Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-07-10
A DANGEROUS HOBBY
To Study the Ways Of Rogues
May Make a Rogue Of You.
CRIMINALS BY SUGGESTION.

An Abnormal Interest In the Methods
of Lawbreakers Is Liable TO Arouse
Even In a Normally Honest Man q
Spirit Of Emulation.
at is quite possible for a normally
honest man to become a criminal by
suggestion" was the curious state |
ment made by we'll known New York
detective who was in Washington re-
Gently on business 81 am referring
now to men who permit themselves to
develop an abnormal interest In the
ways of professional criminals.
81 wouldn't call 1t safe thing for
any man to 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 ne
had read about. But that's thing
that thousands Of men who think
they're honest are doing all the time.
When there's big man hunt on, they
follow 1t with acute interest, put them
selves in the place Of the hunted man
and dope out schemes of escape FOR
him. A certain percentage of such cal
culators are bound to experience the
laundering sooner or later to put their
schemes for evading the officers OF the
law into practical operation, If only
for the foolish purpose of finding out
how their plans will work.
working in New York now on a
salary Of few dollars a week is
broken middle aged man who used to
be the treasurer Of bonding and In
demnity company at a salary OF $10,-
600 a year. This man developed a
queer bug for mentally tracing the
movements of fugltivee from justice,
especially embezzlers.
81 was acquainted with this man,
and he endeavored to pump me for all
| knew about such cases. He liked to
talk about the fleeing ones. He laid
out routes for them in his mind. he
knew the extraditlon laws by heart
and had at his fingers ends every coun-
try In the world to which a pursued
man could run without fear OF extra
dltion. Once 1 gave this man talk
ing to about this hobby Of his.
YOU'D better can that stuff l told
him. or it'll begin to tester in the back
Of your head and get you going. I've
known such things to happen, and no
man IL more than one-eighth as strong
| as he thinks he Is"
"Weil, he only laughed and told me
that he was interested In the subject
lust as other fellows were Interested
in old fiddles or rare postage stamps.
"Anyhow, he laughingly added, II
l did Jump and you were sent after me
you'd never be subjected to the en-
barrassment of taking me, because
you'd never get me. If couldn't beat
all of these plnheaded fugltlves In max
ing a safe and sure getaway, so that
none Of you would ever nail me, I'd
want to have my head bagged.'
"Not more than six months after that
he made his jump, and l got him as
easy as hotfooting a banana peddler'
7 went straight to the little villa he
Ind taken outside Genoa, Italy. When
nailed him. he was the most stupe-
fed man you ever saw, for he'd made
his hon at the beginning of his months
vacation and had laid all OF his plans
with what he thought was mastery
adroitness. according to his chart, with
thirty days margin of time to accom-
plish the scheme In. In consideration
Of his returning most Of the swag ne
got only eight years.
"That man put himself In the way OF
becoming q criminal by Suggestion
His studies of the movements OF nee
ing absconders developed an irrespon-
sibility in him and an ache to put 70
the test the getaway plans that liz
spent so much Of his time In doping out
while vet he was an honest man.
"There is no calculating how many
shoplifters. especially young women
are led to try that sort of thing through
hearing and reading about professional
lIfters. Not long ago In New YORK
deoartment store girl was nailed
while trying to lift pair OF ineXpen
slve gloves. The girl had an account
ut that store for any amount that sh'
chose to spend Up to thousands. She
wasn't arrested, Of course, but was lee
ia the rear office and chided by the
head Of the firm in gentle way.
"Perhaps you should put yoursell
in the hands of specialist for treat
ment.' he said to the girl, who wep
softly. with you. beyond a doubt, i
Is kleptomanla. 1t must be-
"'No, it isn't replied the girl, VIII
the utmost candor It's not kiepto
mania at all. | don't believe In sucl
Stiffness. just wanted to see II
could do 1t without being caught; that
all A lot of girls were talking abou
shoplifters-they seemed SO fascinat
ing-and the girls dared me to try.
meant to exhibit the gloves to then
as trophy and then send them bacl
, to you by mail anonymously. fo'
, won't ever breathe a word of 1t, VII
, your And the head Of the firm, know
Ing pretty we'll which side his brea'
was buttered on, of course only tell
the story without using the girl
name, but the incident illustrates an oC
currence which Is common. Plenty o
women lift things from counters JUS
TO see II they can do 1t without bein
, caught, and when they succeed In gel
ting away with it once they try
again and again and allow the habit
, become fixed upon them until the II
! evitable day of discovery arrives.
"The people who become criminals b
suggestion are nearly always the yer
est plugs at any line of work they tax
up, for first rate criminals are borl
, nof made nv suggestion or In any Othe