"SET A THIEF."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 10

"SET A THIEF."

Sir,—Have wo not always boon educated up to tho Videa_ that* t'ho essence of a firstclass doteetiyo is his ability ; to' disguise himself and so misrepresent himself as to throw tho'criminals Ko isaftcr 'off the seont completely? Cartloads of detoctivo literature is now on the market, and is perhaps wore popular than'any other, and tho leading feature of its attractiveness is this' very idea. Wo all remember Yidoc, the great French detective, and all his' cleverness at disguises; also Dotcctive Bucket and his tricks, Sherlock Holmes, and the hosts of clevor detcctivos in tho realms of fiction, many of them founded on fact. And it does seem remarkable that our detectives should bo crippled and restricted in the only possible way whorein they can Hope to succeed. We' set all sorts of traps for other destructive vermin, yet when it comes to catching those who are making fortunes out of tho pMplp. by-sheer, trickery and lies, and who give no, equivalent for the money, also thoso who almost openly break the licensing laws, and „ the,, sly-grog sellers, we hesitate. In these.cases tho police must go and knock at the door and say, "I am tho policeman, and am coming in to see if you are breaking tho law." It is. about time vwo ;got somo now. magistrates who understand tneir business, and who will encourage our forco in their efforts, catch the criminals by any and every Tho criminails are not very fastidious as. to whom they rob or maltreat, or what methods they, use, and the, only way is to meet trickery with conning.—I am, oto., H.B. July 7.