The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-05-15
NO PROFIT IN CRIME.
CONTINUED from page 3, column ID

the OLNeT Qay DIohoh LII ho1i'i1' DioA
en- in spirit, watched by the police,
with no friends except grafters, with
out a cent to his name. He applied
for a hack license, hoping to get
lob as chauffeur of a taXicab. He
told a headquarters detective that
he was Through" Whether he spoke
the truth or not doesn't matter. 1t
isn't Courtney's words that count, 1t
is what the old burglar is now
penniless, detected, an outcast.
There is Jimmy Farrell, forger and
counterfeiter, said by the police to
have realized 100000 in 80 years
of criminal practices. Farrell is just
out of prison after serving term of
five wears for grand laceny. He was
seen in PAX Row few days ago
begging-and he looked as if he
needed the food he asked for. What
has Farrell got out of it, anyhow!
Where is the 100000 he got by
fraud and guile? Where are the
flash friends he had in the days of
prosperity? The best friend he has
is an old detective sergeant at police
Headquarters for whom he once did
a decent service. Every so often Far
rell drops around and gets a few
dollars from the old detective.
Women fare no better than men
at the hopeless trade. A week or
two ago it was discovered that the
"Mrs. James Montague Sharp" held
in the Tombs for attempting to shoot
Bill Avery, was none other than May
Churchill, Diamond May" "Chicago
May hotel thief, confidence woman
and associate of the most dangerous
international thieves in the books of
the police. The first record of the
lady's convictions is dated Christmas
Day 8 years ago, but the Waldorf
and the Imperial and other hotels
had ample cause in years to come to
lament her light fingered abilities.
She was great friend of Eddie Cue
rim, the bank burglar, and she helped
Guerin to escape from Devils Island
that time such stir was made IN
the world. Also she tried to kill
him. for once her affections are Ell
gagged she stands no masculine non
sense. But crime has paid her small
returns. Men used her and discarded
her. Thousands she got her hands
upon were spent to E'spring" male
crooks. The diamonds she was So
fond of and which she used to dis
play so lavishly have long since dis
appeared. Going on to so years of
age she finds herself merely in prison
once more and hard pressed for funds
to pay lawyer. They say at police
headquarters that Diamond May
learned at least s250,000 in 20
years.
No Real Intellectual Power.
: So the list of wasted lives runs on
Joseph Fay, Mott Haven Red
O'Brien, burglars, swindlers and
cheats of every shade and variety.
Not one of them alive does more
than exc out a miserable, harried,
apprehensive existence. They that
are dead are the truly fortunate
Here are examples enough to prove |
the contention. The same thread of
futility runs through the life story
of every broken crook. There is a
curious similarity throughout.
Police Lieut.. John H. Allen, who
has spent lifetime in criminal in
vestigation, who is student Of the
trade of crime, presides, under In
spector Joseph Faurot, over the bd-
reau of criminal Investigations. He
is the keeper of the Morgue of Souls.
Year after year he has noted this
singularity; that crooks have no real
intellectual power. That is to say,
they cannot reason with perfect clar-
ity. Inevitably their judgment goes
off at tangent, even when the oD-
stacle to simple reasoning is simple,
just as a spike laid upon rail in |
certain way will ditch train. Crooks
may be shrewd as sin, very nimble
witted, very quick mentally-but in
tellectually they are children. Allen
believes that this explains the curl
Gus fact that crooks will continue 10
travel the road which leads to ruin
even when they can see pals just |
ahead sinking into the quicksand. A
certain vanity impels them to believe
that this experience of others cannot
possibly descend upon them. They
forge along with their eyes open.
They simply cannot reason out in ad- |
vance the, inevitability of the laws