
hood and il would soon be recovered.
why doesn't he get away with it p
asked Hunker.
IF he should move ne would acknow-
ledge himself to be the thief. You
wouldn't need detective to tell you that
any one leaving this region just now would
be going to spend his stolen money some
where else
"After that the farmers began TO be dis
trustful of each other. They didn't talk
any more about the case. They were un-
comfortable about it. Every man felt that
he was being shadowed No farmer could
go into his house or out of it without fan
cying that some one stood behind a tree
watching him. They began to wish Hun
ker had let the money 60 without sub
jecting them to such surveillance.
"About month after the loss one of the
farmers sent word to the agency asking
that man be sent to him. When the de-
tective arrived he found pale, haggard
man who looked as if he had been keel
hauled. He took the detective back of
his house and told him to dig in certain
spot The detective dug and brought up
a cigar box containing the stocking with
Hunker's gold in it. When the money
was counted every dollar was there"
The speaker paused, and some one
asked, "Well, how did il all come about?"
"The first man sent up did not appear
as detective. He learned that no strang-
er had been to the house about the time
the money disappeared. The gold had
been kept in the same place for years,
and knowledge fits location had doubt
less come to some one of the community,
who had been tempted TO steal it. Chad
wick, the greatest detective genius have
ever known, conceived plan for forcing
the culprit to confess. He sent the first
man, who appeared openly for the pur-
pose of spreading abroad the news that
the neighborhood was being watched,
sending others to confirm this and to keep
it in the peoples minds. BY thus agita-
ting the matter he worked through any
body and everybody upon the guilty par
ty. The man told me after his arrest that
he couldn't go among his neighbors with
out hearing his theft discussed. There's
another detective here, was the usual
greeting. Have you seen him p Then
when worn out with the constant shadow
lowering over him he resolved to go
somewhere else he learned what the de-
tective had said about any one who should