Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-25

10 solve his getaway problem?
His first move is usually to make
quick. long jump from the place where
he is known TO some place where he
hopes he will be unknown.
Arrived in the city where he be-
lieves himself unknown, the fugitive's
first step is usually to label himself
with a new name. 1t is peculiar Gus
tom OF fugitives that they usually keep
some remnant of their identity in their
aliases. Thus Porter Charlton, when
he was fleeing to this country after
the murder OF his wife at Lake Como, ,
Travelled as Jack Coleman of Omaha,
the city il which he was born.
This custom undoubtedly helps any
one trailing a fugitive, but it also is .
of assistance to the fugitive himself. |
After knowing himself as John Smith /
all his lfe-answering TO that name, /
uttering it, signing it as unthinkingiy !
. as he draws his breath or winks his /
eyelids it is difficult to keep constant |
ly in mind the important fact that |
only the day before he ceased to be |
John Smith and became William
White Preserving a remnant of his /
identity in his alias is undoubtedly an
aid TO memory.
With new name label there is al /
so an effort usually made 10 present
new appearance 10 the world. The
matter of disguise is a dangerous one
that must be handled gingerly. The
usual method is 10 change the style
of wearing the hair, to shave the face
If it be adorned with whskers, or TO
ct whiskers sprOut if il be smooth
shaven. These We're the methods used
by DR.. Cook in his well known van
isking act after the preparation of
his better known north pole hoax,
and they served him fairly well.
Hair dyes. wigs and face stains are
sometimes used, but it must be done
with conSummate skill or they will be
found TO be boomerangs.
Almost Invariably the style of
clothes are changed. But here, too,
the utmost caution must be exercised
The man vino is very anxious to hide
himself is likely TO overdo the mat
ter, concluding that the greater the
change in his costume the deeper is
his concea ment.
What the surgery of the beauty doc
tors can do-perhaps has done-for
the fugitive is a matter of which the
writer has no knowledge, no instance
- yet having come under official at
tention. They beauty doctors, adver-
tise that they will make facial alter
atoms small or extensive, for the
/, man who is dissatisfied with the outfit
that Nature gave him, and perhaps
they can do it. If the fugitive who.
, when last seen and photographed,
wore a pug nose. flap ears and a
/ triple chin, next appeared in public
! nattily QUILTED with a Greek nose,
ears hitched back, a neat single chin
and a dimple in his jeft cheek, could
/ Mt he buy drinks at the next bar for
p Sherlock Holmes. Arsene Lupin, and
; Mr.. Hawkshaw, if he happened to find
these three sleuths ON his trail?
And now for one of the most popu-
= lar of all disappearance ruses. II con-
ssts in establishing the great and
final alibi, in making those individ-
nails 10 whom one wishes to bid a last
i ing adieu believe that one has depart
I ed this earth and gone to the shining
shore.
The favorite method of working
this ruse is to engage passage on a
steamship. II the thing is to be done
, economically a Sound or river boat
will do. The next morning a state
room is found that contains valise
the contents OF which are tossed
about as evidence of a narrowed mind.
T The bed clothes are rumpled The
. suit Of clothes that the late occupant
I wore abroad Jay where they were
|, flung on the floor; in the pockets
- watch. letters. etc. All these mute
. articles tell the tragic story, to which
:, a suicide note often gives emphasis.
y But the lamented upassenger is not
y floating. stark and cold, miles astern
= In the early morning hours when
3 the decks we're deserted he climbed
/. through mis- staterOOm window, dress
g ed in a rough suit that had been
: squeezed into his valise. and made
0 his way TO the baggage hold Having
/ already provided himself with the
n necessary ticket. he walked ashore
with the other second-class passen-
d gers the moment the steamer tied up
Dr. Crippen, when fleeing after the
Z murder OF his wife. contemplated try.
: ing this ruse aboard the steamship
D Montrose. He wrote couple OF
. touching farewell notes On GER
in night the ships quartermaster