Paddington' Pollaky, Private Detective

by Bryan Kesselman

  The Times – Thursday, 23 January 1862

  PRIVATE INQUIRY OFFICE, established 1852,

  20, Devereux-court, Temple, under the direction of CHARLES FREDERICK FIELD (late chief Inspector of the Detective Police of the Metropolis). Confidential inquiries made for noblemen, gentlemen, solicitors, railway and insurance companies. Evidence collected in divorce and other cases. This office is unconnected with the police.

  (Note the disclaimer at the end that Field was careful to include.)

  PRIVATE CONTINENTAL INQUIRY OFFICE.

  – Mr.Pollaky, formerly superintendent of the foreign department in Mr Field’s office, and who has been entrusted during the last 12 years with the most delicate and confidential inquiries in this country and abroad, has OPENED the above ESTABLISHMENT with the view of protecting the interests of the British public in its social, legal, and commercial relations with foreigners. Inquiries of every description, which do not come within the province of the regular police authorities can be made through this office on any part of the continent. Offices at 14, George-street, Mansion-house, E.C.

  Pollaky, in the above advertisement, like Field, is shown to be distancing himself from the police. By May, Pollaky’s advertisements had occasional descriptions of himself in French: ‘ancien surintendant du départment de l’étranger’ (former superintendent of the foreign department) and offered ‘prompt and reliable information of foreigners and others.’ By June, information was also added that he had ‘agents in all the principal towns on the continent’. From a report of proceedings at Bow Street Magistrates Court:

  The Standard – Saturday, 25 January 1862

  THE LATE EXTENSIVE SWINDLING BY FICTITIOUS FIRMS. – […]

  Ignatius Polaki [sic]. – I carry on business at No. 14 George-street, Mansion House, where I keep a Continental Inquiry Office. I know the prisoner Shine by the name of Keeling. In June or July, 1860, I had occasion to offer a reward of 100l. for the apprehension of the members of the firm of Dodson and Son, 27, Newman-street, Oxford-street, merchants and brokers. The prisoner came to me at Mr Field’s office, and said he had been clerk to those persons. He told me there was no such person as Dodson, but he mentioned the names of several persons who he said were engaged in trying to find them. He said his name was Keeling.

  Pollaky was not immune from attempts to impersonate him, and as early as 1862, his apparent success caused him to advertise this fact:

  The Times, London – Thursday, 30 January 1862

  CAUTION. – Whereas a certain person (a foreigner) has been going about the metropolis applying to different mercantile firms for money upon representation that he was connected with Mr POLLAKY’s PRIVATE CONTINENTAL INQUIRY OFFICE. The object of this caution now made is to inform the public that this proceeding is entirely unauthorized, and it is hoped that the effect of this announcement will be to put a stop to the deception and fraud that is being practised by the individual referred to.

  The irony of this surely cannot have escaped him. He the (foreign) expert on foreigners having a problem of this sort with a foreigner.

  One of the most important and best-known types of Pollaky’s endeavours was the detection and prevention of the abduction of young women, for purposes known at that time as ‘white slavery’ – a euphemism for sex-trafficking of women. The next item is the first of a number of examples quoted here:

  The Times – Thursday, 13 March 1862

  ONE HUNDRED and TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS REWARD. – Whereas, a matronly-looking woman, tall, and of good figure, persuasive voice, piercing black eyes, wearing a profusion of jewellery, and ordinarily dressed in black, speaking the English language with the German accent, and styling herself Baroness de FREIBERG or STEINBERG, is going about the metropolis with the nefarious design of enticing young, innocent, good-looking English girls, to proceed to the continent, under the promise of placing them in respectable and lucrative situations; and as the young females so ensnared, on arriving at their destination, invariably find themselves detained in houses of ill-fame, from which their escape is almost impracticable, the authorities abroad, being desirous of effectually stopping this infamous traffic, £100 reward will be given to any one who shall furnish such INFORMATION as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the said spurious Baroness and her accomplices, either in London or abroad. £25 will be given to such person as shall inform of the house which is said to serve as a depot somewhere in the neighbourhood of the South Eastern Railway Station. Information to be given to Mr Ignatius Pollaky, private continental inquiry-office, 14 George-street, Mansion-house, E.C. Description of dress of the pseudo ‘Baroness’ when last seen in Bond-street:- Black glacé silk dress, full train skirt trimmed with narrow flounces, black velvet mantle with guipure collar, black velvet bonnet with violet flowers, and violet kid gloves fitting very tightly.

  The Times – Saturday, 13 September 1862

  INFORMATION WANTED of a LITTLE BOY, five years old, black eyes and rosy cheeks, with a small scar on the left temple, who has been decoyed away from his parents in Germany, and supposed to have been brought to England. – IGNATIUS POLLAKY. No. 14, George-street, Mansion-house.

  The Times – Saturday, 11 October 1862

  NOTICE. – On the 15th instant, a special employé of this office will leave for France, Germany, and Switzerland, who will undertake PRIVATE INQUIRIES (on the above route) at fixed charges. – IGNATIUS POLLAKY (Home and Foreign Inquiry-office). 14, George-street, Mansion-house.

  1863

  This item, one of Pollaky’s longer advertisements, contains information not seen elsewhere regarding his own perception of his office, as well as the length of his career as an investigator up to that time:

  The Times – Thursday, 1 January 1863

  THE HOME and FOREIGN INQUIRY OFFICE, 14 George-street, Mansion-house. E.C. – Mr. Pollaky, who founded the above establishment in 1861 for the purpose of furnishing prompt and authentic information of the past career and character of foreigners and others in this country and abroad, will continue to make private inquiries, with the view of testing the respectability of persons who, under fictitious, high-sounding titles, introduce themselves into English society; as shown by numerous reports in the daily press. The system of espionage, so justly condemned and so firmly repudiated by the British public, forms no element in the important as well as legitimate prosecution of these delicate investigations. Since the opening of this office the desirability of its permanent existence has been demonstrated by the numerous cases in which its assistance has been sought by all classes of society. Mr Pollaky in strictly adhering to these principles hopes for a continuation of the confidence of the public, to obtain which he has striven during the past 10 years. On the 15th of every month a special employé of this office will leave for the continent to execute confidential inquiries at these places where no constituted agent of the establishment resides. – Jan. 1863

  The sending of an agent to the continent every month is a continuation of working practice developed at Field’s office (possibly by Pollaky himself). Confirmation of the establishing of his own office during 1861, before his departure from Devereux Court can be seen in the first sentence. Most of the rest speaks for itself – but hidden away there is a little gem of information: the implication that he has been working as a private investigator for ten years. It is possible, therefore, that he began working for Field in 1853, the year after Field left the police force and opened his private inquiry office, where, as seen, it took Pollaky a while to gain recognition for his work. On the other hand, his claim that espionage would play no part in his work must mean that he had changed his methods since the days of spying on the Confederates – unless he was simply being disingenuous.

  The Times – Friday, 30 January 1863

  CONSPIRACY. – Whereas several evil-disposed PERSONS, principally foreigners, are constantly conspiring, with others out of this country, to ALLURE young and innocent ENGLISH GIRLS to PROCEED to the CONTINENT, under promise of lucra
tive employment (especially in the capacity of governesses) have succeeded in many instances by these false representations in inveigling honest, industrious, young persons to quit their home and proceed abroad, where they invariably find themselves entrapped into houses of ill-fame without the means of escape. This infamous traffic has of late so alarmingly increased and baffled all endeavours to check it, that recourse is had to this public notice, in the hope that it will prevent English girls from too readily listening to any such proposals proceeding from questionable parties, and in all such cases they are requested to notify the same without delay to Mr Pollaky, who is instructed by Mr G.B. Talbot (the secretary of the London Society for the Protection of Young Females, 28, New Broad-street), to investigate, free of charge, the character of parties in England and abroad, holding out such inducements. – IGNATIUS POLLAKY, Home and Foreign Inquiry-office, 14, George-street, Mansion-house.

  The Times – Tuesday, 10 February 1863

  THE HOME and FOREIGN INQUIRY OFFICE. – No Espionage. – Confidential inquiries and legitimate investigations privately instituted. On the 15th of every month a special employé will leave for the continent on private missions. – Mr. POLLAKY, 14, George-street, Mansion-house, E.C.

  In February 1863, two letters appeared in the Standard under the heading, ‘INFAMOUS TRAFFIC IN YOUNG GIRLS’. The first was an introduction by J.B. Talbot, Secretary of the London Society for the Protection of Young Females, of a letter received by him written by Pollaky, asking for that letter to be published. Pollaky’s letter was as follows:

  The Standard – Thursday, 12 February 1863

  To J.B.TALBOT, ESQ.

  Home and Foreign Inquiry Office, 14 George-street, Mansion House, Feb.9.

  Sir, – It is my desire to bring to your notice the result of the advertisement headed ‘Conspiracy’, for the information of the board of your society.

  Since the publication of said advertisement there have been numerous applications at my office, for the purpose of inquiry into the respectability of parties abroad, who, through advertisements and other channels, proffer situations to English Girls. To all applicants – and the greater part were governesses – I am happy to say I have been able to render great assistance; some are now on their way to really good and lucrative engagements, whilst others are fortunately deterred from proceeding to the Continent, and falling an easy prey to scheming adventurers.

  It is my firm conviction that, as I mentioned to you in our last conversation on this subject, publicity alone will be the means of putting an end to this infamous traffic; but I regret to say, at the same time, that my limited means debar me from carrying out the required publicity, especially as the inquiries have entailed on me a certain amount of expense, having in no case, even when offered, accepted payment from the applicants, who, though generally poor, were anxious, some of them, to testify their gratitude by some remuneration. I hope, therefore, the board of your society will, after mature consideration, see in the above statement sufficient encouragement to induce them to defray the expense of a monthly advertisement, and I shall be glad to continue my services gratuitously.

  Yours truly,

  (Signed) IG. POLLAKY

  Ironically, the term adventurer had been applied to Pollaky himself, as mentioned in Chapter 9. Pollaky’s call for his expenses to be defrayed is again heard in this letter, nevertheless, in this worthwhile cause, he considered that he would work for no payment. Does not this letter put one in mind of Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (1892)? Holmes aids a young lady who has doubts about whether she should accept a job as a governess. The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist also comes to mind. It has been suggested that Pollaky was a prototype for Holmes, though there are obvious differences. Pollaky was Hungarian, energetic and with a moustache. Holmes is very much an Englishman, clean shaven and given to bouts of drug-induced lethargy. Undoubtedly Arthur Conan Doyle would have heard of Pollaky; several other candidates have been put forward, though, the most important of which was forensic surgeon, and Doyle’s mentor, Dr Joseph Bell. Others who have been suggested as models for Holmes have mostly been policemen, or one-time policemen. Pollaky was a private detective, and only that. There seems little doubt that his cases, which may very well have been read about by Doyle, form a model for some of the cases of Sherlock Holmes, furthermore, both have an interest in the ‘Agony Column’ of The Times, as well as with codes and cyphers. The legend of Sherlock Homes of Baker Street is not far from the legend of Ignatius Pollaky of Paddington Green, the addresses themselves are within comfortable walking distance of each other. Doyle’s full name was Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, his second name may have no bearing on his interests, but it is a nice coincidence.

  A report in the Middlesex Chronicle on Saturday, 7 March 1863 mentions that Pollaky was trying to find, in England, a man who had murdered a French judge in a railway carriage between Paris and Lyons some three of four years earlier, the victim having been robbed of 40,000 francs. The French police had sent him a photograph of the suspect.

  On 23 March 1863, an item appeared in the Dundee Courier and Argus entitled:

  ‘ENTRAPPING WOMEN FOR PROSTITUTION’:

  Dundee Courier and Argus – Monday, 23 March 1863

  At the Mansion House, last week, Mr Beard, attorney, addressing Alderman Sir Robert Carden, the magistrate for the day, said, in effect, he was instructed by the London Society for the Protection of Young Women to call attention in the public interest to certain systematic attempts which were being made to prevail upon young women in this country, chiefly governesses, to go to France, by holding out to them tempting offers of employment and remuneration, but with the real though secret intention, as there was reason to believe, of entrapping them for the purposes of prostitution. A few weeks ago many very respectable young women of the class alluded to were induced to reply to an advertisement which appeared in the ‘Times,’ the result of which was to bring them into communication with a Mr F. Robertson, who was supposed to be a Frenchman, though he bore or assumed an English surname. He (Mr Beard) had letters which this Mr Robertson had addressed to three young women, and all of which were to the same purport. Writing from an address in the Rue Paradis-Poissoniere, he stated that he could introduce his correspondent as a governess to a highly respectable French family, where it would be her duty to instruct, chiefly in English, two young ladies, about 13 and 15 years of age. The salary would be L[£]72 a year, and she would be ‘privileged to use her employer’s carriage and a separate apartment.’ Her travelling expenses would be paid ‘in a first-class department’, and she would be guaranteed an engagement of three years certain. The writer added, that the condition of “our firm” were – commission L4, to be paid in four months at L1 a month, and she would be expected to send immediately a post-office order for L1, the first month’s commission, with her references. In one case he offered one of his correspondents a situation in the family of a Countess in Paris, with a salary of 2,000f., on her paying him 100f. as commission, 25f. of which were to be in advance. There was reason to believe, from inquiries made by M. Pollaky at the instance of the Society, that about 20 young women had been induced to embrace the offers held out to them and to go to Paris; but on arriving there they discovered that they had been allured from their home for immoral purposes. On Monday last, this Mr. Robertson being then in London, about as many more young women met him by his appointment at an office in Lower Thames Street, in the occupation of a countryman of his, to make arrangements for going to Paris to situations which he had undertaken to procure them. The housekeeper, a man in charge of the offices there, surprised at seeing so many well-dressed, lady-like women, and strongly suspecting something amiss, entered the room and mentioned his suspicions to the Frenchmen. Robertson, unable to speak English, was then conversing with them through his son, but, on the interference of the housekeeper, he left the place, and had not been seen there, nor had the man in the occupation of the office in which the interview took
place. The society for which he (Mr Beard) appeared, believing that this man, with others, was systematically engaged in inveigling young women abroad for purposes of prostitution had desired him to make this statement in the hope that, by the publicity which would probably be given to it through the press, it might operate as a warning.

  Sir Robert Carden said he would go further than that, and advise the society to make a representation, through the Foreign Office, to the English Ambassador in Paris, who would probably, with the assistance of the French Government, institute inquiries into the matter.

  On 25 March 1863, a similar, though slightly shorter item, appeared in the Cork Examiner entitled: ‘DECOYING FEMALES FROM LONDON TO FRANCE’.

  Though Pollaky’s name appears in the article only in passing, it would not be the last time that he would be engaged in investigating the disappearances of young girls and women, actually rescuing them, preventing them from being abducted, or actively taking an interest in their welfare.

  On 3 October 1864, the Morning Post published a letter from J.B. Talbot, Secretary of the London Society for the Protection of Young Females, correcting an item published by them on 31 September which mentioned that Pollaky was the honorary secretary of that society, whereas this position was held by Talbot himself. He writes, ‘I feel it right to say that Mr Pollaky is sanctioned by this society in his efforts.’

  In 1862, Henry Mayhew had published the fourth volume of his London Labour and the London Poor. Mayhew discusses traffic of foreign women: ‘One of the most disgraceful, horrible and revolting practices […] carried on by Europeans is the importation of girls into England from foreign countries to swell the ranks of prostitution.’ He then moves to the subject of ‘English Women [who] are also taken to foreign parts by designing speculators’, and gives examples of interviews he had with two victims and of the terrible experiences of the second. Since these matters were documented then, one might have expected this issue to have been solved by the twenty-first century, but news items even today show that there has been little change.