Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-14
REFINED CRIME.

Judge Charles A. Flammer OF New
YORK, who has served for thirty years
on the police court bench, recently re-
viewed the past criminal record Of the
great city. He arrived at some quite
interesting conclusions. One was that
drunkenness Is certainly on the in
crease. and that the percentage OF fe-
male offenders against the laws OF tenn
perance is continually growing. He said
that the DRINKS that came before him
thirty years ago were Of the irreclaim-
able class. But now they represent dlf-
ferent classes. from the top to the bot
tom OF society, and women are no longer
rare specimens In the police court. 40
day." he said 1.-The woman drunk Is a
familiar spectacle, both In the rags of
poverty and the finery Of wealth. Our
Year by year the number increases, and
the average of well-dressed women
among the offenders grows steadily"
Another observation he made was
Increase. This is only to be expected,
as a result of the increase of lawless-
ness among women, Judge Flammer
has an explanation OF his own regard
ing this He points out that thirty years
ago, a uniformed policeman was an
awe-inspiring parsonage In the eyes of
the children. Now they are objects of
contempt. THE newspapers" he con-
tinued, have pounded the unfortunate
bluecoats 50 hard and so much that the
small boy thinks It patriotic act to
check a policeman. In the old day
policeman's word was law to our small
folk. Nov they stand and give him an
argument Yes sir. | believe that the
steady increase Of Juvenile arrests Is
due to the cheapening OF our policemen
In the public eye"
The Judge in this explanation embod-
led an important principle Of truth, rec
ognized by the greatest law-givers the
world ever had. In the Mosaic
code this principle found ex-
preston In the law that made II a
serious offense to take the name OF
the Lord In vain or treat parents, or
others in authority, with disrespect,
The law-giver knew wen that from
disrespectful words about God, or those
In authority by His WILL there is only
short step to actual rebellion, and
moral degeneracy, II Is the disregard
OF this principle in modern times, that
is responsible for much crime. And
the press Is not without blame. Nor
is the stage. When those who repre-
sent law. order, and legitimate author
lty are ridicued In word or picture,
that which they represent is thus as
sailed. And II has its effects especially
upon the mind OF the young, upon
which almost any imprint can be made,
as upon an unwritten sheet of paper
Some laugh at such attacks, II is the
laugh of fools at the enticing cup OF
poison, because they know not its ma
ture. Wise men do not laugh at the
secret sources from which the body OF
the nation is being charged with poison.
The Judge thought, however that
Notwithstanding the increase OF female
and Juvenile offenders, the general
moral tone of the community was Inn
proving He found, for instance. less
cases OF burglary and such crimes,
while cases OF cheating and refined dis
| honesty were more numerous. Whether
this Is an Improvement depends on
the point OF view from which it is re-
garded. Some would say that an out
and-out holdup would be more respect
able than the holdup that Is perpetrated
under the guise OF an honest business
transaction. They would prefer the
work OF a highway-man, who takes the
purse and the watch, to that OF the
sneaks who rob the poor, as well as
the rich, by extortion. after competition
has been assassnated, They would re-
gard the thief that hides behind a
burglars mask as no worse than
the respectable thief who hides
behind his office desk and
ledger II IL is true that the latter
class OF crimes has increased, 1t is a
great question whether II is true that
the moral tone has grown better. Grim
inals may be more refined than they
were. but before the bar OF the great
Judge, they are no less criminals be-
cause they succeed In putting on less
savage appearance.