, 1874-11-15
WITH SUPPLEMENT.
4 WORD TO THE POLICE AUTHORITIES.

4 WORD TO THE POLICE AUTHORITIES.
The STEADY increase OF burslaries, la1cenies
and robberies Of various kinds in this city ls
burning disgrace to the police authorities OF
Chicago The people OF this city are absolutely
without protection, and as much exposed TO
burglars and thieves as it there were not
policeman within it's naita- Whole blocks are raw
aged by burglars with perfect impunity. 1t ls
within bounds to say that gang Of burglars can
take snv block of residences in this city and de-
liberately devote the whole night to the robbery
Of each house in detail, collect and load up their
plundez, and drive off with it At daylight, with
ont interference by the police. hore than
this, these scoundzels have become 80 en-
boldened by the SUCCESS Of their operations,
aud the fact that they have complete IL
cense to rob and plunder, that they
no longer trouble themselves to wait for dark
nces az cover for their operations, but work in
the open daylight Il is only necessary fot
them to ascertain that there are no men in
house, and this they can easily do Not Jay
or night passes TINT they are not At work in
every part of the city, and there is not day or
night when they are interrupted, be it single
house whole block Of houses that is suffer-
ing from their dep1edations. Their number al
SO is constantly increasing. Those who are here,
finding that they can operate with perfect i'm
punity, and that there is no disposition On the
part Of the police authorities to arrest them, are
writing to their pals in other cities, and they
are swarming in here by every train. How long
will it be before this gang Of outlaws and des-
peradoea strips the city
In view Of this disgraceful condition Of things,
it ia pertinent to ask what the police force is
doing, and what ne have police force for, it not
TO stop this villainous work The City of Ch1-
cago has Police Board, Chief Of Police and
his deputies, detective force and patrol OF
500 men, costing the citizens and taxpayers
nearly $1,000, 600 annually, the rank and file OF
The force earning nearly double Per year what
other labore1s get for their hard work. It is not
70 be expected that they can arrest all tho thieves
In the city, but the trouble is they scarcely ar
rest any, and, even when the opportunity is
offered, do not manifest disposition to make
a1rests. We have detective force whose
special duty it ia to ferret out these 1ufians,
and who are presumably as intelligent and skill
fu1 as the average Of detectives in other cities
but beyond the occasional capture Of some poor
devil, who may etcA for the{means Of subsist-
ence, Of what use are they7 The trouble. how
ever, is not with the rank and file, for that is
made up Of young men Of strength, courage,
them. The best Of soldiers are useless unless
there is some head to plan out and direct the
battle. The best Of policemen are Of no ac-
count, IL loahng is the chief duty they are
required to perform by their euperiors
The responsibility for this condition of
things, this lack Of security, this exposure OF
honest and peaceable citizens to the dopreda-
tons on property and risk Of life. rests with the
superiors Of the force. It lies at the doors Of
headquarters. Are these authorities IN league
with the burglars and thieves? Are they afraid
Of them7 Do they fear that if they interfere
With them they may lose their votes aud the po-
htical influence they WELD among the deprayed
classes2 Do they consider the public fair game
Tor these scoundrels, and that peaceful and law
abiding citizens have no rights VII ich they are
bound to protect?
II this is the trouble at headquarters they will
"ahe up some line morning aud find out they
haVe made mistake. The public is not in
temper to bear thlH audacious and infamous con-
duct Of the thieves much longer. There lis limit
10 patience. Tho authorities will find sone day
that Chicago is like San Francisco: that the peo-
PIE have taken the regulation Of these villains
into their own hands, and that 1mp-post can be
used for other purposes than as gas-lights and
street-signs. The public is very docile animal
30 long rs it is t1entcd even passably
well; but when it is imposed upon day
after day, week alter week, and month after
month, and cannot find relief or protection whero
it has tie right to expect it, it will get cnraged
and when enraged it will make short work Of
those who stand in it's way. The police autho1i-
tes therefore are warned in time. The people Of
tnls city are in earnest. Complaints and threats
Ire pouring in upon us from all sides. II the
so'oonhes do not commence protecting the
peop'e as once they will protect themselves.
-.
Lug honora which hsve been paid during the
!as' month to William Cullen Bryant, Charlotte
cnshma9' and to Mile. Dejazet, the eminent
French Artist, show that aga has it's cornnenea-
tions, and that where talent is real and tha mind
Is cultivated old age does not iutarrnnt tba ,.e.
c'natlons OF earlier days. French paper. re-
ferring to this fact, recalls several other IN.
stances OF similar kind, among them Diana da