Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-25
FEEL SURE
OF CATCHING
Mr.. RAFFLES.
Pursued Man Laughs
MerriIy in His
Sleeve
PubliC's Chances Better
Than Professional
Detectives
viii Disappear from the Angelus Hotel
viii Disappear from the AngeIus Hotel
at Midnight Tuesday-At Broad
way Department Store
Tuesday Morning
by THE MYSTERIOUS MIR. RAFFLEs
George Harris DonOhue)

Now then, folks, let's get together.
In an effort to present this game
before the readers of the Los Angeles
Herald in manner precluding the pos
sibility of any deception on my part
1 have accepted a chance in this
city never before attempted in the ex-
ploitation of this remarkable demon
stration.
For a period covering nearly three
hours yesterday I permitted the police
of this city to maui and measure me
to their hearts content in order that
there might be on record in Los An
geles an absolutely correct description
of the man you will shortly be seek
ing, and If you are still in love with
the marvellous results claimed for the
celebrated Bertillon system of Grim
inal identification after 1 am through
in this city my hat will be off to you.
Before going to police headquarters
1 was advised by the usual bundle of
"know-it-all' gentlemen, who invaria-
bly, express great concern over the
series of chances taken by me before
starting on my mission, not to permit
the police of this city to get Bertillon
measurements Of me, the general con-
sensus of opinion being that should 1
do so l would not last two days in
this city after the date of my official
disappearance.
No Fear of Identification
Here is a pointer-you might as well
take it deep down in your collective
memories-I have no more fear of the
Nq ori,, ,ol
cation than l have of falling into the
Atlantic ocean at this particular mo-
ment.
This argument or assertion may seem
rather coarse coming as it does from
me, a newcomer into your midst, but
If YOU care to follow through the trail
of this story a few moments 1 will
convince the most skeptical that in
going to police headquarters I was
taking absolutely no chance at all,
in SO far as being apprehended through
any measurements taken by the bureau
of criminal Identification yesterday is
concerned.
Argument No. 1 on this point is this
The Bertillon system is acknowledged
as the best possible means of identify
ing a criminal-after he has been
caught.
Argument No. is: am not caught
yet.
Should the police of this city pick
I'D a suspicious character and take him
to the bureau of Identification it could
be readily discovered whether or no he
had ever been subjected to the intri-
cacies of the Bertillon system before.
If he had been arrested in Chicago or
any other city, for that matter, chances
are about a hundred to one his Ber-
tillon record would be on file at your
local bureau. That would be the end
of the suspicious gent-he would soon
be pegging on shoes or performing
some other light service for the state
in one of your merry calabooses.
On the other hand, suppose the de-
tective bureau of Chicago makes re-
quest on the police of this city to ap-
prehend a certain criminal who is
known to be somewhere in this city.
With this request comes complete
record of the mans measurements and
personal description, including two
marvelously we'll executed photographs
of the man wanted-and then the police
of your town find they are up against
an entirely different proposition.
First Catch Your Man
Chances are they will capture no less
than half hundred men, particularly
IL the man wanted happens to be
smooth-faced before they either cap
ture the man or give up the search in
disgust.
In my case / have simply carried my
identity into your bureau of criminal
identification, given your cleverest de-
tectives and police officers the best
chance in the world to get a line on
me, and then 1 still make the claim
that it will be practically impossible
for any member of the detective bu-
reau or uniformed force to effect my
capture.
personal arraignment of the capabll-
tiles of your local police department.
/ have worked in and among police
departments practically all my life and
L am fairly eonYersant with the routine
detail attached to police work through
out the country.
While working among you 1t VIII
simply be up to me to single out the
professional from the amateur class OF
sleuths who viii, take up my trail ana
when the chase is all over and some
reader of the Los Angeles Herald Is
counting the one thousand dollars re-
fCantluvad an pnno VhrGesl