Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-12-27
A Woman
Detective
(copyr:ght. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
By ETHEL HOLMES


We hear little of the work of won-
an detectives but for my part don't
see why women should not excel in
this field. A detective needs the fac
ulty of noticing small things, as indica-
tory of large things, and that is just
what women possess.
For this reason I, woman, chose
the detective field by which to make
a living, and succeeded. My first case
gave me standing that another might
have been years in acquiring. But I
will admit there was an element of
luck in it.
A family of some means living in
not very attractive portion of the city
had the misfortune to lose little girl
seven years of age. They felt sure the
child had been kidnapped for ransom,
though there was not the slightest evil
dence to support the theory. The moth
err had left the little girl on her door
steps while she went to the next
door neighbor for a chat. She said
that she was away only a few minutes
but her statements proved that the
time of her absence was nearly an
hour. At any rate, when she returned
to her own house her daughter was
not on the steps nor in the house.
The next day the mother gave the
case to the detective agency where I
had just been employed. I would not
have been assigned to the work had
not every other detective in the en-
ploy of the Office been busy. AS it was,
the chief turned 1t over to me with a
lot of instructions which were intend
ed to make up for my inexperience.
AS soon as left him went to work
In my own way. After an interview
with the mother made up my mind
that the child had been kidnapped, and
I thought it likely that the kidnaper
Inhabited the region not far away
which was filed with foreigners of
very low type. I put an advertise
ment in several foreign language
newspapers that circulated in the re-
gion, stating that If the kidnapers of
the child-giving the street and num-
ber-would leave a statement of the
ransom required under the front door.
the case could be settled without re-
course to the police.
Within two or three days Mrs. Smitz-
burger, the mother, came to me with
a note that had been thrust under
the front door. examined 1t closely
before opening 1T, but found no clue.
1t had been written by an uneducated
person, evidently foreigner. since sew
eral words in it seemed to have been
supplied from some foreign language.
took it to my former perceptor at the
Normal school, who knew something
of every language spoken on the face
of the earth, and after careful study
of it he told me that it had been die
tated by an Irishlnan, but the writer
was an Italian.
ed him how he knew this, and
he said that certain English words
We're spelled as an Irishman would pro-
nounce them, and there were certain
words that We're distinctly Irish. One
of these was the word between, which
was spelled betune. The professor
pointed out number of these In
stances and was convinced that his
theory was correct. Either an Irish
man or an Italian was the culprit, and
probably both were interested in the
ransom demanded. which was $4,000.
/ dictated response to the mother
of the child. stating that the ransom
no II -
where it could be left. When the re-
Spouse was handed to me T examined
it critically as had the first letter
before opening it, but / found only q
dirty envelope. I was sitting before Il
table made of light wood. After read
ing the letter, noticed on the light
surface black hair about an inch
long. felt sure that it had not been
there before I had opened the letter.
and surmised that ii had fallen from
the envelope. I took up the hair and
examined it closely. 1t was Il glossy
black, with a tinge of grease, except
en- the larger end. where there was
| possibly a sixteenth of an inch of red.
l reasoned that I had very low
class, considered intellectually, to deal
with and bethought myself how ]
could make the kidnapers believe that
knew them. After good deal of
thinking. I concluded to resort again
to communication through the newsp:l-
/ per. put personal in the papers
had already used as follows:
1.-THE kidnapers of the little girl (ot
such street and number) are known
to me. If YOU will return the child un
harmed, you will not be prosecuted. II
you do not you will be sent. to state
prison. The mother prefers this
course to arrcsting and Furnishing you
! To convince you that you are known
will say that one of the two parties
interested in the matter is an Italian
the other is an freshman with red hail
which he dyes black. If the child /:
not returned to her home within fou
days the parties will be dealt with al