The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-30
Old Time
Detective Work
Bv EVERETT p. CLARKE

! nave been detective for many |
years. though now that ! am getting
old ] seldom take case. and then only
one that promises to interest sne My
leisure time ! spend In study. And
what do you suppose Is the subject Of
my studies? will tell you. ! am
searching the past when there were
no detectives that l may learn how
criminals were traced
tons. beginning with confession BY
torture-t0 this may b added COMES.
sion BY influence Of the clergy-and :
ending with our present highly per.
fected detective system. I regret to
say that there still exists one relic Of
the practice Of obtaining confessions |
BY influence Of the clergy. l refer to
securing them BY means Of the third
degree"
A curious instance of confession |
have found in a record Of the latter /
part OF the eighteenth century.
During the year 1870 an alteration |
occurred between James Thorpe and
Pardon Winston in Bradford. a small
town in Massachusetts Robert Thorpe.
a brother OF James. came on to the
scene while the eight was in progress
and struck Winston on the head with
piece Of wood. knocking hym sense
less. However. he revived 10 few
minutes, and the brothers. who had
been friends Of Winston. frightened
lest he had been killed. assisted him
to his home. expressing great regret ut
the occurrence.
! Winston did not seem any the worse
for the blow he had received and re-
manned In Bradford some time after
the scuffe. But one day he was miss.
ed. and. when months passed and he
did not show up. among the various
causes for bis disappearance that were
suggested was one that the quarrel be-
tween him and the Thorpe brothers
had been renewed and the missing
man had come to his death through
their instrumentality.
However, since there was nothing
but inference In the matter. the sus-
picion died down. Several years
after Winston's disappearance Abner
Twitchell. citizen OF Bradford,
dreamed Que night that the ghost Of
! Winston had appeared to him and said
I that the Thorpe brothers had KILLED
him, burned bis body and puried the
residue Under beech tree, the only
, tree standing in the back yard Of bis
home. Twitchell gave the civil au.
thorities an account Of bis dream.
At this point in my narrative 1t is
we'll to remember the conditions Of
that period The belief in witchcraft
that had reaped 30 many victims had
died out among educated persons. but
; still prevailed among the lower class
ca. Today belief In revelation BY
dreams. though not what 1t was then.
is not entirely extinct
The Thorpe brothers were arrested.
the ground about the roots Of the
beech tree was dug up. and some but.
tons and the metal parts OF pair Of
suspenders were found. This evidence
was considered so strong that the
Thorpe brothers were urged to con.
fess In order that justice should be
meted out TO each In accordance with
what he deserved. James. under the
incessant pleadings of his spiritual ad.
wiser. finally gave way and confessed
that be had been the murderer. But
later Robert confessed that ne. too.
had taken part In the killing and had
done the principal part In getting rid
Of the body.
Now. II we consider the evidence In
this case as 1t would be regarded to-
day there Is nothing In It First, we
would not accept the dream as of any
value whatever; second. the articles
found under the beech tree might
have been thrown out in the yard or
burned with other refuse under the
tree and become mingled With the soil;
third. We have numerous confessions
In murder cases that are not true.
But In those days. when the people
were emerging from q period wherein
an organised court Of Justice would
convict q woman Of vomiting crooked
pins and sailing on the water In q
sieve. the evidence against the Thorpe
brothers. backed BY the confession of
both, was considered quite suficient
| to hang them. They were tried, con.
victed and sentenced
One day man rode into Bradford
and while sitting around the tavern
stove was told that the next day there
would be q hanging In the town and
he had better remain over and see It
On mention Of the name Of Winston be
said that be had seen q half witted
man In Hadley Of that name. A friend
OF the Thorpe boys was present, and he
went to the Judge With the story. ask
ing for a stay Of the execution In or.
der that the matter might be invest.
gated
A constable was sent to Hadley and
returned with the man for whose muir.
der the prisoners were to have been
hanged The brothers were released
and received an ovation. the towns
people really rejoicing that they had
been saved BY q mere chance from hav.
ing committed murder themselves
The blow that Winston had received |
from Robert Thorpe had caused an In I
dentation Of bit of his skull on the
BRAIN Even nowadays we are never
are when or what vagaries may be
caused BY such a pressure. though Il
can now be removed BY surgeons.
Whether the surgical process Of trepan-