Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-28
tlosed while not in use.

losed while not in use
AT this announcement the great detective
lushed slightly He constantly urged upon every
Pne the importance knowing music and musical
Instruments and now he stood revealed in his
ignorance of a prominent part of a common in
6trument
A medical specialist is supposed to know every
hing about some one line. The perfect detective
would be sort of general specialist, knowing
Everything about everything Our chief was not
quite that and felt mortified.
All we had TO do to run down that second clue
Was TO examine every accordion in use in about
half the country. How would you go about that
title Job?
First Pinkerton imagined himself as a crook
Who was also musician and had lost something
which made his beloved instrument conspicuous and
nconvenient to carry. If he did not think he had
dropped the hook in the baggage car, there was no
eason for not having it replaced at the first Cd.
oSIsInity. If he knew or feared that the hook was
n hands Of the detectives he must also repair
Mis- accordion else hide or destroy it. In either
ase he would get the thing fixed, reasoned Pinker-
on, and ordered more hoof -and-mouth business
Our men set out to canvass every musical repair
. hop in New York City It paid quick dividends
Inside of twenty-four hours our men found one
n the lower East Side where a woman had brought
n accordion to have a missing hook replaced
The owner of the shop reported that she was
brunette, strikingy handsome, wore sealskin and
|vas Enthusiastically good musician. She had to
Wait half an hour while the worker replaced the
hook She was in hurry and restless. Spying
inc old violin she picked it up and tried it for tone
With few deft finger exercises. Then, to his utter
|mazement, she launched into the Devils Trill"
|;he played with strange satanic touch and as he
listened all the evil in Paganinis immortal work
|eemed 70 pass in review before him.
Pnkerton bounced on the report. Most Of us
|ttach little Importance to the selection the woman
pad played. But he knew that such apparently
choices often come from unsupported
|lepths and reveal much.
In lost everyone is aware that woman liquor
WI and gambling are almost constant elements
IN the crime picture and they are helpful in bring
ing our prey to book: but once more let me point
put how frequently music also accompanies crime
The old-time melodramas were originally mel
Pdy dramas, so-called because the characters
uttered, accompanied by their characteristic
music; Dull fiddle" bass notes for the base villain
tained glass chords for the angelic heroine" etc
These dramas were eventually laughed off the
Ft2Se by alleged sophisticates as being untrue to
We did not think so. This blending of melody
Ind villany does not mean that musicians nat
rally turn to crime SO much as that criminals
naturally turn to music. They are forced to hide
N lonely places for long periods, during which it
S risky to have friends visit them. And what
better solace and time-ker than music?
The woman had been LADY bountiful" in
handing out clues Her furs indicated that she was
} person who could have sent a servant on such