Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-07-19

! TEN OF identification of criminals?
is IL because he has with the exccp-
! tlon of four or five men who have
been connected with the department
Tor several years. green bunch of
| pol'eHl"n who do not know the first
principle of running down a thief or
a murder, or is IL because he has en-
larged the traffic force 20 such an
extent that he has crippled the other
branches of the department?
scores of robberies in the residence
district or Tulsa and as many or more
stlckups, committed both at night and
IN the day time, have taken place
every week for some time past. vet
they have eluded the police for some
reason or other. We do not parti-
/ cularly lay the blame upon the of-
Ulcers because we feel as though they
are not receiving the cooperation
| from the heads of the department that
| they should receive. The writer is
| personally acquainted with the older
members OF the department, due to
! ms newspaper experience in the past
in Tulsa and he will unhesitatingly
say that they are efficient IN their
work so far as they are allowed to 20
but there Is a probability that they
are being held back and are not al
lowed to act as their own and better
| judgment tells them.
Their have been many bold rob
perles ana holdups staged i'm the east
ern part of the city within the past
rev nights when automobile parties
were held up and their valuabl,s
taken from them. The stickup men
were so bold as to even hold up two
| automobiles at a time. When the
chief of police knew these robberies
were taking place why did he not
I nf
ficient protection? 1t is not a hard
matter to concentrate a force Of men
In a certain vicinity where depreda-
| tions are being committed almost
nightly.
Just the other morning there was
man held up and robbed in broad
daylight near the Midland Valley
depot. The street was crowded with
people-it was a busy time about
then, but the robber got the money
and escaped and has never been seen
since. Where was the policeman on
that beat and why did he not give
chase at least? On Monday night an
aged storekeeper in the eastern part
Of the city was murdered in cold blood
by two bandits while his wife was
sitting on the front porch of the little
store. They escaped and nothing has
been seen nor heard of them since.
wave of crime in Tulsa? VIII the
people need to prepare for self-pro-
lection or will Chief Lucas of the
police department and the city com
missioners increase the police force
both In numbers and efficiency?
Something must be done Immediately
or people will not stand it, They are
in danger If they remain at home and
they are more in danger if~they ven
VN.-. .ae
powered automobiles. II seems to
make no difference to the stickup
men whether you are walking or rid
ing they will get you just the same
because they know Just how hard a
time they will have to elude the
police.
The daily papers have been chuck
full of dope, supposed to have origi-
mated from the fertile brain of Tul-
sa's chief Of police. that a great war
is to be waged on the speed demons.
That they are endangering The lives
Of the public by thcir fast driving
and recklessness. This is no doubt a
coed idea and an-une with any de-
gree Of fairness will admit that there
is a best deal of fast driving and
iecklcssness in the majority of auto
mobile drivers OF Tulsa. but that sort
Of a violation is not made by thieves,
thugs and holdup men; therefore,
they should be looked after only
when the criminal wave has been
checked. Mr.. Lucas, concentrate your
ertire department for protection Of
human liyes--from your citizens be-
ine shot down in cold-bloJded muir
der end robbed of the money that
they have worked hard for and with
which they expect TO keep the wolf
from the door. and then after you
have succeeded in quellins this part