Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14

! iaFi. former commissioner of the gen.
! eral detective department Of Paris,
! who spoke.
| During my Sojourn in New York, -
| he said, Il have been much inter
ested in police matters here. Things
are really fascinating. as IL difficult
| problem is fascinating. From what /
have been able To see, il appears that
the New York authorities have on
their hands the most difficult situa-
ton since the great Napoleon broke
the crime wave in Paris 12o years
ago"
1t Is cold day" interrupted mine
host as a good restauranteur who
wants to take an order. II suggest
two plates Of minestrone first
We were having luncheon at a place
on Mulberry street, and high, historic
matters had To stand aside for a CON
sid"ration and discussion of the menu
Yes, very well. Il minestrone.' as
scented NJ. Cassellari, after suitable
meditation.
But about Napoleon and the crime
wave" | FASTENED to renew the sub
ject. That sounds timely"
Napoleon was, as you know. a very
great man. responded NJ. Cassellari
Ills genius was not limited 10 war
and Statecraft but extended also to
the police. Still, the putting down Of
the crime wave followed as "a result
uf "A more important object. That is
the way things are likely to happen
IN police work. You chase a forger
and catch burglar. It all coin
cided with the creation OF the first
detective force in Paris-by Fouche
the famous, or, II you want, infamous
minister of police. Afterward, past
the time Of Napoleon. came Vidocq.
There We're no regular detectives
in our sense before that" he ex-
banded the theme. only political SOY
systems which had no connection with
crime and small contact with the world
of robbers"
Bat how did Napoleon suppress the
crime wTtve?' ! insisted. scenting
methods of putting down handitry that
might be applicable in this present
day.
1t all connects" responded NJ. Cas-
| scllari. Before the revolution there
was little organization for the hunt
ing Of criminals, scarcely anything
more than the watch. the jailers and
! the judges. They didn't need much
I detective Invest igatlon. They had
! powerful means Of questioning-the
torture.
! Now, the torture IS misunderst God
/ these days. People always think OF
| 4 man ConfeSSing anything rather
! than bear further torment. But the
! authorities in those days were sensi-
/ bic men, and they could check up a
! confession To determine whether it
/ was true or false-that could be read
/ ily done in most cases.
/ There must have been wrong CON
{ vjctipuS. as there are wrong convic-
! lions today. But, then, the getting of
| confessions was not the only mission
| of The torture. 1t was used effec-
| lively in the questioning Of witnesses.
I Too often nowadays witnesses are
afraid TO tell what they have seen.
In the old days warming the soles
of their feet would conquer their
wrong minded terror You might
get false testimony in this way, too,
but YOU could check it. And don't
forget that in most cases of question
ing the one questioned cannot lie
even if he wants to-how can he tell
where the loot is hidden if he does
not know, or describe the circum-
stances Of Il crime falsely if you can
test his story by facts that you
have? No, in the hands of men of
sense, the torture could he a valu-
able instrument of detection, and