Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-02
A CRIMINAL RECORD.

Comparison between the moral stat
us OF this country aud Germany Is
greatly in favor OF the latter country,
In the realm Of the Kaiser, II is claim
ed, there are only Ave homicdes a
year for each million Of inhabitants,
while the number in the United States
Is 1919. This is. clearly, 20 great
difference as TO call for serious re-
flections on the probable causes OF IT,
Is popular government less competent
70 protect life and put down lawless-
ness, than monarohical authority
The Portland oregonian. discussing
this subject, points out that American
police officials are very inefficient, and
that this Is one contributlve cause of
the flourshing OF crime In this coun-
try. Says the oregonian.
Among all the police forces of the
world those OF American cities are the
least efficient. in many cases they are
IN intimate sympathy and close ALI.
ance with the criminal classes. Their
efforts are often directed, not to the
arrest of criminals. but to the extor-
tion Of money from them as the price
OF immunity. Thieves and murderers
pass from city to city 10 ply their
trade without interference from the
police and often without their knowl-
edge. There is none but the crudest
method Of registration and identlfica-
ton Of criminals A vigorous writer
in the Chicago Tribune instances all
these as reasons for our National fail
ure IN dealing with crime fIe might
have added that the average intelli-
gence of our police forces Is low. They
are selected for reasons altogether un-
connected with fitness for their du-
ties and kept IN place without regard
TO the quality nj their work Real
detective ability Is seldom met among
them Their only way to get at the
facts In a given case of crime Is to
apply the torture, known as the third
degree to suspected persons and ex-
tort some sort OF n confession our
most celebrated detectives are those
who are most skillful In the use OF the
torture.
"Of course evidence obtained IN this
manner Is OF little use In court. aud
one Of the principal reasons why cola
victions arc so rare in our criminal
police methods OF obtaining evidence,
and distrust of confessions and admis-
slons forced from helpless prisoners
under duress. Tho little word graft
explains tho Incompetence Of Amerl-
can police forces to deal with crime.p
Graft secures positions for the officers
and graft Is tho guiding principle Of
their conduct
a great deal more could be said IN
the same direction. Tho ftfulness of
retributive justice, however. Is another
cause OF the multiplication OF crimes.
A garden from which the weeds are
pulled only In spots, according to the
caprice Of the owner. will gradually
be so full Of obnoxious plants as to be
UNIT for the cultivation of beautiful
flowers. The case Is similar. when
crimes are punished only as an excep-
ton to the rule Murderers without
money and influential friends, and
without means OF arousing sympathy
In their behalf, are always dealt with
severely, and sometimes 1t even hap
to satisfy popular camor. But
when the accused belong to the class
that commands the advantages OF
wealth, or social position. they are
very often declared insane and let loose
upon societyto continue their criminal
career in one form or another This
breeds more crime. The spectacle OF
persons with hands stepped In blood
going forth among their fellow-men
and obtaining important positions OF
trust. "a one OF the greatest incentives
TO murder imaginable, to those crea-
lures whose disposition may prompt
them in that direction
Several notable cases Of miscarriage
of justice have been reported lately
one of these was murder case In AL
ALBANIA. The defendant was admitted
to have killed his victim There was
no question as to that. But he was ae-
Quilted, because IL was shown that
witness had been allowed to TESTIFY that
after Il was found that the deceased
was cut, "the people around them hall
looed: 'Polcel police. murder MURDER
police, policep The court, ruling as TO
the admission Of this testimony, decid-
ed that its tendency was to unduly pre-
iudice the minds OF the jury" Another
case Is that OF a man convicted OF
having killed his brother-in-law. He
was set free. The judge before whom
the man was tried discharged two ju-
rles after what the supreme court con-
sldered an inadequate effort TO get them
TO agree. The notorious Holy Roller
case is another illustration. The man
who killed the leader Of that strange
sect committed murder, II deliberate
ly taking human life without the au-
thorlty OF law to do so, Is murder But
he was acquitted on the supposltlon
that his victim was bad man, al
though that fact had not been legally
established. Then the slayer of the
Holy Roller was deliberately murdered
by two women, and these were declared
insane, to spare the public the specta-
Gle of n prosecution for fratrIcide, And
thus It goes The ftful administration
of Justice promotes homicide, There
can be no change for the better until
murderers are relcntlessly brought TO
Justice, no matter what their social
standing may be. Justice, unless 1t is
impartial, nothing but injustice, And
that In the trouble.