, 1873-03-20
The Town Clerks Of West and North
Chicago Fail to Make
Returns.
All tho Records Destroyed-.-Tha Officers
Claim to Bo Elected for Life.
Tho Old and New La,ys---Thc
Approaching Elections.


TOM Now, the personal 1ibcrty Of the ctizon is
boaBtfu1ly said to DO rathor n tick1ish thing to
moddle with without tho Inv at onos back In
this city, md tho reporter who heard tho romprk
thought 1t was timo the people should know just
exactly how much they hnya boon fooled in that
single particular. II Attorney Root is right,
about twenty of nil tho arTosts out OF
overy twonty-ono-spoakiug in general way
are made by persons who aro no moro empowered
by lav to mako them than onoB dead grand
mother.
IMPROVING TALK WITH 1usr1oR.
Last July and August, tho reporter Was ON
ploying odd leisure hours in amusing hinHolf
with observing tho doings Of several Of theao
Constables. At the close of q hot afternoon, ho
drippcd porspiringly up tho statra Of ono Of our
busiest Justicos, aud finding TINT dignitary black
oning hia teeth with cigar, and resting his poor
fcot Oh u rail, oasily admlrng tho proportions Of
robust Hobo who WAS washing out tho otllco.
"Judgo," said ho, NJ know Cot us say) schom-
wob iH q fraud"
"Tho d-d-deueo you do? Whit havo You
caught him at now 7" asked tho man Of many
foes.
"compounding a felony, think, in one caao;
blackmailing, certainly, in another; receiving
money to settle case boforo 1t camo into court
In another, whilst he was intruatod with tho
papers to commence action In your Court and
other matters that can DO all proved.
His Honor looked thoughtful1y. "1t Ia cry
ing shame" he said, =" that we must uao such
men but wo can't hop 1t. know Ill about 1T,
but can't atop it. Most Of tho people who
como horo aro poor and ignorant, and
thoy are glad to settle, through
u Constable, often, rather thau como into court,
iva, o+n nt1,nr usd .b1
may be said to administer Justice Tor injustioe)
tn more cases than tho Justice hfmsolt. Be-
sidos, We got lots Of people sued hore for class
Of oifonses TINT they would not for tho world
have their friends know anything about. 1t is
worry convenient to those fellows not to find tho
parties in aucli cases. Lor', you'd bc surprised"
hc said, 1aughing, ITO SEQ how difficult it ia
to find such people. A ton-lollar noto to
shut tho Conatablo'a mouth Is often ton-dollar
noto wisely 1aid out. Why, you remainder that
Eastern aeduction-case thero was so much
bother about 2"
=. ~ ought to. I nearly had my head knocked
s, "We'l ldi thq 4 Constable got $50 to keep you
.'Ihe Gabriel he did What, to shut up my
pencil 2"
Yes. And 10 boasted afterwards tint he led
tho ao own Life s1e it for 1e wn
about Linn that the young fellow SAN.
friend, don: YOU go looking qier hose consta1ies
too close maybe irN be all Tie better for yon;"
or went or. That Constable ia making money,
to-day, fastor than the entiro roportorial Btar ii
m averngo morning .papor. But ho has boon
looked aftcr, closely:
Facts affecting the general question: will at all
eVeuta servo to show how the Justices regard
the peccadlloos OF tleso mon. They aro aware
Of the evil :; tho moro honorable among them
hate and dotcst it.; but for tho sako Of their
TuEY MusT PUT ur WITH IT.
They cannot got along without the ConstabloB;
cannot got along without the aid OF SGT OF men
tho majority Of whom lave no liconae Or author
ity to mado arrests. 1nnumorablo instances
must bo familiar to every thoroughly posted re-
portor Of actual orltrageB perpetratnd by thoBe
fellows. Probably many reporters have follow
cd up little solata<l canos for their own curiosity
andinformation, Of wbicl. they may hayo boon ra-
ther too scared to publish particulars, or, If not
afraid tllon1solyee, their cliiofs may lave boon
doubtful III to the facts, or the nova may have
grown stale, or pressure Of other matter may
hase arisen, or n Thousand such things, to pro-
vent tho publication Of tho result Of B11ch in
qnirles, ,--a publication which would hayo bnen
sufficient to RlloW the utter reckesgnosB, dis
honesty, and criminality Of tho so-callod Con-
stables. 1t ia bad enough to suffer unneces;
ofiicor: but to 10 A at tho merey of ruffian.
whose ouly commiselon in his own offrontory. Il
altogether too intoiorabie. It is ostin,atcd by
those who ought to know that thoro aro mora
than
FIFTY OF THESE BEM1-1EoA11zEp THIEVES
preyiug on the vitnls Of tho poorer oaaHes Of
this city on tho poorer classos, becauuo they
nro too wary to try any Of their hokoy-pokey
tricks with those who arc ablo to tako care oi
themselves. So much explanation is needed to
show That whilst tho roator takes great doal
OF what is here stated on credit, ho may do so
with perfect confidence, nothing being advanced
but what is well known to every reporter in the
city who has acryed his apprenticeship to tht
busnoa,
It appears That humorous attempts have beer
mado 10 aisposseAs somo OF those so.callet
o'eere tto tue s,, noais they hsye nsued
Utmost syery instance being bought on, or other
wiso induced to abandon IN apparently hopolcaI
mud interminnble contest. carried on At q Heruul