Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-20

crimes, turn to the Sicilian with as
much confidence as the French by
their own proverb look for the wo-
man." Only a year or so ago New
York was in an angry mood because
of the frequence Of offense against
girls. That form Of crime has been
suppressed, for the time, but 1t Is not
to be believed that 1t will not break
out when circumstances are favora-
ble-thas is to say, when the Italian
detectives delay their vigilance. And
to these members Of the police force
the Italian detectives-the people
of New York owe more than they
surmise.
One of the difficulties with which
the Italian detectives have had to
contend was the incompleteness OF
the gallery so far as concerned like
nesses Of criminals, known as such or
merely suspected. when a crime was
committed. 1t happens now and again
that a detective will get a tip" from
an Italian. The informant writes to
the manager Of the bureau telling Of
countryman whose career at home
was such that he was forced to get
out Of the way. The informant tells
something Of what he knows about
the man whom he suspects. He can
not, or will not, give more than the
vaguest description Of him. Upon this
clue the detective sets out to search
among half million men for one who
may fit the meager description sent In
by his anonymous correspondent.
Days, weeks, months, may be wasted
in this way. Perhaps the man is
found. He goes to court upon
charge of purely technical kind. He
is promptly acquitted. There is no
photograph of him. The fellow is
free as a bird.
Suppose he Is arrested soon after
ward on suspicion. This being Sec
ond arrest he is "mugged." Now he
does not feel so secure. He may get
into trouble again-probably will do
so. The records show that he was ar
rested and discharged once before
His lawyer tells the magistrate it's
all the people. "They have got moth
ing on my client. They are bound
ing him and want to drive him out OF
the city, for no other reason than be-
cause he will not submit to imposi-
| ton by the so-called guardians Of the
peace"
Police magistrates are proverbially
tender hea rted. The man is set free
again. What is worse for the commu-
nifty, his picture must now be taken
from the gallery.
But the suspect is at this stage
known by sight to many Of the detec-
tives. He knows that he is watched
Sooner or later he will leave New
York, or, taking desperate chance
do something which will enable the
police to get him right" Then he
gets what's coming to him." But
see how much time has been lost ant
how many crimes he may have COM
mitted because there was no means OF
introducing him to the men Of the bu-
reau.
While all this is true, particularly
as to the Italians, 1t Is equally, If ir
a minor degree, true Of members oi
other foreign criminal classes whose
headquarters are right here in New
York.
Better that a thousand guilty mer
escape that no one innocent man suf.
fer? Not working theory in pop
ulation such as this one, so the po-
lice believe.
While there are bad" men Of every
race, there are certain forms Of crime
which seem to be specialized, so t
say.
Take the Japanese. Most Of then
whose photographs adorn the gallery
are or were dishonest servants. i
Greeks and Armenians "go wrong
they run to robbing hotels in which
they are employed as bellboys ant
| the like.
The Slavs have a bad reputation
among the police, and there are
good many of their pictures in the
gallery. They are all-around "bad
men," A recent popular protest was
made in behalf of another section.
The Turks, so far as the gallery
goes to show, take with a lighs heart
to burglary. They are husky lot
and are not baked by trifies.
Against the negro the gallery shows
many kinds Of crime charged and
proved. The women criminals cause
q deal Of trouble to white men who,
feeling themselves far from home,
undertake to lead disreputable lives
while visiting the metropolis. There
are a score or more Of negresses who
are known to every detective in town
as bad ones" They bank" upon a
victims dread of publicity, and the
records show that they bank" well.
Seldom in the court will victim ap-
pear against one Of these harpies.
AS for the negro men criminals,
they do not pick pockets. That is
about all that may be said in their
favor.
The Chinese as everybody knows,
prey. upon their own race. 1t is fair
inference that when white man or
a negro and Chinese get into trou-
BILE, the Oriental is not the aggressor.
Opium smoking and the sequestra-
ton of white women who were pro-
cured for them, nine times in ten, by
white men or women, are the
l"Chink's' chief offense against the
law.
When a Chinese commits murder
the chances are that the victim, If
white, gave such provocation as
would have led to the same result had
the quarrel been between whites.
When a Chinese kills one Of his own
cOuntrymen it is next to impossible
to learn the reason which led to the
commission of the crime.