Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

TT takes only Is short minutes %
f,N from England across the chan
nel to France, But to the crimi
L nal flying before the hunting pacl
Of Scotland Yard those - minutes
Iasst bring a vivid change.
K lnusI he something like the diff
ference between being hunted by plod
ding. U1reIni;tlns, sure scented blood
hounds on the one hand and on the
other hand being potted al by marks
men who shoot without seeing their
quarry. but take aim by brilliant
calculation Nine times out Of ten
he shot may So wide. But the tenth
goes through the heart.
Part OF the difference between Scot
land Yard and the police OF Paris is
,lUe 10 tempeTamental differences he
;Heen the Two most unlike neighiprs
n the world the English and the
French And partly the difference in
ne hunting tactics Of the two detec.
ave systems Is due TO the differences
IL she game they hunt.
1t is one thing 10 figure by tri.
angulstion where an approa ching hut
as Vet invisible warship will he al a
xiven moment and by calculation shoot
ri it: and il is quite another thing TO
try the same thing with a darting.
swerving. diZZily twisting alrpiane
equipped with dynamite darts and
piloted by daredevil atire with reck.
iessness and imagination.
II is not for nothing. therefore. that
in modern fiction the greatest detec-
tive is an Englishman and the most
brilliant criminals are French.
It is only natural that Scotland
Yard, the greatest criminal hunting
organization in the world, should in
spire the creation OF Sherlock Holmes
and that French writer's, from lie
Blanc. Gaboriau, Eugene Sue and
Dumas TO Victor Hugo should have
been inspired by the vivid imagination
and daring Of the French criminal.
And it is these qualities that make up
the problem for the Paris police.
II
ITO bring this out clearly. let us con
slider Tete dor. golden-headed
12-year-old Paris picketpocket. 1t is
worth while going into the young
ster's early life somewhat, partly for
the good story ii makes. partly TO
illustrate what the police of Paris
have to contend with.
The father Of Tete dor was Du-
chesne, a pickpocket. who followed
or rather travelled with a French cir
Gus. mere ne met ana lOVeu pretty
and vivacious circus rider. Vivienne
Lechamp. Both were mere young.
sters, took life merrily. had not much
sense Of responsibility, and were but
little sobered by the coming of their
child, the little villain OF this story.
His hair Of spun gold and his an
gelic expression gave little Pierre Du-
chesne his nickname. wherever he
went, through life A wiry, sharp.
witted, heartless little devil, he grew
up in the travelling circus and alb.
sorbed it's qualities as a monkey alb
eorbed tricks. He was always smaller
and younger looking than his age,
which made his exceptional intelli-
gence and keenness all the mort star.
Ting.
He learned all about animals and
their tricks and copied unconsciously
the furtiveness and swiftness of the
great cats in their cages. He even
learned to tease them and snatch his
little hand a fraction Of an inch from
the outlash of steel claws.
From this he progressed to teasing
the circus hands, who were helpless
against the fleet-footed midget Who
shot through mazes Of circus wagons
and tangles of rope as smoothly as
O fish glides through water. He
would dive between the legs of an in