The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-03-04

reaching the te rito~y, and probably
ono hupdred miles before reaching
IL, 10 serve this same witness. When
the great distances that have TO be
travelled In the country for these
purposes are recollected, and bear
ing in mind how innumerable are the
occasions FOR The service Of process
upon Witnesses, or the arrest OF
parties upon warrants, a slight idea
Of the increase Of officers's fees and
the expense OF mileage and subsis-
tance arising under the working of
the present system can be fSrmed.
In addition, dual grand 10 les, with
all their expenses Of or@a ization,
balids, atte ndauce, subsistence and
witness ices stoiaves,igate crime com
misted in the lndiaa Te .ltory.
While this J logical and unprecs-
dented dual system thus increases
the expenses OF administering the
law to an aggregate that staggers
watched las operations, It's existence
at the same time cripples the effect
iveness, for the suppression OF crime
, OF every officer in either jurisdiction.
IL does so in innumerable ways that
can be made plain. 10 a crime be
committed which is within the juris-
diction Of the territosy courts, and
the marshal Of the Paris, Fort Smith
or Wichita courts be in the locality
OF its commission at the time, there
is neither obligation nor incentive
for him to pursue the Grim, nal,
! though be be in a position to do so
the most effectively, for the reason
that the offense is not within the
/ Jurisdiction Of the court whose pro-
cess he serves, and whatever he
might voluntarily do, would be at a
risk of losing his time and expenses.
So, vice-versa. IL an offense be COM
mitted which is within the jurisdict-
ion of Pa is, Fort Smith or Wichita.
a train robbery or murder, and an
officer OF the courts in the territory
be nearest % the offense, and have
the best opportunity Of arresting the
criminal, neither obligation nor in.
cent.vo exists for him to exert him.
self in app-ehending the wrong doer
for by so doing he not only takes the
risk Of losing his time and expenses
incurred, aud the danger Of attempt
ing the arrest, but also OF subjectinl
himself to possible trial in Other
coucts for some act wherein he has
exceeded his authority and trespass
I'd upon the other Jurisdiction. Thus
II is that under the present system
the force of men required to do ths
work must necessarily be doubled OF
.rebled, the expen-s Of such fOrcs
Increases in corresponding rates
while, to the extent that the juris
iiction over the same territory j,
divided into fractions, the men en-
forcing the law iu these fractional
parts have their efficiency in al
ways crippled and impaired. Har
monious action against every grade
Of crime is impossible, when tbs
head Of the executive force and al
the men under him act within :
limited field of jurisdiction, and ar'
compelled, at the same time, 10 b,
ever scrupulous lest their acts trench
> upon a different jurisdiction anC
they become subject 10 the pains anS
penalties of the law.
Another suggestion will MAKE
plain how the present system in
} creases the cost Of judicial admins
. tration. There are thirteen place
Of holding United States court in tn
= Indian Territory. The longest dis
tance which a witness must travel II
I going to any Of these courts, Is prob
, ably seventy miles; whereas, thi
E distance which a witness must trave
in going to Paris, Fort Smith, o
: Wichita, is frequently two hundre'
. and fifty miles or more. When IL
: remembered that the officer mus
5 travel this distance in going fror
) Paris, Fort Smith or Wichita, {
serve the witness and in returning {
: his court, and that the witness mus
: travel the distance in going TO an
coming from court, II the dinerenc
e between seventy miles and two hun
q dred and fifty miles Is multiplied b
four, an idea is had Of the diferenc
y Of the cost Of mileage alone in N
j case OF a single witness. Now bear
j. ing in mind that this witness must b
e taken before a commissioner Of th
. Paris, Fort Smith or Kansas court
4 and must then be carried before
= grand jury at one or the other {
n these places, and then viii probabl
:, be required to make more than on
Q trip before the case IS finally dil