manages to get into his confidence. For example, a murder is
committed by an Italian miner. Let us suppose he has killed
his "boss," or even the superintendent or owner. He
disappears. As the reader known, the Italians are so
secretive that it is next to impossible to secure any
information--even from the relatives of the murdered man.

The first thing is to locate the assassin. An Italian
detective is sent into the mine as a laborer. Months may
elapse before he gets on familiar or intimate terms with
his fellows. All the time he is listening and watching.
Presently he hears something that indicates that the murderer
is communicating with one of his old friends either directly
or through third parties. It is then generally only a
question of time before his whereabouts are ascertained.
Once he is "located" the same method is followed in securing
additional evidence or material in the nature of a confession
or admission tending to establish guilt. Having previously
"roped" the murderer's friends, the detective now proceeds to
the more difficult task of "roping" the murderer himself. Of
course, the life of a detective in a Pennsylvania coal mine
would be valueless if his identity were discovered, and yet
the most daring pieces of detective work are constantly being
performed under these and similar conditions. Where the
criminal is not known, the task becomes far more difficult and
at times exceedingly dangerous.

One of my own friends, an Italian gentleman, spent several
months in the different mines of this country, where Italians
are largely employed, investigating conditions and