, 1874-01-30
THE RECENT DURDLARrrs

glaroa committed within tho 1aat ton 1avs In IL,
aontheastoin and northern parts of thu c,tv
ana theao arc Of course to bo supplemented b
another soriea On tho West Side. Thoao bur
elaf1oa have evidently been committed BY n eau,
o1 export rufEans, who aro ."going through
LILO town. 1t1s assumed and We suppose is NJ
uhqucbtionablo fact, that tho police know over,
professional burglar and tbiof aud that hle proa
onoo in tho city ia always known Ut hcadouar
tora' Why, then, are there no arrests, and WIN
10 1t that these nightly visitations are contfnoi,
without intorruptlon7
lno plea most commonly urged Is, TINT noro-
tatfona are pending for tho return Of the nron.
ofty' and thatto arrcst tho known burglars now
IN tho city would break OF tho negotiations,
and prevent the recovery Of tho yaluab1es.
"o regard this plea aB scarcely 1eaa
criminal than the burglaries themselves
Tho public aro taxed to snnport :.
police establishment for the prevention of
cf1me' and FOR tie arrest and punishment OF
ofih'ina's, and not for tho purpose Of compound-
ing 1elonios or negotiating for tho return Of
stolen property, for componeation. to tim
owner. Burglars steal property not to keon II
o"' TO convert 1t Into cash. Thoy have two
means Of doing thia: i. by disposing Of II tn
tho pawnbrokora. 2. By returning it for 4 reward
10 tito o"nora. In tho first case, tho villains
rarely get moro than 20 per cent Of the yalua of
tue property; in tho second, thoy got moro, In
'he latter case they arc exempted from prosocn.
zion. Every man WHO finds his stolon propertv
n lilo possession Of = pawnbrokor can cot tho
'amo upon paying tho Inter whatover sum he
'ays ho l'ail the thief. III tho other oaso, thu
property can bo obtained upon paymout Of
stipulated sum. And It is to enable the poraons
'oooed to negotiate with the thieves that
'ho police abstain from making .r.
Ees1s. ThiB system is MI wrong. While
1t enables persons 1obhod to recover their prom
rty upon paying 80 to 80 per cent Of It's
alue' 1t amounts to license and encourage
mont to crimo. Thus tho business of burclarv
reduced to system. When these eentrv
lsit city, they fix percentage on which taey
foposo to do businosB,-that ie, the percentage
Or which they will return the property they may
no. Thus tue loser Of jowelry or other prop
'tY can. unlesa there bo some peculiar ciror1u-
ances, get It back ut tho rate uamod. Thus il
watch "otth s2oo be stolen. the owner, By do
'alting 800 or 975 in the hands Of proper
'raon' can have 1t restored to him. Undor this
ndition Of things, Of what use are tho police.
Sher to prevent crimo OF to bring criminals to ,
Captain OF police was placed
der tho ban recently because he returned
'ooo worth Of jewelry in poraon, the owner al
sang that she left tho "raward" with him. It In
Z likely TINT, In such casoH, the officers gener-
receive any portion Of tho reward, tho money
ing divided between the Intermediates and thu
ot. This has been tho custom hero for many :.
'rs, and 1t Is time to break it up. II Cant.
,key wanta to re-establiah reputation "a an
ciont officer, lot him, botween now aud Mon
morning, lodge dozen OF these burglars in
, and thus givo notice that burglary on t,,a L
centago system aud on all other eystems Ia II
DO suppressed in this city. He knows all Is
80 burglare, and Gun put his hands on the =
'lo gang In t"enty-four hours, or compel them I
cave tho city. tt
looks as II the whole fraternity Of gamblers. y
Ps confidence men, and thieves have got the ~
that Chicago Ind boon made "froe CITY," ~
hich they can practice their business with. Vi
any serious interference. II tho po,jca an. pr
1ticH do not want this to bo accepted as tic ca
Innate result Of the late election, lot thom TO
Immediate steps to provo tho contrary. le'