The Dickinson press., 1915-03-27
FIRST EPISODE
The Clutchlna Hand.

The Clutchlns Hand.
"There must be something new IN
order to catch criminals nowadays
The old methods are all right-as far
as they go. But while we have been
using them, criminals have kept pace
with modern science"
Craig Kennedy laid down his news.
paper and filled his pipe with my to-
bacco. In college we had roomed to-
gether, had shared everything, even
poverty, and now that Craig was q
professor Of chemistry in charge OF
the laboratory at the university and
I had a sort Of rowing commission on
the staff of the Star. we had continued
our arrangement.
1T has always seemed strange to
me-" he went on slowly, that no one
has ever endowed a professorship in
criminal science in any of the large
colleges"
I tossed aside my own paper and
retrieved the tobacco.
"Why should there be a chair in
criminal science?" I replied argu
mentatively, settling back in my chair
1--WE done my turn at police headquar
ters reporting, and I can tell you
Craig, it's no place for college pro
fessor. Crime is-just crime. And al
for dealing with it the great detec
tive is born and bred to it. College
professors for the sociology of the
thing-yes; for the detection Of 1t
give me Byrnes."
"On the contrary" persisted Ken
nedy, his clean.cut features betraying
an earnestness which I knew indicated
that he was leading up to something
of Importance, there Is distinc'
place for science in the detection o.
crime. Today We have professors o.
everything-why not professors o:
crime science?"
Still, as shook my head obviously
he hastened to clinch his point. "Col
leges have got down to solving the
hard facts Of life, nowadays-pretty
nearly all. except one. They still treat
crime in the old way, study it's stats
tics and pore over It's causes and thu
theories Of how 1t can be prevented
and punished. But as for running dowr
the criminal himself, scientifically, re
lentlessly-bah! we haven't made
enough progress to mention since tht
hammer and tongs method of you,
sainted Byrnes."
Doubtless you will write a brochure
on this most interesting subject"
suggested, "and let it 60 at that"
mo, am serious" he replied, de
termined for some reason or other t,
make convert Of me. II mean ex
actly what say. l am going to appl,
science to the detection of crime, tn
same sort of methods by which W.
trace out the presence of a mysterj
GUS chemical or track down a deadl!
germ. And before I have gone far, il,
am going to enlist Walter Jameson
as an aid. I think l shall need yo,
in my business"
"How do come in?" I asked.
well, for one thing, you will get
SCOOP q 'beat'-whatever you cal
it in that newspaper jargon Of yours
Fortunately, Walter" he pursued
"the crime-hunters have gone ahead II
science faster than the criminals. IT,
to be my job to catch criminals. Yours
it seems to me, is to show people hoy
they can never hope to beat the MOD
ern scientific detective"
go as far as you like" exclaimed
convinced at last.
And so it was that we formed thi
strange new partnership in crime sci
ence that has existed ever since.
= q Q
Jameson, here's a story I wis.
you'd follow up" remarked the mar
aging editor Of the Star to me on
evening after I had turned in an al
signment of the late afternoon.
He handed me clipping from th
evening edition of the Star, and
quickly ran my eye over the headline