The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-10


.revent such unions? ?"
at the first glance, ii does look as il such
q course would be prudent, yet, il such law
were passed tomorrow, am satisfied that it
would not only be imperative, but that it
would defeat its own purpose by making
things worse. SO long as the law sanctions
such unions, there is a certain sort Of loyalty
between the men and women, and the Law
may be ablo to compel them to caro- for thor
offspring. But to bar the marriage of the
criminal classes would not prevent their as
suming the relations OF husband and wife,
nor stop the birth oi children. So that had rs
things are now, and shocking as il is to think
of race of criminals propagatinS their own
kind this would continue under circumstances
far moro rovolting and criminal, II We took
legal measures to suppress it," Tho Super
inteudept spoke with an earnestness OF man
ner that showed this was not the first time
he had had this important subject under con
sideration.
CAS- compared with the foreign born, how
! do the Americans rank ~ criminas2"
"Do you mean in proportion to their num-
bers, or In shrewdnoss2"
Both" replied
In proportion TO numbers there 10 no
comparison. find not little comfort aud
pride in the knowledge that our American
born citizens arr not nearly So vicious nor so
criminal rs those of foreign birth. In the
! face of this thoughtless rant about dishonesty
in business and immortality in private life, l
know Of no people, ii statistics arc TO bo
| trusted, who at all compare with the Amer-
leans. But whn an American gets crooked,
to use the slang OF the OUTLAW, he is 80 much
shrewdar and ctookeder than the ordinary
criminal, that there is no comparison, With
all their tricks and cunning, the criminal
classes are at all times puerilo in their meth
oGs and frequently idiotic. 1t is well for Us
that this is 50, for the danger OF tho criminal
is proportional to his sSrewGness and intel
liSepce. Now, these are the qualities that
pre-eminenty distinguish the American,
whether he starts in to build flying machine
or to rob bank He does the head WORK,
the seneralship, and so becomes leader,
using other men as his tools.
1t is curious fact that certain nationali-
ties show " peculiar leaning towards aud
aptitude for cerIain kinds of crime. The Ger
mans are excellent mechanics and draushts-
men, with great patience in working out de-
tails. And, as might be expected We find
men OF their race the most skiltul forgers and
couuterIeiters. The mechanical skill OF the
German makes him an expert in opening q
safe, but he seems to lack the shrewduess Oi
audacity to plan the plunda- Of bank, or the
adroitness to make his p,uudey profitable
whom he has secured it. Wherever thes,
men are concerned in safe opening, you may
be very sure there is an Irishman or,an Amer
lean behind the job, usually the former
From his own country the Irish lGw-5reake,
has also brought with him natural fonipos.
for illicit whiskey, aud an answering belle
that it is sweeteC to taste and more pyoftabt,
to sell, If disposed Of in defiance oi The Law
governing licenses.
Some Of our most expert pickpockets ant
sneak thieves are Enghshmen, and since Ion;
before the days Of FagiE, they had reduced t,
fine Grt, the skill to relieve man of hi
purse or watch without arousinS his suspic
ions. The English gambler is also an exper
with cards, but when it comes to this kind O
cheating the American takes the cake, o
would if one were offered for such question
able dexterity. It is, however, in the line q
swindles that the American criminal excels
His green-goods dodge varies little in II
methods, but it is still worked-principaliy Il
. New Jersey now-and viii continue to
, worked so long as the guileless farmer yearn
to swap off the good greenbacks he has stowe
away in the old woman's stocking for the sup
posed countcrieits with which he hopes t
take in his neighbors. Bogus banks, swind
z ling insurance and stock companies, gran
enterprises that promise fortunes for litti
, money and no effort, all are methods Of plum
. der that appeal powerfully to the ingenuity c
t THE high class American criminal.
, Burglars Well, you find them of a
: nationalities and degrees Of intelligence
{ curiously enough, some Of the most DARN
have been negroes. It is very hard 10 te
where vice ends and crime begins, for tn
. borderland between them is far from bein
, sharply defined. They seem to be related
Z like the sexes. OF course, all criminals al
I more or less vicious, though have known
, few whose habits as to temperance were O.
callent. Women incline to vice rather than
Z crime This may be duo to their love Of plea,
3 ure, or the natural timidity that would max
D them hesitate before running into DANCE
1 Some Of them develop into skllfu pick
? pockets, and their dress enables them TO
successful rs shoplifters. I need not r,
D mind you that as blackmallers women ~
q more audacious and successful than men.
I Murder is tho highest crime known
. the law and there is a belief, among tho'
o who have not studied tho question pract
{, cally, that it is the elimination Of q crimin
a life that It is the last step taken by Il
desperate wretch who began his career /
r some act Of petty larceny. As a matter
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