DETECTIVE AND CRIMINAL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2225, 24 June 1908, Page 2

DETECTIVE AND CRIMINAL

REMINISCENCES OF A CHIEF DETECTIVE. THE HABITUAL CRIMINALS’ ACT. [Pkess Association.] - CHRISTCHURCH, June 23. After pursuing t-lie elusive criminal for more years than he cares to think of, arid battling against all classes of the genius,. cunning, desperate, and common-place, Chief-Detective Cbrystal lias, oil the eve of severing his connection with the detective force of New Zealand, a good word to say for: the class against which he had to wage constant war. During the seven years Air. Clirystal was in charge of a gaol in Ireland, and while lie lias been-a detective in. this country, avast number of criminals came in to contact witli him iii a professional way, and-his observations, based on long experiences, should have some interest attached to them. “There is one side of their character that is never seen by the public,” •Mr.'Chrys6.il began, “and of this unknown side I have to speak with feelings of gratitude. i found that where erimifials are treated justly-tby a police officer they invariable appreciate it, and do not bear lit dice against the officer who, in the course of his duty, has to apprehend them. I have had to do with men of violent aiid. desperate character engaged" in every department of crime, but I have never vet been accused of doing a dishonorable action or of acting unfairly by any of them.- There * arc very many traits of character to be found in the criminal classes which atone in great measure for their faults. Their faults, however, are blazoned forth to the world, while tlieir virtues are ignored and unrecognised. I have hud frequent and serious conversations with criminals of deep -uye and know of niy own knowledge that many of them have accepted the word in season gratefully, and are now leading exemplary lives. “Criminals,” Air. Clirystal continued, reminiscently, “are the most forgiving of any class of men I have had to deal with. They forget a ‘hiding' when they know that they deserved it, and I have never given: a ‘hiding’ except when I could not carry out liiv duty without doing, so. I nover molested any criminal except in self-defence, and where there lias been a physical contest my man has never shown unv animus after things were settled to my satisfaction. Iu fact, they have never met me afterwards without a. smile, as if tlieir recollection of the encounter was a pleasant one. I have been in dens of thieves and criminals in every centre of New Zealand, at every hour of the night and early morning, and though these criminals, by the ■force of tlieir numbers, have had me in their power time after time, they have never 6hown vindictiveness or mado any attempt to abuse, insult, or annoy mo in anj- way. I am satisfied, also, that this applies to the members of the force generally as well as to the detective staff (which is brought more into direct conflict with the criminal class than the police) arid myself. I knew tho criminal class in "the Old Country,” . Mr. Clirystal continued, “and, compared with those, we have no criminal.class at all, In my experience here I have known very few men whom we should class as cracksmen in the Old Country, probably npt more than a couple of dozen. “I am satisfied that nothing could be better than the Habitual Criminals’ Act. It is a knock-out blow to crime. Legislation which makes it an offence to. habitually consort is a most humane enactment, as its tendency is to prevent criminals consorting with eieli other. Bad leads to worse, and there can lie no question that when criminals consort together it is for tlie purpose of planning the commission of a crime. Mischief one does not think of the other win. IF they are kept-apart they will no doubt meet with people who aro honestly disposed, and they may fall into some decent employment. Of all. things, consorting among the criminal classes is the last which should be tolerated, and the clause which makes it an offence strikes at the root of the evil. There is an idea prevalent that the object of inserting it was to give the detective power over the criminal, but tlr.it was not tile purpose. The object was to stamp out consorting infinitely more for the sake of Hie c ,.; m _ inal himself than for any other consideration. It is tiie best and most humane clause in the whole line of criminal law that I know of. As to the indeterminate sentence I think it a first-class thing for ineorrigihles. Tiie only sensible thing to do with them is to shut them iip until they show some unmistakeable signs of reformation, and impress upon them that it they do not show these signs they have no chance of being set at liberty. The criminals know all about indeterminate sentence, ami it lias already had a deterrent effect. The results of its coming into operation aro already telling,”