Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-21
nfnnufaeturinE Criminals.


2 are the actual criminals so certain 10 be
'7s arrested, that the police need be looking
z n around for new ones, TO keep their hands in
e Yetby the police reports in our city papers 1t
would seem that we have process for maxi
ing criminals, in full operation here. The
mode il shown in the case of William Prince,
reported in our paper yesterday. he was
arrested some time agoas areputed notorious
thief on the charge Of yagrancy. -ul1
Thi0 vagrant act we win remark, is sim
ply an act by which unlimited discretion is
given TO the Police Court of this city to
arrest persons and send them to Jail One Of
the things that constitute vagrancy by this
act, is thus recited = Persons who can
not give a satisfactory account of them
selves The rest is equally loose. WHAT'S
"a satisfactory account?' How many are there
who can give satisfactory account of them
selves, either to themselves or to any body
elns What kind of country isit where
- unoHending persons can be arrested and
taken before Police Court and required to,
given satisfactory account Of themselves to
the average style of judges that the people
and Providence place in that position2 This
act introduces the customs of a Turkish Cadi
into what is supposed to be q civilized ccun-
try, a country Of institutions and laws and
where there is a tradition that no person
shall be deprived Of liberty or property with
out due process of law. The law is dis
grace TO civilized community albeit, one
or two respectable gentlemen from this city
helped to pass it; but many respectable gen.
tlemen become insane when making provis-
ion to punish crime.
The act has not the irst principle of law
in it. 1t was probably. not intended to be
enforced, but was, like much Of the moral
legislation which occupies SO much of the
time Of our General Assembly, every ses-
sion, intended to be dead letter. But the
effect is, to put unlimited discretion in regard
TO arresting and imprisoning persons in the
power of our police and Police Court. H
No charge was substantiated against Prince;
therefore, in the eye Of the law, and in all
human probability, he was innocent Tie
: charge, vagrancy, on which he was arrested,
is in the act totally indefinite, and the repu-
tation of "reputed notorious thief" was
probably raised to sustain the charge of va
.grancy, thus trying to create a crime out OF
two indefinite and unsubstantiated charges
Prince was discharged. Whether his like
ness was then taken for the Rogue's Gallery,
we do not learn precisely from the report.
We presume it was, as that is an important
part of the process for making criminals
Last Wednesday he was arrested again on the
same charge, and, of course, having been
once before arrested as a reputed thief and
had his likeness hung up in the Rogue's Gal
lery, he had now become areputed thief and
il was stated against him that his likeness
was in the city portrait gallery.
Not particle of evidence seems to have
been given against him, except his repeated
arrests, "reputed' reputation and likeness.
He proved that he was formerly engaged in
business here, and that since his former
arrest he had been 20 another city
in search of employment, had failed to pro-
cure it, and returned, borrowing money to
pay his expenses. He claimed, nor was it
proven to the contrary, that he had been in
no bad company, except the police, nor in
tippling shops, and demanded proof of any
charge against him.
But this was not "a satisfactory account Of
himself" to the Judge of the Police Court
He had been in the company of the Mayors
polce-there was no getting around that So
the judge sentenced him to ten days in the
City Prison, so as to make the evidence doubly
sure next time. By this ingenious process,
man, innocent in the eye of the law, and
keeping good company, except the police,
and that was thrust upon him, is manufac-
tured into criminal. 1t will be contrary to
human nature if he is not full blown one
from this time.
oc Ioolr
seems to be of similar class. He was ar
rested as common thief his valise broken
open and contents scattered and gold
watch seized as stolen property. 1t is stated
that after this abuse of his property, and af-
ter detention for some time, upon consulta-
tion between the officers, Mayor and Prose
cutting Attorney, he was allowed TO depart
on paying the costs. Why should be be dis
charged if guilty2 If not guilty, why COM
PEELED to pay costs2 We say compelled for
the man might have been as innocent as
Moses, and yet the Judge could send him TO
prison for not giving satisfactory account
of himself He had Princes example before
his eyes, and Of course would be glad to es-
cape from the clutches of our justice by pay
meut of costs
Another way Of manufacturing criminals
is to seize them on suspicion, search their
persons and effects, and if nothing suspicious
can be found against them, and if the officer
can find weapon on them, he will bring
them before the Court under the law against
carrying concealed weapons. Thus one out
rage 10 made cover for another outrage.
The right TO bear arms can not be taken
away BY law. Almost nightly persons are
knocked down and robbed 10 our streets, with
occasionally murder to vary the monotony.
Occasionally gang Of roughs sally out in
the Streets and refresh themselves by knock
ing down every person that comes along. It
Is the duty, as well as the right of every man
whose business brings him on the street in
the night, TO carry arms. This right includes
the right and duty to shoot down any police
man who should infringe on it, The law
was never intended 70 be enforced but is