Detectives swaggered everywhere, their black stiff hats shining like warrior helmets of old.
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"Detectives swaggered everywhere"
The movement of one who believes themselves to be an authority figure demanding respect. While usually, almost certainly, thought of as only a drunk nuisance and gossip around town who might peep at your window or go through your garbage, Cleveland detectives have found themselves in a moment where, via pity and daily headlines, the public currently view them with sympathy. One of their own was killed while capturing a dangerous fugitive. Probably usually seen as corrupt and abrasive by most citizens, they are, for as long as the trial remains in the papers, and thanks to Blinky Morgan, they're celebrities!
"black stiff hats shining"
I'm no fashion historian but I'd suspect these hats were either bowlers or top hats. The fact that they're "shining" and "stiff," and because the detectives are "swaggering," incline me to believe they were wearing top hats for the time being. Perhaps they felt more formal now the death of a brother-in-arms had launched them into a kind of celebrity status during Blinky's trial.
"warrior helmets of old"
The metaphor is blatantly about the hats but more loosely about the detectives themselves. They are currently warriors battling a deadly enemy named Blinky who had downed one of their own. They are full of bravado and machismo and deadly intent. Somebody must pay! And Blinky will eventually be hung after the trial! After which, everybody can go back to either actively hating or not really thinking about law enforcers.
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