The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-02
CRIME IN OGDEN.

To The Salt Lake Herald:
One would have 10 travel through a
good many cities, comprising no greater
population than IS credited 10 the CITY OF
Ogden, before he would encounter "a more
fragrant, persistent, open and notorious
violation of dutl-Ylce regulations than
exists i'm this community The writer re-
feTS, principally. 10 the law state and
municipal regulating gambling and the
sale of alcoholic stimulants on Sunday.
1t is conceded that the complete eradicd-
ton Of these evils Is hardly within the
scope of accomplishment. as experience
has abundantly demonstrated. but be-
cause of this il forms no Justification for
the derelictiOu of official duty which
characterizes the police department and
the public administration.
In recent months, indeed extending back
through a considerable period of time. TO
the time when the anti-Vlce committee OF
Ogden relinQuished its active opposition
20 the reign Of vice two years ago. the
saloons, proprietOrs and manipulatOrs Of
gambling rooms and establishments. have
enjoyed an unhampered career. so far as
any serious interference from the ap-
pointed guardians of public morality IS
concerned. Never before in the history
of the city has municipal and statutory
law relative 10 gambling and the liquor
traffic possessed so little meaning and
been treated with so much Indifference
and contempt by public officials as dur
ing the past twelve months.
Today there is not a saloon in the city,
from the Pearl on TWeELy-tifth street 10
the Gem on Washington, but enjoys alb
solute freedom from arrest for dispensing
intoxicating liquors on the first day OF
the week, commonly called Sunday. There
isn't a gambling establishment i'm all that
questionable territory but is running day
and night ana all days of the week,
steadily drawing with fatal force the
morals and manhood of hundreds Of good
citizens into a sOul-deStrOylng pool OF
misery and remOrse. Likewise, may be
-. An. a
floors in the rear of saloons enchanting
knights Of the green cloth, eagerly, anN-
iOusly and sometimes breathlessly await
ing the call of a wager at stud or draw
poker. wherein the last hard-earned dol
lars of the victims tremble Ia the bal
ance. These diversions are in continual
operation and under the very eyes of all
the police, from the chief 10 the least
patrOlman. The police department makes
no pretense at their suppression In either
instance Notwithstanding the fact that
upon entering upon the discharge Of their
duties they obligated themselves by oath
TO do so.
The legislature has said to the chief
Of police, among other things (sec. 2f5,
r. S. 1888: ''That he shall diligently and
faithfully discharge his duties and en-
force all ordinances and regulations Of
the city Tor the preservation Of peace and
good order, and apprehend all persons
committing any Oftense against the laws
of the state or ordinances Of the
city" Sub. / and ii, sec. 1870. r. s.,
provides that any person who shall either
O sell, give away or otherwise dispose
Of any intoxicating drink at any time
during the first day Of the week. common
~ called Sunday, except for medical pur-
poses upon the prescription OF a ply
stefan or f2) permit on his premises where
such intoxicating drink is sold any gam
bling by means Of dOminOes. cards dice
or other articles Of any description OF
gambling, shah be deemed guilty of a
iEfi aFr
prisOnment or both,
These provisions were enacted into the
municipal laws of Ogden City I'm precisely
the same form as above (ReV. Ordinances.
present time.
These salutary provisions. so far as
their application 20 this community Is
concerned. should be repealed by the city
council and legislature, so as 20 relieve
officials, charged with their enforcement,
Of any compuncti6ns Of conscience that
possibly may trouble them for not per
forming their duty; also that these twin
demonstrate the hide0usness Of their
power without even fear of mOlestat ton.
Not many weeks ago the writer. while
standing one Sunday afternoon on Twen-
ty-fifth street. Witnessed the arrest of a
citizen by two policemen. who was intOX-
icatsd. He was 1erked about by the Of
ucerS in taking him 10 the station.
though he offered no resistance. In a most
though the unfortunate man had no
rights. because ne was drunk. they were
bound 10 respect. Had be bad a bank ac-
count Of $4,000 he would have been ten
DERBY and most considerably helped into
a carriage and driven home He didn't
have this. so he was taken 20 Jail, charged
with drunkenness and disOrderlY conduct.
Monday morning he was sentenced 10
twenty-five days at hard labor. The court
made no inquiry as 90 where he obtained
his whisky. Had he done so he would
have been told that he purchased il over
the bars of perhaps half dozen saloons
the very day he was arrested Sunday
He would then have discovered that tie
INVESTIGATION OF the prisoner was Ia AL
probability the result of the D0llce's fail
ure TO enforce the law against selling
liquor on Sunday, and instead OF sen
fencing the unfortunate victim Of Intern
perance to jail. should have discharged
him, with some timely advice. and Sc
verely reprimanded the officers for not
doing their duty. i'm contributing bV their
acts OF omission in bringing about tbs
condition that superinduced the punish
ment. III a judge we're 90 adopt this pro
cedure. turning men loose whose brains
have been stolen away by their worst en-
envy, obtained ln saloons on Sunday. the
police department would soon realize thar
they have other duties 60 perform aside
from killing time in idly parading their
heats ave -fr-rasT-iug INTO uTienu tn many