The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-18
NrURDERERs CAN BE CAUGHT.


/ With the arrest of "Gyp the Blood"
and "Leftie Louie" all of the mem
bers of the New York gang of profess
sional gunner who actively participat-
ed in the atrocious murder of
\ Gambler Rosenthal have been taken
! into custody. Their capture, too, has
! been brought about within reason
able time of the commission of the
crime, and under exceedingly difficult
circumstances. For be it known that
these thugs are generally believed to
have had the protection of at least
part of the powerful New York police
force.
Sidna Allen and Wesley Edwards,
who are alleged to have played an i'm
portant part in the wanton murder of
a Virginia judge, while on the bench,
and most of the officials of his court,
have also been apprehended recently.
They are the last of the gang, that
perpetrated this outrage, to be cap
tured, all of the other members of It
having been more promptly caught,
and most of them have already been
punished.
And these successful activities in
the running down of murderers would
seem to prove conclusively that it is
possible to hunt to earth almost any
person who commits a capital crime
if there is a disposition on the part of
peace officers and detectives to do so.
Murder is more rampant in this
country than in any other supposedly
civilized nation on the face of the
globe. All criminologists are agreed
that the reason for this is because so
many of the murderers are permitted |
savors of punishment; and also that |
many who are arrested are permitted |
to walk out of court free men because |
of mere technicalities that their clev-
er LAWYERS use to Illustrate the adj |
of justice.
There are a couple of patent reasons !
why so many of the murderers escape
so much as being captured In all of
the smaller cities, throughout the en-
tire country, the police have no funds
to trail criminals once they get out of
town. The same is practically true
county peace officers. In
Kansas, for instance, county COM
missioners are always reluctant to
have sheriffs pile up expenses in max
ing extended searches for fugitives
from Justice Then, too, the rewards
offered by public authority for the APP
orehension of a murderer are general
" too small to encourage private de-
-ectives to spend their time and money
running one down. In this state, the
governor seldom offers a reward of
more than 5000 for the capture of a
murderer, a puny sum, indeed, to make
t worth while for any one to carry on
much of hunt for such criminal
In other words, countless murder
RS escape capture because no effort
If any consequence is made to locate
hem in the eventeof their getting
ew miles away from the scene OF
heir crimes. Nor is this difficult for ;
hem to do. There is plenty of evil
Ience that murderers can be caught IL ,
here is a determined and unceasing :
ffort on the part of peace officers to /
10 so. And the fact that so many of {
hem get away is excellent testimony
f the slip-shod methods that society
olerates for it's own protection. Pro- ,
iding ways and means to run down
II murderers would be reform '
forth while. At least as much of an t
fort should be made in this direction !
8 there is in the hunt for bank swim
lors