Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-03

public gambling places here and no
gambling of that sort.
"Chinese? Yes, they play fantan
and they always will. They don't do
it publicly, as they formerly did. They
came to me to bargain when 1 took
office on the price they were to pay
for their games. but I told them there
would be no price; that they would be
raided every time l caught them.
IT caught them several times; caught
room full of them at fantan one time
because my men went down through
skylight and took their paraphernalia.
What happened? Twelve good men
turned 'em loose. But that didn't stop
me. There isn't a public game of fan
tan in Los Angeles tonight, but 1t is
played on the quiet Of course. SO are
craps shot, up back alleys, by negroes
who run when the police are noticed
by the lookout. You can't stop either
one absolutely. But you can keep them
down, under cover.
"Thats what I mean; you can mini
mize the evil. 1t takes work, absolute
freedom from graft or stand-in, clean
police officers men above bribery, and
discipline.
No "Highwaymen" Here
Its the same way with holdups and
men of that class. People are always
talking about highwaymen here; there
is none in town. There is difference
between holding up man and COM
mitting highway robbery. Drunk
rolling is what we have; men who
catch man full, rob him and throw
him UP a dark alley. That will happen
so long as folks will come to town with
a roll of money, show 1t in low places
and then get full. Working hoboes,
we call such; men who spend two or
three months in a railroad camp and
come to town with their wages to
blow 'em in. They are easy victims.
The men who rob them would no more
commit highway robbery than would
you or I.
1--WE Just succeeded before I quit in
rounding up one gang of negroes who
have been causing much trouble along
that line. There were half dozen
of them. I think the city is pretty well
free of professionals of that sort now.
There will always be some cases of
the kind; you can't stop that. But
there is now no known organized gang
of holdups, highwaymen or 'mouchers'
in Los Angeles.
"You must study criminals to get
oIo l, 10 n
itself. When an expert police Off
cial hears a close description Of
crime, he can usually tell by the man
ner in which 1t was committed as to
what class of men did 1t, how exper-
fenced they were and often can fix it.
by some detail in its commission, on
the right person, If familiar with his
methods. That is one way thieves are
caught; they leave indelible traces of
their work behind them.
Needs More Policemen
Los Angeles needs bigger police
force. 1t has only one man to 1000
population and that isn't nearly
enough. 1t has 160 men for patrol duty
and they must work in three platoons.
eight hours each. 1t isn't enough.
There ought to be traffic squad; men
should be on every corner from First
to Sixth street on Main, Spring and
Broadway and in the middle of some
of the more congested blocks. 1t doesn't
have enough men on beats. 1t is hard
to work with short force.
But more than all, it ought to make
policemSn's job one of stability; one
to which men would aspire-real men,
not mere politicians. When policemen
are inspired with feeling of pride,
knowledge that their jobs depend
solely upon their good behavior, and