I recall the case of a young man of good family who was a trusted employee of a certain large business concern. Sums of money ranging from ten to fifty dollars disappeared weekly from the firm’s cash, the thefts having covered a period of about three months before the identity of the thief was established. Four persons had access to the firm’s cash, and all were in turn shadowed from the time they left their respective homes in the morning until they retired at night. This plan of systematic shadowing developed the fact that the young man in question was the only one of the four possible guilty ones who was not leading an exemplary life, and in addition it was found that once a week he visited and made deposits at a certain bank while away from the office during the noon hour. Investigation at the bank developed that the young man was depositing each week more than the amount of his weekly salary.
Upon being shown detailed reports of his every movement for a period covering four weeks, and upon being questioned regarding his deposits at the bank, needless to say there was no difficulty in obtaining a confession from this young man.
I was once called upon to place under surveillance for two weeks a young man who lived in an exclusive residential section of a large city. It was not feasible to have the detective obtain a room in the neighborhood or “cover” of any kind, and to have had the detective stand on the street in this particular neighborhood would no doubt have exposed his purpose in a few hours. I made arrangements for the services of a uniformed messenger boy, provided him with a few novels to read, then had him sit under a tree on a lawn not far from the subject’s home. In this way when the subject would leave his home to go into the city, the messenger boy would signal to the detective who was stationed some three blocks distant at a logical car station, and where the detective’s presence did not attract attention. The messenger boy’s real purpose was not suspected, and this surveillance was continued successfully for a period of two weeks.
When conditions are similar to those in the case just mentioned I frequently have provided the detective with a pair of field glasses which would be used from a room that the detective would rent.
I have handled many cases wherein it was desired to keep under surveillance persons who visited the city each day, but who lived in the suburbs, or in thinly settled outlying sections of the city. In such cases two detectives were used, one to remain out in the suburbs to observe the car or train that the subject would board, after which this detective would telephone to the other one, stationed in the city, the number of the car or train upon which the subject would arrive in the city. In this way the subject can easily be picked up and his movements covered during the day. Shadow work properly directed and properly executed never fails to bring good results.
[CHAPTER II]
BURGLARIES
Private detectives are frequently called upon to investigate burglaries of banks, offices, stores and residences. If the burglary has been committed in the city or in the country, or in a large or small town, the detective who investigates the case should proceed to the place as soon as circumstances will permit. If the burglary presents the appearance of having been perpetrated by outside parties, a thorough investigation should be made and nothing overlooked. I know of dozens of cases of burglary in small towns in which no results were secured because of the fact that only perfunctory investigations were made, and these were not conducted along proper lines. In cases of burglary, especially where safes or vaults have been dynamited or wrecked with nitroglycerine, the detective should conduct an investigation along the following lines: