Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-17

the gist of the whole matter. 1t is all
unequal game this between the criminal
and the detective +"
II don't catch what you are driving
at.
"I'll give you dissertation on crime.
Attend In ordinary business it is brains
versus brains. The professional man con-
tends with his fellows, and if he would
win the race toward fortune he must
show more brains. The commercial man
completes with other tradesmen all as
clever as himself. So it goes from the
lawyer to the locksmith, from the
preacher to the sign painter. 1t is brains
rubbing against brains. and we get the
most polished thought as the result.
Thus the science Of honest living pro-
crosses. "
"What has this to do with the crimi,
nal clasp
Zone moment. Let the philosopher
teach you in his own way. With the
criminal it is different He is matched
against his superior. Those in his own
class do not contend with him. They
are rather his partners, his pals, as
they term it. His only contention, there
fore, is with the detectives who repre-
sent society and the law. No man, /
suppose, is criminal from choice, and
it is the criminals necessity which
leads to his detection. "
"Then all criminals should be
caught?'
"All criminals should be caught.
That they are not is strong argument
against your detective, for every Grim
inal, we may say, is actuated by neces-
sity, and therein lies the possibility of
his defeat. For example, you may claim
that the expert burglar lays his plans in
advance, and that, the crime being pre-
meditated, he should be able to make
such careful prearrangements that he
could avoid leaving telltale marks be-
hind him. This, however, is rarely the
case, for this reason-the unexpected
often if not always happens, and for
that he has not prepared. In a moment
he sees prison ahead Of him, and his
fear steals away his caution, so that, as
we have seen, he does leave a clew be-
hind him."
"But when you say the unexpected
happens you admit the possibility for
that to occur which could not have been
promised, and therefore could not have
been guarded against. -
"That is true as the case stands. But
remove the necessity which actuates our
criminal and make Of him simply
scientific man pursuing crime as an art !
In the first place, we get an individual
who will prepare for more accidents,
and, secondly, would know how best to
meet emergencies which occur during
the commission Of lis crime. For exam
pie, if you will pardon the conceit,
were to attempt q crime I should be
able to avoid detection.
~ should think that from your mex
perience as criminal you would be run
to earth-well, about as quickly as this
man Pettingill This was his first
crime, you know"
Would you be willing to make a
wager to that effect:" This last remark
fairly startled Mr. Barnes, who instant
ly understood the meaning, which, how
ever, at first escaped the other listener
He waited eagerly for the reply.
81 don't grasp the idea. Make a
wager about what?"
"You said that were to commit
crime l should be captured about as
quickly as PettingilI. If you wish, l
will wager that 1 can commit crime
which Will be as much talked of as his,
and that will not be captured, or rather
I should say convicted. l would not bet
against arrest, for, as we have seen in
this very case, the innocent are some
times incarcerated. Therefore stipulate
for conviction.
"Do understand you to seriously Of
fer to commit crime merely to decide
wager? You astound me-"
"No more perhaps than Pettingill has
surprised his friends. But don't be
alarmed. I shall assume all responsible
ity. Besides, remember it is not crime
that is scowled upon in this century,
but detection. Iwager with you against
that. Come, what do you say? Shall it
be 81 900? Iwant little excitement"
"Well, you shall have it. At least you
shall have the excitement of paying the