The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-11
our criminal sick.

holder of that office.
Everything I have said about the
sheriff IS Office applies in a less aggra-
waited sense to the district attorney IS
office. The county picks out one at
torney from those in general practice
in the community not because of espe-
cial ability as criminal prosecutor
but because of personal popularity or
his ability to work the levers Of the
political machinery. He has an adj
vantage over the sheriff in that he can
hold his Office as long as he can hold
his political prestige"
The conditions in the police depart
ment Mr.. Drury character .zed as quite
different and equally unreasonable.
"Kenosha gets its best laugh in the
vaudeville at the knocks the police of
our city receives,o he said Does Ke-
nosha expect to hire men who have
absolute courage, infallible Judgment,
high scholastic and linguistic attain
ments for a maximum of $85 month?
The officers are expected to furnish
their own uniforms, caps and other
equipment, support their families, de-
tect crime and gather evidence at a
salary but little more than that of a
common day laborer.
Men with those qualifications can It
be hired for $85 month.
"Our chief is criticized for not be-
ing an organizer and in some instances
for not enforcing the law So far as
being an organizer is concerned, find
one for $500 year. 1t can It be done.
SO far as enforcement of the law is
concerned, our chief of police is handi-
capped by the question of wages, by
the question of ability of his help.
"OWen 0 Hare is a shrewd officer
and has exceptional amount of detec-
tive ability. He works hard and never
quits a job until all possible has been
done to bring the criminal to Justice.
"The sheriff s office and the police
force are the first agencies for gather
ing evidence. To accomplish this task
such officers should be trained to know
what is evidence; to recognize it when
they see it and to know how to make
record of it.
Scientific methods of examination
Of witnesses should be used i'll order to
get such information as is possible out
of the evidence that has been gathered.
The data Of experimental psychology
should be utilized in examining wit
nesses. This cannot be accomplished
by unframed men and the salary offer
ed will not attract to the department
men of such ability as can furnish the
degree of efficiency that should be ex-
pected by the public.
"Italy, Austria and Germany have
chosen men for such lines of work be-
cause of their ability and we have the
names Of Garofolo, Lombroso and Ferri
in Italy, and Gross in Austria, that are
famous all over the world for their
studies in criminology anl will ask
if any here knows the name of one
recognized American criminologist
HThe district attorney cannot be a
detective and the responsibility for the
furnishing of evidence and the detec-
tion of crime must rest with such de-
partments as are furnished by the city,
county and state for such purpose.
The average city Of this size has a de-
tective department engaged exclusively
in the work of securing evidence for
the enforcement of the law. No such
facilities are furnished by Kenosha and
an officer who must travel a beat and
be at fixed places at certain tir41s can
not perform such service. In my opin-
ion if this city would furnish a man
not responsible to the police depart
ment for his orders but reporting ex-
clusively to the district attorney, re-
81 onsible to the tsolice commission as
other officers ii the city, the enforce
ment of the law would be materially
aided and efficient results obtained for
the public good.
In connection with his remarks re-
garding the Office of district attorney,
Mr.. Drury said one thing which is
quite in line with the progressive idea
of the public prosecutors Office, and
bears out the idea of criminologists,
sociologists and other scientists who
have long seen the necessity of making
the public prosecutors office, not one
for securing conviction against de-
PENDANT charged with crime, merely for
the sake of scoring one more successful
prosecution for the office and regard
less of whether the defendant was ac-
tually guilty of the crime or not, but
rather for the purpose of sitting evil
dence procured by competent detective
and police officers and if the defendant
charged is innocent, insisting upon his
immediate discharge whether it adds
to the laurels of the Office or not.
"To increase the business of the
court and the lawyers and to harass
and impoverish the individual by the
prosecution of criminal cases. said
Mr.. Drury, CHASED upon facts wb;ob