"How I Did It"

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...confessed. The criminal had left no clue, apparently, but an empty bird-cage, and it was due to the marvelous deduction of Inspector Faurot that the man was arrested and later sent back to Sing Sing. Out of a list of thirty-six convicts released from Sing Sing three days before a certain burglary was committed in Brooklyn, the Inspector picked out the man he believed capable of possessing sentiment enough to release an imprisoned bird from a cage in a home the man had visited and burglarized. The deduction was perfect and one of the finest pieces of detective work on record. The bird-cage incident inspired "The Wonderful chance." It was the motive, premise or theme, and the scene wherein the burglar opened the cage and gave the bird its freedom was the best situation in the story. It was the best because it was the truth, and was stranger than fiction. Of course in the story it was not advisable to send our hero, "Swagger Barlow," back to prison. That would have meant a repetition of plot. Therefore the hero was made to reform. Then the next step was to put obstacles in his path and surround him with temptations in order to make the struggle between the good and evil forces. "Swagger Barlow" was the type of man who, through environment and circumstances over which he had no control, became a law-breaker. He was bad. But he didn't want to be bad; he wanted to be good. He wanted to be a credit to society. He knew he could be a gentleman if opportunity would only give him a chance. His desire had always been to move in the best circles; to be respected and admired by the better class. All his life he had been waiting for the Tom Mix Appeared in "The Speed Maniac" and "Three Gold Coins" wonderful chance to be a ...