Show THE OUR POLICE by by- by William B. B Seattle Chief of Police 1922 to 1926 0 There is tragedy tragedy and and often a bit bitof bitof of comedy comedy in in In police administration tion Graft and bootlegging are not the only problems As I approached my office in headquarters one morning I heard hearda a considerable commotion and on approaching nearer I discovered a group of several men and women on their knees at my office door calling on the Maker Malter to cause Seattle to be a good place for Gods God's children That same afternoon another individual individual in individual in- in apparently rational called on me mo and explained he had a scheme which not only would end crime in Seattle but would make me nationally famous Pressed for an explanation he rolled up his trousers trouser legs and his coat sleeves disclosing fine line bands of copper wire wound about his limbs A thought receiving station he whispered With it I can tune in inon inon inon on the human mind and learn its Inmost thoughts I still stilt have to tomake tomake tomake make a few tew refinements yet but the idea is good When it is complete complete com corn I can tune in on every criminal criminal crim crim- inal mind in fifty miles mUes of ot me and learn in advance what crimes are being planned LOCATING AIMEE During the Aimee Semple McPherson McPherson McPherson Mc- Mc Pherson disappearance mystery there was a steady stream of well intentioned folk who were certain they could locate her One woman in a dream saw her in a cabin near Port Townsend and she offered to split the reward with me if it I would finance the search for the place I 1 wish people would quit dream dream- ing lug Hardly a day passed but some sincerely Intentioned person would come to tell me of a dream in which they found treasure loot missing bodies or 01 other police mysteries One day a man came to tell me he had had trouble with his wife and that he p to leap off oft a viaduct soon in front of a passing train The newspaper reporters got hold of the story and when the zero hour arrived there were throngs of onlookers reporters cameramen and sob sisters awaitIng awaitIng awaiting await await- Ing the tragedy The star actor failed tailed to appear appeal Naturally I had policemen at hand to arrest him if he did try to make good his threats Later In the day he telephoned to tome tome me My wife objected to the notoriety no no- Its It's all off I found later that they the had been reconciled A much perturbed citizen rushed In one day to complain that he was being followed day and night by a afat afat a afat fat man I detailed an officer to investigate and wonder and wonder of ot wonders won won- ders there ders-there there really was an obese shadow on the mans man's trail The of officer officer arrested the man and bi brought ought him in At first the prisoner on r re re- re e. e fused to exp aln but a night in jail made him talkative I Im m learning to be a detective he said And I 1 used this for practice tice tice- He was a student of a correspondence correspondence correspondence corre corre- school in detecting Religious zealots also cause annoyance an an- two Thirty-two lon long haired members of a religious sect were at rested arrested at Second avenue and Pike street one of the most congested corners in the tho city rity I had banned such meetings there I met them In the booking booking- office and addressed the man I took to be their leader I I asked you rou repeatedly not to meet at that corner didn't I 11 I queried Where here do you ou get your authority authority authority au au- au- au he demanded The city ordinances ordinances and and the fact that I 1 am police poUce chief I re replied re- re plied Pooh he snorted I get my authority from God He said we could meet there There is the case of ot the wife of ofa ofa ofa a very wealthy Seattle man who IB is IBa iRa isa a kleptomaniac Every month the merchants tend end her husband husban hi bils bil's for tor the amounts of her thefts and he pays pay without question She Is Isas isas isas as skillful as s the professional shoplifters shop shop- lifters One of my officers found a man stark naked stalking the tha streets vT f 7 v vone one day carrying a big Bible under his arm He said he was making a test of the hypocrisy of the world A few hours in a quiet cell restored him to normal mind again CORRESPONDENCE SLEUTHS Not t all correspondence school de detectives detectives detectives de- de are funn funny Some represent represent represent sent tragedy as witness the minor who called on me one day and said All right chief Im I'm ready to go goto goto goto to work I dont don't understand understand- I said in amazement meanwhile gazing at athis athis athis his startling array of garments something In the nature of a smalltown small smalltown smalltown town dude on a holiday I Im m ready to start he replied Something pleasant and easy easy easy- with plenty of expense money and tra travel vel Then he unrolled a diploma from flom I one of the correspondence detective schools I questioned him as to the course and its costI costI cost I I paid a hundred dollars for this he responded proudly waving the dipoma under my nose I got high marks in the third degree class too What was your our scheme of ot gettin getting getting get get- tin ting confessions confessions' I 1 asked Put a mirror before the prisoner pris oner then ask him a lot of questions ques ques- he replied When he sees himself in fn the mirror he cannot look himself in the eye and lie Then he will confess The man refused to believe he had been defrauded Maybe somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where he is still trying frying to catch on with the regular policeWomen police pollee Women past the first blush of youth and beauty do strang things to hold the interest of or their husbands hus bus bands One woman had a habit of binding and gagging herself then telling a vivid tale of an admirer who took this means of oC preventing prevent prevent- ing her virtuous outcries of Indignation indignation indignation indig Indig- nation while he caressed her re respectfully re- re She tried tiled it once too often and was proved a faker Another woman complained to her husband th that it men tried to flirt with her and that they followed her He complained to me and I assigned a man to protect her Nobody Nobody No No- o- o body followed her but she spotted the detective and was greatly flattered flat flat- To ro tell teIl the truth she w was as not too attractive Copyright 1927 Cosmos Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper per Syndicate Inc Through the American Free Press Pres |