The Red Cloud chief., 1901-10-18
FROM THE LAW
Places In London Where Thieves
Are Secure from Arrest.
TIE Hinaiag Of Criminal Anadst
~ Tssnang Miilions Of People
IL . Tremsnaoss Task fer
the sharDest slsutAs.

-
One of the natural harbors or ref
uges for the criminal classes 10 the
city of London. Indeed, all large cit
ties offer a measure Of security to
la~wbreakers, but the English metrop-
oils being the most populous city In
the world gives such characters excep-
tional opportunities for cOncealfneht,
despite the fact that the metropolitui
police force Is the most efficient ard
successful in the world. The fact IL
that to find a hiding criminal In Lon
don with its teeming millions OF peo-
pie of all nationalities) is a trenen-
dous task, and In the case OF alien Grim
inals the magnitude OF the task is dou-
bled by the fact that the "descrip-
tons" supplied to Scotland Yard by
foreign police authorities are proverb-
tally meager and unreliable when they
are not absolutely idiotic.
Despite, however, the advantages
London offers fugitives from justice.
when a British criminal commits a big
| crime whereby he obtains the neces-
sary funds he generally gives the
| AXE OI tnc TsuiPlIC - Viut
and endeavors to get some where
abroad under a vague sort OF impress
sion that anywhere Is safer than the
country In which he committed his
crime.
The question of whittier he shall HE
himself is one which he must find con-
siderable difficulty in answering, and
I A., l,Al.,ltv Il. yAar1v hninn inrFRQspd
by the concluding OF more and more
e%xtradition treaties, and the awaken.
ing OF those countries with which the
United States already has such trea-
ties to a more proper sense OF their
obligations. Owing to the existence OF
scores OF extradition treaties, almost
every country is nominally as unsafe
to fugitive criminals excepting those
"wanted" for political crimes) as the
snug island. but nominally Is not actu-
ally, for which difference the emigrat-
ing evildoer has every reason to be
thankful.
More than half the treaties the gov
eminent holds with foreign countries
for the extradition Of criminals who
fly the country are practically dead
letters. Were it not for this fact there
would be only one actual refuge for
fugitive ~lawbreakers. whereas there
are dozens. The BONN islands, in the
Pacific ocean. and of the coast OF
Japan, constitute the sole remaining
nominal refuge for the criminal
classes. and this refuge Is not favored
by any but the lowest and most Grim
inal.
Men who have committed crimes for
which death, lifelong imprisonment,
Siberia. or perhaps torture. would be
due punishment, have flown to the
BONN islands from all parts Of the
world, and have set up n small colony
Of all that Is most brutal In human
nature, but the gentlemanly criminal
the bland fraud from the city who
decamps with tent of thousands, pre-
fers a less certain safety with an ele
ment of comfort, and would probably
rather be arrested than be forced tC
p%atronize the BONN islands, particu
larly as there is now every hope of thi:
treaty IN the rear future,
Argentina is still a happy hunting
ground for criminals, and Jabez Bal
four's capture was an EXCEPTIONAL.
good stroke of luck for law and jus
tice. There are scores upon scores o
criminals safely retired in the Argen
tine Republic.