New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-04
Will Weld Oldtime and
New Methods and Drop
Dead Wood
School for Sleuths
Feature of Bureau
Commissioner Denies Reor-
ganization Is Due to Cru
ger Murder Mystery

Commissioner Woods announced yes
tcrday that he intends to reorganize
the Detective Bureau. His decision, he
said, was not inspired by errors that
were disclosed in the solution Of the
Ruth Cruger mystery, although he be-
lieved that the new bureau would make
such errors impossible. 1t was the re-
suit, he said, of thorough overhauling
of crime detecting methods which had
been under way for months.
Since Inspector Byrnes hung his
hat at 800 Mulberry Street detective
methods In the New York Police De-
partment have been a strange mixture
of the methods of that efficient ex-
ponent of obvious tactics and Of the
filing cabinets and card indices intro
duced by latter-dsy deputy commits
sioners. The two elements have not
proved harmonious.
Hated Filing Cabinets
Much effective work was done by the
men of the old school. who worked by
rule Of thumb, the grace of Providence
and the aid of stool pigeons. They
had, however, an Unborn hatred for
fling cabinets, card indices and lengthy
reports. The serene confidence of every
seasoned copper" that commissioners
might come and 20, but he was the
original hardy perennial, was theirs.
What good there was in the scientific"
innovations was counterbalanced by
their effect on these men, who because
of their experience and shrewdness
were the real backbone Of the bureau.
II younger men took the scientific"
methods as q natural attribute OF the
bureau some OF the more deeply rooted
standpatters were apt TO suspect them
of attempting to curry favor. The bu-
reau did not work as a unit and was
not getting the utmost from the ma
terial IL had.
In the reorganized bureau Commits
sioner Woods believes that the rigidity
Of the more modern system has been
adapted to that of the older, so that
the two will join comfortably, forming
a sound, scientific detective bureau
founded on the hard sense and expe-
rience of the "oldIimers."
School for Detectives
What Mr.. Woods regards as the most
important element in his plan is the
school for detectives. II is TO be in
charge of Inspector John Cray. The
pupils will be patrolmen who have dis
played aptitude for detective work The
instructors will include detectives who
have made specialties of certain kinds
of crime; lawyers, who will lecture on
the rules of evidence and court proce-
dure, and experts from detective bu-
reaus in this country and Europe.
There will be practical instruction at
the scenes Of crimes, and hypothetical
crimes will be staged.
Among the lecturers from the de-
partment are Frank Cassassa, who has
been studying and catching pickpockets
for more years than he cares to admit;
Barney McConville, the arch enemy Of
Jared Flsgg in particular and hasty
hnanciers in general; Lieutenant Will
emsle, who knew every member Of the
"carbarn gang" by his first name and
wasn't afraid to call when he wanted
him; Clinton Wood, who cinched q
murder to the back of Father Hans
Schmidt and since then has devoted
his attention 70 labor troubles; Dick
McKenna, Cassassa's former partner,
who will be the authority on trailing
and shadowing; Patrick Gildea. Arthur
Carey, Sergeant Curtaine, John Finn,
John Boyle, Grant Williams, Joseph
Donovan, Inspector Thomas Myers,
Captain Tunney of the bomb squad"
and WiAam Jones, who can sniff at a
bullet e and tell you when the shot
was freq
Minor cases will be shifted to pre-
einct pstrolmen detailed to plain
clothes duty; each specialist" will get
the work for which he is best fitted;
"deadwood" will be Topped off; the re-
port system will be simplified and the
methods in use in hunting missing
persons renovated