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History

Eugène François Vidocq

August 11, 2014 by IPIA Leave a Comment

The Founder Of Private Investigation

eugene

Private investigation in modern times is increasingly impressive and much of the thanks for this is due to technology. It is now easier to track down, create videos and even photograph or record misbehaving individuals, fraudsters and even find missing people much faster than it was before (eugene).

This private investigation journey started with a man who set up an investigative agency. The intention was to investigate different kinds of crimes and secure the needed information through spying and surveillance. The founder’s name is Eugene Francois Vidocq. He was born back in 1775 in Arras in France and spent most of his life as a criminal. In 1812, he founded Surete Nationale crime detection agency. He remained the director till 1827. He is looked upon as the father of Modern Criminology. His is a story that has inspired writers such as Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo.

His Life

Having been born in a wealthy large family, Francois became a criminal during his youthful years. He (eugene) would steal and sell silver plates belonging to his parents from a tender age of 13. He would then spend every dime he made from the selling within a day. At some point, his father decided to teach him a lesson by having him jailed. Vidocq later joined the army in 1791 and created a reputation of being an expert swordsman. He however, seemed more guided by his shady instincts. He would get into trouble for dueling often and was a womanizer too. Later, he got into trouble for desertion. He left the army and later got into fraud and theft. In 1796, he was sentenced to hard labor as a result of forgery. He escaped in 1800.

His Redemption and Ending

Vidocq witnessed a man’s execution and this started his journey to redemption. The man had been a criminal too and this deeply affected Vidocq. He (eugene) relocated and started to live an honest life as a merchant. People from his past however would emerge and blackmail him for money. He served as a police informant and was appointed as a Parisian jail spy in 1809. His duty was to report fellow inmates. After his release from prison duty, he continued working for the police unit and entered into the criminal underworld to get the information he needed.

He became a criminology master in 1811, a ballistic expert and record keeper who was very strict. Vidocq was a master of disguises usually dressing up as a beggar to enter into the underworld with ease. He is the same man who organized the plain clothes police force later to be converted into the security police unit. Vidocq gained a high reputation in the field of criminology. He later returned to crime and damaged his reputation and his business suffered in the process. He withdrew and went to live a private life thereafter. Eugene Francois Vidocq died in 1857 at the age of 82 in Paris. His wife had died years earlier.  The two had no children (eugene).

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered agencies offering investigation services to the private and business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: letters

St. Anthony of Padua

June 18, 2014 by IPIA Leave a Comment

The Patron Of Missing Persons And Lost Things

st anthony

I first heard of St. Anthony over twenty years ago now. A friend of mine was a strict Catholic and one day her bicycle was stolen. She went into her local Church and prayed to St Anthony for the return of her bike.

A few days later her bicycle was found. She was out after that on her bike and thought she would pop into the church to thank St Anthony. She lent her bike against the church railings and went inside for a few moments to say a thank you prayer. When she came out her bike was gone.

As I think about this now I am not sure if my friend was telling me a joke or indeed if it was true. It does not really matter – the tale was vivid enough for me to never forget that that St Anthony was the patron Saint of lost things, and seeing a bike parked outside a church the other day I resolved to fill in some of the gaps and do some research on this Saint.

Background

Anthony of Padua, also known as the patron of missing persons and lost things, is a Catholic Saint. Born back in 1195 near Lisbon, he was named Fernando. He came from a wealthy family and was schooled in Lisbon Cathedral School.

At the tender age of 15, he joined Augustinian monastery against the wishes of his family. Since the monastery was in Sao Vicente and close to his native city, frequent visits from friends and relatives became a distraction. He therefore asked for a transfer after two years and moved to Coimbra Holy Cross. This was a learning center and Portugal’s capital of the time. His next eight years at Holy Cross were fully devotional in prayer and study of the Sacred Scripture.

At 26 years of age, Anthony of Padua joined Moroccan Franciscan Order. This was in 1221 and he requested to be sent to the Morocco mission to preach among Moors. Ill health saw to his return to Europe and he later moved to the Italian Romagna where he spent 9 months as a hermit’s chaplain. The saint was modest and would carry lowly duties within the convent and the kitchen. He would then miraculously be called to give a sermon during an ordination ceremony when the priest on duty fell suddenly ill. He humbly refused the call, but would finally agree out of obedience to his superiors (st anthony).

His Death

Saint Anthony spent the last 2 years of his life in Padua hearing confessions, working with the poor and preaching. He (st anthony) died in 1231 on the thirteenth day of June. He died in his chaplain reserved apartment in Arcella. This is a suburb that is within Padua. He died at 36 years of age and received all his last rites before dying. In 1232, he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. He was later in 1946 declared as Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII. His canonization makes it to the records as the second fastest. Less than a year after his death, he was declared a saint. A basilica was built in his honor in 1963.

His Record

Anthony of Padua stands tall among the greatest preachers of the Middle Ages. He is still among the most famous saints to date. Catholics call upon the saint to find their lost possessions hence, he is known as the patron of missing persons and lost things. The saint is sculpted and portrayed holding baby Jesus, a book or a lily. Some of the portraits show him holding all three in his arms (st anthony).

There are several prayers under the Catholic Church which are dedicated to him (st anthony). They also call upon his power and intervention in finding the lost people or items. Those who make their prayers to the Saint Anthony often report having found their lost belongings and even lost people.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered agencies offering investigation services to the private and business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.

Filed Under: History, History Tagged With: letters

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