Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-10-04
BY JACOB FoY GUTHRIE, 8. S.

SO easy. l took up criminal
II career because everything I had
read on the subject indicated that
it was a field of untold opportunity.
1t appealed to me particularly because
it seemed to open up quiet, refined
life which assured excellent financial
returns.
l believe that crime could be placed
on the same stable basis as hundreds
Of so-called reputable kinds of bust
ness, If operated and controlled by
persons of high intelligence. Summing
up briefly, 1 became a burglar Of the
rich because it was the simplest way
in which | could pursue a harmless,
fascinating occupation in congenial
surroundings, assuring myself a lib
eral income and still leaving me time
70 continue my studies.
Crime has always interested me- At
first the interest was purely psyche
logical. But the more l read, the
more logical burglary seemed to me.
One point was forced upon me time
and time again-how easy it all was!
l read Lombroso, and his works
filled me with delight His Criminal
Woman" and Degenerate Man were
fascinating studies of strange phases
Of life But, somehow, though | felt
that Lombroso's conclusions were fair
ly correct, his treatment of the cases
was sometimes faulty.
Lombroso was a student of Grim
inals rather than Of criminology. He
searched into their very souls behind
the bars. But that was where he
knew criminals-behind the bars! He
didn't study them at their work, fired
with the enthusiasm for it and keen
Cor the results, All he knew was
Inc caught criminal. And there is
such a difference.
All Crime Interesting.
But Lombrosos works fired my i'm
agination and when l had finished
them l turned to other stories Of
crime For long time l read nothing
but them. Some were good; some bad.
But all were interesting Edgar Allan
Poe was one of my favorites. What
a master he was in stories of crime!
How clearly l remember The Milk
White Eye!"
How 1 enjoyed "Raffles sand how
simply and logically he got away with
everything he did There was no rea-
son why he shouldn't as long as he
gave his attention to his business. 1t
is side lines that spell failure.
My library is lined with books.
have thousands of them-the best that
ever were written. One whole corner
IS given up to the well-known poets.
AS a boy devoured poetry and
was my ideal. Evelyn
Hope l consider his masterpiece But
it was Tennyson 1 loved. In Nero
riam" l may say worship, if one wor-
ships that which appears on the
printed page. Tennyson's power of
spiritual expression, to my mind has
never been equaled since Shakespeare
lived.
But Tennyson was forgotten when
found Lombroso. Only temporarily,
to be sure; but, though l felt | could
elevate the standard of burglary be-
yond all low and common means, |
didn't attempt to put any spiritual
expression" into it. So when | planned
my entrance into a career of crime,
it was Lombroso | used as a guide.
To his Investigations l added my own
theories. For weeks and months I
thought and studied crime almost
night and day. l was planning to be
a criminal, but l was going to make
crime an art
Law-Breaking a Scientific Study.
My idea was that a cultured man,
one of intellectual capabilities and at
could easily and success
fully follow out a carefully planned
criminal procedure that would COM
pletely Illustrate the efforts of the So
called sleuths. / also believed that
the profession could be made financial
iy profitable aud that nine-tenths of
the risks could be eliminated So
made crime scientific study, with
the purpose of establishing myself in
a newer and broader career than any
ever attempted. | saw no reason why
I should not apply it to that peculiar
form of labor, IL you will, which has
hitherto lacked its assistance.
When my final resolution was made