Chapter X: Scotland Yard Detectives

There are but few officers who fully understand what is meant by the term “Scotland Yard”. Scotland Yard means the headquarters of the London Police, said to be the shrewdest detectives in the world. It is located on the Thames embankment and still retains its celebrated name because, when located at Whitehall, it was reputed to have served as the residence of early Scottish Kings. This system has four definite divisions with the minor, though important, fifth division: (1) There is a special branch that looks after secret service matters relating to the protection of the King and his ministers. (2) The criminal registry. (3) The convict supervision office. (4) Finger print branch, and the additional division is the office squad, which is subject to be called out or detailed in extraordinary cases.

If we understand the English system fully, we must take into account the fact that the English mind thinks in a straight line; that is, it reasons directly from cause to effect and effect to cause, and it seizes only the essentials and drives home to its object with them. The English rely on straight thinking and common sense instead of intricate reasoning and psychical research. This fact accounts for the type of workers employed. The men are not laboratory specialists or medical experts, but practical policemen, for the most part, from the country districts. There are several different reasons for this choice: (1) A country fellow is not acquainted with city ways and customs, and is therefore not liable to be influenced by them. Again since crime is regarded by the Englishman, not as a result of hereditary tendencies or a psychic phenomenon, but as a mere violation of law, it demands no intricate reasoning. A country fellow is more apt to see things clearly than is the city bred man. There are only two distinguishing characteristics. The first is the direct action in cases of arrest. The second, or most important, is the method of following dominant clues. The direct action in cases of arrest is a very dangerous method, as the criminals are wholly capable of a good pitched battle or a running fight; and they are almost invariably as well armed as their assailants. Still the Englishman will not allow a capture by a ruse or finesse. It must be direct. The method of following the dominant clue is, as I have said, the distinguishing characteristics of the English method. The detective, instead of taking into consideration every thread of the woof and warp of the evidence, chooses one single item--the essential clue. On this one item of circumstantial evidence hangs the entire decision. This organization of Scotland Yard is entirely independent, entirely under the control of a commissioner, who is responsible to the home secretary alone. It is not accountable to the public in any way, gives no information, corrects or discredits nothing reported, never affirms or denies a newspaper rumor, and offers no explanation for its expenditures. It is thus enabled to work without any interference or outside pressure.

The greatest difficulty Scotland Yard is forced to meet is the handling of continental criminals, because of the great amount of red tape necessary in order to get in contact with the foreign detective agency. All communications are to be made first to the foreign minister. He informs the Ambassador in London, who in turn takes up the matter with the British secretary of foreign affairs, who turns it over to the home secretary, who in turn, turns it over to Scotland Yard. These peculiar methods remind one of the house that Jack built. Still these matters must be handled with the greatest delicacy and diplomacy.

The Scotland Yard detectives maintain a sensible man hunt by an experienced officer, and this will do more good than all the laboratory experiment the continent can carry on, and the American detective, in order to be successful, should follow these methods.