The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-03-19
THE DETECTIVE STORY
Origin and Growth Of the Clever
Amateur SIeuth.
voLTaIRE WAS HIS CREATOR.

The Great French Writer introduced
Him 10 the World Of Fiction--Ths
Genius Of Poe and 0aborisu and
Conan poyis's Sherlock Holmes.
Most persons who read detective
stories, and most literary critics, too,
believe that this very popular form OF
fiction was invented by Edgdr Allan
Poo. They point to his story Of "The
PurloIned Letter. az being the first Of
its kind--the first In which IL intro
duced tho man Of keen mind, OF close
reasoning and Of constructive lmagi-
nation. who IL able TO piece together
certain facts that are known and then
by brilliant deduction 10 pass from
them To other facts which are not
known, but the truth OF which he II
able TO establish beyond doubt.
Poe himself had mind precisely Of
this character mind OF q mathe-
matician. subtle, logical and capable
OF searching analysis. He once gave O
remarkable illustration of what he
could do as an investigator OF mystic
rions crime. A young shopgirl named
Mary Rogers was found murdered
under circumstances which excited
great public interest In New York.
Tho police were completely bafiled.
though they advanced theory which
was plausible In part. Poe, taking the
facts TINT were admitted. wove them
into a.story, the scene OF which he laid
In Paris and which he called "The
Mystery Of Marie Roget" Then from
what was known he passed by deduc-
tive reasoning to what was quite un-
known and worked out d solution TO
the puzzle which no professional de-
tective had been able to explain.
Years afterward the confession of q
dying man afforded proof that Poe
was right and that he had reconstruct
ed accurately the whole series OF
events which led to the death of Mary
Rogers.
This remarkable achievement fixed In
the public mind the notion that this use
Of logic blended with Imagination was
original with Poe. Az matter Of fact,
II Ia almost certain that Poe, who was
deeply versed In French literature, got
the suggestion OF the method from
reading certain passages In the ori-
entail tale called "ZadIg," by voltalre.
In this book young man Is questioned
as 10 whether he had seen a stray dog
and horse that might have passed him
on his journey. In reply he describes
very accurately the pccullarItIes OF
both, though he had not seen them.
He had deduced his knowledge from
observing certain indications along
the way-the nature Of the footprints
and many other signs which the ordI.
nary person would either not have no
ticed or would have been too dull to
understand Here Is really the germ
OF the conception which Poe so bril-
llantiy elaborated In the story OF "The
Purloined Letter." where we find ex-
hiblted the striking contrast between
the working Of n usual mind and the
achievements Of mind OF exceptional
power and training
Foes central figure, the amateur de-
tectiye, was afterward caught up and
elaborated with great effect by several
French writer's, Of whom the chief was
Emile Gaborlau. Gaboriau gave the
world the character Of NJ. Lecoq In the
remarkable novel Of that name. Lecoq
Ia n professional detective, but up
pears In that book as novice, inexpe-
rienced, but full Of Intelligence and en-
thuslasm and obliged to work out his
clews against the secret opposition of
his official chief, Gevrot, who Is jeal.
ous Of the young detective. In the
Is the interesting figure
Of the real amateur detective, old Fa.
ther Tire-au-Clalr c'Brlng-to.llght'D,
retired tradesman who studies crime
from sheer love of the intellectual puz-
zle which II affords him and which he
solves by purely scientific deduction.
Sir Conan Doyle In creating Sherlock
Holmes openly acknowledged his great
Indebtedness to Poe. Like Poe's hero,
Holmes works apart from the official
police and Is consulted by them when
they are wholly at a loss. Many OF
the Incidents in the Holmes cycle of
stories were suggested by the inven-
tions Of Poe. Yet 1t Is only fair to say
that Doyle has gone one step further
than his master. Poe's characters are
They are like chessmen
on the bonrd and excite interest only
because Of the complexity of the prob
lem which they are made to solve.
Doyle's characters. on the other hand,
are drawn with sympathy and a
shrewd insight into human nature.
They entertain us by their whims and
Individual traits no less than by the
adventures through which they pass.
Thus Holmes addiction to the cocaine
habit, his trick of smoking great guam
titles Of shag tobacco when thinking
out problem, his dislike Of women,
his skill as a boxer--in fact, score Of |
traits oil give him Individuality and |
make us think Of him as a fascinating |
quite apart from his powers |
rs deductive reasoner. And 1t is so |
with the minor personages as we'll
the somewhat obtuse chron-
cler az fhn adventures. Tnstrada AM, |