St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-08

ing the fingers to something like the trans
hitting pencil OF telautograph the prisoner
Will write out his or her own death-warrant or
acquittal, as the case may be. OF course
lawyers, judges and detectives would net
want to see this accomplished, but 1 consider
that an excellent way to dispose of persons
suspected of murder and condemned on cir
cumstantial evidence, would be to hand them
over to board of psychological experts for
purposes of experiment.
However, in the present case had none Of
these facilities by which to discover Lefebrys
secret and had simply to be satisfied with
ruse in order to extort from him, if possible,
confession of murder.
For my investigation had one tremendous
advantage. Lefebry did not know that his
identity was suspected by me. This gave
me a chance to make observations which
could not otherwise have made; since the mo-
ment person is under espionage certain
seeretiveness, which is the self-protecting in
stinct of all animals, enables him to cloak even
his feelings from observation.
In fact, unless there is absolute proof that
a person commits crime, no attempt should
be made TO accuse, as the only means by
which it would be possible to positively de-
termine his guilt or innocence is Immediately
closed up by this clam-like propensity. To
suspect is not only to put person on his
guard, but also to produce strong feel
ing against permitting the facts to bs
learned, that arises out of sheer contrarness
of spirit.
This is proved by the fact that not one in a
hundred persons executed for murder fail tt,
assert their innocence to the last moment.
To this end the defending of prisoners by
various stratagems on the part of lawyers
conduces very strongly. On the same prin-
ciple person who has told a lie, even when
needlessly and uselessly, will tell hundred
more in order to preserve the impression that
he did not lie in the first instance
The fact of the matter is that crime is Il
disease and some day instead of dragging
suspected persons off to prison, we shall
send for an ambulance and take them to the
nearest asylum, or else they will be Swallowed
by psychological experts something in the
manner that treated Lefebry.
From the moment that first came in con-
tact with the Frenchman I made it point te,
suspected nothing concerning him. This.
was indispensable. 1t was impossible fol
me to use the more subtle and imperceptible
processes by which psychological adept
might lay bare the secret workings of the
consciousness, and I accordingly had to ex-
pertinent with one which was confined strictly
to the domain of practical physics.
have always found that conscience can
be worked upon by fear more than by any
other means. A thief will Immediately COM
mence to feel uneasy If an officer of the police
is anywhere near him.
The consciousness of every criminal action
ever committed by person is omnipresent,
though not always realized
There are certain conditions which quicken
that consciousness into such activity that
the mind of the criminal becomes terrorized
by it. The probability OF discovery is the
strongest condition to stimulate such
feeling.
Now what proposed to do was to make a
series of mental tests, which while unac-
companied by any apparent purpose, should
affect Lefebry in the manner that desired,
so as to wiring from him an admission of his
guilt. In my collection were a number of
pictures which had been taken by an alleged
spirit photographer, and several other inter-
esting exhibits which I intended to utilize.
I attempted nothing until was settled in a
place which was especially adapted for my
purpose, having selected it to certain
extent, for my operations before moving in.
Lefebry understood English thoroughly as
he had lived in England for years, and hid
nothing from him that might attract his
mind to morbid and tantalizing thoughts. I
simply wanted to hasten him unconsciously
to the confession stage in the same manner as
gardner forces his plants
One night I had visitor, newspaper
man, well acquainted with criminal matters,
whom 1 induced to talk of murders and the
possibility of an actual murderer ever escap-
ing the clutches of the law. The matter used
in the discussion had all been arranged be-
forehand and 1 was soon conscious that
Lefebry was listening to the conversation
When he brought the tray in with some
glasses and the appolinaris, his hand was
trembling violently. I spoke to him kindly
and said that there was no special need for
him to stay up unless he chose to do SO, as
we could wait on ourselves. He said that he
wanted to read the paper, and retired to the
other room without closing the door.
few days after there was murder story
in the daily papers, describing a crime SINH
lar to the one which Lefebry had committed.
was not surprised to find him deeply inter-
ested in reading it the first chance he had to
do so, when he did not think was observing
him. He read all the papers carefully every
day, another fact which I had carefully
marked. One day held the photograph of
the palm of mans hand up, when he was
serving my dinner, remarking casually that
it was the composite photograph taken from
the palms OF a hundred murderers which the
newspaper man had left behind him. asked
him to pack it up and mail it to the gentle
man, as did not care to have it around the
house The photograph had been made from
roll of wax upon which Lefebry had pressed
his own hand unconsciously in handing it to
me at my request. had fattened it out and