The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1915-01-19
FIRST EPISODE
The C!utchinu Hand.

s 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 roomea to-
gether, had shared everything. even
poverty and now that Craig was
professor of chemistry in charge Of
the laboratory at the university and
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 re enc
4 has ever endowed a professorship in
criminal science III any of the large
q colleges"
#aS Istossed aside my own paper and
retrieved the tobacco
& WIN should there be chair in
criminal science?" I rerlied argu-
mentatively, settling back in my chair.
I 1--WE dene my turn al police headquar-
ters reporting. and ! can tell you,
Craig, it's no Place for a college pro-
lessor. Crime is-5ust crime And as
for dealing with it the great detec-
tive is born and bred to it. College
professor for the sociology Of the
thing, for the detection OF it,
give me Eyrnes,"
sOn the contrary" rsrsistel Ken
nedy, his clean-cut features betrayiug
an earnestnass which / knew indicated
that he Was leading UP to something
of Importance. there is a distinct
place for science in the detection Of
crime. To-day we have professors Of
everything- not professors Of
crime science?'
Still, as shook my head obviously,
he fastened to cIineh his point Col
leges have got down to solving tte
hard facts OF life, nowadays pretty
nearly all except one. They still treat
crime in the old way, study its stats
tics and pore over its causes and the
I theories of how it can be prevented
and punished. Rut 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."
'DOubtlcss you Will write brochure
on this most interesting subject"
suggested, and let it go at that -
No, am serious" he replied, de-
termined for some reason or other to
make a convert Of me. Il mean ex-
actly what l say. | am going to apply
science to.the detection of crime, the
same sort of methods by which we
trace out the presence of a mysteri-
GUS chemical or track down deadly
germ And before | have gone far, |
am going to enlist Walter Jameson
as an aid / think ! shall need you
Ii my business.
How do | come in?'' asked
well, for one thing. you viii get a
scoop, a whatever you call
1t In that newspaper jargon of yours"
Fortunately, Walter he pursued,
AasHIQG CTlIHt-HuiiittS nave SOlIt GiuGeiu III
science faster than the criminals. It's
to be my job to catch criminals Yours,
e seems to me, is to show people how
they can never hope to beat the mod
ern scientitic detective.
s.tso as far as you like" l exclaimed,
4 convinced at last.
And so it was that we formed this
Stiange new partnership in crime sci,
efce that has existed ever since.
JAmeson, here's a story | wish
FOUL follow up" remarked the man.
q axing editor Of the Star to me one
I AVening after ! had turned in an as
Ssalxument Of the late afternoon.
IIe handed me a clipping from the
1 eVnning edition Of the Star, and
quickly ran my eye over the headline: