The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-04-08

pulled anything of on me. You're all
right"
Within twenty-four hours the picture
had been developed and printed. en-
larged and copied and was in the
hands of every poolroom operator and
bookmaker anywhere within a radius
of hundred miles Of New York. and
was on its way all over the country.
The next time the fraudulent printer
tried to play the races he found a cold
welcome, and before many weeks had
passed he had made up his mind that
there was more money in printing
menus for local restaurants and pro-
grams for cheap shows on Broadway
than there was in making green and
pink and blue and yellow tickets for
the race track
Early Acquaintance With Crooks.
This was just one of the many de-
tective games in which the clever
young detective, Frank Peyser, showed
his ability to protect the public on the
race track. He began life on the East
side in New York, and very early in
life made the acquaintance of some Of
the most notorious thieves and crooks
of the city. After school hours as q
boy he used to meet them and listen
to their conversation. They were
cleverer than the other people he knew
on the East side and they interested
him, but contact with them fostered
no desire within him to emulate their
ways.
One day about the time he left
school one of these rough acquaint-
ances of his asked him to take a walk
up Broadway with him. Peyser ac-
cepted the invitation. They walked
up through the Bowery and then, as
the evening shades began to gather,
they turned into Broadway, crowded
with men and women pressing home
ward after work. Suddenly, as they
pressed near to a man in the crowd,
Peyser saw his companions hand rise
and stealthily close over meerschaum
pipe that showed its rich hues over
the top of pedestrians pocket.
Though still lad, Peyser knew that
If he were caught in company with a
pickpocket the fact that he himself
was innocent wouldn't be of much
avail at the police station. AS his
companion pocketed the valuable pipe
a cold terror seized Peyser and he did
just what any other normal boy would
have done under similar circum-
stances. He ran, and he went right on
running till he didn't have breath
enough to run any farther. When he
came to stop his mind was made up.
He had decided that whatever his fu-
ture calling might be. he would never
be crook of thief.
When. little later, Frank Peyser
applied at the Pinkerton detective
agency in New York city for a posi-
ton, his previous experience on the
East side qualified him for immediate
employment in the race-track depart
ment of the agency
Success In Department Stores.
In this position he was on duty at all
the big race tracks, at Belmont park
at Jamaica, at Sheepshead Bay, Brigh'
ton Beach, Gravesend and Morris
park, on the lookout for pickpockets
and dishonest bookmakers. So sue
cessful was he in handling pickpockets
that after six years with the Pinker
tons he was called by the New York
Wanamaker store. This work required
greater skill even than the race-trach
work, for it is better, according to the
department store creed, to let ten
shoplifters go than to make one false
arrest. However, Mr.. Peyser was nc
blunderer and in the thirteen years he
worked in that department store his
employers didn't have to pay a cent
for damages and false arrests made by
him.
One of the first things that Mr.. Pey
ser always asked the amateur shop
litter when he had taken her to his
Office in the department store and had
forced confession was concerning her
health. Are you in the hands of a
doctor?" he would say, and then, care
you taking medicine for your all
ment?"
Usually the answer to these Ques
tions would come in the affirmative
Then Mr. Peyser would ask to exam
inc the medicine before going further
with the arrest. Usually a Whit of il
would be enough. 1t would tell him
that the offender was unwittingly un
der the influence of opium or ether
and in nine cases out of ten the poi
sonous drug was taken as a medicine
In these cases Mr.. Peyser would usu
ally let his offender go.
Mr.. Peyser is now at the head of q
: detective bureau of his own and from
his offices, overlooking the busiest sec
tion Of Broadway, directs work al
over the city.