White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-07-27

sistance to discover and punish the
criminals. The opinion of person in
this position might be Of the greatest
value to Mr.. Troy, whose practice as
a solicitor had thus far never brought
him into collision with thieves and
mysteries. He accordingly decided, in
Isabels interests, on confiding to his
friend the nature Of his errand to the
police. Concealing the names, but con-
cealing nothing else, he described
what had happened on the previous
day at Lady Lydiard's house, and
then put the question plainly to his
companion:
what would you do in my placer"
"In your place." his friend ans
wered, quietly, II should not waste
time and money in consulting the
police"
mot consult the police!" exclaimed
Mr.. Troy, in amazement. Surely
have not made myself understood?
am going to the head Office, and
have got letter of Introduction to
the chief inspector in the detective
department. am afraid omitted to
mention that
1T doesn't make any difference"
proceeded the other, as cody as ever.
"You have asked for my advice, and
give you my advice. Tear up your
letter of introduction, and don't stir
step further in the direction Of
Whitehall"
Mr.. Troy began to understand. you
he said.
Who can believe in them, who
reads the newspapers and remembers
what he reads?" his friend rejoined.
Fortunately for the detective depart
ment, the, public in general forgets
what it reads. Go to your club and
look at the criminal history Of our
own time recorded in the newspapers
Every crime is more or less mys-
/ terry. You will see that the mysteries
which the police discover are, almost
without exception, mysteries made
penetrable by the scommonest capa-
city, through the extraordinary stupid
ity exhibited in the means taken to
hide the crime. On the other hand,
let the guilty man or woman be a
resolute and intelligent person, cap
able of setting his Cor herr wits fairly
against the wits of the police-in other
words, let the mystery really be a
mystery-and cite me case if you
can "a really difficult and perplexing
case) in which the criminal has not
escaped Mind, don't charge the po-
lice with neglecting their work. No
doubt they do their best, and take the
greatest pains in following the routine
to which they have been trained. 1t is
their misfortune, not their fault, that
there is no man of superior intelli.
gence among them-I mean no man
who is capable, in great emergencies,
of placing himself above conventional
methods, and following new way OF
his own. There have been such men
in the policemen naturally endowed
with that faculty of mental analysis
which can decompose mystery, re
solve it into its component parts, and
find the clew at the bottom, no matter
how remote from ordinary observation
1t may be. But those men have dice
or have retired One of them would
have been invaluable to you in the
case you have just mentioned to me
AS things are, unless you are wrong
in believing in the young lady's in
nocence, the person who has stolen
that bank-note will be no easy per
son to find. In my opinion, there IL
only one man now in London who is
\ likely to be of the slightest assistance
4 to you, and he is not in the police.
"Who is he? asked Mr.. Troy.
can old rogue, who was once II
your branch of the legal profession
the friend answered -"You may, per
y haps, remember the man; they cal
him old Sharon"
4 (To be continued.)