Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-12
RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN
CRIMES ARE USED AS CLEWS
Police Take Advantage of Fact That Each National
ity Has Peculiar Methods in Commission of
Crme-Points of Difference Described
BY sCAND BOYESEN

York not many years ago. A few
Italians with blackmailing propensitles
found that when they signed their
threatening letters with the picture OF
black hand, which implied an un-
seen clutching power that meant to
destroy, the victims were more likely
to be filled with terror and apprehen-
sion than If mere names were affixed
to the documents in question. The
effectiveness of the signature and the
wide publicity given 1t by newspapers
brought 1t to the attention of all who
sought to levy blackmail on the ter
rors of their fellowmen, and now
whether a criminal be German, Italian,
Mexican or negro. he may resort to the
signature of the BLACK Hand" in or
der to strike terror to the souls of
those on whom he wishes to prey.
italian murders are therefore hard
to mark, but as a general rule they
are perpetrated with a knife or by
poison. If a real BLACK Hand" Grim
inal makes up his mind to commit a
murder he may use dynamite, nitro
glycerine, gun-cotton, poisons revolv-
er rifle, shotgun or a slungshot and
war club. Hence Italian murders are
harder to distinguish than any other
class.
Teutons Watch Dying Victim
When a Teuton sets out to commit a
murder he is usually cool about it, and
prefers to use a slow poison. Many
celebrated criminal cases reported in
old trials, and referred to by Dumas in
his Celebrated Crimes" have been
committed by Germans. The Teutonic
poisoner often sits by the bedside of
his victim and watches the death ag-
ones or will pretend to minister to the
dying mans needs. When physician
prescribes medicine the poisoner will
sometimes offer to administer it, and
will then substitute his slow and in
sidious drug in place Of the revivify-
ing potions
The case of the ffendish Johann Hoch
of Chicago. who was convicted i'm 1905,
after having committed scores Of muir
ders by means of poison, is one I'm
point. Dozens of trusting women took
the fatal drugs from the hand of the
one whom they believed a loving hus-
| band However. the Germans are not
noted for the number of murderers
which their race produces, and they
are far more notorious for suicides.
Russians Mutilate Bodies
Greeks are said to favor strangula-
tion when they destroy a human being,
| but, unlike the orientals who strangle
their victims with cords, the Greeks
use their hands, and do it i'm a work
manlike and scientific manner. The
Greeks are a revengeful race and ter
rible in their anger, but usually balk
at murder.
Russian criminals are always cold
and cruel and Russians commit their
crimes with more deliberation and cool
ness than almost any other race except
the Norwegians. Fearful enormities
and barbarities mark the work of a
Russian, and the murderers of this
class seem to delight i'm the mutilation
of the bodies of their victims.
Negroes commit a great many muir
ders, but those which are the work of
pure blooded Africans are done i'm
quarrel and fight and are not secret
and premeditated. A negro uses a
razor often, just as the comic papers
relate, but he is unacquainted with
anatomy and slashes wildly at his vic
tim i'm a mad desire to cut. Often
southern negroes use club in their
murders, crushing the head of the OBJ
ject of their hatred.
The tiendish murders involving Wom-
en- committed by so-called negroes are
in most cases the work Of mulattoes
or half-breeds. Several newspaper men
from the south are responsible for this
statement and it is verified by police
officers who have done police work in
southern states. The true african is
not brave when it comes to night
crimes for he fears evil spirits, hoo
docs and ghosts. 1t is the educated and
less superstitlous half-breed who is
most to be feared, for he is crafty and
often morally deficient.
Americans XIII for Gain
There is one race that is fair even in
murder The Iithuanians rarely, if
ever. kill secretly, and no matter how
enraged man of this race may be he
will give his victim a chance to fight
and the battle--no matter how Waged-
is to the death. Finlanders are also
open about their slaughter, but are
more cruel than the Lithuanians.
Strange to say, Hollanders rarely
commit a murder in this country or in
their own. Belgians are violent when
a. oused, but the race has no murder
speciality other than that they gener-
ally use firearms.
Americans and Englishmen are the
only two races which murder for pure
gain and not from hatred and motives
of revenge The acquisition of piece
of property. an estate, money or any
temporal possession will sometimes
tempt a greedy American or Briton to