Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1917-01-11
Detectives Expect Lively Doinas
at Social Events This
Winter.
war DRIVES CROOKS TO U. S.
Many Of the Private Agencies Have Re
ceived Calls for More Guards
Than Ever-"War Million.
alres'' In Danger.

toward wearing it in public, you had
better hire a bodyguard this winter.
The United States Is over-run with Eu-
ropean crooks, some of them the
smoothest thieves on the continent.
Private detectives and police agen-
cies In New York, Boston, Philadel-
phia, Washington, Chicago and other
big centers are looking forward to one
of the most active years In the last
decade. It's all on account of the Eu-
ropean war, which has made. theft
hardly worth while on a big scale
cross the water.
In Washington. there's a detective
agency which s%pecializes in the
guarding of guests and jewelry ut big
social functions. The business of
this agency is not confined to events
at the capital, for private detectives
of faultless and speech are
sent out on "jobs" us far west as Chi
cago by this agency.
The man who has devoted years Of
experience and his organization OF
sleuths to the protection Of social
leaders and their guests recently re-
turned from a trip that extended
north to Boston and west to the Mis-
sissippi.
Big Year for Detectives.
"It's going to be a big year for
agencies like ours" he said. "Within
the past twelve months Europe has
been sending over some Of the clever
est jewel thieves this country has
ever seen, and they have only come
here when 1t was clear that robbery
as a profession was up against hard
times abroad until the war vas over.
"These crooks saw, at the close Of
the first year Of the war;" said this
detective, "that the big conflict had
put them out Of the running, simply
because 1t had placed q ban on
extravagant functions in European
society. Additionally, the habit Of
thrift Is forcing itself upon oil classes
of European society now and the
wearing of more than the simplest
assortment Of jewelry at afternoon
and evening affairs Is considered al
most bad taste. It was generally
believed there, however, that the war
would not run longer than two years
and. the biggest criminals preferred
to lay low for q time, waiting for
peace. Just get 1t perfectly clear in
your mind that the finished European
criminal is not anxious to- operate
in the United States.
"As a rule" said the detective,
1.-THE language puzzles him, his accent
marks him as q foreigner and besides,
he's not next to the little ms and
outs of our police systems. He prefers
to stay in Europe for the same reason
that a real chorus girl prefers to
stay on Broadway. It's almost de-
meaning to his art to be forced to
seek new fields Of operation.
Foreign Crooks Coming.
"Within the past year, though"
this man said. ut has become appar-
ent that efforts to predict the time
the war will end are rather futile,
and a lay-off of more than a year Is
out Of the question for most Of these
smooth-fngered boys. So they're
coming over here, and unless 80
ciety people keep on their toes, SO
to speak, there will be some big hauls
pulled of before spring. The enor-
nous war export trade of the United
States in munitions, foodstufrs and
the like has created a brand new crop
of war millionaires,' and 1t must not
be thought that these gentlemen of
crime from across the Atlantic are
ignorant Of that fact. It was just
one Of the reasons why they came, and
continue to come.
1.-THE average war millionaire Of
1916" this detective declares, "is Of
the suddenly wealthy type, with no
traditions, connections or backing Of
the proper social sort, and he makes
q comparatively easy mark for the
foreign crook. These m%illionaires Of
1916, US q rule, 60 crazy yer the so
cial game within the first six months
after they make their money and it
takes the loss Of $4,000 or $4,000
in jewelry or artistic treasure to teach
them not to make friends too quickly.
The real society woman, however, CEN
sors her guest lists more cautiously
and there is less chance Of her being
made the victim of a big steal"