“The Proper Study”
| Published date | 01 January 1943 |
| Date | 01 January 1943 |
| Author | Leslie A. Tompkins |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X4301600117 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
"
THE
PROPER
STUDY"
VAN
DRAGGING:
stealing parcels from vans.
WHIZZING:
picking pockets; also
DIPPING.
WHIZZ
MOB:
a gang of pickpockets; see
PUSH-UP
MOB.
WINDBAGS:
packets
containing"
jewellery," etc., sold in the street; see
PUSHING
THE
PACKETS.
U
The
Proper Study"
By
INSPECTOR
LESLIE
A.
TOMPKINS
Bedfordshire
County
Constabulary
. . . presume not God to scan;
The proper study of mankind is Man.
Alex. Pope.
IT is a dull job
"pounding
the hoof."
There
must
be thousands of
good conscientious policemen walking the streets watching the
clock, meeting the point, and fighting the eternal temptation to gossip.
We have all been through this, or are going through
it;
but
there is a
method of avoiding boredom which, if practised, is very much to the
"good
of the
service"
and also can become a stepping-stone to
promotion,
Which of us has not been amazed by Conan Doyle's wonderful
Sherlock Holmes? We are all " Watsons " really, when we read the
usual opening of a Sherlock Holmes adventure.
There
is Holmes,
either playing his violin, or working on a chemical experiment.
Then
a visitor appears. Holmes always tells the mystified Watson ashort
history of the visitor by his appearance.
Then
Watson can " see it "
and wonders why he could not have seen it for himself.
Now, I believe that every policeman can play this game whilst
"pounding the
hoof"
and so enjoy
and"
improve"
himself, especially
if he has the chance to check up on his observations.
The
best way to
acquire
the"
art " is to work the other way round to Sherlock Holmes,
like this: Take aperson you know,
sayan
engineer. You know all his
habits; where he lives, where he works, what his troubles are, and his
character. Now each one of these items leaves some impression on the
man, which is visible to the eye, ear and nose.
If
he is a motor engineer
and in his working clothes, you will see oil stains on his clothing; his
finger-nails and finger cuticles, too, will be heavily ingrained with oily
dirt. His boots will
not
have the slightest semblance of shine because
of the oily impregnation. He usually has an intelligent look about him,
as his work calls for a considerable amount of knowledge and skill.
Now take a man of the same description, with the one exception
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