The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

rs the old proverb true? Will murder
out? Major Arthur Griffiths, one of
her Maiesty's inspectors Of prisons
and q careful student of criminology,
- thinks that as a rule It will But he
acknowledges that there are and have
been fragrant exceptions TO the rule. In
his Mysteries of the Police and Crime"
which Messrs. G. p. Putnam's Sons will
publish next week. he dilates upon the
general rule in this and other departments
of law-breaking, and instances the eXcep-
tions
The police and detective forces, he ac-
knowledges, are not perfect, but they are
earnest, devoted and unhesitating.
THE achievements OF eminent police
officers are as striking as the exploits of
THE enemies they pursue. In the endless
warfare success inclines now to this side,
now to that: but the forces of law and or
der generally come out victorious in the
end. Infinite pains, unwear!ed patience,
abounding Wit, sharp-edged intuition,
promptitude in seizing the vaguest shadow
OF a clew and unerring sagacity in fol-
lowing 1t up to substantial capture-these
qualities make constantly in favor of the
police The fugitive is often equally alert,
equally astute He has planned his crime
SO carefully as to leave few II any traces
easily or Immediately apparent But he Is
constantly oYermatched. Now and again.
through some ineXplicable bit of stupidity
or oversight he may even run his head
straight into the moose. But then the
pursuers themselves are not infalhble.
They may show blindness or overrun their
quarry, or even open door for escape.
3. Advantages on Side of Police.
In measuring the means and the COM
paratiVe advantages of the hunted ana
hunters it is evident that the police have
the best OF it. The machinery and or
ganization of modern life favor pursuit
The worlds shrinkage, the 1aciltleS OF
travel the narrowing of the territory
available for sanctuary, the publicity that
waits on startling crime-au these are
most potent foe. Next rank the post and
the press. Flight is checked by the wire;
the first mail carries the details every
where; a national or even international
police full of esprit de corps, is 1mme-
diaJely set upon the trail. 1t is not easy
10 disappear nowadays. Nay DO not
quote in rebuttal the many well estaD-
lished cases of men and women leading
double lives. Such people are not neces-
sarily in request. There may be secret
reasons for concealment, for avoiding dls-
. covery. but these are generally of do
mestic or social, not necessarily or GRIM
inal, character.
take into sufficient account the inquisi-
tfVeneSs of mankind.
Just after the perpetration of some
great crime, when the culprit Is unknown
or missing, every gossip, landlady, trades
man. waiter, car conductor, railway hand
or newsboy becomes an active amateur
wondering, looking aSkance at every
stranger and new conner, ready to call in
a cop" on the slightest suspicion, or i'm
mediately report any unusual clrcum-
stance. The rapid dissemination of news
through the press has undoubtedly Sc.
cured many arrests. The publication OF
portraits, of personal descriptions, Of
names and aliases, and of the movements
of suspected persons, has constantly
III In Paris, indeed. the police undervalue
the services Of the press. and only care
10 use it as means Of deceiVlng their
quarry Thus they will give out care
fully prepared items to newspapers,
whose express intention is to lull the real
suspect into fancied security by, the inti-
nation that the police are on the wrong
scent. But even in France newspapers
have evidenced their value as detectives
of crime.
Assistance of the Press.
AS far back as the murder of Lord Will
liam Russell by Courvoisier the publica-
ton of the story in the press led to the
first clew 10 the murderer. Nine. Paoline,
q hotel-keeper. read the story of his ar
rest, and recognized him as the man who
had been in her service as a waiter. Only
a day or two after the murder, he had
sought her for the purpose or placing
in her charge paper parcel which he
said he would call for later. He had never
returned. Nine. Paoline felt herself justi-
contained quantity of silver plate, with
other articles of value. The police iden-
titled the whole as part of the property
distracted from Lord William Russell's
Hitherto the evidence had been mainly
circumstantial but here was a link that
directly connected Courvoisier with the
murder and eventually led to his capture
and execution.
The famous murder of Mr.. Briggs in
the compartment of a London bound
train, which cOnvulsed all England in the
year 1857, furnishes another instance OF
the value of newspaper publication. The
chief clew was a hat found in the COM
partment, which bore the makers name
Inside the cover. A cabman who read
Gthis fact in a newspaper at once came
forward with the information that he
had bought that hat at that makers for
a German named Franz Muller, former
lodger of his. Muller had given his little
daughter a jewelers. cardboard box bear
ing the curiousy ominouS name Of
"Death, Cheapside." Now, Mr.. Death had
already produced the murdered mans
gold chain, which he said had been dis
posed of to him by a man whom he be-
lieved to be i German. There could now
be little doubt that Muller was the MUIR
derer. His movements were readily
traced. He had started for America in a
sailing vessel and was easily forestalled
by fast Atlantic liner, which carried the