Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-18


sojOurning in the neighborhood, was
accused of the terrible deed because 1t
was believed that q bamboo cane which
he carr ed before the murder was miss
ing afterward, but when the cane was
found, the fabric of this theory which
had risen :" like an exhalation," as
suddenly was destroyed. Now they have
lighted upon the woman's lover as the
victim of the detectives skill, and they
are said to be weaving around him a
fatal chain of evidence, the connecting
link consisting of his i'll humor on the
morning after the crime was discovered
and the allegation that he was engaged
to marry some other woman.
All this is very illustrative OF the pre-
vailing detective methods in this Coun
try. They start with the assumption Of
the guilt of some particular person aud
make everything bend to that theory.
too often fabriCating the missing links
The French detective system, which has
attained the very highest degree of eX.
cellence, proceeds upon the entirely diff
ferent plan of carefully investigating all
the circumstances, following where they
lead and not interpreting or bending
them 20 III a predetermined conclusion.
Expert evidence, too, in this country, has
been discredited in the same way. The
experts are hired like lawyers to support
port certain theory, and they are
expected to find or make evidence 10
support it, In this view they can .,r.
erIlly, even honestly, furnish SOmt.n 90
for their side, The expert in .aIL.
writing. for instance. can nearly always
find resemblance between any two chiIo
graphieS, since there must be q certain
identity between the handwriting Of any
two persons who Use the same language {;
the points Of difference in nearly every
case would be prominent enough if
brought to the fore. But, as it is,
detectives and experts hired to es.
tabish a theory or determined for "A
| reward to lind criminal, can nearly
| always incriminate somebody and often
weave their chain around the most
innocent until some lucky circumstance
Skaters it, when with the same eifrontery
they select another victim and apply the
same processes. The whole business is
getting more and more discreditable, and
between the lack of confidence in the
integrity and the intelligence of the
American detective system the people
are well nigh disgusted with it. Occa.
sionally there is good piece Of work
shown, but, for that matter, blind hog
will sometimes find an acorn.
ARCTIC explorations aud gambling are
not unlike in their effects. Failure to win
incites new attempts in each to rescue that
which is lost
BULwER is not the au hor oi the phrase
" The pen is mightier than the sword
You think he was aud can easily tiud 1t
in Wchc'reu" but, nevertheless, it is
Older than Bul4er.
THIS is emtueutly fast age. People
live faster and horses trot swifter than
they did generation ago. When Lady
Suffolk tTOtted the mile in 2:9S, in 1919 il
was considered a phenomenal speed, while
the same gait at the present time would
mark merely good roadster. 1t is more
than probable that the mile will be trOtted
in two minutes ere another century is
reached
OVER 80, 900 persons were present at
the mass meeting of the Irish National
League a. Carrick. on shannon, on sun
day. The vastuess OF the gathering proves
the deep interest that the common people
are taking in the cause OF Irish iudepeud
ence, and their peaceful agitation of the
subject AZ monster mass meetings is much
to be commended. The mistakes of the
past have warned those of the present that
only in this manner can Irish autonomy
be secured.
The sad announcement comes from
Virginia that the peanut crop will be a
failure. This calamity will not merely
affect the rural swain at the circus with
his best GIRL but will have a serious effect
on the manufacture of the best imported
oll'o VIZ, SuOCOldJc, OlcOlldfgdIlue ana
other domestic supplies into the compo.
sition of which the seductive peanut largely
cutters. IL also presages a financially SO
we're season on clrcuses, which without
the festive grounduut are mocking delu.
| siOus, all shell and no kernel.
lr was thought that the acme of mean.
ness had been reached when portion of
the roof OF the Philadelphia almshouse was
stolen from over the heads of tho paupers,
But the coroners officials in the City of
Brotherly Love could have given the alln,-
house robbers several points in the game
and beaten them. 1t is now charged that
some of those engaged in "crowner's =
quests" have been guilty of the base offence
of robbiug the unclaimed dead. For the
sake of our common humanity, it is to be
hoped that the allegation has no fouuda-
tiun.
From August 8, 1882, to June 80, 1888
the number of immigrants landed each
month at Castle Garden was 1882,
August, 1926; September, 33. .53l; DC.
tooer 3O,3S2 November, 2S, FOL Decem.
Der, 1888. 1888, January, S,34S Febru.
| nry IA Ola MaYoh Qut ~ OOn