FAMOUS DETECTIVE’S STORIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 443, 5 December 1908, Page 4

FAMOUS DETECTIVE’S STORIES.

Chief-Inspector Drew’s Long Record.

Saturday, October 3rd, was the last day at Scotland Yard of Chief Inspector Drew, one of the best known and most successful detectives. He retired after a service of twenty-seven years —years packed’ full of incident and adventure. “ Debona : - Drew” was one of the personalities of the Metropolitan Police. He was the handsomest man in Scotland Yard, tall, welldressed, with the silver hair of early middle age. He has been disguised a hundred times so that, his own mother would not have known him. Chatting about his experiences with a newspaper representative, he said : —“ Twentyseven j’ears ago when I began at Vine street, Piccadilly, I was concerned in the detection of a vvoodeu-leged man who was always passing counterfeit coin. No money could be found on him, until one day, examining him from bead to foot, we found his wooden leg was hollow, and by unscrewing a metal cup at the end of it there was disclosed a cavity from which packets of the coin would drop, as they were wauled.

“ From Vine street I went to Kensington as a detective. Great burglaries were going on. One of my colleagues tracked a gang and came up with the most desperate of the trio. The burglar whipped out a big knife, stabbed the detective in the tace, and got away. The injured man was unlit for any work Jrom that time forth. A short time afterwards I saw the man come out of the house and hurried after him. Patting his back to a wall, he brought out his kinfe. As I ran at him he stabbed at me. -I was pretly quick on my feet, and he did not touch :me. He slabbed me again. Persons were now running up, and he saw he could not keep everybody at bay, so he made a dash through the crowd. I Was a good runner in those days, and I was quickly after him. • I ran him through street after street, he still having the knife in his hand. When 1 .was within a yard or two of him, he half turned. I jumped forward and knocked him. flat before he could use his knife. Of course, he went to prison. an effective. Disguise. “Disguises'? Oh, frequently. A celebrated actress lost her pet a 11. aa.-> cvTuin u uad been stolen. I caused her to offer reward. Three days later a man called at the house and said if the lady would come to a certain address be thought a friend of his mignt be able to produce the dog. The maid-servant had her instructions from me, and said, ‘ I’m very soiry, but the lady is unable to come, as she is ill in bed. But there’s her brother ; he’s very keen about the matter. Indeed, it is he who has offered the reward.

“ So it was arranged that on the following night that the brother should go to a certain road in Southwark. I was the brother. My hair and moustache and eyebrows were made jet black, and I was wearing an Inverness cloak and evening dress when at eight o’clock I drove to the rendezvous in the actress’s private brougham, accompanied by the maid, who knew the dog. As I stepped from the brougham, cigar in mouth, there was the dog thief. A friend of his, he said, a few minutes away, had the dog ; would I pay the reward ? ‘Certainly,’ said 1. He went away and returned with the dog, wl ich at once jumped into the maid’s arms. Then I took him into c stody. “ While I was inspector at Vine street there was the affair of the Marquis or Anglesey’s jewels, stolen by a valet while the marquis and his friends had gone to see a performance of 1 Sherlock Holmes.’ 1 knew the boyish, undistin-guished-looking valet would try to leave the country, but how to recognise him was the difficulty. Then I remembered the seven gentlemen who were staying with the marquis as his guests, all of whom knew the valet well. I suggested that they should constitute themselves amateur detectives, and go one to each of the seven chief ports and watch the passengers embarking on the boats.. They seized upon the idea enthusiastically. It was one of them at Dover who detected the valet attempting to embark.

“Yes, practically all .the marquis’ property was recovered. It went to .South America, lay there for a year, and was then brought to Paris, where an attempt was made to dispose of it piecemeal. Scotland Yard knew of it within a day or so, and action was at once taken.”

Mr Drew, a popular figure iii the detective force, left amid general regrets at Scotland Yard, and with the good wishes of everyone, ffom the Commissioner downwards. He was the recipient of a handsome piece of plate, subscribed for by the whole of his late colleagues., The ex-chief inspector is shortly to embark on special business of his own, which will include detective investigation.