The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-10-16
President Brundage Sends
Out Expedition to Find
Where Fines Go
MAY find OTHER THINGS
The Law" Dealt Out On the Border
Line Revelation to Lawyers
Who Have Dealt In It
Especial to Lake County Timeso

Chicago. Oct Is. - President Brun-
dage, of the Cook County Board.
has taken up the work of in
vestigating the justice shops. with
particular bearing upon the disposition
of fines imposed for criminal offences
and violations Of city and county or
dinances.
He has authorized County Superin-
tendent of Schools A F. Nightingale to
look into the records of justices who
are suspected of having failed to turn
into the school fund fines aggregating
half million dollars. Mr.. Nightingale
will have all the legal assistance neces-
sary. and the investigation will sweep
the county from North Evanston to
West Hammond Justices will be com
PEELED to produce their records, If they
do not voluntarily.
Mr.. Nightingale is about to start on
vigorous search for the missing
funds.
FeIonies Changed TO SliSdcmeanors.
few specific eases are mentioned
where persons charged with felonies,
and should have been sent to the grand
jury. have been let off with fines more
or less stiff. which fines were not
turned over. Charges of burglary. as
sault with intent to kill, forgery, Grim
inal assaults. and other crimes which
come under the head of felony. are said
TO have been ci4a4ss ~, with thes~eon-.
nivance of the justices. TO "disorderly
conduct violation of city ordin-
ances." and other Unable offences. in
which the justices have collected the
mulct and kept it. 1t is alleged that
this has been a common custom in JUS
tice shops in the south end of the coun-
ty. and particularly in the towns along
the Indiana state line which are really
more a part of Hammond than they
are of Chicago.
May Find Something Else.
While Mr.. Nightingale and his as
sistants are tracing the money that
should have been turnedsinto the school
/ fund they are expected incidentally to
find some fearful and wonderful prac-
tices. and it is likely that as the result
of their report Mr.. Brundage will or
der the probe to so deeper.
Weird stories of justice" as it is dis
pensed in West Hammond, Hegewisch
and South Chicago have reached the
county. building. and even States Attor-
ney Healey has become interested.
Chicago lawyers members of repu-
table firms, who have had dealings
with the justice courts in the southern
part of the county tell grimly amusing
stories of their experiences. One of
them said yesterday: "A criminal who
has the money to pay fine or exert
pull is more immune in that neck OF
| the woods than Stensland was in Mo-
rocco Consequently. the place has be-
come the rendezvous of thugs and
yeggmen, who make sorties into the
surrounding country, holding-up and
beating farmers and laborers, and re-
turning to find a snug haven OF refuge
from the law
Citizens Want Relief.
Citizens of West Hammond have
made frequent appeals to the county
authorities, complaining of the maIad-
ministration of justice. both civil and
criminal. and asking relief from the
ravages of cheap graft.
Mr.. Nightingales investigation is eX-
pected to be the beginning of this relief
expedition.