Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-27
TRACKS OF CRIME.
ALL CRIMINALS VIOLATE LAW &C.
cORDING TO CERTAIN RULES
No Original Ideas Among the Law
Breaking Cause.-The Certainty with
Which Crime Averages Up-Short-
Sightedness Of ROgues
Detroit Free PreSsl

Detroit Free Press.
THE study of crime brings forth some
curious facts observed an old detective
the other day. while you may know just
how a certain shot in billiards ought TO be
made, it may not be possible to make it sue.
cessfully. So with our business We may
be able TO pick up all the clews in a murder
case, but the next thing is to catch the muir
derer"
What are your curious factsl7
One of them is that all criminals commit
crime after certain rules. 1t is rarely, in.
deed, thar you find crook working on ar
style OF 100 years ago. Ths thief
has no new ideas. All our muir
ders are committed after what yht
be called the old-:ashioned way / some
times wish some offender would develop
something new in law breaking. For in.
stance, l can point you to a case where a
many as thirteen attempts have been made
to enter certain residence within the last
two years, and each attempt at the same
window with the same tools. Isn't thai
monotonous.
Another of the curious facts is that crime
averages up with as much certainty as the
weather or the crops. II it gains one month
it will lose the next If it falls off in ont
season it will pick up at another, so thai
your figures for one year Will not vary
greatly from another, except there are
special reasons for it We send about a.
many criminals to prison each year; about SC
many give US the slip; about Sd many com
init their first offense, have a close shave
from state prison and are frightened int
leading honest lives.
a third curious fact is the shortsighted.
ness of criminals, even when crime is DELHI
erately planned. In a murder case in tn.
interior Of the state last year you remember
the murderer claimed that some one reached
into the bedroom window and hit his wife
with club, the blow causing her death
In his confession, made in four or five days.
be acknowledged that he had been planning
ths crime for weeks Now see how blind
he was. The window-sash was nailed down
at each corner. He broke ons nail and lef,
the other! He was made to see that no
man, no matter what his height, could have
Reached into ths window far enough to strike
any one ON the he'd, even with 4 hce-handle.
In planning his perfect safety, no com
mitted half doz,n Of tn, stueidest blum.
ders ever read o.
Take the case of the average burglar. 1t
comes ~ be known around his usual haunt,
that he is broke for cash. Indeed. he volun-
teers the information himself makes haul
and returns TO give himself dead away by
his reckless extravaganza.
1t Is the same with the common thief II
he would steal and hide his plumber for
awhile he would give US more hard work,
but the idea with him ms to be that il he
Is no. nabbei in the very act he has nothing
to fear. He can't wait to disposs o, his
plumber, and his manner Of Offering it for
sale Is give-away in itself. The old thief
learns caution, of course, but tho Oldest Of
them drop footprints hers and there.
"See how easy it is to draw war map Of
crime! Tie bon1 robber will sooner or later
seek to negotiate with bankers or brokers.
The store robber Will work his silks AMI vol.
vet, OF at auction He may not personally,
but hi, fence viii. The clerk or cashier,
who is embezzlsny from 81 900 to IS, 900 per
year. will spend il in wine cards, horses,
and with evil company. When he makes O
grab Of $1,000 you can depend upon his
going g. Canada or Mexico. The thief who
steals a harness, silver pitcher, garden hose
or other article, wants the cash for it right
away. AMI yru may figure OH tur hing him |
up at some secondhand store or the pawn
brokers'
"The rnts OF crime ara As plain rs tho iron
IL Z
moral certainty what criminal shoull do |
AMI will do. but that isn't catching him. |
There hasn't been 4 murder committed in |
Michigan for twenty years without my feel |
Ing morally certain as TO tho rnurierer but |
what feel and proofs 20 convict are two |
different matters. |
"Ani enc Of the curious facts j, that So |
many criminals give themselves away. Not |
one man in thirty can commit murder without |
eventually sharing his secret with some ono |
The burden of guilt seems too great for one |
pair OF shoulders. Some criminals viii |
Overdo tie thing. and by the vehemence of |
their protestations excite suspicion. Others |
show guilt by timidity, and yet others by /
their show of Indifference or cheek. / have
picked up an offender on the street with nc /
other clew than his manner OF glancing at
his fellow pedestrians. / have arrested |
Others who looked everybody in the facs as
frankly As If they felt it a crims to steal
strawberry. They were overriding the thing
by too much franlness
Tell me to-day the name of a man in any
certain busine whom you have reason t.
believe Is hard up and cannot pull through |
his financial straits, ani | can tell pretty
closely rs 70 what will result. IL he belongs
t. n certain class there will be an honest
II 10 another certain ciass
there will be bogus chattel mortgage. OF
some Of the stock will be struggled away.
If to third tGere will be an incendiary
fire To secure the insurance. You can count
on these rats In crime a. certainly a upon
the seasons, but the criminal who follow,
them very often gets to the end of the fur
row and takes a new departure before he
can lie overtaken.