The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-07-29

lU Ihc WiChcucbI City III Liz
~ - world! One would hardly
~ come to Irkutsk for rest
- a cure. With population OF
10000 persons crammed
into couple OF square miles on a
bend In the Angara river, 1t produces
500 murders year. with an average
OF one arrest for each SO killings And
for each ten arrests there are but five
convictions. This Is not buncombe; It
Is transcription from the citys Grim
1nal records. In one day this month
there % murders and attempted MUIR
ders within the city limits! Then the
few citizens who didn't quite like SO
much promiscuous murder began to
talk OF reviving their vigilance COM
mittee OF other days, but those whose
memories harked back a little dis
suaded them, writes a correspondent
OF the New York World.
The vigilantes are worse than the
murderers!" was the burden of their
arguments, which were only too true.
A handful of law abiding citizens
got up the idea Of vigilance commit
tee not so long ago. The plan was
enthusiastically received-by Irkutsks
ex-convict population and the asso-
ciated thugs themselves. They en-
rolled by the score, got together
compact organization and volunteered
their service. The governor granted
them exceptional power-oh, now
crime would be stamped out In short
order!
Now there is a great deal of defer
Dence between an Irkutsk policeman
and a western guardian Of the peace.
The difference is In price; the Irkutsk
policeman turns his head the other
way for a much smaller sum. But
then he only gets $40 month and he
needs the extra money. no matter how
little It be.
How Vigilance Committee Worked.
Well. the first thing the new vigi-
lance committee did was to get the
police on their side--which was easy.
Then began the shooting OF rich mer-
chants In broad daylight-they were
suspects, you know. Next, under cover
OF "house-inspection" and penal con-
fscation" burglary blossomed forth
on every hand. Very soon 1t took all
the power the government commanded
to rid Irkutsk Of this vigilance COM
mittee which was only vigilant for its
own best interests.
WELL" says Irkutsk's none too
large law abiding population, they
were no worse than the Cossacks,"
which Is strictly true. For example:
A few years ago all the gold mined
In eastern Siberia had to pass through
the government laboratory at Irkutsk.
As a matter OF fact only about 40 per
cent. Of 1t did. The other 60 per cent.
went to the local Chinese dealers in
tea" and journeyed back to the CO
lestial empire In many and devious
ways--quite q quantity packed In the
corpses Of confined Cinnamon being re-
turned to the east for burial among
their ancestors. In spite of that leak
age considerable quantity Of gold
managed to find its way into the lab
ofatory, and having been cast into
ingots, was stacked up awaiting trans
portation to Russia and the mint
After several night watchmen at the
institution had died sudden deaths the
authorities began to perceive the coin
cidence and appointed force Of Cos
sacks to come In each evening to
guard the treasure. All went well for
time. Then one dark night the Cos
sack guards drank glass Of hot
-chai," lighted their cigarettes, turned
up their overcoat collars and disap-