He killed his friend because the
latter had been too attentive to his wife. "People versus
Higgins." Why did he? That was a drunken row on a New Year's
Eve within the sound of Trinity chimes. "People versus
Sterling Greene." Yes, he was a colored man--I recalled the
evidence--drink and a "yellow gal." "People versus Mock
Duck"-a Chinese feud between the On Leong Tong and the Hip
Sing Tong--a vendetta, first one Chink shot and then another,
turn and turn about, running back through Mott Street, New
York, Boston, San Francisco, until the origin of the quarrel
was lost in the dim Celestial mists across the sea. Out of
the first four cases the following motives: Jealousy--1.
Drink--1. Drink and jealousy--1. Scattering (how can you
term a "Tong" row?)--1.
I began to get interested. Supposing I dug out all the
homicide cases I had ever tried, what would the result show as
to motive for the killing? Would drink and women account for
seventy-five per cent? Mentally I ran my eye back over nearly
ten years.
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