Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1924-11-06
Written specially for The Leader
By RICHARD F. ENR1GHT

written specially for The LEADER
By RICHARD F. ENRIGHT
Thru Autocaster Service
Is your mental picture of the police
man that of a professional man? I'm
less you view him as such you have
little conception of the change that
has come over the police business in
the big cities in the last few decades.
Education OF the public, the elm
nation of the "comc-on', the "hlck
and the "unsuspecting citizen, have
brought in the brainy crook Keeping
pace with that individual the police
have had to develop the science OF
criminology or technique for catch
ing and handling criminals. The re-
suit is that such forces as New York's
are today trained forces.
Perhaps illustration of some of the
newest forms of detective work will
best show how criminology has adj
vanced and has made use OF all the
other sciences in its progress. One
OF our fauoritc modern psychological
devices is to set the crook to catch
himself" Two recent cases illustrate
the method.
Guilty Man Traps Himself
There. had been heavy loss OF Sc
curities from an estate and member
of the executors family was suspec-
ted of the theft We could not how
ever, prove it, SO were forced to seek
some way by which he would tasten
the crime on himself
One day a newsboy carrying Just
one newspaper was waiting outside
this man S office, when he left i'll the
afternoon. The paper was the one our
suspect was accustomed to buy and he
naturally purchased one on this occa-
sion. Our men saw him start at sight
Of the news that was spread before
him IN the headlines. Great Safety
Deposit Vault Looted or something
to that effect. The story went on to
tell that every single vault in lead
ing banks safety deposit department
had been emptied by mysterious Grim
inals. The name of the bank was not
given-the story might have applied
to half dozen big banks downtown
Our man seemed dazed for a mo-
ment-then he hurried to the Safety
Deposit Vault of one of our largest
banks. And we knew where the miss
ing securities were hidden 1t was
easy then to learn the fictitious name
he had given, to force a confession
and regain the securities.
The point in this story is that the
copy of the newspaper which our sus-
pect read was the only one of its kind
We had it printed by one OF the art
ernoon papers by arrangement with
it's managing editor-who had gladly
helped us further the ends OF justice.
An Inside Job
Another example: In a teller's cage
in one of the greatest OF our banks
there had lain one afternoon neat
packet of $500 bills. Strapped with pa
per and pinned, as usual, they maze
convenient pocket package. Inc Id
bel on them read $5O,OOO.
Among those who came and went
into that cage, someone eyed the pack
ct with covetous eyes. The bills were
there a little before closing, then at
closing time. when the tellers began
TO total up their balances they were
gone; Who had taken them? There
was no answer to that question. E,
The closets search failed to reveal
any trace of the bills. The employees
all submitted to search-no clue re-
i suited.
The officials called in the police
The detectives soon found themselves
against blank wall. There were no
clues. no fingerprints, nothing!
Our men believed it was an inside
iob-one committed by some empoye
within the bank. This theory shock
ed the bank officials That meant
that the thief is still working here,
with millions within reach. He coulo
have stolen a million, as we'll as $780,
O0O" was their rejonder. :,
The clerks were in ferment and all
were nervous and apt to do Things
that would look suspicious. Everyone
was on guard against everyone else
1t was that state of nervous tension
that we sought. The three men VINO
had actually been in the teller's cage
all the time that the bills were there
had been Intercepted without result
/ One afternoon the newspapers came
| out with a story that the bank THEFT
mystery had beer solved, that finger
prints had been found (you will re-
member that there were none) and
| that San arrest was imminent Care
was taken to see that these papers
reached the three men who were prln-
cipally under surveillance.
After the three had had just time
to realize that danger impended tor
someone the detectives called them
into the directors room for another
question. The tray in which the pack
ct of bills had rested together with
other articles that had been in the
teller's cage, lay on the table Just
out of reach of the three.
Psychology Again Used BY
Detectives
OF the three men being questioned
just one showed an interest in the
tray and the other articles. He insist
ed on handling them, looking them
over carefully. The detectives dis
missed the three, satisfied that the
mystery had been solved-not before.
but after. the newspaper publication
of the story of the fingerprints
The man who had picked up the