Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-08-09

Laid in West Virginia, and One OF
Them in This City-A Critical Re
view.
NJ. D. Post, Esq, Of the Ohio county
bar. has just issued from the press OF
G. p. Putnams Sons, New York and
London. a small volume OF two hundred
and eighty pages, which contains that
rare bird in modern fiction-a new idea.
This idea is new rather by suggestion
than by right of discovery. The fact
that readers of Conan Doyle will at once
suggest that Mr.. Post has simply re-
versed Sher.ockHolmes is not 10 count
in the balance against the Wheeling au-
thor. Granting, for the sake OF argu-
meut, that is the fact, Mr.. Post IS EMU
tied TO recognition as the first man TO
co this; and That :, has been well done,
every reader of his book will attest.
But he has done much more. HIS
characters are clear cut, his scenes well
lad, his ideas eucidate some OF the
things about which there has been a
vast amount OF professional ignorance,
to say nothing of the layman, and t
follows that his publication Will serve
TWO purpOseS-aid in willing away
an IDLE hour, and what is more import
ant, afford an ins.g ht into some OF
the inucacies Of the law and its pecu-
liar and lamenJabie shortcomings. The
critical reader Will notice an imperiec-
ton or tWO-nOtab.y n The Two
Plungers Of Manhattan where there IS
pressing need Of $4,000 to break a 81
gantic Chicago corner. The trouble IS
that the amount is too small to impress
the reader as maintaining the plausible
ity of the story. One or two others
might be cited; but these are things
which can be recutied in second edl-
ton, and, after all, they do not serl-
Ously mar the narrative. Taken as a
whole the work is a most mer!torious
one it opens up hitherto untrodden
field; It deals with the shortcomings OF
the law as they only can be dealt with
by one who is thoroughly familiar with
the whole field OF legal technicalities,
and L may have results both far-reach-
that Mir. Post has opened an inviting
field fer the criminal element; but it
must also be confessed that he has
warned all men OF the lOOp-ho,es of the
law. and put every reader upon his
guard against the schemes of those who
may be skilled in fraud, deception and
crime. And this last proposition far
outWeighS The first He has done gOod'
thing. and has done it more than well.
That he VIII ind thousands Of appreci-
ative readers goes without saying.
The Strange Schemes Of Randolph
Mason" is dedicated to: John 4. How
ard, Skillful Lawyer and Courteous
Gentleman. whichis not the least OF The
truths set forth between its covers. In
his introduction. Mr.. Post. after refer
ring to the Sherlock Holmes sort Of
story, says:
1T 5 signifcen, that the general
plan of this kind of tale has never once
been changed TO any degree. The writ
ers. one and all. have labored, often with
great genius, 10 construct problems N
crime, where by acute deduction the
criminal and his methods were deter
mined; or, reversing it, they have
sought to plan the crime so cUuningly
Is to efecuaLy conceal the criminal
and his methods. The intent has al
ways been to battle the trailer, and when
The identity of the criminal was finally
revealed. the story ended. The nigh
ground of the field of crime has not been
explored, it has not even been entered.
The book stalls have been filed to
WEAKNESS with ta,tS based upon plans
whereby the detective or ferreJiug pow
er of the State might be batiad. The
distinction. if enc l3uses for moment
TO consider il, is striking. l. is posi-
bic. even easy. deliberately TO plan
crimes so that the criminal agent and
the criminal agency cannot be detect
ed l. IS possible 10 plan and execute
wrongs in such a manner that they VIII
have all the effect and all the resulting
pr0fit of desperate crimes, and yet not
be crimes before the law.
All wrongs are not crimes. Indeed,
only those wrongs are crimes IN which
certain technical elements are present.
The law provides a PrCcrusJean stand
ard for all crimes. Thus a wrong, to
Lecome criminal, must fl, exactly INTO
The measure laid down by the law, else
j, is no crime: f it varies ever so little
from the legal measure, the law must,
and WI. refuse to regard it as criminal
no matter how serious a wrong 1t may
he. There is no measure OF morality
or equity. or common right that can be
sDDlied TO the individual case. The
guage of the law is iron-bound. Inc
" rong measured by this guage is either
q crime or it is not There is no mid
de ground. Hence il is that il one
knows the techncalit!es OF the law
one may commit horrible wrongs that
may Weld all the gain, and all the re-
su,fing effect Of the crimes described by
the law. Thus, the highest crimes, even
murder may be committed IN such a
manner that although the criminal Is
known and the law holds INN n Gus
toGy. vet it cannot punish him.
Here we have the motif for the story
the neg upon which the strange schemes
Of Randolph Mason hang; the thread
ou- of which the author has spun welt
and woof Of deciQed'interest and power,
not to say of value. The volume is de-
serving of a VIDE circulation, a CAREFUL
uerusaI. and even of attentive study.
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