The chronicle=news., 1912-12-04
Does the gently bred criminal ex

I
rec,ly due TO parental Influence up
on the Individual?
Il Or are the Arsene Lupins and Raf-
files of the twentieth century the sue
cessois OF the Jack Sheppards. the
Dick Turpins and Robin Hoods OF
ages gone, simply the Pigments of
Observation-Disclosures existing except
In novels and border ballads?
These are questions that are per-
picking the expert crIminologists OF
today.
To the first OF them N. Bertillon.
the great anthropometrist Of Paris.
ut whose feet practically every stu
dent OF criminal Identification OF to-
day has sat. says No" He holds
unqualificdly that there are no gen.
tl"men In crime"
II. declares that the cutthroat and
crook of today and in past period;e>
time has always been an individusl
OF low birth and breeding. or with
directly Inherited criminal tcndcn-
cies. And he admits OF no exceptions
TO this rule.
In contrast to this opinion Is the
statement OF Joseph a. Faurot, head
OF the finger-print bureau OF the
New York police department and
foremost pupil Of the great frcncr-
man in the science Of criminal iden-
tification.
or course" he said. in response
to an inquiry-and II was evident
that he wished to qualify his first
remark--''generally speaking. Ber-
tiilon is right. The average crook.
burglar. swIndlcr. criminal Of any
is n person OF low birth
and breeding. coarse tastes and in
stinets and vulgar manners. No one
can deny that. hut. AZ I understand
II from the cablcd dispatches. Bcr-
,illon does not admit tra, there are
exceptions.
That is what surprises me. Can II
be that the great master. growing
old. has allowed his eyes to become
blinded entirely to the sentimental
side OF the crime world: that his con-
tinual dealings with evil-doers Of the
lower orders have lost for him all his
illusions?
IF that 10 true. II II sad. Even u
detective must cherish some illu-
sions In his work. and ! am thankful
I still have some Of those I started
with"
Fsurot stretched a hand over 70
a wire basket on his desk and began
sorting half dozen big blue en-
velopes marked with strange num-
erical combinations and cabalistic
evidences his records. the weapons
with which he was prepared to res-
cue the romatic creation of the we'll
bred crook from NJ. Bertilion's dis
card.
Are you prepared to smash all
the dear traditions Of your boyhood."
he went on, land In the cold light
of Bertillon's logic admit that Robin
Hood. Earl Of Huntington. was n
ough-neck-that Jack Sheppard was
nothing more than nm eighteenth
century Monk Eastman?
DO you refuse to believe that
Richard Turpin held up the Dover
mail with all the exaggerated gallan-
try OF his day-do you discard your
mind pictures OF him as powdered
and perfumed dandy OF the road who
kissed lads hahd and whispered n
compliment rs he clipped her purse
do you hold he was no better than
Harvey Logan and the Hole-in-the-
Wall gang OF train robbers out in
Montana? Well. that is what you
must do If you accept Bertillon's $
theory.
Human nature. ] figure. has re-
mained the same through the ages,
and | do not see why there are no
Robin Hoods. no Duvals and Turp,ns
today. Their countrytypes. | think.
may be found in the gentleman
burglars. the silk-hatted cracksmen,
the smooth swindlers in bogus min
ing stocks who put over their schemes
in some of the best New York hotels:
the sea serpents.' the crooks who
practically live on ocean liners and
take advantage of the let-down OF
social intercourse on board ship to
extract easy money from travellers.
These men are Obliged to have
address and polish in order to gain
the confidence OF their victims: they
do have II, know. and 1t is idle to
jump at the conclusion that 1t Is all
assumed and faxed. ] know many Of
them are we'll born; that they came
by their good manners naturally. and
| know many instances where n
crooks culture and his good taste
were as genuine as that of any Fifth
avenue clubman.
Here's Il case that may illustrate
what l mean" and Faurot extracted
photograph and some typewriter
slips from one of the blue envelopes.
THAT man." said the inspector,
lis George Robinson, alias Harry
Brooks, allies Gentleman George. He
looks like scholar, doesn't he? Well