The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-06-06

that the people ~ thc State under
stand just what D. covered ty he
term defective service under the
present las of ihc State.
ln various newspapers oi the State
this matter has been served up 90
the public under such attractive head
mss as The State scandal. Estate
Pays Undertaken Civil EnFineer and
PHOTOGRAPHER" ~One Agency Gets
f.fi5io0-iiome Grown Detectives
seeo 90 $500 piecc". Women
Sicuihs Also Used" Attorney Gen
eral and SlCuih Money.
From fho manner Boo which this sub
icci has been treated in some of ihc
articles referred 90. b. might vel Dee
assumed that tho writer's knowledge
of detective service had been OBJ
tanned solely from porusal of the
detective stories written boy Old
Sleuih" which Tor several years have
been Published In certain so-calicl
STORY papo-s' and circulated broad
cast over the country in the form oi
yellow covered literature.
Prior to 1908 the sole provisions for
,hc use oi detective service boz ihl1
state ucro embodied in Sections
3iug3i0s and sioi of che Public
statutes.
undc- the provisions of Section
3iNe -Nhon felony has been commit
tci by person or porrons unknown.
| tha states Attorney ia authorized Go
direct "a sheriff or Constable 60
search for and pursue such criminal
or criminals ana Ter that purpose a
sum not exceeding twenty-five $3.50
dollars In any one case may DE used.
when one thinks seriously for a
| moment of the difficulty In many
cases IN securing the arrest OF muir
dercr. n rape nend. or even com
mon thief the absolute inadequacy
OF this provision is apparent
Under the other sections noted.
application may be- made TO the Gov
ernor for detective service and %
granted The Governor must lX the
maximum amount of expense author
lied ia q particular case. That this
| provision is inadequate is apparent
because. Or for no other reason, when
"a serious onense has been committed
and the identity OF the criminal and
| his whereabouts are unknown. no one
can ioreten the necessary expense OF
a proper and eiicinet investigation.
n the crime is to be commercials
ed and the proper investigation there
OF Is TO depend solely upon the cost,
il may be said chat this provision is
| sufficient 10 would not seem good
judgment. however TO star, the in
yostigation OF o homicide or other
serious criminal oncnso and spend a
goodly sum in such investigation and
then for want of funds be obliged 70
abandon such investigation when
perhaps the expenditure of an addit
ional sum might result IN success
ful prosecution
IN 1904 the Legislature created the
Office of Attorney General and elected
TO that Office Hon. Clarke c. Fits OF
Brattleboro. Mr.. Fits held the Office
from December LIST 1904 to December
lst 1905 aud performed IFS duties in
most efficient manner and 10 the
entire satisfaction OF the people.
His experience in the Office CON
WINGED Mr. Fits that detective ser
vice" WAS absolutely necessary to an
efficient administration OF the crmi
nal law and also that the provisions
of the law for furnishing such service
were entirely inadequate.
Mr.. Fits also seems 10 have rccog
uizcd the fact that crime is ON the in
crease In his report TO the General
| Assembly i'm 1905 nc says.
The Increased number of criminal
causes demands attention 70 lh,
prime consideration in the admins
tration of penal laws. that is, thar
punishment for crime be speedy and
certain This language was used
by MIR Fits in connection with his
recommendation regarding the iuris
diclion of Municipal Courts In this
same report under the head of Do
tcctiye Service and Search" NJ
Fits said, There is no adequate pro
vision in the law for the search 20
criminals. Under Section 3i03 Pub
lie Statutes, the States .storncy
may apply to the Governor for leave
TO employ a detective. The cOntem
plation of that law is not to p,ovidc
for search for criminal whose idcni
ity is known. Section 3402 authoriz
es the States Attorney to incur an eA
pense not exceeding twenty-five
(S2500) dollars in the search ano
pursuit of criminals Within my tern
of service. it has. in number OF
cases been necessary TO resort to the
Statute for detective service to pro
cure means for pursuit of known
criminal. 1t is not desirable thai
such practise further continue
urge the enactment Of law authorii
ing the Attorney General to employ
| (Caufinupd On Third paopl