The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-07-20
HE IS A. CRIMINAL
AND IS GLAD OF 1T
Use Of Morohiae Prevented Him From Becoming Greatest Ctimi-
raj IT the Aee--A Strange Story.

49,
The world honors these men and gives
them credit for the work they do he
cause il adds 10 The worlds store of
knowledge, but the men who do grea.
things do not do them because they
wish 10 add 10 the comfort and enjoy
ment of their fellow-man. but because
they can do nothing else. They have
20 10 these things because they are
made TO do them. They do not deserve
credit for what they accomplish and
a theft does not deserve censure for
the harm he does TO society. He can
do nothing else. II is Il part Of him,
of his very nature, 10 steal.
1T is as impossible for me 10 LEAD
an honest life as IL is for some other
me nto become criminals. The crimina
instinct, however, is more common than
the instinct or desire 30 accomplish
great things for the worlds good. /;
is also necessary for society 70 protect
itself against men Of my class.
DEGREES OF CRIMINAL TENDEN-
CY.
"All criminals are not alike and all
are not affected by the same impellin-
force. Some are murdererS and cut
| throatS. others are sneak thieves and
pOrch-climberS, and then there are
men and women, 70. who take th"
greatest satisfaction in rObbinS the
less wary by their greater wit and
cleverness. No class of mechanics
take greater pride in their work than
firSt-claSs craftsmen, who overcome
the thousands of obstacles put in theiv
way when they wish to open ii vault.
So m~arvelously skillful are many of
these men that if they used the same
energy and talent at honest employ
ment they would be great inventors
and would receive money and fame fer
what they accomplished. instead of be
ing social OutcaStS and always in dang
er of a pOliceman's bullet or of a Jail
sentence. The risks they take in COM
| parisOn TO the rewards of their work
| are % great that considered from n
PRACTICAL standpoint, the business d0es
not pay.
Doubtless there are many robbers
and thieves made so by necessity, but
such men never become experts, and
when the opportunity offers ther 20
back into legitimate lines of work il
not captured by the police. Some
among them have the criminal instinct
in a degree, and when necessity COM
pels them for the first time to commit
a crime, it awakens the heretofore
dormant instinct in them, and from
that time on they are confirmed enc
mics of society.
STUDIED HIS DEVELOPMENT.
Il have watched the development; CT
the thieving instinct in myself from
the time that | was old enough to IN
dprStaO6 tho moapinu Of tho faa1;po
which took possession of me. ! never
had the desire to kill, but l possessed
a talent fol scheming and Outwitting
others. When l tried to pass a forged
check | felt a pride within myself be-
cause l could so easily feign innocence
and had 81 little trouble in making my
victim take the worthless paper with
out question. If | had stuck to The
branch of crime for which | was best
fitted | would have become an expert
in handwriting, and so skillful that
| would have been phenomenally sue
c~essful, but as a student of c~riminology
and wishing to understand the criminal
instinct in others as we'll as myself.
| have associated with all classes OF
criminals. | have travelled all over
the United States, have beer in the
haunts of thieves, robbers, and men |
who would willingly descend TO murder
TO accomplish their purpose in all Of
the large cities of the United States. |
For nine years | studied the science. |
for such | consider it. and have gone |
deeper into it than most men have. ! |
have learned that nearly all men on |
victed Of crimes are criminals BY |
nature. They really are not 10 bl1lne |
for what they do. My own case shows |
that1 had no need of excuse for Grim |
lnal action, but | had the craving with |
In me and ii had to be gratified. Envl- |
had nothing TO do with it,. ! |
am a living example of a man with |
crlmlnal instincts highly developed ard |
could not be honest IL / wanted 10. |
But | also have a reasoning power ii
d great degree. Reason told NE in nv
Younger years that crime did not yay: |
that TO become a criminal | would have
TO become an outcast; would have 10 |
bring shame on those that | loved and |
VINO loved me. Reason for a time held |
the cracing back. but ii could not last.
and | had to give in finally.
HOLDS NO ONE RESPONSIBLE. |
we human beings are not response /.
Die for anything which We do, although |
We are held % by society. If a man
Is ambitious. n to accomplish q OBJ
Jetc in life denies himself and sticks
10 his purpose, il is because that is
a part OF him. A Predetermined pei son
is not ED responsible for his actions, |
yet those who are mentally stronger are
only so in degree. as they have been
endowed by nature. Few human being
are absolutely honest, and are honest
only in the degree which is a par. 81
their nature.
My early youth was spent in SaI.ra,
kans., and my parents being wealthy,
l was given every educational adyan-
tage- AS soon as | became old enough
TO read and understand what | read.
gloried in the achievements of noted
criminals. even TO murderers and that
was the kind Of literature thai ! read
wnenl could steal time from nv stu