Convicting Clever Criminals.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue IX, 31 August 1901, Page 414

Convicting Clever Criminals.

Few people who read the straightforward reports of criminal trials in the newspapers, or who witness the smooth processes of adducing* evidence in court, are aware of the enormous amount of labour entailed in preparing a case for judge and jury. Everything must be in proper order, and theories placed in tangible form. In cases where, as frequently hapj>ens. mystery plays a prominent part, the work of preparation for public inquiry is heavy indeed. No stone is left unturned, no expense spared, in the pursuit of light and truth. Frequently as are the police gibed at for incapacity they are the most skilful and painstaking workers imaginable. It should be borne in mind that they have often to measure wits with the most shrewd, subtle, and cunning rogues to be found in the criminal classes, who nearly always star: with an advantage over them- the advantage of preconcerted plans and a clear escape. It is easy enough to be wise after the event, and there are plenty

of people who. when matters are made plain to them, will theorise with superiority readily enough. With the kindly aid of an ex-As-sistant Commissioner of Police I was recently enabled to considerably strengthen my convictions on this subject. First, let us suppose a murder in a wood. A man has been shot dead. The whole area cf the crime is very narrowly examined, and all abnormal appearances duly noted. The precise position of the body is carefully kept in mind and compared with surrounding objects. Photography frequently plays an important part in placing evidence and theories in a tangible and material form. In time suspicion will probably point to a certain individual. or to certain individuals, as being concerned in the crime: then the hypothesis of the method of the murder will shape itself. Then to illustrate the theory, the police officials will themselves personate the individuals concerned — victim and presumed culprits—and

taking up the positions supposed to have been occupied by the actors in the tragedy at the time of its commission. will be photographed in a series of stages.

These photographs are sometimes used as evidence in court, and sometimes are very convincing to the minds of the jury. There is nothing like ocular demonstration, especially as the gift of imagination is so rare. “Murder will out” is a very trite, but it is to be feared not a very true, saying. In the absence of a tongue it frequently fails to betray the presence of any “minacious organ.” That the police fail occasionally to “fix” a homicide is not be wondered at when one bears in mind how often the criminal “comes like a shadow, so departs.” Many people will remember the Great Coram-street crime, when a young woman was murdered one Christmas morning. The police had a cast-iron nut to crack on that occasion. It has never yet been fractured. They exercised herculean efforts, too. One clue was the finding of a bitten apple in the room in which the crime was committed, which showed peculiar teeth-marks. Apples wither in time, so the police made plaster models of it. These are still kept.

Some years ago—January of '7S—a mysterious murder was committed at 2. Union-walk. Shoreditch, where an old man was done to death in his own

workshop, with one of his own mallets. The police theory was that the murderer must have been secreted somewhere in the building, because the doors were found fastened, and could be opened only from the inside. They had a wooden model of the doors made, which served to impress their theory on the not too translucent minds of the coroner's jury. The doors were of peculiar construction. one having a stake fixed on the inner side, working on a hinge, and when the doors were closed falling into a socket in the floor. When in this position no pressure from the outside would avail against it. To open you had to be inside and lift the stake from the socket. It was a mysterious crime. There was no apparent motive, no trace, no clue, justice baffled, and the miscreant melted into the sable shadows of the unknown. It is not pleasant to the police to be baulked, they are so unjustly treated. They get plenty of metaphorical cuffs when they should receive material ha'pence. Their work is often more brilliant when they are unsuccessful, which may sound paradoxical. but is true. A publie trial only can do justice to their efforts. If there is no capture there is no trial. Ergo—what I've said. A little while back they had a pet notion of identifying an absconding murderer in his absence. They thought his image might be found upon the retina of the eye. They photographed the face of a dead woman as an experiment, but to their disappointment they discovered that the idea was incorrect. They have the negative still—it is not a pleasant picture. Pity it was fallacious. I suppose, if the theory had proved sound, there would have followed a series of murders committed from behind. Police work is frequently perilous, and it is regrettable that heroic members of their body on night duty are sometimes laid low by concealed desperadoes. One night in September ISSI burglars were busy at a house known as The Knoll. Kingston-hill, when Police-constable Atkins, of the V Division, was passing on his beat. He suspected something was wrong, and proceeded to reconnoitre. He had just reached the entrance of the house when he was shot down by a burglar, who was awaiting his approach. The wound was fatal, and the murderer got away, every effort to trace him proving fruitless. An elaborate drawing of the front of the house was made, together with a ground plan to scale. The spot where the burglar was supposed to have fired from, where the constable fell, and where the bullet entered the wall, were all plainly shown. The exact situation of doors, windows, steps, etc., were also given. But nothing came of it-