The sun., 1916-10-14
AUTHOR WOULD RECRUIT
DETECTIVES FROM COLLEGES
Leroy Scott Tells How He Learned the Crooks True Philosophy
Of L~ie-"Orginals' in Partners
of the Night"

Leroy Scott. whose Partners Of the
Nisht" has Just been published by the
Century Company. SCOTS at the popular
Communicated conception of the sleuth.
MIR. Scott, who has studied the operators
In the under world as newspaper man.
settlement worker Inc student OF the
subject for literary purposes. believes
tia, a new and better type of detective Is
developing in America. especially in New
York, and he believes the country's de-
,ec,iye forces could be improved by re-
,ru,tlng from college graduates.
Mr.. Scott has been so successful In
presenting the crooks point Of view In
action that during the pa. ear he was.
next TO col. Roosevelt. the most highly
raid writer appearing in the Metropoii-
ian Magazine. The people and condi-
ions portrayed In Partners Of the
night are to appear In n sequel which
will shortly begin to appear serially In
the Metropolitan.
Mr.. scott IL so kim as to tell nov he
gained his knowledge Of the crooks
philosophy Of life.
when | left college Mr.. Scott saio
the other day. Il got a job on a Chicago
newspaper. | was assigned to police
court duty. and | naturally became In
,erested in the work of the police. though
to be sure il was only one of many inter-
ests. was living at Hull House. and
being then at the beginning Of my career
AS a writer | was naturally led to seek
the human realities that nigh, exist In
police work and to seek the true motives
and the human qualities that might exist
in the crook. When I came to New York
lived at the University Settlement. In
arrested a. | was In the real conditions
Of life | found that this field was en-
rrossingly real. and also thct II offered
opportunities to the story teller. But II
is0 the reality that appeals to me first.
the story telling only as II springs out OF
life's facts
Readers Of partners of the Night"
will remember how Clifford. the idealis-
tic young detective OF the story. SCOTS at
the ordinary detective of fiction. He is
1T Interested In making arrests" his
idea Is rather to prevent crime thar to
add to his own glory by catching crimi-
mails. This expresses one OF Mr.. SCOTS
own convictions. lie believes that a new
tyne Of detective is evolving. whose view
Of society and OF the function OF the police
Is radically different from that generally
held in the past. and that this field or
work offers an excellent opportunity Tor
Young men Of college training who are
ttNAT w NV wy ~ f'N'
material rewards IL only they can feel
that they are fulfilling themselves in the
interest Of their work n the service II
brings TO society. He has in mind par
"ticu,.rly the types of men who go into
teaching. welfare work. and some OF the
professions. Since the police force Is ut
presen, recruited mainly from the more
highly paid unskilled workers. who as a
rule have had neither the better sort OF
Industrial nor intellectual training. men
Of this educaScd type have u splendid OPP
ror,uni,v for advancement. not fnan-
,ially. Of course. beyond a certain point.
hut in ever widening anges of activity
and experience.
The police force ought 20 be. ana can
he made, one of the most constructive!
-he,ptul Of "A city's institutions, SAID MI
Scott. He believes that almost every
hing il now does should he considered
merely as a matter OF course routine,
subservicnt to ends that are hisher anu
more truly beneficial to the generai pun
lIc. As things are at present, there IL y
sor, Of premium put on the number OF
successful arrests n membe OF the foree
makes. 'Once a crook. always n crook
. and give him the limit" are the wa'e'-
words OF the system that ~ pass'nh
away. For Mr.. Scott believes that ~
passing away, partly owing 10 VIZ
modern view OF criminal psychology ana
n,r,ly TO the new type OF imaginative
educated. disinterested public serNah'
which is replacing he old politician TYPE
in so many departments OF adm,h,stIa
ZION. The tendency just now Is an III 'ns
line Of opportunity for the man OF luea..
whose ideals have been tested, perhaps
~ a small scale. and been proved prac'
90 ticohlc. clifford, in Partners OF I'M
night" finds himself recognized and as
f., sisted nv Commissioner Thorne, ana Mr
scott admits that n drawing Thorne n,
had in mind the present efficient head o.
New York's Police Department. Comm's
sioner Arthur Woods. and the group o
opriaIs who work Immediately win NM