, 1874-11-15

Investigation into Its Extent
and Causes.
Interviews with Police Officers, Police
Justices, Etc.
/ General Opinion that the Force
Is Too Small.
Disagreeing Statements as to the
Amount Of Crime.
Apparent Necessity for q New
Vagrant Law.


TIE TRIBUNE published Thursday morning
choice collection Of burglaries which had take
place On the West Side. A few day previous
noticed IN alarming number in the vicinity Q
Lincoln Park. From day to dav, az they wer
learned, it has chronicled other instances o
burglary or robbery. The aggregate, large az
il, does not give the total number, or anything
like it. Under the present system. the case
reported to the police are not given to reporters
sirce publication OF the fact might it is said
nut the criminals on their guard. This reasoi
is often given, but it is hard to find that it ha
any value. In many cases those whose house
have been entered prefer to have nothing sait
about 1t; they dislike publicity, and it is onl'
by accident that tue miehap is discovered ant
announced in the papers.
Less than half of the greater crimes against
property find their way into print. We're al
given. the total would be 50 largo that the fccl'
ing Of public anxiety, already acute enough
would be intensified. There would bo more sit,
ting up Of nights, more concealment OF valua.
blcs, aud more terror at every uncertain noe
turnal sound- This anxiety finds voice in a
vague demand that the police shall do some
thing. and the assertion that the force. as at
~A49
declarations Of men who have been robbed are
always little one-sided and unjust, and for the
purpose of ascersaining. if possible, where the
fault les q reporter Of this paper has inter-
viewed the Superintendent Of Police, Police
CAPTAINS, Justice sculIy, the States Attorney,
and atso gentleman OF great experience in
police matters, IN order 10 get their views on q
subject Of such special interest.
II will he seen that their ODifionH-aa mfrhf
be cxlected-vary Oh some poluts. but that they
generally agree. Alr. Reflm sees no increase in
crime: one Of his Eubordiuates thinks other
wlse. Some think the law aiouc is to blame
others believe tho present force, properly han
died cou!d do much under the laws as they
stand. All ag1ee tnat tue police force is too
EEsslt, ana that there are serious imperfcctous
i'll the sagran, law. Whether these things will
account for the apparent increase III crime IS for
the reader 10 dese mine.
All val agree that prevention is better than
cule the Illustration Of tuts slary than the ar
rest Of burglar after he has terrified family,
or possibly wounded . member Of 1t. 10 exrect
man ralrolilns beat covering the territory be-
tween Lake aud Madison and Shelton aud
H2ssted streets, t" prevent burglar'es in
that district. is to expect imposbibilities.
The moment he has left d point the burglars,
knowing he will not be there again for All hour,
begin operations To give one street additional
Protection is to der rive another OF it. The
present force. while 1t may do mora than it now
does, clearly canuot do everything
There arrived here Yesterday. or the day be-
country over as criminals. They are seen upon
the street by the. police, and are known the
moment they gel. here. 1t is understood thev
live ty c,i1ne. and that burglary robbery
le to Happen as surely as the advent Of circus
agent means q pg tent and acrobat,c perform
ances. II these NJ n were licked up Oh sight
and put out OF BARNS way. much mischief
would be avoided. Can the police do any
thing Of that kind under the preeent law?
They certainly do not do very much. Capt.
Buckley speaks Of the arrests made By ilie men.
But he does not 60 far enough. Those nhom he
aarests are generally sueak-thieves, pocket
pickers, petty scamEs. who go into larger opera
tons only as tho tools Of abler men. But Why
arrest Ed Burns, fresh from Joliet, or Barney
Aaron, Red Jlm," Saul Walters, Jimmy Hoey,
Jimmy Murphy, Meeny Marks, the two Garr1tysss
tho fellow who started to rob Campbe1Is hair
store, Bill Dunn, or dozen others They can
be found any day on Clark and Madison streets.
Let US Lave them fetched in tomorrow, Cap
tain.
The police claim, and with Justice, that when
:hey arrest professional thief on suspicion,
snd he lis sent to the Dndewell as q vagrant, he
Immediately appeals, gives bonds, aud that ends
the matter. Now, can they arrest him again.
They say. on tho same complaint, till tho appeal
is disposed of: Yet there must he some per
fectly legal system OF worrying these people by
IoneAaut al1eotes WHICH, "OuAo klluu64lT QI1Ye
them away. Arrest Ed Burns, for instance,
every Saturday night, and Keep him till Monday,
Of courae sending no word to any Justice to come
down and bail him out, and see il be does not
weary Of the business. To repent, it is always
the little thieves who are mciested; give tie
big ones Chance, and try the law with them.
It is doubtful whether the Superintendent ia
right i'll measuring bis SUCCESS By the amount of
money reported recovered. forgetting that peo-
pie would greatly prefer not to have Il stolen at
all. Besides, these returns Of property stolen
are no index. They should be supplemented by
the complaints lodged atprivate detective offices,
and the newspaper advertisements Offering to
compromise felonies for certain sum.