Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-02
WORKS ON THE MIND


est man to become a criminal by sugges-
a well-known New York detective who was
In Washington recently on BUSINESS. Il am
referring now to men who permit them
selves to develop an abnormal interest In
the ways of professional criminals.
II wouldn't call it safe thing for any
man attempt to figure out in his mind
what he would have done to escape arrest
had he been in the boots Of some captured
criminal whom he had read about. But
that's thing that thousands of men who
think they're honest are doing all the
time. When there's a big man hunt on
they follow it with acute interest, put
themselves in the place of the hunted man,
and dope out schemes of escape for him.
certain percentage of such calcuiators
are bound to experience the hankering,
sooner or later. to put their schemes Tor
evading the officers Of the law into prac-
teal operation, II only for the foolish pur-
pose Of finding out how their plans Will
work.
Working In New York now on a
salary of few dollars a week is a broken,
mfddle-aged man who used to be the treas
urer of a bonding and indemnity company,
at q salary of $4,000 year. This man de-
veloped queer bug for mentally tracing
the movements Of fugitives from justice,
especially embezzlerS.
"I was acquainted with this man, and he
endeavored to pump me for all l knew
about such cases. He liked to talk about
the fleeing ones He laid out routes s..i for
laws by heart and had at his fingers ends
every country in the world to which pur-
sued man could run without fear of extra
dition. Once I gave this man talking to
about this hobby of his.
You'd better can that stuff, told him,
or it'n begin to tester in the back of your
head and get you going. I've known such
one-eighth as strong as he thinks he Is. IT
I didn't know you pretty well I'd have my
suspicions of you as it is:
well, he only laughed and told me that
he was interested In the subject just as
other fellows were interested in old fiddles
or rare postage stamps or the trim of their
whiskers.
Anyhow he laughingly added. IF did
jump, and you were sent after me. you'd
never be subjected to the embarrassment of
taking me. because you'd never get me. If
I couldn't beat all of these pin-headed
fugitives In making safe and sure get
away that meme of you would ever
nail me- I'd want to have M head bagged'
Not more than six months after that
he made his jump. and l got him as easy
as hot-foot1ng a banana peddler. l went
straight to the little villa he had taken out
side Genoa. Italy. When I nailed him he
was the most stupefed man YOU ever saw.
for he'd made his hop at the beginning of
his months vacation. and had laid all of
terly adroitness. according to his chart.
with thirty days margin of time to accom-
plsh the scheme in. In consideration of
his returning most of the swag he only got
eight years.
THAT man put himself in the way of be-
coming criminal by suggestion. His
studies of the movements of fleeing alb
sconders developed an responsibility in
him and an ache to put to the test the get
away plans than he spent much of his
time in doping out while yet he was
honest man.
There is calculating how many shop
lfters, especially young women. are led
to try that sort of thing through hearing
and reading about professional lifters. Not
long ago. in a New York department store.
girl was nailed while trying to lift pair
of inexpensive gloves. The girl had
account at that store for any amount that
she chose to spend up to thousands. She
wasn't arrested. of course. but she was led
to the rear Office and cided by the head
of the firm in gentle sort of way.
Perhaps you should put yourself in the
hands Of specialist for treatment he
said to the girl. who wept softly. With
you. beyond a doubt 1t is kleptomania-it
must be-
mo. it isn't replied the girl with the
utmost candor. It's not kleptomania at
all. don't believe in such Stiffness. I just
wanted to see If I could do it without be-
ing caught, that's all. A lot Of the girls
were talking about shoplifters-they seemed
so fascinating-and the girls dared me to
try. meant to exhibit the gloves to them
as trophy and then send them back to
you by mail anonymously. You won't ever
breathe word of 1t. will you? and the
head of the firm. knowing pretty we'll which
side his bread is buttered on. of course only
tells the story without using the girls
name, but the incident illustrates an oc-
currence which is common Plenty of wo-
men lift things from counters just to if
they can do it without being caught and
when they succeed in getting away with
it once they try it again and again. and
allow the habit to become fixed upon them
until the inevitable day of discovery ar
riveS.
The people who become criminals by
suggestion are nearly always the veriest
plugs at any line of work they take up.
for first-rate criminals are born, not made
by suggestion or in any other way. When
Jimmy Hope, the craftsman. was working
he was just much of genius in his
particular line as Padcrewski is said to be
at piano humping or Saint-Gaudens with
the seuptor's clay.