MAN-HUNTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19866, 14 June 1927, Page 12

MAN-HUNTING

POLICEMEN’S LUCK UNEXPECTED CLUES The part that luck, or accident, often plays in the arrest of criminals was strikingly demons; rated not long ago in the case of a man who had embezzled a large sum of money, and was known to have taken a ticket for a certain seaport. A detective followed, but inadvertently neglected to change trains at one station, and was carried on to a small town on a branch line. Here he found that he had several hours to wait for a train to take him back, and, as it was a wet day, he went into the principal hotel. In the billiard-room he found a visitor amusing himself, and a game was proposed. The stranger removed his coat and turned up his shirt cuffs, thus revealing certain tattoo marks. The detective was instantly reminded that the missing thief was similarly embellished, and he saw that his opponent only needed a beard and moustache to answer the description furnished. He arrested the man and verified his suspicions. The seaport ticket was a ruse to blind pursuit, the criminal having done by design what his pursuer did by accident. Head or Tail? Once the toss of a coin led to the arrest of a notorious criminal. A detective was on the hunt for a smart scoundrel who had been working the confidence trick. He was known to frequent race-courses on the look-out for victims, and for weeks the detective travelled the country, attending various meetings, but without success. At last he was on the point of giving up the chase in despair, but resolved to try once more. He found that there were two race meetings for that day, and as he could not possibly attend both, he had to choose. He tossed up for it, and found his man at the meeting the coin decided he should attend. “Giveaways.” A few years ago a smart young man presented himself for admission into the Rochester Police Force. He was- cf splendid physique, but it was noticed that he had feet of abnormal size; in fact, precisely such feet as wore owned by a criminal whom the police were in search of at the time. The man was arrested on suspicion and confessed that he was the burglar who was so badly wanted. A detective, lunching in a London , restaurant, observed a young man enter, and, before taking his seat at a neighbouring table, take out his handkerchief and, after flicking the crumbs away, tuck it unconsciously under his left arm. This was quite sufficient for the detective; he knew that an Italian waiter was wanted for a crime he had committed, and without hesitation he laid his hands on the man whose habit of flicking tables and tucking his napkin under his arm had so unconsciously revealed his calling.