Frank Froest
| Frank Froest | |
|---|---|
Frank Freost c. 1912
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| Born | 1858 Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1 July 1930 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Police detective and crime writer |
Superintendent Frank Castle Froest (1858, Bristol – 7 January 1930) was a British detective and crime writer.
Froest was described by a journalist as being "...short, thick-set, full-faced, Mr.Froest in uniform looked more like a Prussian field-marshal than anything else. Out of uniform (which he generally was) he was always immaculate in silk hat, patent leather boots, and carrying a carefully rolled umbrella." Called 'the man with iron hands', Froest was incredibly strong, and could tear a pack of cards in half and snap a sixpence 'like a biscuit'.
Frank Froest joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in 1879 and worked his way up to Inspector 2nd Class at Scotland Yard by 1894, Chief Inspector in 1903 and Superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Metropolitan Police from 1906 to his retirement in 1912.
As one of the country's top detectives, he had important responsibilities, including the return of the disgraced financier Jabez Balfour from Argentina in 1895, in what was essentially a kidnapping. The Times obituary described him as having 'all the appearance of a prosperous and ingenuous country gentleman, but he was a man of shrewdness and resource ... highly esteemed for his professional ability'.
On 18 February 1896 Detective Inspector Froest boarded the S.S. Harlech Castle at Madeira, and arrested 26 officers and 399 other ranks who were prisoners after having taken part in the Jameson Raid. It was the largest mass arrest in the history of British law enforcement.
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