St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-11
A REIGN OF TERROR,
Sandbagging and Piekpocket-
ing Rife Throughout the
City.
The Police Are Decidedly
Mum About the Law
leSSneSS.
Chief Garvin Says He Re-
Quires Additions TO the
Force.
The Newspapers May Proba-
bly, Organize a Detective
Corps.

During the past two or three days
there have been numerous Instances OF
"sandbagging, holding up and pick
pocketing. a few OF these the police
have captured, but the larger portion
of them have succeeded in Guiding the
clutches Of the law. The police are also
attempting 70 withhold many of these
occurrences from the public, presume
bly, under the Claim that it would mill
tate against them to have the cases
brought Out. and thus give warning To
the crooks that have committed
the deeds, and allow them to
escape This may be a lauda-
Die move from a police stand
point, but the public does not view 1t
in this light. If the thief and slugger
is abroad in the city they would like to
be informed of the fact as well as the
police force. in order that they may
guard against being robbed and knocked
down while in the pursuit of their duty
or on their way home after an evenings
visit. 1t is just as essential that the
public should be aware of these facts as
ii is that the crooks should be caught,
and when the police withhold lntOrma-
ton Oi this character they are certainly
direlect in their duty to the city and the
taxpayer. whose servants they are.
Wednesday evening while returning
home from the theater an emplOye Of
the German-American bank. who was
accompanied by his wife, was sand
bagged and robbed, his wife almost
frightened to death, and his face quite
severely bruised and pummelled up.
On the same evening a paper hanger
living near the Rondo station was
stood up with a revolver in his face and
relieved of Il weeks wages. On the cor
ner of Ninth and Wabasha, where there
is always quite a crowd, the light
fingered pick pocket had great graft,
10 less than half dOZeE ladies having
had their purses lifted. At the corner
of Fifth and Robert, where there is also
generally quite a crowd awaiting the
cars in every direction, The same thing
has occurred, and one man at this point
lost $40.
During a week like the one just past,
- 1t is the duty of the chief Of police of a
large city to see that sufficient and COM
petent officers aIe detailed to places
like those mentioned above 10 protect
the unWaTy and innocent visitors VINO
have come to the city for weeks visit,
and this can be done in no other way
than by making examples of those
caught, and informing the public of
danger when it is threatened.
In talking over this matter yesterday
afternoon two city officials under the
new regime, while standing near the
city hail. expressed their surprise at one
OF the appointments on the detective
fOrce-that OF eX-POlice Officer Leyde,
who voluntarily gave his age at forty
three years. while the law specifics that
no person who is over thirty-fve years
shall he eligible to hold a position on
the force. The fact that there has been
considerable dissatisfaction at points
like this before makes it 1.-the more
strange that the new chief should 50
utterly disregard the law in this respect.
The citizens of st. Paul want COM
Detent police force, regardless Of favor
itism or politics, and any possible ques-
ton or doubt as to competency or eligI-
bility should be avoided,
II the police persist IN their deter
mnatiOn to withhold from the public
the information to which they are en-
titled, they will demand it by virtue of
the power with which they have in
vested the uniformed protectors of the
wealth and prosperity of ST. Paul, and
II lH"S dlSO tuIu Jul GHdI tHc HShSpd-
pers will take a hand in the mat
ter; and, like the New York
Recorder, when 1t organized
STRENGTHENING force to do the work
of all alleged inefficient and tardy
health commission. the newspapers of
this city will have 10 organize a staff of
reporters that will unearth and bring to
light the evil doings of the fiim-fanr-
mers and confidence men that will make
our fair city an abiding place if the
check rein of good order and decency is
not placed is curb CT power before
those who would bring disorder and dis
reDut1 UPON us. who have heretofore
enjoyed the reputation of one of the
best governed cities i'll the United
States.