Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-03
The Clutching Hand"
CHAPTER /.
Copyright. 1914. by the Star Company. All For
eign Rights Reserved)


eign Rights Reserved.)
There must be something new in order to
catch criminals nowadays. The old methods are
all right-as far they go. But while have
been using them. criminals have kept pace with
modern science"
Craig Kennedy laid down his newspaper and
filled his pipe with my tobacco In college we
had roomed together had shared everything even
poverty, and that Craig wassa professor of
chemistry in charge OF the laboratory at the uni
sersity and had a sort OF rowing commission on
the staff Of the Star, had continued our ar
rangement Prosperity found us In a rather neat
bachelor apartment on the Heights, not far from
the university.
1T has always seemed strange to me-" he went
on slowly, that one has ever endowed pro-
censorship in criminal science in any CT the large
colleges"
tossed aside my own paper and retrieved the
tobacco.
why should there be a chair in criminal SCI
vnce?" / replied argumentatiyely. settling back in
my chair. I've done my turn at police head
quarters reporting, and can tell you, Craig, it's
no place for college professor. Crime is-just
crime. And as for dealing with It the great de-
tective is born and bred to IL. College professors
for the sociology OF the thing-yes for the detec-
ton OF II. give me Byrnes"
ION the contrary" persisted Kennedy, his
clean-cut features betraying an earnestness which
| knew indicated that he was leading up to some
thing OF Importance. there is distinct place for
science in the detection OF crime On the CONT
nent they are far in advance OF in that respect
We are mere children beside q dozen crime ape-
cialists over there whom could name"
Yes?" l queried, rather doubtfully. But
whore does the college professor come int"
you must remember. Walter" he pursued,
warming up to the subject which had evidently
been on his mind for some time, that it's only
within the last ten years or so that we have had
the really practical college professor who could do
It. The silk-stockinged variety is out of date now
Today we have professors OF everythihg-why not
professors Of crime science?"
stll as / shook MY head obviously. he has
tened to clinch HIS point Colleges have got down
to solving the hard facts Of life. nowadays-pretty
nearly all. except one. They stili treat crime In
the old way. study its statistics and pore over its
causes and the theories OF how Il can be prevented
and punished. But for running down the GRIM
nal himself scientifically. relentlessly-ba h.-we
haven't made enough progress to mention since
the hammer and tongs method of your sainted
Byrnes."
Doubtless you will write brochure on this
most interesting subject" suggested "and let n
go at that"
No. am serious" he replied, determined for
some reason or other to make a convert OF me "I
mean exactly what say. I am going to appiy
science to the detection Of crime the same sort of
methods by which We trace out the presence Of a
mysterious chemical track down a deadly germ
And before have gone far. am going to enlist
Walter Jameson as an aide. think shall need
you in my business"
How do l come in?" asked.
Well. for one thing. you will set seeop.' a
'beat-whstsver YOU cali It in that newspaper
1argon OF yours"
Kennedy during the previous year had travelled
much especially in Londen, Paris. Berlin and vi
enna, where he had studied the amazing erewth
abroad OF the new criminal science Already L,
knew something, by hearsay, Of the men he lad
seen-dross. Lacassagne. Reiss and the immortal
Bertillon.
Fortunately. Walter" he pursued, the crime
hunters have gone ahead in science faster than the
criminals It's to be my Job to catch criminals
Yours. It seems to me. is TO show people how they
can never hope to beat the modern scientific de-
teetivo"
60 as far as you like exclaimed. convinced
At last
'And 50 IL was that We formed mi. xtranr.
new partnership in crime science tAat has existed
ever since.