New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-10
CRIMES INOREASE
AS VIEWED BY A WELL KNOWN JUDGE.
POLITICS IN THE POLICE MISUNDERSTANDING
OF TRASHY sIoRIEs-GREAT INCREASE OF THE


POLITICS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMETT-1NFLUEScE
OF TRASHY sToRIEs-GREAT INCREASE OF THE
CRIME oB PERJURY.
Meeting a well-knOwn judge, of a philo-
sophical OF mind whose years, combined with his
long experience at the bar and the bench give par
tcuar importance to his opinions, reporter Of The
TRIBUNE entered into conversation with him on crime
in general Referring TO what has been termed the
recent "epidemc OF crime." the judge asked II
he thought there anything anomalous in this re-
cent outcropping The substance OF the reply, with
several other observations by the Judge, rs fol-
lows:
Perhaps not There many reasons TO account
for the prevalence Of crime great deal OF fault Hes
with the police There is too much OF machine politics
In our police management 10 make the force effective
Men are placed the force owing to their ability to in
uence control votes their Willingness to do the
bidding OF wellkuown politicians. and men long on the
service are oentmes removed for want OF some peeu
liar faculty OF this kind Until there is real civil SER
vice reform in police system many criminals VIII 10
unpublished l do not question the good intentions
Of the men, but It requires experience and ability
aud familiarity with the criminal classes and their nd-
ing places TO make good policeman. There Is too little
reward for good work and too much rotating To
make the service thoroughly effective. The Gre
morne" hBuckingham" and other similar resorts
certainly should be broken MP by the police If they arc
onehaf as bad represented But If they are licensed
by they authorities they cannot be broken mp by the
police The blame In such eases Hes higher thdn WIN
the police. There are, however, hundreds OF places IN
this city which the resorts OF thieves ana discpu
BILE persons OF both sexes. which weknown TO the
police aud yet not nlcrfered with The influence
Of such places young men especially is Intellectually
injurious From these places come the recruits for the
criminal classes
There can be no question" the Judge continued as 10
the evil tendency OF many OF tne fashy and sensational
story papers that are every week from this city
att
ton to this subject aud have traced more than one
criminal TO what believe to be the influence OF this
kind OF reading such papers arc read by the YOUTH
land wItu relish that other sort OF literature
gives 20 the boyish mind The effect Is In every way
most unhealthia. II engenders totally wrong ideas OF
life fosters desires which autIcOnistc To every
principle OF rational living and by leading the youthful
mind TO the contemplation OF brilliant achievements or
pirates, robbers and other criminals easily teaches
10 TO disregard the c0unses OF pareuts
and teachers II there Is any Qualification
OF public censorship Of the press, 1t would certainly
seem find warrant in the existence Of tleso pu0ca
lions! I have told that there are upward Oh
twenty-five OF these pubhcaIons in this cify, with
combined circulation Of 375 900 This does not u-
clude dune novels nlshy books, aud like pubicr-
tons. OF which the issue is large The evil infu-
ence Of these publications is something enormous
think there can bc question: continued the Judge
THAT the crime OF perjury greatly on the increase
The administration Of oas has much 20 do with this in
crease This has to be buresque on what should
be- an impressive form. In former times an OATH was
administered deliberately, every word uI Whlch was
sOemnly emphasized IL was solemn anu f.Neteut NJ
veal Heaven to w1tess that tie person was ABOUT
truthV All busin- s. was.-uspended when oath
administered 10 has now come % be a mdmhing pro-
taking sticks up mis- ugcis, ksscs book the ciei
somebody else mumJles ncOhefcnuy' and there ne
matter ends There appeal 10 conscience. IL Is
lt9-etnGT ,t nern Who mes an oath In
fftrst s. fltt.-u faDl
i'm mo- rc,,,,t OF inc. gcuhcreut mumbng by witch he
was qualified witness. IN IN assure ths u mat
ter which courts should reform, bat the administering
of oals Il not confined the courts Clerks aud mo-
tar.cs and AN rorIs OF officials administer oaths
they tLOuEht 10 foolish aud Obsolete proceeding lac
~ suit d. perjury has become chronic crime Nobody
Is seut 10 The pententsry for PERJURY although Il D. one
81 toe most DANGEROUS crimes Judges KNOW that Pii-
Jury has become 70 cOa crime, AMI some OF them ate
now trying reform. Tar pOs-iD e., TIE administer
ug OF 0atns They should stop tne lnc0Heent numnlhR
and ndmiuister Oaths thensciyes by way Or
example. The attention of grand luuct should DC calico
10 the great iucrease IN tas crime Neraics are oh
tanned nearly every week IA our courts ~h'ch are
There Is some diaenyo he concluded 'in proving
the crime OF PERJURY There - alNys the hyPotheals
that the WINES tfeachrrUus memory OF does not
Ne wilfully People talk about such eatcs ~ common
evils Bat as no penalty rs enforced, ana as Jew ehss
OF ibis Kind are prescntcd % The grand lufifs u iol
lows thur the crime - committed with IMMUNITY fhls
kiud ui swearing Is paItltuit1 not.V.nnc ~ u'UiS ,
cases though hy no means conhued To tust class Cos
us ,,d V law. Eroy5n rasss where mad
gOOJ 10 believe perjury mad been committed.
There almost every court cases Wuerc m
dictens are founded testimony that has proved 10
bc false There not term of court held la ths city
that Judges aud lawyers do not know hat the crime OF
perjury has been cOmttcG over aud over again lhota
anu rUDbercs hall dangerous Ia Che wei being
81 society a. potJuTy have been giving attention 10
this crime and shall propose hereafter, means OF par
tial reform az least There - growing disposition
10 abandon petit jurics In large class OF
cases. II the question Is put 20 nfty Intelligent
Citizens half OF whom are lawyers, hye-siXths
OF them will say they prefer TO have a
cause which they interested tried before judge
rather than call jury. IL n the side with the false or
weak testimony that fears judge, as general thlnt
This because, with upright Judge those who have
good Of action believe tat where false testimony
offered the judge, with all MS faculties sharpened by
long experience and observation, VIII detect spurious
testimony by sitting process which lie Is more oOmpe-
tent 20 than untuiued jury. Jurles are con-
fused by false testimony, hat judges rarely Either tho
iury system be abandoned In great part on there
must be reform the manner Of putting witnesses ON
the stand"