The Tigers eventually hired a detective to follow him. Owner Walter Briggs, Sr. tried to get Boots to change his ways by reciting everywhere Boots had gone and everything that Boots had done in the late hours. Boots asked Briggs how he knew about all of his activities, and Briggs explained he had hired a private detective. Boots said, "That's a waste of your money, Mr. Briggs. You ought to assign him to some other player. You know darn well what I'm going to do." Boots told Briggs he should give Boots the money he was giving to the detective and Boots would tell them where to go. "All they’d have to do was go to the beer joint closest to the ballpark."