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

by Emmerson Wain Manning

Notes should be taken and a record made of the name of the bank, store, firm or individual suffering the loss; the date and hour that the crime was committed; date and hour discovered; by whom discovered; and a descriptive list should be made of all articles known to have been stolen. If the theft consisted of cash, the respective amounts of gold, silver or currency should be ascertained. If possible, secure the numbers of any missing bills. If papers, checks or negotiable notes or securities have been stolen, banks or other places where they are liable to be cashed should be notified promptly.

A careful investigation should be made as to how entrance was gained to the building. If a safe or vault has been blown or opened, note should be made of the name of its manufacturer, whether or not the safe or vault was old or new, whether equipped with double or single doors, whether opened by key or combination, and from whom it was purchased. Note should be made as to the kind of explosive used, or if tools were used. If holes were drilled it is important to ascertain the exact size, and if possible the kind of drill used. If other tools were used the detective should endeavor to establish their nature, which usually can be done from the marks left by their use.

Professional burglars nowadays do not travel from place to place with tools on their persons, because suspicion might be aroused or arrest invited for carrying them. They often purchase or steal their tools locally at some hardware store or blacksmith’s shop a few hours before the time set for the burglary. The detective should endeavor to establish, at least to his own satisfaction, whether the burglary is the work of a professional or an amateur; also if any known burglars or “yeggs” live in the vicinity where the crime was committed. If so, their most recent movements should be traced and checked up. If possible, names should be secured of any persons who may have been seen loitering in the vicinity. If the names of such persons cannot be learned, detailed descriptions should be secured.

If the burglary has been committed in some small town, the hotel registers should be looked over and any doubtful persons investigated. Finger and foot prints and measurements should not be overlooked, providing any are found at the time of the burglary. Photographs should be made of finger prints and measurements made of foot prints. Professional burglars, or persons representing them, disguised as umbrella menders, peddlers or beggars, often visit and look over the place it is proposed to burglarize. Any such persons should be given consideration by the detective in the course of his investigation. Proprietors of nearby garages and livery stables and their employees should be seen and interviewed; also ticket agents and section hands on any nearby railroads. Conductors and crews of passenger and freight trains should be interviewed; also crews of street cars. If any known criminals likely to have committed such crime are believed to have been in the vicinity, their photographs should be shown to nearby residents and others. Should a photograph be identified, the detective will have something upon which to work.

When taking descriptions of criminals or of suspects, the following details should be embodied, if possible to secure them: Nationality; age, height, and weight; color of hair, color of eyes; build; complexion, whether smooth shaven, moustache or beard; moles, marks or scars; kind of clothing worn, including hat and shoes; whether or not the person walks or stands erect or stooped; any jewelry or lodge emblems worn, and whether he has the appearance of being a business person, a clerk, a mechanic, or a laborer.

In cases of thefts of jewelry, silverware, clothing, etc., from private residences the detective should first endeavor to establish to his own satisfaction whether or not the theft has been committed by an outside party, or by some member of the household. If it is believed that some member of the household is responsible, a servant for instance, such persons should be questioned closely regarding their movements, when they last saw or handled the stolen articles, if they knew of the existence or location of them, what they were doing and where they were about the time the theft must necessarily have been committed, etc. A descriptive list of the stolen articles should be made up, and if the same consists of jewelry, silverware, cut glass or clothing, pawnbrokers and proprietors of places where such articles would likely be disposed of should be seen and questioned. A descriptive list of the stolen articles should be left with the proprietors of such places and arrangements made to be notified promptly in case any of the stolen articles are offered for sale or appraisal.

I recall having investigated for a bank a case which was at first believed to have been one of burglary from the outside. The bank had in its employ a well educated foreigner, who was in charge of the bank’s foreign department. In order to conduct the business of this department of the bank, he was permitted the use of five hundred dollars in cash, and for which amount he was of course always responsible to the bank. The “burglary” was discovered about 7:00 A. M. on a Sunday by the colored janitor when he came on duty to clean the banking rooms. The “burglary” having been committed in the foreign department, the foreign manager was among the first to be called to the bank. When he arrived he recalled that he had neglected the night before to lock into the vault a tin box in which he kept the five hundred dollars extended him by the bank. This box seemed to have been broken open during the night and was found lying on the floor empty by the janitor.

I was called into the case the following day, and a few minutes after arriving at the bank the foreign manager called me aside and told me he suspected the colored janitor, and that I would do well to confine my attention to him. He, however, could give me no plausible reason for suspecting the janitor, which fact caused me to become suspicious of the foreign manager. I then began an investigation as to how the “burglar” had gained entrance to the premises, and found that a large transom over a side door had been forced in, seemingly from the outside; also a wire fly screen covering the transom space had been forced loose, which would have permitted any ordinary sized person to then have gained entrance.

The transom was held rigid and in place by a heavy metal side fixture, and I still recall distinctly having wondered at the time how a person could have possibly exerted sufficient pressure or force against it from the outside to bend double the heavy metal side fixture, and to have accomplished it without attracting the attention of police or other persons. After studying the situation from all angles, I obtained a ladder and examined closely the ledge over which the “burglar” was believed to have climbed. Between the transom and the outer edge of the transom frame, where the fly screen was nailed, was a space perhaps six inches in width, and which space was thickly covered with dust. I examined it closely but failed to find any finger imprints, or any other marks that would necessarily have been made by a person climbing through the transom.

I became convinced that the foreign manager was guilty. He was the last person to leave the bank on the night of the robbery. It was quite plain to me then that before leaving the bank he broke open the tin box, appropriated its contents, then pulled down the transom from the inside and loosened the fly screen to make it appear that a burglar had entered from the outside. I brought my discovery to the attention of the officials of the bank, who agreed with me that no burglar had entered from the outside. I then took the foreign manager in hand and recounted to him how I believed that the entire matter had been planned and executed, that the same was all very clever with but one exception—that being that he had neglected to take into consideration the coating of dust on the ledge. I told him, in the presence of three officials of the bank, to turn over the stolen money, which he did, but he was not prosecuted and the case was given no publicity. In this, as in practically all cases, it will be seen that the criminal, no matter how carefully he plans his crime, usually leaves some clue by which he can be detected, and which clues, as a rule, can be developed by thorough investigation on the part of the detective.