Chapter VII: Industrial Detective Work

Large factories, warehouses and wholesale houses and other industrial plants employing numbers of workers have a great deal of work for the industrial detective. In taking up work for a wholesale house, for instance, the detective must secure employment in the department where “leaks” are occurring, or where the information is to be obtained; then, as soon as possible, gain the confidence of the employees. Note where they keep their coats, overcoats and other wearing apparel, and if you suspect a certain employee, watch and see whether or not he carries out any bundles concealed in his coat or about his person. When they take an article, they usually hide it somewhere, and if wearing an overcoat, they usually put it in their overcoat pocket, so just before quitting time, go to where the overcoat or coat is hanging, and see if they have anything in their coat pockets. If so, examine it so you will know whether or not they have bought such article. If not, you will then know that they are stealing. It should then be arranged to have some one on the outside shadow or place them under surveillance to see what disposition they are making of the stolen goods, as this employee may be one of a gang working in the house, and then if a watch is kept on the place where the goods are being disposed of, it will only be a short time until the rest of the gang will be found out.

In looking after dishonest employees you should not be too quick to act, for the reason that as stated above, he may be one of a large gang operating in the house. The detective who does the inside work should not be assigned to the outside work of shadowing. His duties should be to cultivate the acquaintance of the employees, but he should not, under any circumstances, try to make a thief out of an employee or encourage any employee to do any stealing. In following this kind of work in warehouses, freight house or manufacturing establishments and in looking after thieves, or dishonest employees the same tactics should be used.

Another class of industrial work is in manufacturing plants where a large number of men and women are employed, where the employer wants to know whether or not the employees are loyal or disloyal; whether there is any agitation among the employees. If so, who the agitators are? If there are any grievances on the part of the employees, what the grievances are? If it should be a non-union plant, whether or not there are any union men employed in the plant? Whether they are trying to unionize the plant? To do this kind of detective work, it is necessary for the detective to understand some kind of work around the factory or business plant so that he could go there and secure a position on his own resources. Getting into a plant in this way never arouses the suspicions of the employees, and after he is employed he should associate with the other employees during the noon hour. Should he find that there is any large number of them rooming or boarding at the same house or hotel in the vicinity of the plant to secure room and board there himself.

If this should not be the case, if he should learn of a place where a number of them gather, or loaf in the evenings, or when not working, make it a point to be around there. Get on friendly terms with as many of them as possible, and in this way you will soon know everything that is going on in the factory or plant. In doing this line of work, you should be very careful that you do not over-do it by spending too much money for drinks or other purposes. If you should do this, finally they will get suspicious of you and your work would be worthless. The best way is to simply act natural and live within what you are really earning at the place you are working. Do not try to fool any of the experienced mechanics as to your capability in certain lines of work. If you do they will surely get on to you. In doing any kind of industrial work, it is very important to not carry any credentials of any kind on your person that would identify you as a detective. It is sometimes better to change your entire clothing while working in the factory or shop, as the first thing a person would do if they were suspicious of you would be to look through your clothing to see if they could find any credential or card which would identify you as a detective. You should also be careful not to leave any credentials or in fact anything where you are living or boarding, as they are also likely to be searched during your absence.

This class of work is also called secret service work. Any young man of ordinary intelligence or education could be successful in this kind of work. The factory or plant makes a contract with the detective agency and sometimes the beginner is used in this class of work.

Railroads, street car lines and coal companies have a large amount of industrial or special work done, such as placing detectives who are members of the various railroad orders or unions among the employees, such as conductors, engineers, firemen, brake-men, bridge builders, machinists, blacksmiths, freight hustlers, clerks in the general offices, telegraph operators, and even down to section men, to get at irregularities, disloyalty, etc. The detective taking up this work should be a member of these various organizations to get the desired results.