The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-17
A Question for Scientists.

Chief of Detectives Desmond yesterday
ing new cause for crime. The experience
resulted from the visit of motherly and
much distressed old woman to the Four
Courts. On the previous day youth by
the name OF Patrick McAndrews had been
arrested in North st. Louis. charged with
having burglarized house. The police
know the lad, and claim that he is hard
case. 1t so chances also that Desmond
knows the boys parents as honest. hard.
working people. Yesterday Mrs. Mean
drews called at the Four Courts and re.
Quested permission of Chief Desmond to
talk with her son in the holdover. The re-
quest was granted. and the mother. who
appeared almost heart broken. went down
stairs and for half an hour was engaged in
a fearful conversation with the boy. When
at last she withdrew the old woman went
to Chief Desmond's Office in great distress.
There she fell to discussing her sons way
ward course.
1T breaks my heart" she said. feelingly,
to Desmond, ito see the boy grow up to be
a thief and criminal. l can't see how he
turns out So His father is an honest and
self respecting man. and have never heard
of any bad character either among my hus
bands people or my own. We have been
very careful in raising Patrick to be an hon.
est boy. and now that he should be locked
up for burglary is great blow to both of
u.s."
Chief Desmond knew the old woman was
telling the truth, ard was himself interested
in the problem of why the son of honest
parents should develop into criminal.
''lt's bad company, guess. Mrs. Mean.
drews," he said. II suppose your son got
to running with tough crowd and they led
him into evil ways that brought him in con-
flict with the law"
The old mother looked earnestly at Des-
mOnd for moment. Then, suddenly, she
said:
mo. Mr.. Desmond, it isn't that. have
known ever since Pat was little boy that
he had an instinct to steal. 1t has given
me great uneasiness before now, and it was
one of the reasons why watched over the
boy more carefully than l did with any
other of my children. And to save my life
l can give but one reason for it. 1t is this:
Just before Pat was born his father was
drinking more than was good for him, and
would spend all his wages in drink if he had
sufficient opportunity. / found it very hard
| to get any money from him to pay for our
bread and meat. At last it got so that the
only way l could get his money was by
waiting until he was asleep at night and
then picking his pockets. Many and many
a night have got up when my husband
was asleep in the bed by my side, tiptoed
over to where his clothes lay, gone through
his pockets and took what money l found
there. He was at that time drinking so
hard that every night almost he would 90
to bed drunk. and the next morning he
could not remember whether or not he had
had any money when he came home. But
he had hot temper and [ was always
afraid when would be picking his pockets
that he might wake and find me doing it.
Pat was born shortly after that, and be-
lieve he was born thief, just owing to that
practice of NINE"
Chief Desmond made no reply to the old
woman's story. 1t was new lesson to him
in the cause of crime. He could neither
confirm nor contradict such theory.-St.
Louis Post Dispatch.