Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-20
OPERA-BoUFFE DETECT
I'VE WORK

ENNERY decent .ltlZen oil Los An
geles was shamed by the Grim
IL inal horror which occurred in
this city on the morning IF October
1, by which a score # lives of work
ers Of the city were snuffed out while
they were engaged in useful occupa-
tions, making a living for those de-
pendent up them, and the red seal
of crime was s. upon the fair name
of our city. And every such citizen
since that time has felt that only one
thing could wipe cut the disgrace in
flicted upon our city by one of the
greatest outrages ever perpetrated
upon society by murderous criminals,
and prompt conviction of those re-
sponsible for the horror. To this end
public and private patriotism and hu-
manity provided one of the largest
reward ever oIered in America for
the apprehension of criminals. Some
of the best detective talent in the
country was employed by the public
officials to run down the perpetrators
of the horror which had shocked and
disgraced our community, and the
size of the reward offered undoubted-
ly put to work 10Th public and pri-
vate detective forces all over the coun-
try It would appear, however, from
the newspaper reports with which we
have been favored ad nauseam since
that time that some of the so-called
detectives who are handling this mat
ter have been much more of a him
drance than a help. The reports of
progress which are daily made through
the San Francisco newspapers were
first provocative of laughter, but have
been continued until now they are a
source of disgust and disappointment
to every citizen.
In the first days of the search some
evidence which appeared to be vital
ly significant and important was dis
covered. There was apparently no
doubt that the place had been dis
covered where the explosive which
wrought such deadly havoc was made, |
and a good description of the Grim
inals who had purchased it obtained.
But the public, through the columns
of the newspapers, were Immediately
taken into the confidence of the sleuths
who were working on the job, as were
also the evidently intelligent scoun-
dres who had engaged in the crime,
and who were duly informed through
the columns of the press that their
descriptions had been obtained and
officers were on their track. We were
also informed by the oracular utter
ances of the individual who poses as
being in charge of the San Francisco
end of the investigation that the nets
had been thrown out, escape of the
criminals was impossible, and they
would shortly be arrested.
Since that time no arrests of the
criminals have been made, nor do we
appear to be any nearer such a con-
summation. But on day before yester-
day a woman alleged to have been a
friend of one of the purchasers of
the dynamite was arrested in San
Francisco and Immediately we are in
formed by columns of press dispatches
how the woman was examined, how
she was taken thro~-h the third de-
gree, how she was sweated for hours
for information, how she was taken
through the process denominated by
the sleuths who evidently gave out
the information, as "friskilg," and
how she came near-very near-giving
away an imparting some information
to these sleuths that might be of
value, but she evidently thought bet
ter of it before she gave it away, and
the information appears to remain un-
impaired.
While the people of this city have
been anxiously watt r y some ac-
tual results showing that the criminals
will be apprehended and the law en-
forced, and something done to lift the
cloud of disgrace and shame under
which Los Angeles is suffering, the
whole process of catching these fright
full criminals, as far as the force work.
ing in San Francisco is concerned, has
developed into a detective "opera
bouffe" of the most ridiculous char
acter. The only comforting thing in
the whole business is the fact that
after the first day or two nothing has
been heard from Mr.. Burns, and in
asmuch as that fact is one evidence
that he is going about the business in
the proper way, we are encouraged
to hope that ultimately we will get
some result from his efforts. Certain
ly if any result comes from the in
vestigation now in progress in San
Francisco, it will be because neither
the criminals themselves nor any of
their friends are capable of reading
the newspapers anC so keeping posted
upon the progress of the detectives
which those gentlemen are so exceed
ingly obliging as to make public with
each succeeding day.
And in the meanwhile the only tan
gible result appears to have been that
certain people, who are obsessed with
a thirst for notoriety, are gorging
their appetites in that direction TO
the full.