South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-04
HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN
Is To Be
Done About This,
Mayor Carson?

TT tit4CAtAi Dodlu DA SdAtl4
and police force. ditto. while
your beloved Or on Main ST.
is pealing for you in the sweet,
sonorous sounds of a "mdsum-
mer nights dream. telling Of
the wonderful work you are
doing in connection with
Mayor Gaylor's wonderful po-
lice department in Mishawaka,
10 locate Peter Tomasofs, the
murderer how about this
sunday night, about $50.
Your motorcycle cop. followed
by a squad OF patrolmen i'm one
Of the city's machines, went
tearing down Main ST. as If In
quest Of something From
Platner's cigar store they were
followed by several responsible
young men TO Springbrook
park. where pushing into the
crowd Patrolman Lee laid hold
of Leo lie Blanc.
Young lie Blanc, a Mishawa-
Ia boy. is a rather under
sized individual, unsophisti-
Gated. and evidently. in his ap-
pearances. a very safe person
Tor a big burly policeman, with
plenty of assistance, 10 jump
onto.
Bang" the patrolman's fist
lands in the youngsters left
eye. You murderer. III show
YOU how 10 resist an officer"
The lad hadn't resisted anyone.
He hadn't had a chance.
Slap" again went big. burly
Patrolman Lees hand i'm the
youngsters face. then drawing
from his pocket some sort Of
instrument and threatening 10
hat him with that.
Again. you dirty murderer
and again, and again. as they
snaked the boy through the
surging crowd TO the car. toss
ing him in. and hustling him
away 10 the city lookup.
IL took less than 10 minutes
TO definitely discover upon ar
rival at the city hall. that lie
Blanc was not the murderer AT
all. had no resem blance 10 him
and that all this accusation OF
murder like the fist applica-
lions. were as baseless as quick
sand.
And the question is. what are
YOU going 10 do with Patrolman
Lee. and those other officers
with him, who tolerated his
conduct?
Would they have gone in the
direction Of Springbrook at all
had they really thought there
was a murderer there. or
would they, upon leaving the
city hail. rushed out somewhere
in the opposite direction; say OF
the South Bend brewery?
Have your brave and dis
corning policemen. while MUIR
dering helpless cats and dogs
because they want TO hurt
something. pretending it is 10
protect war gardens. gotten in
10 such a habit OF brutality and
cowardice that they dare not
tackle anything but the help
less?
\ few years ago when there
was a pickpocketing epidemic
i'm town. a gentleman who runs
a bookbindery on Main st. ard
said 70 resemble one Of the
gang. was taken up on the
street and escorted 10 the city
hall. There was no street scene.
The man was invited TO walk
along. and had your organ Of
publicity. which pretends that
YOU have been doing wonders
in this Tomasoff case have kept
its mouth shut, no one needed
ever 10 have known that il
happened.
OF course, il was a mistake:
a case of mistaken identity. But
there was no banging the man
III NAAt az VI 9NilAliH Ills sup
posed crime at top voice.
showering indignity upon him
in the face of a mob. Still il
was a terrible crime and there
had 10 be an investigation
The bookbinder and his Jour
nalistic organ thought il was
a terrible crime that he should
have been i'm business here for
/ o years-and have so well be-
haved himself that he was still
unknown to the police
South Bend is getting sick
and tired Of such rough stuff:
such strong arm methods-ap-
piled 10 the helpless and the
innocent while the guilty and
those capable OF self-defense
are seldom seen.
IL has 10 be the innocent and
the helpless that suffer. Your
band Of incompetents are quite
certain not TO tackle anything
dangerous.
You may have noticed how
much Drawer your patrolmen
became yesterday after the
story got out that Tomasof had
been deprived OF his gun.-bv
q mere CITIZEN
Do YOU, Mr.. Mayor. and
Messrs Board Of safety. want
the names of the witnesses 10
that Springbrook affair You
can have Them