The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-24
MeNO-SIEEp DEWLISHNESS ollie
THIRD ]! !! ID DECREE e~f
BY the Police Reporter. W.
An old was talking to NA
BY the Police Reporter,

An old detective was talking to
me one night.
THE most important thing when
you're sweatin' crooks" he said, "is
to keep 'em awake. Night and day.
keep at 'em. Just as they begin to
nod, prod 'em up. That's break 'em
down. They amt any of 'em who
can stand up under it. That s.the
real third degree"
They know-those detectives
who have gone through the sweat
box training. No possibilities of tor
ture have been neglected. No sys-
tenn of breaking down the resist
ance of the criminal but has beer
tried out. a. ~ M
When an old detective tells you
this about sleep and the lack Of it,
you can count on it that it's true.
First the prisoner will be defiant,
or sullen. He'll be beaten, threat
ened, pinched, struck in the face,
assailed with fury of questions,
confronted with unexpected infor-
nation the police have on him, con
fused by a thousand shrewd cir
cumstantial remarks and queries.
But he keeps his nerve, We'll say.
The police wait, confident. They
have an ace buried. They change
shifts and go on.
A sleepless night after the ten
sion of the day inevitably works its
havoc with the man in the prison
er's chair. He is no longer fresh.
1t is an effort for him to be on his
guard. He can't think as quickly.
He gets tangled up. He contradicts
himself. He makes admissions. He
| tells things he wanted to hold back
He gets desperate. Then we hear
of confessions made in the sweat
| box recanted in court.
81 was harassed and tormenteG
| by the detectives" the prisoner will
say. 81 didn't know what was say
ing They wouldn't let me sleep"
No sleep-people in general
smile little when they hear that
To the prisoner it's the croWhing
horror of the third degree. r.
It's strange, this matter of sleep.
1t seems like harsh and unneces-
sary law of nature.
People are all the time breaking
it, Men of genius, like Napoleon
Dol no Infn1 IL pIrcinnCS
men, harrassed by a thousand cares
and responsibilities neglect it. So
ciety women, who must keep IN the
everlasting whirl of the world Of
fashion, haven't time for sleep,
Young men, strong, athletic, think
they can stay downtown half or
three-quarters of the night, then be
fresh on the job at 8.
They can't do it. Genius or bank
clerk, lack of sleep will get them
just as it gets the criminal in the
sweatbox.
They'll draw on their nervous en-.
ergy for a while. The excitement
the necessities of the day will whip
their nerves to steel and they will
go through the days smiling, alert.
But they are using up nervous
energy that they cannot afford to
spare. They are drawing continual
ly on their resources. They will
keep p all right-yes. But the day
will come when something snaps.
On that day, the society woman,
genius, gilded youth, and business
man-all make the wrong move,
lose their grip.
1t is a matter of record that Bal
FAC, prodigal of his tremendous
mental strength, collapsed and died
at 81.
While Napoleon, on his supremest
day, found his nerves refused to
obey his orders. And at Waterloo
he lost throne, power, everything.
1t is told that during the retreat
=. Il n -, 49,