The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-04-19
Centralia People Are Aroused Over
Lawlessness.
court Blamed for Increase Of Crime.

Up to the present time there has
been no definite clue that will lead to
the conviction of the parties who set
FIRE to Dykes barn, and Davis block
of houses at Centralia last Friday
night. Mr.. Dyke and Mr.. Davis both
offered a reward, aggregating $500 for
such evidence, as will lead to the
arrest and conviction of the guilty
party.
awe know, or feel sure that we
know, who The guilty parties are"
said one of Centralia's leading men to
a man from the Ashland Aa0oeate to-
day, ''but we have not got the EVIL
dence that will convict them. We
expect to get 1t, however, and if we
do you can depend upon it that Mr..
Dyke, and Mr.. Davis can get all the
moral and financial support that they
may need to push the prosecution to
the bitter end.
"What we need, however, at Cen.
ralia" he continued, sis a vigilance
committee. 1t should be organized at
once, and then there are about a
dozen fellows in our town who should
be gwen twenty four hours to quit the
place, and if they don't 60 they should
be strung up to the nearest lamp post.
know that this is making 1t pretty
strong, but the case is a desperate
one, and requires desperate remedy.
We can point out about a dozen fel-
lows who are responsible for nearly all
the lawlessness in our town, and which
has given US the reputation of being
one of the worst communities in the
State, and not as l must admit, with
out reason. The thing is going from
bad to worse every day, and there is
no telling where 1t is going to stop
unless something on the line that l
have indicated is done.
at is positively unsafe now for
people to venture out alter nishtfall,
as they not only run the risk of being
insulted, but beaten and robbed as
well. Strangers are almost afraid to
come into our town and you seldom
see any OF them here after nightfall.
Some of these young thugs-and
they are nearly all young men-do not
hesitate TO rob and steal in broad day
light. and their special prey is poor
and inoffensive foreigners, whom they
pick quarrels with for the mere fun OF
beating and robbing them.
81 could detail enough petty thiev-
ing and MINOR crimes to fill your paper
and would not have to rack my brain
very hard to do it. Only last week it
was found that thieves had broken
open an empty house owned by the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company, and
stole everything portable in the place,
even to the doors and window sash
Another case was that of woman 60
ing home from the store with basket
of groceries. She was stopped by two
young rascals who took her goods,an
she narrowly escaped bodily injury be
cause of her protests. 1t is frequent
occurrence to hear of men and womer
having their purses snatched out o.
their hands while making change a
the stage-trolley transfer stations
and to have their wages stolen from
them when coming home from th'
eollery Office.
"You remember that it is only ;
couple of years ago since a man wa
shot dead in his saloon right in th'
heart of our town, and in the mos
heartless and cold blooded manner.
doubt whether there is another tow
IN the state where that could have oc
cured and the murderer gone unpun
ished, yet in this case he walked COOL.
up the street with the smoking revol
ver in his hand and no one made al
attempt to arrest him. He was arount
this vicinity for days after the murder
but no one molested him and he fin
ally disappeared. I am told that h
has been seen in this neighborhoo
recently, but it is doubtful whether h
will ever be brought to justice.
"The trouble is to great exten
due to the laxity of the courts of ou
county. Law is nothing more than
farce and punishment fake, wit
many OF those who are sent to tn
Bloomsbury Jail. In fact we hav
many young criminals here who hav
served time in our county jail, an
came home telling the most Interest
ing stories of the good times that the
had during their vacation" Politicf
influence is the key note to this cor
dition of affairs, and practically puts
premium on crime. 1t is to this fac