SCOTLAND YARD “CABINET.”

Dunstan Times, Issue 3352, 20 December 1926, Page 8

SCOTLAND YARD “CABINET.”

Eleven o’clock is probably tho most fatal hour of the day for London’s criminals. It is tho hour when Scotland Yard usually calls its “Cabinet’ together, when the great police chiefs meet to talk over the worst items in Greater London's nightly crime-bill. Much of Scotland Yard's history ol successful crime-detection lias been made in the hour before noon when the greatest brains which Loudon employs to defeat the Moriartys of the underworld are brought together m the hi* tyric conference room of the police headquarters. The solution to many baffling murder mysteries, the key to many jewel coups which have electrified the public, the missing link in the chain ol ciicuiustaiitial evidence which has sealed the guilt of a hunted suspect, have been found in the conference room at the (.■nd of tin* Embankment while nig Ben's hands were slipping from 11 to 12 o'clock ■■■ the most crowded 1 GO min utes in Scotland A ard’s 21-hour day. Chief Constable Wenshy the senior detective at Scotland Aard. is always present The “Big Five” sit alongside him. and sometimes their immediate juniors-—the chief detective inspectors 1- tlie men who :iro # scnt out of London to solve murder mysteries and track down elusive criminals for pi o\mend forces The table in the conlereiico room is often strewn with plans, flashlight photographs Homo Office experts reports. and the tell-tale clues-articles of clothing, weapons, or finger-print impressions—which often plivy a loading part in setting Scotland Yard on tho right track A great deal of preliminary routine work has been gone through before the “Cabinet” meets. All the telegrams and telephone messages, which June come in through tho night have been dealt with, all the sealed sacks ol letters and parcels which have come hy mail and courier have been sifted by the official sorters, and despatched to the proper departments. Duly the more important matters are referred to the chiefs. . , . Oi ico a week the “D.D.L s (he di\isionnl detective inspectors from London’s twenty-three police stations—conic to Scotland Yard. They lay before their superiors the week s toft ol crime, and give an account of the wo.rjs* ing of the C. I D. machine in their divisions At the end of each month Scotland Yard, audits its accounts of “crimes committed' and mimes a - counted for.” and a copy ot London s gtrammst balance slice! is laid on 11 table" of the world's greatest police machine -General Sir Y d iam Hoiwood, the Commissioner of ihe Metropolitan Police. __

The oldest pit i» operation in Europe. perhaps in the world, the Desdi Lit mine in Transylvania, has caved in Its first .shaft was sunk by Unite,,mns in pre-Christian days, and the mine has been operated, mi ami “ - for more than 2.000 years Ihrongii constant exploitation the labyrinthine ( r;iHerie.i had nnder-tnnnellcd the whole Town of Desch. and eventual y he main shaft collapsed. Fortunately the accident occurred at night time, when nobo.lv was working underground. Only minor material damage was done j„ ‘some of the houses near the l>o iiead.