The Washington times., 1919-04-24
~ BILL PRICE.


Correspondents Of The Times are
making sharp inquiry, by letter and
otherwise, as to why it is that Cope
land, the negro murderer of three Of
neers OF the law, should have been
In the District Jail eleven months
after committing the crime without
having been brought to trial He
sawed his way to freedom a few days
ago and IS probably armed to again
take human life.
These inquiries are pertinent to
conditions In the District that favor
increase In crime and which must be
corrected unless the fair name OF the
National Capital is to be opened to
nationwide attack for general law
leasnsss, without opportunity to place
the bulk OF the responsibility where
II belongs-the Congress Of the Unit
ed States.
Crime EaeouraEed.
All the facts tend to discourage po-|
lice and peace officers generally.
The numerous technieaIities Of all
criminal laws in this country have
been denounced by former President
raft and other able judges as afford
ing more encouragement to crime than
anythjng else. They have pointed
cut the strong advantages Of the
Euglish criminal procedure, which
makes for promptness and for that
reason q q great deterrent to crime.
The American criminal who feels that
he will not be brought to trial for
q long time for his offenses is. will
ing 70 take chances in the belief that
time and technicalities, always in
~-r1rnA vrrk.wn - nNanAaN fg 1fhU
will hualIy free him
In the District Of Columbia the
crimlnaI is favored not only with the
customary technicalities invoked in
his behalf by his lawyers, but by
cumbersorne procedure which some
times causes trials TO drag along for
weeks.
Principal Reason.
But the good citizens Of this town
ought to know that the main reason
for murdererE. housebreakefs and
thugs remaining in the District prison
almost indefinitely is the fact that
Congress has repeatedly refused to
authorize two additional judges for
the Supreme Court Of the District.
That court consists Of hve judges. |
Three OF them are engaged on civil
cases. The civil cases in this branch
are three years behind, an unspeak-
able injustice to citizens who are en-
titled to have their causes in court |
brought 70 speedy determination.
Two judges are assigned. to GRIM |
inal cases. The criminal branch OF |
this court is fully three years behind 1
its dockets, which should be kept vir- |
tually clear and up to date. Men, |
guilty or innocent, unable to furnish |
bonds, spend q part of their lives in 1
the District Jail, denied the rights OF |
speedy trial, there at heavy expense
TO the District
District Attorney Laskey and his as
sibtSnts work night and day prepar-
ing for trials. Mr.. Laskey's force Of
assistants should be double the pres
ent number. Bright young prosecut-
ing officers are paid measIey little
salaries, few Of them over $500 a
year The salary Of the highest paid
assistant fer one yea= is often not
as much as the opposing layer OBJ
tains for one case
POIIee Department Needs Men.
The police department is short 125
10 40 men, and cannot fill the va
R1cies because tn salaries paid by
authority Of Congress are so small
that able, vigorous men cannot sup
port themselves and even the smallest |
families on what they receive. Big
electric signs on. Pennsylvania ave-
nue At night, advertisements in news
papers, solicitations among discharg-
ed soldiers all fail to give the Capital
OF the Nation the maximum number
Of officers or the protection so Ur-
gently and seriously needed.
OF the small force Of officers and
detectives who are struggling with
CsiscouFRginE burdens q large number
lose valuable time around the GRIM
inal courts waiting for cases to be
tried. Legal red tpe and q deficiency
Of judges and prosecuting officers
sre responsible for this loss Of time
end many things more serious.
Politics BlOck New Judges.
One or two Republican members Of
Congress have for over two years
blocked the passage in the House OF
the Senate bill providing two addi-
tfonal Judges here. They charged
that Democrats we're constantly busy
creating new Judges to be filled by
opportunities OF that faith. They re-
fused 70 look into the real facts In
the District. In trying to keep Pres
ident Wilson from giving positions
70 Democrats they greatly delay pun
ishment OF crime here. Then they
and others will get up in Congress
and make attacks on the District
without telling the inside story
kick ol4 y. c. He's an onery dog"
ThnfiR motto more real than