The Washington herald., 1912-08-22
Scotland Yard and Some
of It's Inner Workings

Wpynent nz ~ Coun comp bynd0eJ
No department Of Scotland Yard has
been more written about. none has been
more misunderstood. than the criminal In
vestgation department. 1t 10 fully alive
to Its responsibility and to the reputa-
ton It has to maintain among interna-
tionai police forces. AS It exists to-day
II has practically been built up within
the last decade by three men: Sir Ed
ward Henry. Sir Melville Macnaghten.
and Mr.. Frank Froest. Red tape has
been abolished. traditional .rule-of time
methods have given place to the latest
Developments Of police science. a supple
mechanism. able to deal with great or
small emergencies substituted for the
old. cumbrous machinery.
I. Picked officers to the number Of 60
all of whom have worn the uniform and
patrolled the streets, form a mobile
army scattered over the metropolis. Un-
obtrusive. quiet men for the most part.
dogged. tactful. and resourceful, they al
ways must be ready to act at a moment .
notice as individuals or as part Of q
machine. For It is the machinery Of
Scotland Yard that In ninety-nine cases
out hundred checks the criminals
move.
At the head Of the men who control
this machine is Sir Melville Macnaghton.
tall spare man. gray-haired. with an
intellectual face, who has spent twen-
ty-three years at Scotland Yard; Chief
Constable Hon. F. T. Bingham. a son
of Lord Mersey and a barrister. who
gained experience in the Central Crimi-
nal Court, and Supt. Froest. whose ex-
ploits during the thirty-four years he
has been in the service would form an
engrossing book.
On these men devolves the RESPONSE
bility for every failure or mistake made
by their men. The devotion for the
high executive officers which is a char
acteristic Of the service is nowhere more
marked than In the detective branch.
Especially Is this SO In the case Of
Mr.. Froest. who the men know has been
one OF themselves. THE Governor" as
he is affectionately nicknamed. is not
the sort OF man the ordinary person
magines as a detective. Picture a pros
porous business man, with humorous
blue eyes and an immense breadth Of
shoulder and chest that makes his height
deceptive. Desperate men have drawn
knives on him more than once. On the
mantelplece of his room sit three ugly
revolvers, each OF which has a story at
tached to II. The room Is soft carpeted.
and its walls broken by portraits and
CdTtoOns Ol ldHlous ppiCe OiiiCcIs VI
all nationslities.
Immediately associated with Mr. Fro
est at headquarters are FIVE chief de-
tectlve inspectors. all men OF long ex-
perience and proved qualities. Most Of
their names are familiar to the public
in connection with the unraveling of
mysteries during the last decade.
To- each Of the twenty-one divisions
into which the metropolitan police is split
up are assigned between L and 50
detectives under a divisional inspector.
In ten OF the larger divisions there is a
Junior inspector 10 assist in controlling
the staff. There are one. two. three. or
more men to every police station. They
deal with local crime, make II their busl-
ness TO know local thieves. and re-en-
force other divisions or are REINFORCED
as occasion demands They have special
duties allotted to them. and have TO keep
a record in their diaries Of the manner In
which their time is spent. Occasionally
London Is startled by some great mys-
terry. II is then that the c. !. D.. moves
swiftly, with every nerve strained TO
achieve its ends. Supposing IL II a mur
der Nothing Is disturbed until the heads
Of the department arrive. The commits
sioner himself often goes with them. Ex-
pert photographers. a member of the
flnger-print department. concentrate on
the spot A chief Getective-inspector Is
given charge Squads OF detectives inter-
view every person who could throw light
on the crime II description of the
suspected murderer is available, tele
graphist working at Scotland Yard will
get II. with the letters "A. S" (all
stations attached.