Practical Instruction for Detectives: A Complete Course in Secret Service Study

by Emmerson Wain Manning

To my own discredit, I will relate how I once shadowed a woman for five weeks, hoping to be on hand when she would meet a certain person. I was purposely occupying at the time a room in a house across the street from where the woman lived, and from which point of vantage I was enabled to observe, unknown to her, when she left or entered the house. On the opportune night, when I should have been watchful and wide awake, I found, no doubt because of my long vigilance, that I had slept for ten or twelve minutes. Later I learned that the woman left her apartments during the few minutes that I had slept, and, with no intention on her part, gave me the slip.

In these days of fast trains, street cars, high powered automobiles and taxicabs, which offer swift means of travel, the detective when shadowing should be prepared at all times to cope with such conditions. He should ever keep in mind the fact that his subject, whether he or she be a criminal or not, is liable to travel in accordance with what his or her means will permit. On another page I will take up the matter of shadowing criminals, but will state here that the detective, unless he has had experience, should not undertake to shadow a person who may have reason to suspect being shadowed. It has been my experience that boys can accomplish the most when such persons are to be shadowed.

I have in mind a case where it was desired to have shadowed on a certain day, a woman who lived in an exclusive residential section of a large city. No man could have remained in the neighborhood in view of this woman’s home longer than half an hour until he would have attracted the attention of every person in the block. For this particular case two young boys were selected to do the shadowing. They proceeded to a point near the woman’s home, and apparently paying no attention to anyone, engaged in a game of marbles. When leaving her home the woman passed within a few feet of the boys and of course did not suspect their purpose. Three blocks distant the boys boarded the same car with her, and were thus enabled throughout the day to observe the woman’s every movement, and without having attracted her attention at any time.

We will suppose that it is desired to keep under surveillance an employee of a bank, office or store. It is advisable in such cases that the person to be shadowed shall at no time see the detective if it can be so arranged. In my experience I have found that under most conditions the following plan will be most feasible for taking up surveillance of such persons. The plan applies also to any other occupants of such places. A detective other than the one who is to do the shadowing should visit the place where the person to be shadowed is located. When making such a call the detective may use the pretext of having called to solicit insurance, or he may use any other pretext that will be suitable and which will not arouse suspicion.

While making such a call the detective must make the best of his opportunity to scrutinize the subject closely, and should make mental note of any peculiarities of the subject. The color of the subject’s hair should be noted; the shape of his ears, nose, etc. The detective should look for the hat rack, and according to the season of the year should endeavor to note the kind of hat, overcoat or coat the subject will wear when he or she leaves the building. Immediately after coming away from making his call upon the subject, the detective should convey to the one who will do the shadowing, a complete detailed description of the subject. Detectives should immediately write down such descriptions and should never trust them to memory. The reason for this will become apparent when the detective undertakes to pick out of five or six hundred, or possibly a thousand employees, some certain employee when he or she leaves a large factory or office building.

The detective who has seen and talked to the subject should remain near the logical exit from the building and when the subject comes out should designate him or her to the detective who will do the shadowing. Subject will then be shadowed by a person whom he or she has never seen, and whose purpose will probably not be suspected if noticed. Should the streets be crowded, the shadow, under ordinary circumstances, may keep quite close to the subject, but must at all times be governed by the number of pedestrians on the streets at the time as to how close to remain to the subject. The subject must not be lost sight of for an instant, as invariably, in private cases, clients expect to be advised of every movement of the person being shadowed. Therefore, should the subject stop in the street to talk to anyone, careful note should be made by the detective of such persons, so as to be able, at the end of the day’s work, to render a detailed description of every person with whom the subject may have talked or associated.

Care must be exercised by the detective when subjects board street cars. The detective should always endeavor to secure a seat in back of, and on the same side of the car that the subject sits. For the detective to sit anywhere in front of, or opposite the subject in a street car or railway coach would give the subject an opportunity to study his face and features, and which must be avoided. I know of a great many cases, however, when detectives boldly sat beside their subjects in street cars and by so doing were enabled to read letters and papers in the hands of the subjects, and even to engage them in conversation.

When shadowing is being done in large cities, detectives must pay close attention and use the best judgment when subjects enter large office buildings or department stores. As to office buildings it is usually desired to know at what office a subject may call, and in order to ascertain this to a certainty it is necessary that the detective enter the same elevator with subject and leave it at the same floor that subject does. While the subject proceeds to the office he or she intends to visit, the detective may pretend to have gotten off at the wrong floor, or may busy himself scanning the names on the various office doors. In cases of emergency it may become necessary to make a “fake” call at some office in order not to attract the attention of the subject.

After having made note of the office that the subject has entered, the detective may take up a position on the street or the main floor of the building and await the reappearance of the subject. Should there be more exits from the building than the detective can properly cover he should endeavor to obtain assistance. When subjects enter large department stores, which may have from one to four entrances, it is of course essential that the detective keep in close proximity to the subject at all times, whether a man or a woman. If the subject stops to make a purchase, or to make inquiry at some counter, the detective should do likewise at some nearby counter so as not to attract the attention of floor walkers or sales clerks. Often it becomes necessary for the detective to make purchases, but it is better to do this than risk losing the subject.

I know of countless cases wherein it was desired to have women shadowed in order to learn of their actions during an evening, but because of their having visited department stores in the afternoon detectives lost them and were not on hand to observe their movements in the evening.