The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-11
a. 80 UM1E 90 ss s:ss::,.
XANAKY~ mUKDEK CASE
y :. SWAN DINE AUTHOR 81 THE BENSON MURDER cAsE71
AUTHOR ,o The BENSON MURDER CASE ,

Every human action, d. ye see,
conveys unconsciously an impress.
sion either OF genuineness or OF
spuriousness-of sincerity or cal.
culation. For example. two men at
table eat in q similar way. handle
their knives and forks in the same
fashion, and apparently do the
identical things. Although the sen.
sittve spectator cannot put his
finger on the points OF difference. he
none the less senses at once which
mans breeding is genuine and in.
stinctive and which mans is imi.
tatiye and self-conscious."
He blew Z wreath Of smoke
toward the ceiling. and settled more
deeply into his chair.
"Now. Markham, just what arc
the universally recognized features
Of 2 sordid crime of robbery and
murder? Brutality. disorder,
haste, ransacked drawers. cluttered
desks. broken jewel.cases. rings
stripped from the victims fingers.
severed pendant chains. torn cloth.
ing. tipped-over chairs. upset lamps,
broken vases, twisted draperies,
strewn floors. and so forth. Such
are the accepted immemorial indi.
cations-eh, what?
"But-consider 4 moment, old
chap. Outside Of fiction and the
drama. In how many crimes do
they all appear-all in perfect or.
dtnation, and without q single Gle.
ment to contradict the general ef.
feet? That is to say. how many
actual crimes are technically per.
feet in their settings? . None!
And why? Simply because nothing
actual in this life-nothing that is
spontaneous and genuinc-runs to
accepted form in every detail. The
law OF chance and fallibility in.
variably steps in"
He made q slight indicative ges-
ture.
But regard this particular crime:
look at It closely. What do you
find? You will perceive that its
nisc-cn-sccne has been staged. and
Its drama enacted, down to every
minute detail-like a lola novel.
It Is almost automatically per.
feet. And therein, d. We see, lies the
irresistible inference OF its having
been carefully premcditated and
planned.
ITO use an art term, it is a
tickled-up crime. Therefore, its
conception was not spontaneous.
And yet. don't " know, can't
point out any specific flaw; for its
great naw lies in its being flawless.
And nothing 1lawless. my dear tel.
low. is natural or genuine"
Markham was silent for q while.
you deny even the remote pos.
sibility OF q common thief having
murdered the girl?" no asked at
length: and now there was no hint
Of sarcasm in his voice.
III . common thief did it." con.
tended Vance, then there's no sci,
ence OF psychology, there are no
philosophic truths, and there are
no laws Of art. II 1t was q genuine
crime Of robbery. then. by the same
token, there IS no difference what
ever between an old master and .
clever technician's copy"
YOU'D entirely eliminate robber,
% the motive. take It,"
The robbery" Vance affirmed
was only q manufactured detail
The fact that tho crime was com
mitted BY . highly astute person
indicates Internationally that Their,
was . tar more potent motive be
hind It.
ANY man capable Of 20 ingeniou
and clever q piece Of deception !
obviously . person of education
and Imagination: sAd he mos
certainly would not have run Ii
stupendous risk Of killiAg Z woma,
unless he had feared some ovel
whining disaster unless, indee(
her ceutlnulng to live would hav
caused hin greater neat1l anguisl
and would have put hin n create
jeopardy. even than tho Grim
| itself.
Between two colossal danger