Per my previous post, trying to identify and catch bad guys was problematic before the turn of the twentieth century, though the advent of photography helped. Police Departments established Rogues Galleries but getting individual photos to departments across the country could be tough (and photo identification had other issues, as previously mentioned).

In 1886, police inspector Thomas Byrnes of the New York City Police Dept. published Professional Criminals of America, available HERE on Archives.org and a really fun read. He includes photos and descriptions of various criminals operating across the country at the time and adds fascinating details about how they operated.

Regarding bank robbers, he also warned….

“Robbery is now classed as a profession, and in the place of the awkward and hang-dog looking thief we have to-day the intelligent and thoughtful rogue…”

Happy browsing