The Springdale news., 1915-02-12
FIRST EPISODE
The Ciutchinq 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 a professor of chemistry in charge of the laboratory at the university and l had sort of rowing commission on the staff of the Star, we had continued our arrangement
 Tt has always seemed strange to me- he went on slowly, that no one has ever endowed professorship in criminal science in any of the large colleges"
 tossed aside my own paper and retrieved the tobacco.
 "Why should there be chair in criminal seienee29 replied argu- mentatively, settling back in my chair. I've done my turn at police headquar. ters reporting, and can tell you, Craig, 1t no place for college pro- lessor. Crime is-just crime And as for dealing with it the great detec- tive is born and bred to 1t. College professors for the sociology Of the thing-yes; for the detection of it, give me Byrnes.
 "On the contrary persisted Ken. nedy, his elean=eut features betraying an earnestness which knew indicated that he was leading up to something of importance. there is distinct place fer science in the detection of crime. Today we have professors Of eyerything-why not professors Of crime science 2a=
 Still. as shook my head dubiouslv. be hastened to clineh his point @eol. leges have got down to solving the hard facts of life. newadays-pretty nearly all except one They still treat crime in the old way. study it's statis- ties and pore over it's causes and the theories of how it can be prevented and punished. But as for running down the criminal himself, scientifically, re- lentlessly-bah, We haven't made enough progress to mention since the hammer and tongs method Of your sainted Byrnes"
 Doubtless you will write q brochure on this most interesting subject" suggested. and let it go at that
 No, I am serious, he replied, de- termined for some reason or other to make convert of me. T mean ex actly what say I am going to apply science to the detection of crime. the same sort of methods by which we trace out the presence of a mysterj ous chemical or track down a deadly germ And before I have gone far. am going to enlist Walter Jameson as an aid think shall need you in my business.
 How do l come in?" I asked
 Well, for one thing, you will get scoop 'beat'-whateyer you call it in that newspaper jargon of yours"
 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 mod ern scientific detective"
 Go as far as you like, exclaimed, convinced at last
 And so it was that We formed this strange new partnership in crime sci ence that has existed ever since
 
 Jameson, here's a story wish you'd follow up" remarked the man. aging editor of the Star to me one evening after l had turned in an as. signment of the late afternoon
 He handed me clipping from the evening edition of the Star, and quickly ran my eye over the headline;