The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-03


think your opinion upon crime would
be most interesting l wonder if l
would he going too far were l to ask
you to discuss the one in question"
You may do SO if you wish. 1t will
depend upon what crime it is and how
much | may really know about it
whether | would care to talk it over
with you. You must not forget that
am crook and that l am acquainted
with the greatest criminals in this
country. Any one of my friends might
be the guilty man in this instance. In
deed | might be the criminal myself"
Even in case of murder?' asked
Mr. Mitchell quickly, eying his COM
panion closely.
why not?" was the calm reply. st
is natural for you to suppose that the
degree of the crime matters, but with
the born criminal, such as am, there
are no degrees no limits, except those
created by the eXigencies of circum-
stances. For example, l might decide
to steal a pocket handkerchief, and
chain of events might ensue which
would lead to the necessity of killing
man. That would not-nay, could not
make me pause. 1t would be just as
natural and just as unavoidable. with
my heritage and character as that one
congenitally phthisical should take
slight cold which would lead to cough
and thence to consumption and posi-
bly, to death. You see, even the final
event, death. is the same in each"
Mr.. Mitchell had asked his question
hoping to see this man show Some sign
of emotion which would indicate
whether or not one of his secret and
unsupported crimes might be the kill
ing Of fellow being, for already. he
had grown SO interested in this GRIM
inal that the discovery of one of his
unlawful acts would seem of more con-
sequence than the unraveling of the
Mora murder. Now-he found that the
man was SO deeply in earnest in his
theories of crime that he could not be
surprised into showing any emotions
which would inculpate himself Never
theless he still thought that the CONVEX
sation could be continued to advantage
along the lines which he was following
and SO proceeded:
"Of course have no wish to induce
you to betray either your friends or
yourself, and it is scarcely possible
that you have any connection with the
1 Mora murder, which is the case in
which l am interested"
"Ah, yes! You mean the rich man.
who was killed with one of his own
weapons? have not the slightest OBJ
lection to giving YOU my views on that
subject. Ask me what you please"
81 hardly know where to begin. 1t
just occurred to me that it is crime
the details of which had been skill
fully managed and that as you are
not only a criminal, for which asser-
ton l have only your own authority
but also a student of criminology, your
opinion would be interesting to me-
Therefore ventured to ask for it, You
might tell me, to begin with, whether
you would look for the murderer
among the SO called criminal class or
elsewhere?'
''Ah. but you forget that, even
though the man who has done this has
never before been detected in crime,
this act places him at once among
what you term the criminal class. You
could not seek murderer elsewhere"
''You seem to be evading my ques-
tion,' said Mr.. Mitchell boldly. Il will
put it more plainly. Would you look
for man who has been guilty of 9th
er crimes, or would you say that this
is an initial crime, the act of man
no hOS Gin Hnf
Enthusiastically the guilty man was
far from innocent of other crimes. 1t
was deliberately planned and studious-
ly executed. Only murder commit
ted in the heat of passion could be a
first offense. A premeditated killing
proves the guilty party to be regular
criminal, though of course it does not
follow that he has been previously
recognized as such"
"Then you do not believe that the
son is guilty?" asked Mr.. Mitchell.
What l believe on that score must
v have little weight, because do not
know the accused. He is not known to
be criminal Therefore the presump-
ton is in his favor. II he has never
committed a crime before, would
stake my life on his innocence. But, if
he has then it is possible that he is the
man. only say it is possible"
"There seem to be many facts which
point to his guilt. For example, the
weapon used was part of collection
owned by the deceased. The son of
course knew where to obtain it."
That would be very poor evidence
upon which to hang man. What
need had the murderer to know where
the bludgeon was usually kept, since
the old man had taken it to bed with
him?'
Mr.. Mitchell started at hearing this.
The words gave him a new and impor-
tant idea. He remembered Mr.. Barnes
argument that the murdered man had
not taken the weapon from the cabinet
himself, as the door was found open.
Preacher Jim advanced just the con-
trary view, and Mr.. Mitchell determin-
ed to probe deeper in order to learn his