The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-09-06
FAMOUS DETECTIVE II:
or SCOTLAND YARD
is ABOUT TO RETlRE
IN -- s+-. 80.
Frank Froest Has Been In Ser
vice AS Sleuth For Thirty
four Years
u. s. VOTED HIM THANKS
Came Over Here in 1892 To
! Help Run Down Notorious
Fraud Case
]. s. VOTED HIM THANKS

shortly to lose one OF the most
famous Investigators OF crime that II
Has ever produced Frank Froest.
Perhaps, the best testimonial to
AS prowess a. detective lies in the
net that his retirement from the
Criminal investigation Department OF
me Metropolitan Police force Is nine
years overdue. Even as II is, ne
would not be retiring now were II
not for the fact that his eyesight has
kiyen him some trouble lately.
Almost the whole OF his Official
career years In all-has
been spent In the &C. I. D." for very
early In his career as member OF
the Metropolitan Police force ne
Allowed that natural aptitude for Grim
NAL investigation which has brought
him not only fame and reward In mis-
own country but also honor and OF.
6cial recognition In the United
States.
There II nothing OF the traditional
detective about Froest. In manner.
appearance, dress and speech he IL
wholly unlike his prototype In fiction
and. most OF all. dissimilar to that
masterpieces Of analytical deduction,
Sherlock Holmes. AS his surname
and the shape OF his head indicate
be n OF Scandinavian extraction.
To appreciate Frank Froest fully
,oue must know him. Perhaps, the
characteristic which strikes acQuain-
fauce and friend most Is his natural
gsniality, which no worry, no stress
bS work can smother. He Is an op-
kimlst through and through, with \
kreat sense Of humor. For his mot
toes he might have taken two: BE
thorough" and Keep smiling"
Il Il said that no man Is indis-
pensable. Probably that Is true. But
fhe retirement Of this superintendent
Iof the &C. l. D." win leave gao
(which only big man can I'LL. Froest
Iis q big man physically as well az
mentally, for what he lacks in height
Che stands about Ave feet eight he
makes up In breadth. His close-crop-
ped, white-haired head, his short,
thick neck, his deep chest, massive
,shouIders, burly frame and slightly
bowed legs ell suggest strength Of
the bulldog kind which when once
Il fastens on it's quarry will not let
20. He In born fighter, but he Is
alsn q diplomat.
Appreciated the Press.
He was responsible for one OF the
greatest reforms ever accomplished
at The Yard" by breaking down
the rule Of maintaining an obdurate
silence toward the press, At one
time newspapsr- men were received
with scant courtesy ut The Yard IL
was Frank Froest who showed that
this policy was al wrong and his re-
'form was more than INDICATED at
the time Of the Crippen case. The
fnrst day the story OF the crime was
published he wrote for the press al
'ofllcial summary OF the details of the
crime 10 far az they had been dis
.covered; q proceeding which would
have caused the authorities ten years
before to gasp. His action was justi-
ned by the accuracy which character
Iced all the newspaper stories and
originality OF method was further dis
played In the same case when he
utilized wireless telegraphy for the
arrest Of the criminal. 800
Il Frank Froest. however, recalls with
~ chuckle one occasion on which he
successfully avoided newspaper men,
|primed with questions for him to an
Ewer. That was In Chicago, when the
headlines announced "England's
great sleuth from Scotland Yard ar
irfves." But they never tracked him
down. although he was In the Windy
City" for q week. He had made up
his mind not to be caught and inter
Viewed.
His sanctum as Scotland Yard Is
. plainly but comfortably furnished
room on the entrance floor of the big
red brick and stone building which
lies between Whitehall and the
{ Thames Embankment almost under
3 the shadow OF the Victoria Tower OF
the House OF Commons. A large book
ease which stands against one wall
|is fllled with ell the latest directories
and reference books, dealing with per-
sons, residents and ofices, while on
the three outer walls hang photo
graphs Of friends. colleagues and su-
|perior ofhcials. A large hat-topped
desk on which all the paraphernalia
Tor writing are methodically placed.
three or four chairs, couple OF cup
boards and q screen at the door con-
Istitute the rest of the furniture.
Trio % Historic Pistols.
To the visitor the most interesting
objects are the three revolvers which
.kdorn the manteipiece. Each has a
history. The large black six-cham-
bered Colt originally came from Am
erica and In relic OF q visit 10 the
United States. II was taken from a
man named Tom O'Brien, who in
tended to shoot him with II. Alto
IEether Froest has a fine arsenal OF
|revolvers and pistols. Some OF them
ne keeps ut his own house, notably
one. presented by a grateful donor.
which has mother-of-pearl stock
and = silver barrel
L The visit TO the United States
which he remembers with othe great.
est satisfaction lasted Ave months.
and brought him the thanks OF the
american government for his ser.
vices. This was In 1892. when he
helped convict william Lord Moore
<or using the United States mails for
fraudulent purposes. Moore's meth.
ID was to write to creduious people
N Enxland and France telling them
he could help them 20 get their
shares OF unclaimed millions lying in
banka Moore was tried at Jackson.
Tenn, The jury disagreed twice b1.t
the third time Il found him guilty and
sentepced him to nine years penal
ssryItnds