REAL DETECTIVE STORIES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11827, 7 January 1933, Page 9

REAL DETECTIVE STORIES

RETIRED OFFICER’S

MEMORIES

LOYALTY OF A AVOAIAN

Detective tales from real life were told recently in .Melbourne by Detect! vc-Scrgcan I Daniel Alul f ahey. who was retiring after 35 years’ service. Twenty-five of his 35 years were spent as a member oi the Criminal. Investigation Branch, and lew facets of the criminal character, lew tricks of the -criminal Iradt, are unfamiliar io him.

“There is something dislineUve about the criminal type.” Mr. Alnlfahov said. -“You might miss in a few instances, lnit nearly always there is something in a crook s appearance nr actions to tell you o‘t slorv.

“Oh, yes. I read detective stories occasionally. They give me more laughs than thrills, though. I can tell you. lltcre aren’t 100 many of the Raffles kind of criminal about. In fact, I've never met one. There's no honour among thieves. That's just a .story-teller's idea. I've known very few criminals who wouldn't ‘shelf’ a friend to save themselves. In my experience, women have ‘shelled’ their husbands, ami brothers their brothers. “Ami ieal (-mirage! Lew of them know wha! q. mean-. They’re all right till you crei them in a corner; then they Link i ; . It’s only om* in a liuiulred < hai will put up a field . Karlv in his detective *|avs. AirAlnllabcy learned Rial .-rune ctni'iu ds receive unswerving loyally from ili’-ir wives. “We were after a., man i'o,- hou- >- hroaking,” lie sairl. “lie hml jn-t----been married, ami we got him in a house in Rrithran. Me told him he’d have in come along- ami be a-kod first if he might have a cup of tea. Jfis wile got ihe tea. ami while he was drinking ii. sin- sat m hi- knee, hugging him. and telling him mu to worry. He finished at las', and -aid. ‘Well, I'm ready. Aly wife will rulin', too, it you'll jll-l wait nut i! -In* clllpI ie- the ieapot ''l -aid. 'All rigid—-but we'll bare a look inside it. first'.' Me turned i- "in, and found B halt lull oj stolen jewellery, about fill 5 worth. The man hud -slipped '.ne stuff in while his wife wa- huggir.e him and saying her farewells.'-'