The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-17


From the New York Sun.
chicago. Nov. 9.-Strangers who con-
template visiting Chicago would do we'll
10 com. prepared for almost any emer-
-srcv. Carry a gun if you would be safe.
chicago is at present the snug harbor
f-r "a greater number of thieves, sand
i.saaers. robbers and cutthroats than were
over before sheltered within her limits al
ono time There is an absolute reign of
terror here, and not a day passes that
rrnerous robberies, assaults and muir
doris are not chronicled. Men and women
who are compelled to so upon the city's
streets after dusk do so with vague feel
inr that they may be the next to feel the
oarroter's fingers clutching their threats
Is they pass the mouth of some dark al
lev. or that they may fall, stunned and
Needing. the victims of the highway
mans slungshot, to be despoiled at the
convenience of their assailant
That such a condition should exist
when the city is presumably protected by
q large and high-priced force of police
seems almost incredible, yet it is quite
trie. The cause is twofold-the municipal
ordinances and state laws, stringent
enough. apparently, are not enforced, and
the notice are careless and inefficient. JUS
tice is so rarely melted out 10 criminals,
even where the evidence against them is
damning. that they simply laugh at the
law and give open defiance to its officers.
There does not seem to be statute on
the books that a clever, II roguish law
Yer cannot puncture SO full OF holes that
ii is practically valueless; 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 confident that, whatever dlfhcultleS
they may encounter, they are certain TO
tnd an easy avenue of escape.
Thieves and other criminals are clannlSh.
They are usually found in colonies in GER
lain quarters of the city. Their faces are
nearly all familiar to the police, for the
portraits of ninety out OF every hundfeu
adOrp the albums in the Rogues gallery.
The question is often raised, why are
they allowed to remain in the city,!
IL is one which may be answered readliy
I'm a sentence. Chicago police force Is ana
has been for many years mere political
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 OIL
ficals. Chicago is practically the enllre
county of Cook, yet there are two separate
sets of officials who control the finances
and affairs of the municipality and the
county. ThieVery and bribery, as wei! as
an sorts of rascallty, are bred IKE chlck-
ems in an incubator Aldermen draw a sal
AIRY of 50 a week, yet to gain this salary
few men succeed without the expenditure
of from 81 $40 to 5000, and when their cleo
tion is secured they consider the invest
ment a good one. County commissioners
draw salaries Of Sl,5C9 a year. There are
fifteen of them, and they control the eN-
pendture Of millions. Boodling, as 1t IS
called, is the letting of dishonest contracts
for supplies for the various county inst-
tutions-the county hospital insane asy-
lum and poorhouse, which are three of the
largest institutions of their class in the
world, and other smaller public lnsutu-
lions. The aldermanlc graft IS IN the as
position of franchises and privileges,
which net barrels of money. Can any one
wonder crime is fostered in community
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 popu-
lated are separated from the city proper
by districts practically uninhabited.
These isolated districts are usually con-
nected with the heart of the city by cleo
tric car lines, which cross territory CHIEF
" devoted to market gardens There are
even woods that are quite dense within
the city limits, and such spots invite the
attention of highwaymen. Belated pas
sengers, going from the cars to their
homes, are held up and robbed at the
point of the revolver by murderous
thugs, who would not hesitate TO dow
out their victims brains. It was Only
few nights ago that trolley car was
held up in the northern part OF the city
bv five robbers The seventeen passen-
gers on board were commanded in true
train robber style to Throw up your
hands," which they promptly did, where
upon they were all COnpelleu 10 SURRENDER
their money and Valuable5. Inc ponce
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 go free.
Only a small percentage of the assaults,
robberies and kindred crimes committed
in Chicago are unearthed by the newspa-
pers. 1t has long been the practice of
the police to suppress reports OF bur
glaries, robberies and assaults. They tell
the hapless victim that II would defeat
the ends of justice if such reports were
published, as it would warn the crooks
that they were wanted and would give
them opportunity to escape. At the Cen
tral station there is kept "squeal book,
in which such reports are recorded. Years
ago, when the writer was night police
reporter for the old Times, in the life
time of Wilbur T. Storey, the newspapers
had access at all times to the "squeal
book now it is guarded as jealousy as
the vaults in the basement of the treas
ury building in Washington
Nevertheless, it became apparent that
Chicago was at the mercy of a gang of
thieves, and even worse, and the neWspa-
pers protested against such a state of mis-
rule. The world was beginning to learn
what deplorable condition OF analrs eN-
listed here, ard it was evident that the
citys reputation must suffer. Reputable
citizens We're robbed and beaten, night
after night, on Chicago's most prominent
and pretentiOus Observation-Disclosures aven-
uc-right under the glare of electric lights
the lawless sections on South Clark and
state streets had become infested with
hundreds of the most dangerous classes
Of criminals-black and white and male
and female garroters, "strOng-arm' men
and those who would not hesitate to use
the knife, bludgeon, or billy in the accom-
phshment Of their crimes. Even police Of
rcers were accused of highway robberies
and in one or two cases evidence so strong
was produced that convictions of the Of
hcers are likely to follow. The citizens
cried out in their indignation and demand
ed better protection.
Mayor Swift was aroused from his po-
lltical dreams, in which he doubtless saw
MS head looming up in the Senate cham
Der and himself seated in chair now held
down by a democrat. He called his chief
Of police and the heads of the police de-
partments, and told them that the thieves
must at once be run in, and then run out
OF town; that miscellaneous thievery, sand
bagging, and the like must be stopped.
Lhat night and every night since the city
mas had the added protection of from 100
10 $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
ln the district east and south of the river
and north Of Van Buren, street during the
zee sma' hours is accosted and made to
I'VE a detailed answer as TO his business
"a the street at such an unseemly time OF
night.
The first nights results were shown in
me arrest of between two and three hun