The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-19
To Stop Train Robberies.


Express train robberies have become
epidemic. They have been perpetrated
lately on an ambitious scale In three old
and heavily populated States. Indiana,
| Michigan. and Ohio: and the losses entailed
by them during the past three weeks are
computed by express officials at $780, 900.
By the simple device OF displaying. at a
bend In the railway. the red light danger
signal. an express train is readily brought
to stop. and that done. the express car Is
without difficulty "held up" and the Off
cial In charge OF it covered" In veri-
table outlaw style. This recent out
| break Of robbery. upon the lines running
| between New York city and the West. Is
| explained by the fact that an abnormaly
! large sum OF money Is passing between
New York and Chicago through Fair differ
ences and discounts: and ono effect Of the
| contracted bank loans. in the harvest time,
has been the remission Of very large sums
OF actual cash currency. instead Of checks
and drafts. the ordinary medium Of remit
tance to the West in September.
10 meet this condition OF affairs, and to
prevent future losses. two remedies have
been proposed. Some OF the express COM
shotguns. believing in the old method OF
fighting fire with fire. or. rather. Of fight
ing firearms with firearms. This is the
first method. and. while suiting some cases,
1t is an Indictment to lawlessness and a
dangerous innovation. The other method.
which Is more pacific and practical. is con-
tanned In the bill introduced. at the request
OF express companies. in the House OF Rep
resentatives. and which proposes to trans
fer the offence of holding up" n train in
transit from any State to the Federal au-
thorities. 1t is proposed to make this crime
an offence under the Federal statutes to
be tried in the United States courts before
United States Judges. and punished by I'M
prlsonment in Federal Jail
The right to regulate Interstate COM
merce Is by the express terms Of the
Constitution (section 81 specifically re-
mitted by the several States to the Federal
Government: and one OF the acts OF 1887
was the passage of the Interstate Com
rnerce bill. II the Federal authorities have
the right to regulate Interstate commerce.
they have clearly. it seems reasonable to
contend. the right TO protect commerce
passing between the States by the adoption
OF proper measures. similar to those needed
and taken for the protection OF the United
States mails in transit. No constitutional
authority has. we believe. ever claimed this
to be an evasion OF the reserved rights OF
the several States. Such is the legal aspect
OF the matter: the common-sense view of IL
is not different.
Money RENTED by express from one
State to another concerns the sender and
the recipient. neither Of whom is a resi-
dent OF the State wherein the crime OF
robbery on railroad highway is commit
ted; both are aliens to its courts. For the
county officials to prosecute the case is to
put the innocent complaining parties at a
disadvantage. and accord an unfair prefer
ence to the lawbreakers. More than this.
the maintenance OF safeguards against rail
road robbing would be serious burden on
small county. the residents OF which are
adverse to being taxed for police, court,
and other expenses for protecting property
belonging to residents OF other States.
There Is. besides. usually an absence
OF cash in the county treasury sufficient
for adequate methods Of protection, and
for catching and Furnishing the offenders
when caught. Consequently train-robbing
criminals are not pursued with vigor.
and In the majority Of cases they escape.
unscathed, from any penalty for their Of
fences. The railroad companies which.
originally. had nothing to do with the pre-
sentation of the bill to which we refer have
been admonishcd by recent robbcries of the
need OF some such enactment. and thew are
now supporting it, with "A reasonable pros-
pect that by this, or some similar measure
an end Will be put with strong hand to the
exploits OF hlghwaymen on our great inter
State railroads.