THE TELEPHONE AS A DETECTIVE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 28 March 1891, Page 4

THE TELEPHONE AS A DETECTIVE.

use of the telephone. One day a policeman brought to the station a Pole, HS^i^fflM^ possession a quantity of silver, 6elievea"tbbe itolen. The silver was in a semi-molten; Sondition, and had none of its original fe£ tures remaining to assist in its identification. Hence as the Pole declared the metal to be his own property, the police-inspector was Eut in a fix. At last a bright idea struck im. He went to the telephone in the adjoining room, and mentioning to the officials at the police master's office what had happened, instructed them to utter in solemn tones, on a. signal being given, the words : 11 Itsno Snieliansky, it will be better for thee - to confess that thou hast robbed somebody, Dtherwiae thy punishment will be more severe." Afterwards summoning the Pole into the room, he pointed to the instrument an the wall, and told him that it did not matter whether he told the truth or not, as the " machine" would do it for him. At this the Pole laughed outright, but was induced to put his car to the instrument and decide whether he would confess or not. When the signal was given, and the solemn advice conveyed to him by the ." machine," he was so thoroughly frightened that he made a full confession of the theft.