Fergus County Democrat., 1915-04-29
MANY FAKE GRIMES ARE
REPORTED BY IMAGINATIVE
POLICE OFFICERS ARE KEPT BUSY
WITH STORIES OF MURDER
AND KIDNAPPING.

an employe Of the government
urged by an extravagant idea seeking
advancement. recently placed five
sticks OF dynamite to which he had
attached percussion CAPS. underneath
the department Of agriculture, ignited
the fuse and then extinguishing the
flame, ran through the department
crying to all to run for their lives.
Afterwards he went back into the
cellar and sought for imaginary ex-
plosives. His conduct caused an in
quiry. and he confessed he had origin
atedd 1t all himself in the hope that it
would attract notice to himself and
bring him promotion and more salary
Inquiry developed several similar in
cidents in other cities prior to the case
at issue.
A student of criminology cannot fail
to observe that crime is epidemic,
If not contagious. Consequently we
read Of series of suicides, murders,
burglaries, assaults and lesser, crimes
OF particular nature follow each
other so rapidly at certain times.
Two years ago wealthy and prom.
inent gentleman in Georgia died from
having accidentally taken some poison
from the beginning had no hopes of
his recovery. and alter several days
he died, as they predicted. This case
attracted unusual attention. and much
space was devoted to its details in the
daily press, partly because of the
prominence Of the unfortunate gentle
man, but principally on account of the
deadly qualities of poison which
hitherto had not been generally
known.
As a sequence to this publicity.
within period OF three months II
persons were received in the city
hospital suffering from that kind of
poisoning, although none similarly af-
fected had been previously treated
there in the history Of that institu-
ton. The same condition was reported
to medical experts in every city, large
and small. Most of these sufferers
wera women. Many OF them recov-
cred.
If crime be epidemic, the same
may be said Of fake or imaginary
crimes, which in reality never occur,
except In the minds of the perpetra.
tors. such as the Washington incident
Every now and then we read reports
OF robberies of collectors. lodge
treasurers and such. who handle other
peoples money. In many cities these
are Of daily or nightly occurrence. In.
vest1gation by expert detectives in
variably disproves the alleged robbery
and shows that the supposed victim
had either appropriated the money
or other valuables to his own use OF
lost them gambling. or in some other
form Of dissipation. However, where
the party insists the theft was com
| mftted without violence, on street
car or railroad train it is practically
impossible to disprove the claim.
When neighborhood nickelodeon.
became popular few years ago 9
detective who handled this affair tolt
me visitor to large city from the
country took his cousin who lived II
the city for some years. to see thu
pictures. one Of which gave very vivit
portrayal OF the massacre of thu
Christian Inhabitants of an Armenian
village by the Kurds. The heart
rending scenes of brutal torture, ant
the heroism displayed by some Of tn,
suffering Christian martyrs, so i'm
pressed the young country girl that
for q time, it was her sole topic O
conversation in daytime. with vision,
OF the scenes in her dreams at night
A few nights afterward she was foun,
almost nude. bound with q rope I,
an electric pole in the alley near he
abode. and although uninjured ant
fully conscious. she made no outcry
nor did she try to attract attention
She told pitiful story Of having beel
assaulted by huge bearded AM
oeted negro whom she had discovere'
hiding In her room. The description
she gave OF this negro, including hi
dress Tailed with that Of kind o