Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-02-14

number crimes are committed, arrests
made, or the majesty Of the law
trampled on in these days, the truth
of the generally understood assertion
that "the world is growing BETTER"
may be doubted. Arrests in communi-
ties in size and Importance ranging
from hamlet to metropolis are as
toundihgly frequent; crimes ranging
from horrid, revolving, offenses against
society to the calling of bad name,
are common, and some Of the most
powerful organizations of men In the
world are those banded together to
ferret out crime and punish criminals.
In Akron, as in every city, the num-
Der of professional criminals and pet
ty offenders, increases each year, and
causes the city to pay the penalty of
her growth, by corresponding devel-
Opment in crime.
Serious crimes are seldom committed
here by persons who have the good
fortune to escape punishment. The
city's police court forms a most inter-
esting field for the study of malefac-
tors, of high or low degree.
Tramps are, to certain extent, sim
liar. Nearly all have pitiful tale of
hard luck to relate, and a wonderful
store of pathos to accompany their
exhibit of rags, filth and disregard of
truth. 1t is the policy here, in large
measure, to be rid of such offenders
as these as quickly and cheaply as pos
sible. Occasionally they can be used
on the city's stone pile, OF ON the
streets, but as a general thing, the
pretense at working is such pitiful-
ly transparent sham that most tramps
do not, literally speaking, earn their
salt.
They get plenty to eat while here,
are forced to bathe, and when their
sentences are served, depart, in the reg
ular order of business, so that they
may prey on other communities. Great
travellers, some of these tramps are.
Acquainted with every railroad for
many thousands of miles; know the
good towns" and the bad ones; can
tell in an instant the warmest and
safest place to flop for the night. 1t
is true that many tramps have regular
routes" and unless they are caught
in some depreciation and obliged to
serve a sentence in some prison, they
turn up regularly at the different "sta-
tons" along the route.
The dipsomaniac is perhaps the
most pitiful specimen who faces the
Mayor in this or any other city. When
Police Court opens each morning the
dipsomaniac is usually there-nervous
and trembling, beseeching for "anoth.
er chance" or sodden, stolid and in
different The disposition of such cases
Is often the source of a great deal of
worry to the Mayor. The offender has,
usually, no money. Not infrequently
he has a family dependent on his in
termittent efforts to earn them a liv-
ing. To send him to the workhouse
deprives his family Of such support
as he gives them, and in no way cures
the disease that is turning him to a
beast, or dragging him to the grave.
The need Of state institutions, where
such cases could be taken and cured Of
the habit, has been explained by many
Police magistrates.
The cases abounding in most surpris-
es are those Of husband against wife
or any case where family troubles are
brought to light Dark tragedy, deep
misery and many pathetic features
abound In such cases as these, and at
the same time much unconscious hui
NOR often creeps into the stories as
told in Police Court. AS local police
official said recently: II never believ-
ed, until became connected with this
Court how greatly the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth may
be varied by different people in tell
ing about precisely the same thing,
without breaking an OATH"
When a witness is sworn and tells
his story, his own personal side and
view of the matter creeps into the
narrative, all his force is at work for
the man in whose behalf he testities.
Then, when the witnesses of the op-
position are sworn, what different
meaning is found in the same senten-
ces, and how the sympathy of the cas-.
ual auditor turns from one side to the
other.
Often a prisoner before the Mayor
will start out and tell his story Of a