"BE CAREFUL OF ARROW."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 221, 23 October 1909, Page 4

"BE CAREFUL OF ARROW."

SOME STORIES OF A GREAT DEFECTIVE. Detective-Inspector Arrow has just been relieved of his duties as head of the Spanish Criminal Investigation Department, and il is probable that he will return to England (says a Home paperl. It is just about two years and a-lialf since King Alfonso offered him the post, with a salary of iUOOu a year and special expenses, making him one of the best-paid detectives in the world. The King's oiler was the result of the high opinion he had formed of the liritisn detective force during his visits to this country, lie had a very poor opinion of the work done by the Spanish police, and determined to get Mr. Arrow 10 reorganise the whole department. The British detective eagerly accepted the post, but he has found it anything but a bed of roses.

To start with, the Spanish police we.e annoyed at the Kings obvious disapproval of their methods, and they were slill more angry when a foreigner was appointed to look after them. Then the general public took tlie matter up. Air. Arrow paid special attention to tile Anarchists of Barcelona, and supervised their movements so carefully that t'l; poor fellows had scarcely a minutes peace. WANTED HIM DISMISSED. They were very much upset about it, and held meetings with the object of fanning the llames of official resentment and forcing Mr. Arrow to resign. Resolutions were passed vowing to continue the campaign until Mr. Arrow was dismissed, and when atone of the meetings a young man was shot the newspapers shrieked about the bloodstained begin-' nings of Arrow's policy. Things became so very unpleasant Lhat the famous detective was forced to protest. He wrote to the Mayor of Barcelona . "inplaining of the hostility of the iiiinicipality and of the townspeople, ..ad adding that he would never have accepted tne appointment had he known that the officials; would not support him". The matter was argued out,at a meeting of the Town Council, and the Mayor was forced to admit that "Arrow's Police" had performed excellent services, which from their secret nature could not be made public. HIS GREATEST COMPLIMENT.

During the recent revolution in Barcelona he performed miracles in face of popular fury and official incapacity, and ne probably realises the impossibility of Knocking common sense into an official world strongly' tainted with Anarchism.

Before ill-. Arrow wont to Scotland Yard he was, curiously enough, a school, master, but he had not been in the defective service very long before his talents earned him rapid promotion. He was officially connected with nearly all the big robberies and criminal mysteries in the later years of his service at "the Yard," and it is said that lie lias been in every gambling club in London.

He became an adept in gaining admittance to these clubs. One of his most ingenious manoeuvres was employed in making a raid on a club in the West End of London. It was a particularly well-guarded institution, and, knowing how difficult it would be to force an entrance in the ordinary way, he took with him a pantechnicon full of policemen. The pantechnicon stopped just opposite the door of the club, and one or two men, dressed as upholsterers' workmen, got down and .began tinkering with I lie wheels as though something had gone wrong. The natural curiosity of the doorkeeper got the better of him. He opened the door and fame out to see what had happened. The next instant an avalanche of policemen broke frovi tlte'pantechnicon and swept him help'essly along as they "rushed" the house. llr. Arrow also distinguished himself in the recovery of some of the Nelson relics that were stolen from Clreenwie'i. One day a man called at the Yard to make enquiries about the relics. He was interviewed by Mr. Arrow,- who promptly placed him under arrest, lie was found to have landed from Australia ihe day before, and amongst his luggage was a most innocent-looking coneertiiu. .Mr. Arrow played a little air on it and llicu took it to pieces. Nelson's watch was inside.

When one of the most dangerous of international swindlers was arrested .n London a year or two ago. there was found amongst his papers a letter from ii brother criminal. "Be careful of \iTo\y," it said. "He is a man you may .iave to fear." Tt was probably the greatest and most sincere compliment Mr. Arrow has ever received.