Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-12

Since Cain slew Abel, men at times
have shown a blood lust to that oil
the most ferocious brute, and in the
heat of passion or with cold blooded
deliberation have set about the de-
struction of a fellow creature. one OF
the first principles of organized So
ciety is to make human life safe, ana
from the days when men roamed the
woods in skin clothes and carried stone
hatchets and gnarled war clubs, up
to the present time, human beings have
always sought to punish what Is
known as murder. in order that others
with a tendency to destroy their fe!-
lows might be deferred by the example
furnished in the punishment of the Of
fender.
In the present age man has reached
such a plane of development that muir
Gers are far less frequent both from
reasons of a higher moral plane and
from a fear of detection. Few men
commit the crime of taking human
life without adequate reasons of self
defense or unless on the field of bat
tie. without paying the penalty of
their offense.
AS has been related in preceding ar
ticles of this series the telegraph and
telephone, the camera, the railroad
train, the automobile and all the many
adjuncts now used by the officers of
the law in their pursuit of maletac-
tors. reduce the probabilities of crimi-
nal escape. and from observation and
experience the men who track and
trace crimes and criminals have many
ways in which they can form a basis
on which to work when they seek a
murderer.
Races Differ in Crimes
One of the basic features in the
fs IyY1n 1p6Fv
of the characteristics of different
races and their several methods in the
commission of a crime of violence.
The police departments of Chicago
New York, Philadelphia, Boston, St
Louis, san Francisco and Los Angeles
are all familiar with the truth that a
crime can often be traced by the way
in which it has been committed anu
they find their theory of practical
value.
Chief of Police Dishman, capt. Pau
e. Flamhler and many members of the
local police department acquiesce IN
the opinion that there are racial char
acteristics 1n the commission or
murder. Some of these characteristics
are outlined in the following sketch:
When a Japanese kills for revenge
or in the heat of anger he thrusts a
knife into the abdomen of his victim
and turns the blade around to rupture
blood vessels and intestines and thus
insure ultimate death. Rarely does
che recover from wound of TINS ma
ture and the sufferings OF the vlcllir
are intense. Usually the knlfe IS
thrust in from the left side, for some
nnlynovn reason, and is made more ef-
fective by cutting in downward dl-
Black Hand Carries Terror
italians also use the knife in most OF
their murders, but they thrust the knife
hack of the left shoulder blade ol
5irertI,r through the back of the necl
SO as to sever the Windpipe and jugulal
vein. Unfortunately the CRIMINALS {"
sunny Italy are past masters IN th'
destruction of their felloWmen and ar
more versatile than any other race
Vendettas, Mafias, Black Hand soc!e
tfes and the Camora are all dreac
names to those who read sensationa
accounts Of crimes committed In bis
cities. These names should really mo-
inspire terror, for as a matter or tac
the vendetta originally stood SIMPLY tol
a family feud. Vendetta means re
venge. Death does not necessarily fol
low a pact for revenge, but in many
cases the friends and relatives or
slain man gather at his bedside, biei
or nIace Of death and swear vendetta
or revenge. This revenge meant tht
destruction of some member or tn'
family which had been instrumental IL
the death. -
The Malta and Camora were once
noverful patriotic orders which had az
their principle at inception better gov
nrnment for the Italian people. They
sprang into existence during the Bour
bon domination in 1861 and their OBJ
iect was simply the removal of obnoN
ious members of the civil government
But like all orders or societies Wnlcl
sanction murder-no matter how JUS
the cause may appear-the blood lust is
aroused and long after the issue whicl
was TO be combated has passed intl
oblivion the murderOusly inclined rally
under what was once a not dishonor
able banner and murder and plundel
i'm their own interests, while using the
same name.
Italians Prefer Knife
Blackmail, rapine. plunder, and the
most diabolical forms Of murder anc
assassination are now INDUCED by mer
who wrongfully call themselves mem
bers of the Camora or Malta, and th'
police i'm nearly every case Of murder
watch for clews which might stamI
the crime as the work Of these bands
The BLACK Hand" or in Italian
Mana Nera," was not founded II