Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-25
WAROENTH|NKS
MOVIES LEAD TO
GREATER CRIME
McLaughrey Of Anamosa
Attributes Recent Daring
Crimes to Moving Picture
Suggestions.
TBY ORA WILLIAMS. I

Des Moines, Jan. 24.-Are the
movies responsible for the crime
wave, the auto bandits" and the
wild west" style of hold-ups preva
lent in the cities?
Will Iowa have to build more cell
houses or buy prison farms because
of the suggestions of the picture plays
to the young people Of today?
The questions were raised by War
den McLaughrey of Anamosa among
members Of the legislature here this
week. II am fully convinced" he said,
that the moving picture shows are
largely responsible for the auto-ban-
and other cities. 1t is not that these
plays teach crime directly; but they
do show an infinite variety of plays
wherein human skill and daring cut
a very large figure and it is while
viewing these plays that men get
suggestions and ideas as to the pos
sibilities of quick and daring action
in emergencies, and they apply these
suggestions to plots which they work
out for themselves. Chicago is get
ting her lesson, St. Louis will get 1t,
so will Kansas City and other cities,
and Des Moines may well look out"
Even the series of daring crimes of
the past ten days in Des Moines
might have been suggested by picture
plays, according to students of the
game. Warden McLaughrey believes
that it Is inevitable that the Iowa
prisons will have much larger popu-
lation, largely because of this moving
picture business.
2 Raise the Salaries.
Committees of the house and senate
jointly listened yesterday to both
Warden Sanders and Warden Nc
Laughrey on matters of interest to
the state regarding prisons. The bill
which was put in to increase the sup
port fund at each institution was the
one especially considered. This in.
creases from SO to $3.50 a month per
capita to $11.50 per month at both !;
den and others, and more especially
provides for a complete finger print
Identification system.
"The state of Iowa ought to provide
for this complete record of the Grim
inals of the country like other states,
Mr.. McLaughrey said to the commit
tee. There Is very great need Of a
classification of those in the prisoli.
We should make record Of each
case and secure records in duplicate
from other states, and to do this will
take money We cannot deal properly
with the criminal population Of the
state without classification Of the
men we send to prisons and reforma-
tories. Iowa is behind other states 1t
is time to get action"
''The one first thing we need in
Iowa." said Warden Sanders, "is a
system of segregation for those In
the prisons. We need great many
things, but this we need more than
any other, and to do it there must
be money enough to carry on the
work We cannot get good help and
competent supervision unless we pay
for the same. Better support at the
prisons is absolutely necessary before
we begin the work of classifying the
prisoners, and then the segregation,
which is a necessity. We have been
treating all who are sent to prison
alike. They are not alike. They differ
Just as much as those outside the
prison differ. We must decide as to
classes, based on the character Of the
men, and on their reformatory posi-.