The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-26
CHICAGO IN THROES
 . .OF GREAT CRIME OF EVERY DESCRIPTION
Murder Mysteries, Safe Blowing and HOld-Ups Occur in All Parts
 of the City
By Associated Press

Chicago, November 25.-The unprece- dented increase in the number of major and minor crimes in Chicago over the weekend was caused by curtailment Of street lighting, due to the efforts of the municipal lighting plant to conserve cn coal, according to Chief of Police tonn Garrity. Today the entire ponce force devoted it's attention to the problem or solving the murder mysteries of the last two or three days and in an effort to arrest some Of the robbers, safe blowers and automobile thieves who operated practically with impunity Saturday and Sunday nights.
 In the arrest Of Is youths, mostly for eigners, the police stated tonight they had captured eight murderers and had cleared up the mysteries surrounding 150 robberles, but with that announcement it was learned that the murders and rob- berries were an accumulation of offenses during the last three years. So far 1S2 ar- rests have been made as result or the weekend orgy in crime, during which 40 hol1-ups, three murders, 2S automobile thefts, three ristol duels, an abscondtns bank cashier and numerous safe blowers were reported to the police.
 One of the most spectacular episodes or the crime peak occurred early today.
 
 attempted to hold up Dr. F. w. Fichman in Sheridan road, fashionable driveway
 Dr. Fischman was making an early morning call to the bedside of patient and as his automobile passed the slowly driven car containing the bandits they ordered him 70 stop. The doctor, instead, opened wide the throttle of his car. For several blocks up Sheridan road the chase continued, with the would-be thieves nt3rtvt ct1 1of info fhn hoo If bn clans car.
 The shots got too thick for Dr. Fisch- man and he finally abandoned his car and escaped on foot into an alley.
 SAFE-BLOWING PARTY
 Whi,e the police were investigating the doctor report another squad was called out on> a tip that a regelar safeblowing party was being held on the South Sids at the Merry Garden cafe. A patrol wagon full Of uniformed men was sent imme- diately, but they arrived a bit too late though they saw the cracksmen speeding away il an automobile with s250D which they had obtained from the safe.
 The police gave ohase, firing their pis- tols continually at the escaping robbers, but apparently effected no damage eithef to the car or it's inmates. No arrests fol- lowed.
 Later anothe- automobile race wal SLaSe1 when detectlNeS rom the state attorneys office learned that James M. Miles, alleged defaulting vice president and cashier of the Standard Trust and Savings bank had been seen in Dixon. III. Miles, it Is charged, absconded after a shortage of s25,000 was found in his ac- counts Saturday night. Agents from the states attorneys office immediately were sent to Dixon and arrived there just after their quarry left in a high powered car, driving east. Late tonight the race was still on, with the pursued leading, &C., cording to all reports
 To the police departments suggestion that policemen in civilian clothes patrol the streets instead of uniformed men States Attorney Hoyne entered a sharp protest today. saying:
 ''Tne citizens would not know whether the policeman vas a hold-up man or not and some policerpen would take advan- tage of the change and turn robbers them- selves. This is not mere guess, as some of them already have done this.'