St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-06
AS TO KNOWING CRIMINALS.

tinued defense of his accidency, the
mayor, with its average brilliancy.
1t is, of course. facetious over the
continuance Of crime in the city, and only
needs another good murder-which the
week will probably produce-to become
wildly hilarious.
The p. P. thinks the mayors ac-
quaintance should be too select to be
aware that the criminal classes make
their headquarters in st. Paul, though
in view OF the mayors apparent asso-
citation with the editor of the P. P. there
seems no ground to assume that he is
sufficiently particular about his society
to avoid any kind of people.
The GLOBE does not assume that the
mayor personally does police or detect
i've work.
The GLOBE DOES assume that the
mayor is responsible for the manner in
which police and detective work is
done. He is the chief executive of the
city and is responsible for the police
force. He is the man to be held &C
countable, and the GLOBE simply goes
to the head which is responsible for the
Paul land not to the subordinate depart
mentS.
There is not competent police de-
partment in any prominent city which
does not know the criminals of the en-
tire country. The business of detecting
criminals and preventing crime is as
much profession aud matter of educa-
ton as that of the ministry or the bar.
No mayor with brains has a police de-
partment which does not contain men
educated in the detective profession.
Police and detective departments are
in constant communication with each
other, and trace is kept of every
spotted criminal until he reaches the
grave. When he is serving term in
the penitensiary or when he is at large
it is known throughout the country in
detective circles, and his movements
are passed all along the line.
Even as densely stupid an object as
the P. P. would scarcely claim that a
young man born and reared in st. Paul
could enter career of crime and con-
tinue it without being known to the st.
Paul police. And. if he escaped the
penitentiary here and moved elsewhere,
his description would, under any ad-
ministration but Mayor Wright's, be
passed along the police lines of the
country, and he would go on his GRIM
inal career marked and watched until
finally landed.
1t is as much the business of the COM
petent detective to know the criminal
classes as it is for the lawyer to know
his legal authorities or the minister to
know where to find a passage of
Scripture.
The trouble in st. Paul is that the
mayor does not know anything, and
consequently it is impossible for him to
know that his subordinates do not know
anything. 1t is case of similia simil.
ibuS curantur.
The criminal classes are composed of
bright men, and they recognize that st.
Paul not only affords them home, but
it is entirely safe to hold up citizens,
street car conductors, and dove tail in a
few murders for the amusement of the
Z. P, with impunity. And that is why
crimes abound in st. Paul, and why
ehSJ WIZ lung DIS Jilt
ent imbecile administration is in power.
If the p. P. will bear the expensesof
employing some one with brains, the
GLOBE will secure list of not less
than hundred professional criminals
who are now making or have recently
made st. Paul their headquarters. The
very easiest portion Of detective work
Is to know the criminals. II is not
always so easy to fasten crime upon
them, but knowing them, it is easy to
drive them from the city. Men
of that profession move on when duly
warned.
When they find town where they
can enter the chief of policies office
Zone flight below the mayor's) and blow
the safe, they have struck too soft
snap to quit.
When WILL Mayor Wright resign /?
Call the next murder.
Convulslve laughter by the P. P.
when it happens.