Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-01-21
CHAPTER II.
Detective Michael kearney


N of the star plain clothes men
of New York. He had little
imagination. and the psyche
logical theories of Munsterberg and
Lombroso did not interest him. His
life was given to dealing with the raw
stuff-the actual criminal and the ac-
tual crime. He never shaped theory.
The district attorney and his assistants
could indulge in that after he had
turned in the evidence.
Kearney went on the COPS" as the
department slang has it, when he was
twenty-three years old. He had done
two years work at the polls in his cleo
ton precinct. and his father before
him had been a politician He was
among the humble but nevertheless eff
fcient and necessary toilers In the
great political machine which for so
many years controlled the government
OF New York.
In the police school Kearney was
taught how to heel crook, how to
strangle an assailant. how TO suddenly
shoot upward the heavy base Of his
big right hand TO the chin of foe
from the underworld and shock his
brain with the jolt and other essen
tails which he worked out with logged
application and terrific sweat on the
wrestling mats in the training room.
After this kindergarten training
Kearney went to the Identification
school, where he was taught the art of
keeping a fellow human branded with
his guilt until the day of his death.
At little desk Of the same style of
construction that is used in the public
schools he sat for days, listening keen
ly TO lectures and watching his instruc-
tor draw on the blackboard human
profles and sketches Of ears and noses.
Here he developed the power of obser
walton and also strengthened his mem
DRY.
AS Kearney advanced in his profess
sion he became known as II detective
who never stopped ON trail until he
had caught up with the quarry. After
five years he was made first grade
lieutenant at headquarters He had
become a silent. almost sullen, man.
looked up to by those under him and
feared by those over him. who drew
larger salaries. but who had less capac-
ity as man hunters.
If any of the sense of humor had
come to him with his Irish blood Kear-
ney lost it in early youth with other
boyish pleasures.
But Kearney had one pleasure in life.
This pleasure was his home 1t was
not the home OF the average man of
thirty years, with a contented wife and
growing children. but il was good
enough for Kearney. for his old mother
kept ii spotlessly clean and snug for
him. and therein she worshiped her
only son. In comfortable little fat
In the lower east side mother and son
lived. She was all the world to him.
and he was the apple Of her eye.
The day before the trial of James
Montgomery for murder Kearney start
ed home after long conference with
young assistant district attorney who
had been given the case for prosecu-
ton. They had gone over the evil
dence together carefully. and both had
agreed. with considerable satisfaction,
that the jury would surely bring I'm
verdict OF murder in the second degree
II it failed TO bring in first degree
verdict entailing death In the chair.
Counsel had been appointed by
justice In the criminal division OF the
supreme court, as Montgomery was
friendless and penniless. An effort had
been made to have this lawyer plead
guilty to manslaughter for the de-
PENDANT The docket was heavy. and
time and expense would be saved. For
thus helping out the county. Montgom-
cry would be repaid with n sentence OF
fifteen or twenty years. But the boys
counsel reported that his client insist
ed on his innocence and refused to
plead guilty to any degree Of crime.