Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-11
Woman IN L0ue Cannot Be a Detective
SOME TIPS FOR GIRL SLEUTHS|
oh, Yes, and Female SherIoCkS
Must Be Able to Hold on
to a Secret.

Is it any wonder the woman detec-
tive is such a rarity?
Mrs Hattie Barnett, Atlanta's expert
woman detective, and the only one in
the South, declared in a most interest
/ ing talk today that before a woman
can be a real sleuth she must side
track love and all of its attendant
beauties and joys. relegate sweethearts
to the dismal, blank realm of the for
gotten, and be able to keep a secret.
Mrs. Barnett declares she has proved
she can do both She's had % years
experience as detective.
And Mrs. Barnett adds that these
two highly unromantic and unappeai-
ing essentials practically mean the
elimination of woman from this some
what spectacular means of livelihood.
There's not one woman in million
who can become a detective" she said.
Must Learn to Keep Secrets.
The barring of love and the keeping
Of secrets are not the only require
ments fora woman detective, said Ms
Barnett, but they form the combined
uppercut that brings the knock out
For instance, the detective instinct
must be born in women, Mrs Barnett
says
q don't think there's any doubt but
| that many women have the natural
born detective instinct, judging FROM
their success in catching up with their
| husbands and finding out what is so
ing on in the community all about
them" said the detective
Asked how she managed to overcome
the love obstacle, Mrs Barnett smiled
and said:
We'll, it's a very simple story In
the first place, l don't want you to get
the idea that l have a stone heart and
that I'm incapable of love. No, al all
have big, warm heart, and there is
in it ample room for affection l simply
! have sign over this affection com.
partment, which reads. CLOSED" l
have loved-I won't say how many
times-but l know that love and de-
| NNN'i'N bhSAiV79 III uOl ullA
Il fell in love-violently so-after !
had been left a widow and had be-
come a detective, but soon found that
it was interfering with my business
was not long in making choice
| simply starved out my love-"
She says that woman who is sem
| timental and in love is too easily in
fuenCed to work among criminals and
attempt to ferret crime If a woman
has sweetheart, Mrs Barnett says.
she will confide in him. give away her
plans, and spoil her game Her mind
would be so full of mush too. that she
would be totally unable to think and
calculate clearly and shrewdly
! Must Have Lots of Nerve.
"Outside of all these requirements"
continued Mrs. Barnett, "a woman de.
tective must have unusual ability.
plentiful supply of good. common sense.
car loads of nerve and tact, must be
possessed of discernment. must possess
big store of legal knowledge. must be
| Industrious, and above all, must be
refined I would lay special stress on
the word Industrious for it is out
] VI Illt question: lOI d lazy WOIldn TO De
detective. She must be up and about
all the whole
Another important factor in the max
ing of the woman detective, as urged
| by Mrs. Barnett is the combining of
her work solely to one of the two sexes.
She must either work exclusively for
men or ,for women alone.
Mrs Barnett's specially is men In
reply to a question as to her reasons
for working solely for men, Mrs Bar
nett smiled significantly.
q have two mighty good reasons"
she said For one thing. women are
poor pay In the next place, sleuthing
for women Is very unsatisfactory Nino
times out of ten when YOU work up
case for woman and show her the
evidence. it'll be wholly different from
what she expected and she'll proceed to
make things hot generally. SheH be-
mean you, declare you are the cause
of the whole trouble. order you away
and refuse to pay you. I've been there
Doesn't Work Divorce Gases.
Mrs Barnett is also Glands off" when
it comes to working divorce cases.
It's unpleasant work. and then RI
don't believe in meddling il family
| troubles she says. Il leave that 70.
someone else
AS to her work, Mrs Barnett saiG
it had taken her from high society to
the slums. on many occasions, she
said she had been forced to adopt dis
guises, frequently appearing as an old