The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-04


his laws are breeding a race of crimi-
nails he will not believe you; he thinks
that you, q barbarian because a for
eigner, know nothing about it, If you
cite his own authorities, Count d'Haus-
sonville. NJ. d'Olivecrona, NJ. Dufaure,
or NJ. Leveille. he smiles incredulously
and still denies. If you compare
France with other countries, he pooh
poohs. In u word, he believes France
to be not only the greatest of all coun-
tries, but the most virtuous. He ex-
cepts Paris, perhaps, with an indulgent
wink, because he likes to believe, and
above all likes foreigners to believe,
that Paris is wicked"
II might perhaps be worth while to
emphasize this. A few days ago a
Paris newspaper gave an account OF
the recent doings of highwaymen in
Chicago. The report, although coming
through an English channel, was APP
parently not exaggerated. 1t recount
ed IA number of details, then summar-
ized; for one week there was a total
| of forty "hold ups" besides a number
of other aggresslons. 1t was a great
| chance for commentary by the Paris
! paper 1t squared it's elbows and sailed
| in with scathing rebuke Of Chicago
| lawlessness: attacked the police, as a
| band of worthless tramps; attacked
| the city government; attacked the city;
| finally as was to be expected, saved
| its best whacks for America and Amer
| leans. II was a severe arraignment,
| and the editor doubtless thought it was
scorcher. The most interesting thing
about it to alien eyes was the inevitable
| comparison, for which the concluding
| paragraph had been saved:
| Thus we see life in an American
| city of the first class" said the Virtu-
Gus Frenchman. "Our friends across
| the water call themselves civilized
Bravo Chicago, We have heard of the
| great police systems of America; we
! have heard of the great fire companies;
we have heard of so many great things
| from that land of great things that il
| would be impossible to name them all
| We have also heard of great balloons
| and we cannot conceive why they
should be manufactured out of that
great land. We have, finally heard
| of Paris. We wonder what Chicago
would think of Paris We wonder
what Chicago would think of the great.
est city in the world and the admirable
| way i'm which affairs are conducted
| here"
BEAM AND MOTE.
If that Paris editor had looked ovei
the issue of his own paper in which
| his remarks were printed he would
have found some paragraphs by which
he might have formed another compar
ison between Paris and Chicago. i
he had looked through the files for {
week, in order to make things equal a!
| regards time with the record of Chi
cago, he would have found more para
| graphs for comparison than he would
have known what to do with; and III
might have kept on looking back a
the records for a year. or five years
without being embarrassed for mater
ial in due proportion. But perhaps
that one days record-in nowise an eX
traordinary day-would have been suf
ficient to set up against Chicago's one
seventh of forty "hold-ups'' and mino
crimes. Summarized they were as fol
lows:
l. A music teacher, unmarried, 2
years old, was walking down the Ave
nue. de IOpera at o'clock in the af
ternoon, and was accosted by well
dressed man. who invited her to din
with him. She paid no attention t.
him, but he followed her On the Qua
du Louvre she took one of the rive
boats to go to her home. The MAJ
also took the boat and again addressed
her. She turned away. At the Qua
de Bercy she got off. The man got off
Joined her, and again spoke. She ap
pealed to a policeman, who refused t
interfere because the man had don
nothing. The young woman went on
and presently the man caught up wit
her and put his arm around her waist
She shook him off, and cried; "Leav
me alone, you loafer!" The man drey
back and hit her a terrible blow in tn
mouth, knocking out three teeth. The
he ran the end Of his cane into her lef
eye, driving it completely out of it
socket. The young woman fell to tn
sidewalk, and the man jumped on he
and kicked her, breaking two ribs.
number of persons pulled the ma
away, and he was finally arrested. A
the police station he said he did no
know the woman, but she had calle
him a "loafer," and he was unable [
control his anger. The young woma
was taken to the hospital and will b
there for several months. All thi
happened in broad daylight, in a crowd
ed thoroughfare. If the man is con
victed by jury, which is not certain
he will probably be sentenced to ia
for three months (eXtenuating circum
stance of anger. according to Frenc
law), but sentence will be suspende
if it be a first offence.
2. A carpenter, married, was return
{ ing home from work at o'clock in tn
, evening, In passing through the Ru
Turbigo, then crowded with pedes
; trians, he was set upon from benin
and stabbed four times. His assailan
a youth, was greatly astonished to fin
| he had made mistake. He had bee
laying" for the husband of his mis-
= tress, and his victim was entirely un
) known to him. This youth was dis
! charged from custody three days late
g. student, upon the eve of get
: ting married, had determined to PAL
with his mistress, a variety actress
Upon preteXt of having a farewell tai
: with him, she persuaded him to Wis
her at her apartment. She treated hii
J to drugged wine, and when he ha
become unconscious poured Vitrol int
both his eyes, entirely destroying tn
+ sight. She was arrested and tried bt
fore jury which acquitted her on I'll
} ground that she had been moved b
"ungovernable jealousy"
4. A party of dissolute youths we
sitting in a wine shop of the Rue {
Flandre. The talk fell upon coural
: and deeds of personal prowess. Fac
recounted something that he had dor
out Of the ordinary. The youngest,
l | lad of l6, was taunted with the fai
that he had not yet made "his mark