The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29
PATIENCE CHIEF
SCOTLAND YARD
CRIME DEFENSE
Criminals May Vanish for
Years but They Nearly
Always Are Caught.
This Is the last Of series Of articles
on SeotIlnd Yard. its history and
achievements.
BY ARTHUR F. DEGREVE
United Press STAFF Correspondent

LONDON, May 2s.-Patience is as
important a weapon to a Scotland
Yard man as a gun in the hands of
ar American gangster.
1t was patience that finally
brought Billy Carter. a Cockney
thief. to prison for seven years as
a result of a miststep which is
still well-known here today al
though it happened thirty-one years
ago.
Carter disregarded the practice of
most thieves here and stole some
thing the nation treasured-hilts of
swords presented to the great Lord
Nelson, England's great sea hero.
Part of the loot he disposed Of
to a fence"
Carter decided a change Of air
would be especially beneficial so
shipped as a sailor on craft bound
for Australia.
Scotland Yard Moves Fast
He had been in Jail before and
knew the dangers of disposing Of
stolen property so three years
later he still had the loot with
him. Scotland Yard waited pa
tiently.
One day it received a letter from
Australia saying party there had
information as to the stolen Nelson
treasures and would like to claim
the reward of $1,000.
With startling swiftness the
Yard moved into action. It in
structed Australian police to arrest
the man who called for the answer
to the letter it had written.
But, Carter had changed his mind.
He decided to negotiate the matter
at closer range and returned to
London.
Finger Prints Tell Story
Calling at Scotland Yard he de-
clined to give his name or the name
of the man he suspected" Of steal
ing the hits
He inadvertently placed his hands
on piece of glass, at least he be-
lieved it was by accident, and went
into another room for further ques-
tioning.
A few moments later the finger
print expert had found his entire
prison record. The rest merely was
routine.
Scotland Yard had waited and
won.
In addition to flngerprints, ex-
pert photographs which often build
a link Of evidence necessary to solve
a crime, the yard" men have an
invaluable helper in the famous
Who's Who"
Flying Squad" Feared
In it one can find the data on law
violation as far back as thirty
years ago, and the details include
such minute observations as the
convict's favorite cigarets or food.
Another plague of the London
criminal is the feared flying squad
which doesn't fly but appears every
where in variously disguised motor
trucks and small motorcars.
Even the uniformed police are not
NCPV 4A4AOA 41lCQ VI Jll6 movements OF
the squad but any of the squad cars
can be reached by wireless from
Scotland Yard within three min
utes.
This group of mobile detectives
cruise about the city all day and
night and have proved one Of the
most effective arms of the police
system.
Men Picked From Ranks
They trail limousine and truck
alike and their information once
resulted in the arrest of six richly
gowned women on charges of shop
lifting
Scotland Yard men are picked
from the uniformed ranks. After
a years service any man may ap-
ply for plain clothes duty. Before
he receives his promotion, how
ever, he must pass two severe men
tai examinations.
Officials claim this system has re-
suited in the yard" having the best
pick Of the police brains in the
service.