The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-20
POLICE OR CRIMINALSq

What is the purpose of maintaining
a police department?
Primarily il is TO preserve order, reg
ulate intercourse between citizens and
insure to each the lawful enjoyment Of
his rights It extends to the protection
of lives. health, comfort and quiet of all
persons, the enforcement CT all laws and
the protection of all property within
the jurisdiction Of the department
According to inspector Byrnes a rec
ognized authority, the chief duties Of
policeman are to preserve order and
prevent crime. The discovery and ap-
prehension of those who have already
broken the law is an important part Of
the work of police department..
But policeman has no more right
TO lay traps 10 induce people to violate
the law than he has TO enter into any
other conspiracy. to crack a safe, for
instance, or to commit a murder.
The badger game" is a form of crime
which is just as infamous in a man as
it is in a woman, even though the man
be a police officer. It is common enough
are often made the victims OF profess
sional blackmailers, but in the west
highway robbery is the more usual
method of accomplishing the same end.
Yet the badger game" has been
worked right hare in Salt Lake City, al
though the victim succeeded in keep
ing his name out Of print. Several
years ago a prominent local attorney
was induced to visit the apartments of
an apparently respectable woman on
some pretext or other. While there d
burly ruffian burst into The room. an
nounced himself as the husband of the
woman, threatened TO call the police
and tell them a story of sullied honor,
pretended TO have received fatal in
juries to his domestic happiness, and
finally minated that a specific amount
would heal his laceraled heart. The
woman took to sobbing, confessed that
she had done wrong and promised, If
her husband would spare her life, that
she would make a clean breast of some
thing or other in court.
The attorney was innocent. but he
was caught and it cost him some
money, more than $50, and a great deal
OF mental anguish. But he succeeded
IN keeping bis name out of print
This was a crime, no less infamous
in the woman who acted as a decoy
than in the man who was hidden in the
adjoining room with his ear to the key
hole awaiting her return with vic
tim.
There are many ways crime like /
this could be carried out. The woman /
might claim that her husband was dy- +,
ing. or her child sick, and induce even /
4 minister of the gospel 10 accompany /
her to the trap where her confederate /
was waiting.
In the same way a bunco-steerer !
might persuade a man to meet him at I
q corner or accompany him to q room /
where there is a PAL ready to sell him a
gold brick.
These are crimes. Whether the in
tended victim falls into the trap or not,
they are crimes. They are crimes,
whether committed by a man or
wcman, by an ordinary culprit. or an
officer sworn to enforce the law and
prevent its violation.
1t is not only crime per Sc, but
conspiracy besides. The statutes of
Utah provide that IF two or more per-
sons consDire to commit crime, they
are punishable by imprisonment in the
county Jail not exceeding one year or
by fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars"
Conspiracy is a crime. just as black
nail is, just as the offer 10 buy or sell
a vote is. And the statutes also pro-
vide that all persons concerned in the
commission OF a crime, whether it be
felony or misdemeanor and whether
they directly commit the act constitut-
ing the ofense. or aid or abet in its
or not being present. have
advised and encouraged its commits
sion. are principals in any crime so
committed.
These are things for policemen gen.
orally "a fI1iuI- a HINT