Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-11-15

and Cutthroats - Important Thorough
fares Rendered Unsafe - Police System
at Fault-JustIce Rarely Melted Out.
Strangers who contemplate visiting Chi
,ago would do well to go prepared for al
most any emergency. Carry gun if you
would be safe.
Chicago is at present tho snug harbOr
for greater number of thieves, sandbag-
gers robbers and cutthroats than were
ever before sheltered within her limits ut
one time. There is an absolute reign of
terror there, and not a day passes that
numerous robberies, assaults and murders
are not chroniGled. Men and women who
are compelled to go upon the city IS streets
aftor dusk do SO with vague feeling that
they may be the next to feel the garroter's
fingers clutching their throats as they pass
the mouth of some dark alley, or that they
may fall stunned and bleeding, the vic
tins of the highwayman's slungshot, to
be despoilGd at the convenience Of their
assailant.
That such n condition of things should
exist when the city is presumably protected
by a large and high priced force of police
seems almost incredible, yet it is quite
true. The cause is twofold-tho munic-
ipal ordinances and state laws, stringent
enough apparently, are not enforced, and
the police are careless and inefficient. JUS
tice is so rarely melted out to criminals
even where the evidence against them is
damning, thar they simply laugh ut the
law and give open defiance to its officers
There does not seem to be n statute on the
books that clever, if roguish, lawyer
cannot puncture so full of holes shat it is
practically valuelGss; hence the watchwOrd
has gone forth to criminals all over the
land Chicago is dead easy" and to this
hive of selfish humanity they HE, conf
dent that, whatever difficulties they may
encounter, they are certain to find an easy
avenue of escape.
Thieves and other criminals are clan
nish. They are usually found in colonies
in certain quarters of the city. Their faces
are nearly all familiar to the police, for
the portraits of 80 out of every 100 adOrn
the albums in the rogues' gallery. The
question is often raised, ''Why are they al
lowed to remain in the city,"
1t is one which may be answered readily
in sentence. Chioagos police force is
and has been for many years mere pO-
litical factor and it must be ranked as the
most inefficient in any large city in the
world. This condition of affairs is the
natural OutgrOwth of corruption among
higher officials. Chicago is practically the
entire county of Cook, yet there are two
separate sets Of officials who control the
finances and affairs of the municipality
and the county. Thieyery and bribery as
well as all sorts of rasCality are bred like
chickens in an incubator. Aldermen draw
a salary of SO a week, yet to gain this sal
airy few men succeed without the expend-
iturc of from 81, 500 to 50, 600, and when
their election is secured they consider the
investment "A good one. County commits
sioners draw salaries of 81, 500 year.
There are 10 of them, and they control the
expenditure of millions. Boodling, as it
is called, is the letting of dishonest con-
tracts for supplies for the various county
institutions-the county hospital, insane
asylum and poOrhousc, which are three of
the largest institutions of their class in
the world, and other smaller public insti-
tutions. The aldermanic graft is in the
disposition of franchises and privileges,
which net barrels of money Can any
one wonder crime is fOstered in COM
munity so governed?
The extent to which crime is carried on
in Chicago is startling. The city covers
the vast area of almost 200 square miles,
and many sections that are well populated
are separated from the city proper by dis
triCts practically uninhabited. These iso-
lated districts are usually connected with
the heart of the city by electric car lines,
which cross territory chiefly devoted to
market gardens. There are even woods
that are quite dense within the city limits,
and such spots invite the attention of high
waymen. Belated passengers, going from
the cars to their homes, are held up and
robbed Mt the point of the revolver by
murderous thugs, who would not hesitate
to blow out their victims brains 1t was
only few nights ago that trolley car
was held up in the northern part of the
city by five robbers. The II passengers
on board were commanded in true train
robber style to "Throw up your handsl"
which they promptly did whereupon they
were all compelled to surrender their
money and valuables. The police claim
to have the thieves under arrest but it is
not believed that any proof can be brought
against the prisoners, and they are certain
to 60 free.
Mayor Swift was aroused from his po-
litical dreams. He called his chief of po-
lice and the heads of the police depart
ments and told them that the thieves
must at once be run in and then run out
of town; that miscellaneous thievery
sandbagging and the like must be stopped
That night and every night since the city
has had the added protection of from 100
to $50 policemen in citizens clothes, be-
sides the regular uniformed force These
extra men have patrolled the streets down
town until morning. Every person found
in the district east and south of the river
and north Of Van Buren, street during the
wee sma' hours Is acoosted and made to
give a detailed answer as to his business
on the street at such an unseemly time OF
night.
The first nights results were shown in
the arrest of between 300 and 300 suspects
many Of whom were recognized as we'll
known criminals. 1t may be that there
will for time be little more security for
honest people. The only regret to be felt
is that such activity on the part of the po-
lice will not last; it never does.
One Of the most laughable and at the
same time pitiful cases of taking in a
stranger occurred on Oct. 81. A Missouri
stock raiser, who had come to Chicago
with n carload of nattle which bo nod