The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-29
THE EVENING STORY
Criminology and the Girl.

his last ten years on the bench Judge
Vane made close study of GRIMM
ology and administered justice ac
cOrdingly. 1t came to be said that
he could tell a criminal clear across
his courtroom. When the judge came
to retire he said to his daughter
Gladys:
MY girl, you should have a fad to
keep you busy. You don't take to
music or painting. You don't care
to go on the stage. You have said
nothing of botany or bugs. Take up
Grimm ology.''
but l shall never be judge or
policeman was the reply.
"Of course not, out fads are good
things sometimes. Study the human
head and you learn nature. I have
book of drawings of all sorts of
heads. Look it over and impress them
on your mind. Should a tramp call
you, you want to know whether he
was a. good or bad tramp. Should a
stranger apply for the place as gar
dener you should be able to tell
whether he is an honest man or
rogue. You make acquaintance
among your sex. You should be able
to pick out the hypocrites and liars"
Thus, at eighteen, Gladys Vance
became a student of criminology; at
nineteen she was prepared to tell
murderer whenever she saw him.
She had studied the heads in her faith
er's book. That is, she had looked at
them in a listless way half dozen
times in the year, and the remainder
of the time had looked at something
else. She had never even looked at
a living head with an idea of analyz-
ing the character of its owner. The
time was coming, however.
Miss Gladys had been to the city
to shop and was waiting in the depot
for her train home. On one side
of her sat an old man with a carpet
bag at his feet; on the other a young
man who was pretending to read a
newspaper, but looking at her from
the tail of his eye. 1t suddenly came
into the girls mind to apply, her
/ criminology tests, and she unused
to herself:
Here is an old man as innocent
as a babe. He could not even be
tempted to do wrong. Ingenious, in
nocent and harmless"
Then she took few sly glances at
the young man, and her verdict was:
Prone to crime and falsehood.
Would perjure himself as a witness.
Not a bold criminal, but a sly thief.
VIII end his days in prison. On a
street car I should look out that he
did not pick my purse. I am glad
that father encouraged me to take up
criminology.'
Just then her train was called and
she rose up and passed out. The
young man raised his head for a look
and then began to pace the aisle. The
old man with the carpet bag slid out
without notice. Five minutes later
Miss Gladys came rushing back to
look at the empty bench and ex-
claim:
my money-my ticket-my purse!
1 have been robbed!"
Il was suspicious of that young fell
low who was reading a paper said
an old lady, land 1 have kept an eye
on him. He's right over there, and
here's policeman. You'd better have
him arrested
Il surely wi1l!''
And she did. She charged him
with pocket picking, and the officer laid
hands on him. The young man was
surprised, but not confused. He said
there was a mistake, and asked to be
searched. He also gave the officer his
card.
TITS just his cheek!'' whispered the
old lady to Gladys. ct almost saw
him take your purse, and I'll swear
to it on stack of Bibles ten feet high.
If he amt got it on him, then he's
passed it to another thief
When the officer was told that
Gladys Vance was the daughter of
! ex-Judge Vance, that settled things.
She could not be mistaken. The
young man was hustled to the police
station in street car and she followed
in a cab and made the charge against
him. He was cool and calm, but the
girl had heard her father say that old
offenders always had their nerve with
them. He was searched, but no purse
found. 1t was a bailable offense, and
within an hour he was at liberty. Miss
Gladys must appear in court in the
morning to press the charge. she
went home elated, sure of being
patted on the back by her father.
He had often said that If women
would appeal to the law oftener there
wouldbe far less rascality.
The pats didn't come as expected. |
The father looked at the case from a
legal standpoint.
How could he take your purse
fY-nv he nj VI left
seat you also left the old man there.
An old woman says she was suspicious
of the young man. He may have been
the same of her. The purse was not
depot. Gladys, you have no case
'tBut father. he had criminal
head. He is certainly a thief" she
protested. but for the head I might
not have pushed the case
Bring me my book. Now show me
a head like his"
Here It is to a dot" she replied,
as she laid her finger on one. Yes,
it might be his very head"
but that's the head of poet who
was arrested for sitting on the fence
and gazing at the moon! Gladys.
we'u be stuck for 100000 damages
But that wasn't all. The maid came
back from a visit to the front door
and said that an old man wanted to
see the girl who lived there. He was
admitted and recognized as the old
man with the carpet bag. He slowly
removed his cap and held out the
missing purse and said:
Il followed the girl here to give 1t
back She left it on the bench in the |
depot and I got it. When 1 found |
there was SIS in it I got out and |
walked around the block to git my
breath. thanked the Lord. I was
going to use it to get undershirts for |
me and dresses for the old woman, |
and part of it was to go for debts. I
was feeling that the Lord was a-pros- |
pering me, when I remembered that
I'd belonged to the Baptist church |
for thirty-nine years and was mighty /
mean for hankering after some one
else's money. That's ALL"
It may be that when he went away