The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-05
NEVER F0RGETs
A CROOKS FACE
Mind of Billy Sheridan, of New
York, L. Pigeonhole for Them
Age Doesn't Fool Him.

NEW YORK. Jan. 5-When william
Burns. who has been called the ablest
detective In America. came East TO
establish his bureau. he cast about
Tor the finest talent available to as
sist him. He thought OF his old friend,
Lieut. Billy Sheridan. who for score
OF years had served with the bureau
In Mulberry-st and had become known
as the greatest living identifier OF
crooks-the man who never forgets a
face. Burns decided he wanted Sheri-
dan, SO he came on and had talk
with him.
There Is one man | would like for
a partner" he said. as the two sat In
Shertdan's uptown home.
Who's that?" asked Billy. do I
know the man?"
you certainly do. for the man is
none other than yourself" was the re-
Spouse.
Last week saw Sheridan's retire
ment from the police force. and he Is
now free to Join Burns. Together the
two should make things hum. Every
body knows Burns and everybody
knows Sheridan. When the govern
ment wanted a man to investigate the
Oregon land frauds and when the call
went forth for some one to smash the
corrupt San Francisco ring II was
Burns who was selected. for the job.
When the American feet In It's jour
ney round the world stopped at San
Francisco, and thieves from the four
quarters Of the globe fiocked there.
Chief OF Police Buggy borrowed Sheri-
dan from New York. Sheridan went
west and the crooks scooted for shell
ter like land crabs. While Sheridan
was in town not a single complaint
was received.
J4is Brain . Pioeonhoie For Faces.
Countless stories have been told OF
Sheridan's remarkable memory and
the question has been asked many
times. What Is the secret OF It? How
Is 1t that this man after looking at
photograph once can pigeonhole 1t In
his brain as well as in a filing cabinet
and recall the same face after a lapse
of 20 years. even though the crook has
grown q beard and otherwise altered
his appearance? Sheridan can't ex-
plain II himself. He will tell you that
the eyes and mouth OF thief seldom
change and then show you two photo
graphs of the same person, taken at
widely separated dates. You can't de-
tect a resemblance between the two,
but sheridan can. His eyes penetrate
all DISCUSSES, no matter how clever.
At headquarters he was the court OF
last resort. The suspect might pass
the critical eye of the inspectors and
the rest of the force without being
recognised, but II he had a record his
knees always knocked together when
Il he was taken into the little coop on
the Mott-st, side where Sheridan sat.
He knew he was lost. even before any
thing was said.
Thirtxthree years ago Sheridan as
tonished his teacher In the old De La
Sale school In Second-st.. when he
showed that he had practically COM
mitted to memory all that his text
book told him about English history.
without once referring to 1t he ran
through the facts from the time OF the
Druids to Queen Victoria. For that he
got a gold medal. That was the first
official recognition of his marvellous
faculty for remembering things.
Begins As Telegraph Clerk.
When Sheridan finished his school
ing he got Job with telegraph COM
pany. His duties at first were clerical,
but he improved his time to learn
telegraphy, and in due course he was
transferred to the main Office. There
he kept the accounts Of 1900 branch
offices. but he kept them In his head
and so we'll that he could recite not
only the names of the men employed
in the different Offices. but the amount
OF their salaries, how much rent they
paid and other necessary details. But
telegraph work was too combining and
he lost health The superintendent.
taking note Of this. asked Sheridan
how he would like to Join the police
force. The idea appealed to the future
detective. He took the civil service
examination. getting through by the
skin of his teeth. and was detailed to
duty at the old Fifth-st. station.
A little later Tom Byrnes sent Tor
him. Byrnes had picked Sheridan out
as "a likely Kid" and he had two or
his men take him down TO the jewelry
district and show him how thieves
were caught. Sheridan was an apt
pupil II was not long before the in
spectdr recognized his abilit ana
picked him for some OF his biggest