Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-17
CONDEMNS THE
THIRD DEGREE"
HARPER DISCUSSES HANDLIN
OF CRIMINALS
HOW TO GET CONFESSIONS is
GREAT PROBLEM
Chief Executive of Los Angeles ADJ
mits Brutal System Now Prac-
ticed by Police Should Be
Abolished

Mavor Harper has developed plan
for the handling of suspected crlinl-
nails when arrested which is nKely 10
attract the attention of penologlsts an
over the country. The question Is ol,e
of the most Vexing problems in CIVIC
affairs. and has so far baffled the ex-
merits and led to an extremely unsat-
isfactory condition in handling per-
sons charged with serious oftenses.
The procedure known as the third
degree" is in general use, but Is uni
versally condemned, even by those
who practice it. Police ofhclals anu
other authorities admit that the third
deeree" is unjust and cruel, but as
sert that it has come about through
lack of any better way of extracting
evidence. Substitute methods have
engaged the attention of the most
competent men of all countries. YET
they have been unable to offer pet
ter way.
Mayor Harper, like other municipal
executives. has given the problem con-
siderable thought, and he finally pro-
poses a very simple solution. He be-
lieves the handling of criminals a1ter
they are caught should be placed on
a par with their apprehension, ana
that men with an inborn ability Tor
making suspects tell the truth shouIo
be appointed to do that work alone
This SYSTEM, he lulIhSy WOOiN - SN'A
police officials in the questioning OF
arrested men Just as they are now
made expert in tracing them down.
and would lead naturally to psycho-
logical rather than physical methods
in arriving at evidence. The result
would naturally be more humane and
just.
EVERY one who has studied the sys-
tenn of handling criminals after their
arrest realizes that there is room for
Improvement" says Mayor Harper
"This third degree as it is called, Is
not right, but it is used because noth-
ing better has been proposed. Ihe
trouble has been, | think, that we
have not realized that the handling
of a criminal after he is once caught
is fully as important as the work OF
catching him.
"The police are confronted with all
sorts of difficulties in collecting evil
dence. especially when they are dealing
with a hardened and experienced bad
man. That class has become remark
ably shrewd and wary, and an ola
hand knows just about what to ex-
pect when he is questioned. The po-
lice are obliged not only to erect
capture, but also to make case, ana
the man they get knows that the bur-
Hence it is not strange that ways
that are deplored are used to make
a suspect come through If the po-
lice do not make good they will very
quickly hear from the public. Police
officials know that this third degree
is not the best system, but when they
ask for a better practical method no
one has any to offer. You cannot
gather evidence simply by saying
please to a man who won't hesitate
at murder.
Suggests Better Way
at ought to be practical to make
this getting the truth out of sus-
pected criminals a sort of professional
work. If you take a man who has
a natural aptitude for sitting down
with another and drawing him out so
he has told things before he knows
what he is doing-you know there are
men with that born in them-why
shouldn't such man. If that is made
his sole work, become unusually skilled
in handling criminals and their con-
fessions? He would make himself fa-
miliar with their traits and I believe
such a department would become as
important as any other feature of our
police work, 1t should accomplish as
much as present methods, and would
certainly be more humane.
"There are a few men in police cir
cles who are known all over the United
States for the special ability in get
ting information out of suspect.
If they were given special facilities for
studying criminals from the stand
point of collecting evidence and were
not burdened with other features of
police work, it is only natural that
they would become more skillful in
handling bad men successfully with
out resort to physical punishment to
get them to tell what they know.
"I should like to see Los Angeles
try this method. 1 believe it would
better one of the serious phases of
the proper treatment of criminals"