Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-10-23

for nerve. He told his hearers how
good the town was growing and that
despite petty criticism and unjust
censure 'ttbe morale of the men had
been splendid" Two days previous
to the Chiefs talk one of his Key
stoners had been dragged out Of a
negro saloon drunk and dtsorderly,
one of his officers had spent the
night in a negro saloon drinking,
and day in and day out these stories
of drunken Keystoners crop out,
and no one will deny that the old
town is a Mecca for burglars and
crooks. The Chief. we are told In
the Herald, is making these talks
before the different Bible classes of
Louisville, but we think that prize
should be offered TO the pupils that
can sit through Col Petty's talks
without laughing in the lecturers
face when he tells them that we
have a good police department.
In his talk Col. Petty mentioned
Bierod's old concert hall and dive,
but didn't have the gall to go as far
as Paul Burlingame, who took del
egation of ministers to window in
the City Hall and pointing out
Bierod's old place across the street
said: There's an evidence of re-
form under our administration. We
closed that dive" The joke is that
Bierod's had been out OF existence
then for fifteen years or more, but
Paul got away with his little bunk,
and the cody men fell for it.
Speaking of the morale of the po-
lice a crowd of L.. & ~ workmen
were going east on an Oak street
car one morning this past week and
one OF the men was telling of the
continual robberies in his neighbor-
hood and how the women and chill
dren were all scared out of their
wits. One of his hearers said that
the victims ought to complain to
the police. At this the man replied:
"Why, we never see a policeman in
our district, and they never catch
burglar anyway" "a keystone POI
liceman who had slipped on the car
heard the remarks. grabbed the Of
fender by the back of the neck,
pulled him off the car, walloped his
prisoner with club and then locked
him up for disorderly conduct. He
was just illustrating that morale"
of which the Chief spoke about, but
1t hasn't impressed the big army of
L. & N. shopmen who know the in
nocent victim.
We are going to suggest to Col.
Petty that at his next Bible class
lecture he introduce as his subject
the fate of Police Capt. Bennett.
Capt. Bennett was a special APP
pointee of near Mayor Smith, but
committed the awful crime of ex-
posing a Republican leader who
wanted protection for a negro crap
game. The grand jury made spe-
cial trip to near Mayor Smith ask
ing him to protect Capt. Bennett for
his honesty. The near Mayor said
he was proud to hear OF the record
of his special selection and would
protect him from trouble, But the
Republican machine ruled otherwise
and had Capt. Bennett barred not
only from the police department but
from city or county employ. And it
has never failed to attack the Cap
tain since that expose. The other
day the retirement of Officer Raggio
was mentioned and Capt. Bennett
was charged with trying to force
him out of the service, but failed to
explain that the Board of Safety
ruled against Bennett after he had
shown that Raggio had been sus-
pended five days twice and was off
seventeen days in one month. In
cidentally the Board paid Raggio for
the seventeen days off time. In his
lecture Col. Petty might read the
letter Captain Bennett filed with
him IN which he charged two dis
trict detectives with collecting ten
dollars from a woman prisoner for
riding to the station house in his
own machine. Yes, we believe Capt.
Bennett and his experiences with
this administration and the local Re
publican machine would make a
| timely subject for the Coloners next
Bible class lecture.
One of our readers also offers a
suggestion for the head of our Key
stone coppers. AS you know, Chief
Neunschwander pulled off a fake
fire alarm last week to display the
ability Cd of his chicks" ALI We
hicles were cleared off Jefferson
street and the movie fire run was
made to the Willard Hotel, which is
almost half a square from the fire
house, Some run. Then men were
sent inside to raise the windows SO
the boys could get in without any
trouble, which allowed them to sue
cessfully Chamber in and pose for
the heroic pictures, etc. Now ouI
reader suggests that Col. Petty have
some one impersonate a burglar (it's
not hard 10 get a real one around
here) and while he is robbing a
house or store have the keystone
cops capture him with the movie
machines and the Herald pho
tographer taking all the views. Of
course some people will be unkinC
enough 10 say that will be the only
way they will ever catch one, buf
anyway it will put our Shelbyvillt
Police Chief on even terms with oul
Cincinnati Fire Chief in the pub
, iicity role.