The Washington herald., 1910-05-01

| camera stretching black cloth across
| the lower part of their cell at night. one
Of them would work on the floor with a
spirit lamp The other. with a dummy at
his side. would remain I'm bed. Guards
passing the door OF the cell would think
both men 10 be sleeping Friends and
relatives had brought them chemicals.
apparatus and other things that were
needful. Furthermore, ] got the plate
from under the top earth OF a grave In
the cemetery lot of the Taylor family"
while he was Secretary Of the In
terror, Ethan Allen Hitchcock put you
to work on the land fraud cases?" I
said.
He believed land was being stolen.
and tried. unsuccessfully. TO catch the
thieves with his own special agents. I
told him ] wanted time in which TO in
vestigate, inform myself. and think In
a week he called me into his private
office.
q" The responsibility IS on me ! am
impatient. Can't you get TO work at
once? he asked
Il told him had known nothing what
ever about the laws relating to land.
nor the business methods OF the Interior
Department. However / said. I have
learned already that conditions are dis
graceful
Not in the department? he inquired.
with a show OF concern.
Yes I declared right over there ia
the Land Office
Give me the facts he exclaimed.
." I have no facts I replied. My ac-
cusation IS based entirely on theory
Theory Is Substnntiated.
my God he said. would you BIAS,
the lives and characters OF men with
nothing more substantial than theory?
" But they are guilty, I FASTENED 10
assure him, and 1 shall have them tell
you so. Only walt
Now II was only common sense. q"
Burns continued. "to say that IL land
were stolen the officials knew about it.
| Otherwise they would be wooden men
without intelligence. I traced the tracks.
/ theoretically, from the Land Office 20
oregon and back again The morning
after my talk with Secretary Hitchcock
! had a heart-to-heart session with one
OF the oldest employees IN the Land Office
/ He told strange story OF bribery and
| theft before I got through with him
/ Then I went 20 Secretary Hitchcock's
Office He gave me a cold look as I en-
/ tered
MAY 7 SEQ you for ten minutes 7
asked
Yes. he said. rather impatlently
land bring a man with me?' I con-
tinued
Yes he replied. with no trace Of
! confidence or friendliness.
$50 I had him hear the confession and
l saw his face grow red and pale by
/ turns and his hands tremble. After that
using a phrase I picked up in Indiana
/ there was h on the Wabash"
! Have YOU ever had any gun fights 90
Never Shot N Man.
Weapons have been drawn several
times on both sides, hut fortunately I
/ never shot any one and nobody has ever
shot me. The detective with pistol in
/ his hand Is a foolish fellow. In my view.
a detective wants to catch his man and
/ not 10 XIII him. was sent on one occa-
! sion 70 Southern Iowa after a band OF
| counterfeiters. Roughly dressed and IN
! shaved. I let il be known that I was
a bank robber and safe blower. Wen. we
/ arrested a number Of men. including a
/ well-known doctor. In Kansas CIV.
where the trial occurred, the doctor got
! a sentence OF three years. As he was
/ leaving the courtroom he slyly said 10
me: IF I live to get out I shall kill
/ you
Il repeated his observation 70 the
| Judge. standing up in open court 10 do so.
Bring that man back the Judge
/ called 10 the marshal shall prolong
Mr.. Burns life.' he said to the doctor.
/ by sentencing you 10 the penitentiary
/ for FIVE years instead OF three
/ 7 was in Jefferson City, No, when the
/ doctor was released from prison. He saw
me at the railway station. and running
up 10 me. shook my hand. asked after nv
health. wished me good luck, and hoped
he would have the pleasure Of meeting
me in the future"
ITO what qualities do you attribute
I your eminent success as a detectveT'
Uses Common Sense.
First, 10 the exercise Of common sense
in every situation. II a detective will be
Just as patient. resourceful. and per-
sistent as the average merchant or manu-
facturer. he viii always prosper at his
calling. There is no mystery IN the bust
ness OF revealing crime and getting at
! the criminals-just a plain task Of as
sembling the facts and OF then working
out rational postulate. At times. nearly
every case, big or little. seems barren of
possibilities and only a confusion OF
dreary details. But a conscientious de-
tective VIII keep on working. Each thief.
no matter how experienced, and each
counterfelter, regardless OF his skill, leave
physical tracks behind them by which
they can be followed"
rs the average man hOnest2'
Yes. I have profound respect for the
integrity OF human nature. There never
was a time when the moral sentiment OF
the people was more easily and quickly
aroused than at present. or when there
was finer sense OF honesty In the vari-
Gus relations of daily life. Even bad
men want good governmental they are
not making money out Of bad govern
ment. Nor do I believe in the heredity OF
crime. Lnmbroso and other scientists
speculate and write essays. but coming
right down 70 common experience, which
is a better test than philosophy or long
tables OF figures, I know that environ
ment and not birth is the one greaf-cause
Of criminal conduct.
Furthermore, a young man who does
wrong should be given another chance