The Cairo bulletin., 1909-12-03

If they happen to get an innocent vic
tim, they console themselves by find
| ing another who per chance is guilty
of something or other, and thus things
are squared up in the long run; ant
in any event, it doesn't cost the peo
lpie anything-it is a very economical
court for them. from financial point
| of view And here is how it works:
One night early this week Officers
lCasey and French saw two negroes
lin the rear of the Marion Hotel, or
Railroad street. They went after then
and got them. They searched the
negroes for weapons, but found none
| Officer Casey, a shrewd man and q
good officer for the court above re
| ferred to, felt sure one or the negroes
had had a gun" and he was reward
ed by finding the weapon in a wagon
bed near by, into which the negro
had thrown il. The officer took the
weapon and with cuff and kick
dismissed the negro. 1t was a fine
weapon, a SO Colts-quite a little
prize, it may be assumed: for the
next day, when the negro sent to the
officer to recover hts weapon, word
came back to him that ne could have
1t ON payment to the officer of SIS,
This message was brought back to
him by another negro VIM. Williams.
who is recognized as police go
between"
You see how simple it was. 1t may
be alleged that the negro discharged
his pistol (Which he denies); but II
he did so, what was the use arresting
him for that and putting him in Jail
and causing the people to feed him
for week or two. True he might
have been fined and paid his fine, and
thus the city treasury would have
been benefited but that is mere
conjecture. don't you know.
Seriously speaking, however. the
foregoing incident illustrates one line
OF graft in the police department Of
Cairo. clearly enough to be under.
stood by the average reader: and it,
is line which perhaps tends more
than any of the others to demoralize
the force and to menace the peace of
the community The negro in this
case is not bad negro. he is EN-
ployed rs porter at one of the popu-
lar barber shops of the city, and
stands well with his employer; his
is assistant cook at the
Hotel Marion. II they were guilty Of
any wrong the officers were in duty
bound TO arrest them and have them
fined. The fact that they did not do
this must be taken as meaning one
Of two things: either the negroes had
lone nothing at all to Justify the Off
GERS in molesting them, or the officers
we're guilty of neglect of duty, to say
nothing of very much more serious
offense in taking away the weapon
and kicking and cutting the owner
This is but one of scores OF Incl
Tents Of this kind which may be re-
cited: most genera:iy the victims
nave been strangers in the city who
having come for short stay and
fallen into the clutches of the officers
Tor some trifing offense, were only
Too willing to part with their money
pr other valuables in order to be per-
mitted to go home-"strapped" Hun
ireds of pistols have been taken from
prisoners during the last several |
years which have never been ac-
counted for to the public, but dis. |
posed OF by the officers to pawn
brokers, second hand dealers, etc, for
their own profit-contrary to law
And Officer Casey is not the only
man on the force to be mentioned in
this connection The chief wears a |
fine gold watch presented to him some
time ago by one of the leading pawn
brokers Of the city--for what?