Ex-Policeman Bissert who had been sent to Sing Sing by Recorder Goff in November, 1901, was detested by scores of crooks whom he had been instrumental in sending there. After reaching Sing Sing Bissert became a marked man. Many of the old time crooks knew him well. When the Appellate Division decided that he should have a new trial and had returned him to the Tombs, he made the remark to one of the desk keepers, that he would rather go to _hell_ than go back to Sing Sing again, as his life was made miserable all the time he was there. One who was then serving a sentence afterwards informed me that whenever Bissert showed himself in the shops, the dining room, or in the yard his associates took a delight in “jeering” at him and calling him all kinds of profane names! [Illustration: The Newest, Most Modern and best equipped Police Headquarters in the World. Centre Street, New York City.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXI THE ROGUES GALLERY AND THE THIRD DEGREE One of the most interesting departments of the Detective Bureau is the Rogues’ Gallery. This branch contains the records of nearly a hundred thousand criminals. It is only within recent years that the police have begun to realize the importance of this department of the service. Not only do they photograph and take measurements of all criminals, but since the time of Sergeant Thomas Adams they preserve clippings from all the newspapers which in any way throw light upon the career of a criminal. These clippings are kept in large envelopes, fastened together by rubber bands. The Clipping Bureau at Headquarters has for some years been in charge of two well known lieutenants, Sheridan and Allen, who seem to have a special talent for this kind of labor. They seem to be walking cyclopedias of criminal information as far as the newspapers are concerned. One or the other of these specialists is on hand every hour of the day, assisting the men of the department in giving clues, as well as collecting records of beginners in crime. Frequently these records are loaned to the Judges of Criminal Courts before sentence is passed on old offenders. This branch of the Bureau is over thirty years old, and is of immense importance to the department.