How to Be a Detective. James Brady

Some of my friends will no doubt wonder why I should leave the beaten track and contrary to the course I have always adopted of furnishing notes to my friend, the New York detective, write a book myself.

The fact of the matter is the number of boys who love to read my adventures has grown to be so numerous—it is away up in the hundreds of thousands Mr. Tousey tells me—that their wishes have got to be respected.

For several years they have been asking for instructions from me which will transform them from school-boys into full-fledged detectives, as though touched by a magician’s wand.

The idea of such a thing!

But there are many who would like to become detectives if they could, and are willing to take time to learn the business, which, believe me, has to be learned like everything else.

Of course there may be some “smart Alecks” who have picked up the business—doubtless there are—but like extra smart people in other lines they do not often make it a success.

Therefore I say that to give a series of rules which, if followed, will make a boy a detective, would only be to make a fool of myself and my pupils too.

It can’t be done.

In our business no two situations are ever alike; the case you are working on to-day is totally different from the case of to-morrow, and the case of next week different again from either, and so it goes.

What I propose to do, therefore, is to tell how I made one boy—no, two—detectives. Let their experiences serve for others to go by.

First, however, let me give a list of the particular qualities and attainments necessary to make a good detective, and say also a few words on the different kinds of detectives—the good and the bad.

QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOOD DETECTIVE.

Table of Contents

1. Indomitable courage and good health.

2. Strict honesty.

3. A fair education. Necessary.

4. A knowledge of languages. Highly desirable.

5. The ability to read men readily. (This is a quality which will improve by practice. It cannot be expected at first.)

6. Perseverance.

7. An agreeable disposition; the ability to make one’s self popular among men.

8. An acquaintance with the methods of changing the facial appearance and arranging disguises. (This is perhaps the hardest thing of all to acquire. Most detectives will not disclose these secrets. The help of a good theatrical costumer, or an actor should be sought. Practice makes perfect—don’t forget that.)

9. Capability of careful thought and the ability to weigh evidence, and not to allow yourself to be deceived by appearances.

10. Caution.

11. Control of the temper.

12. Last, and most important of all, Common Sense.

Now I say that unless a boy possesses to a certain degree these twelve qualifications he better not think about becoming a detective.

The office is an important one and performs a great use in the world, but it can easily be prevented and the detective degraded to the level of a hired spy.

Never in my life have I undertaken a case where I have not at least believed that I was working on the right side.

I don’t propose to sell my services to bad men to work out bad ends.

Others are not so particular. Such are not true detectives—they are simply spies.

As to the means of getting the opportunity to learn the business of detective, I can only say that it is just like everything else; there are all sorts of ways.

Application to some good private detective agency will give you that information. If it is not convenient to do that, consult some honest detective, either police or private, and he may be able to tell you how to get a start.

For

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