The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-15
CRIME WAVE HERE
Criminals Driven From Other
Cities Invade Topeka.
This Condition Promises Much
Trouble During Winter.
TO START RAIDS AT ONCE
Police Department Alarmed
Over Situation.
Sale of Narcotics Is Cause. Saws
Chief Harmon.
70 START RAIDS At ONCE

| Topeka is being invaded by an army
of criminals that have been driven
from st. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and
other large cities where clean up"
campaigns are being conducted, ac-
cording to Chief of Police George G.
Hannah. This condition promises
much trouble locally during the winter.
he declared
| To Start Clean Up Campaign.
Chief Hannah announced that begin
ming at once a campaign, including Il
series of raids, will be conducted by the
Topeka police department against
ciean up the local talent" and leave
the police free to cope with the incom-
ing tide of strange crooks
The chief declared that the use and
sale of narcotics in Topeka is at +he
bottom of 50 per cent of the wave of
petty crime that is sweeping the city
ana that 1t constitutes an ever grow
ing menace that is threatening the
very lives and safety of the citizens
he asserted that he intends to drive
every illegal seller of narcotics from
town, since neither the city nor the
state has provided him with any ade-
quate remedy at law whereby the
danger of doing harm
Police BIotter Filled.
The police blotter is filled with
names of men and women who have
oeen arrested on "drunk' and done"
charges, held a short time and turned
loose again to commit the same crime
over because there is no provision on
the statute books to care for them.
Drunkenness has increased 100 Der
! cent in Topeka within the last two
years, Chief Hannah declared, while
scores of men and women, unable
/ longer to obtain liquor. have sought
! reIuge IN the arms of Lady Nor
phlne. Jamaica ginger, fIavoring ex-
tracts. bitters and patent medicines are
now the popular drinks. and they
| serve to undermine both the moral and
physical health of the users.
Many Outside Criminals. -s
In the face of these conditions and
Wlthout laws to cope with them, To-
outside criminals.
Saturday night" said Chief Han
nan, Il walked down Kansas avenue
and saw at least twenty-five strange
CROOKS Prior to two weeks ago. it
was very seludom that a bum was
taken from railroad train. Now a
passenger or freight train rarely passes
thru Topeka that one or more hoboes
do not drop off. We get them every
day Invariably we find they are from
Chicago, st. Louis, Detroit or some
other large city where the police have
driven them out.
Close Dope Shops.
I'm the face of these conditions 1
am going to drive every dope seller
can find from the city, and close up
every dope house. I know of at least
five houses right now where these
dope fiends can run in, throw down a
J n Ion MI.
dope habit is spreading SO rapidly that
it threatens to engulf the city, and 1t
IS time Topekans were awakening to
this fact. 1t is not alone confined to
the river district, but to some of the
prominent and well-to-do people of the
town.
Health Is Impaired.
"Within six months the dope users
health has become so impaired that he
cannot work. so he resorts to stealing
Dope is responsible for the overcoat
thefts. for the thefts of fruit from cell
lars, for practically every petty theft
committed in Topeka A confirmed
dope user must have five or six shots
a day, and if he is not able to work
he must steal to get the money. They
admit it. I can bring a dozen dope
fiends into this room before you and
they will each tell you they will steal
before they will go without dope.
That is not all.
"If you stand between them and
dope. they will take your life to get it.
They stop at nothing. And yet we
have no laws by which we can hadle
these people. Let me say to you that
I am going to handle them, law or no
law, for 1 am going to close every
dope house in town without further
delay, and run the dope users out of
the city, because there is nothing else
can do with them, unless 1 lock
them up in Jail. Even then they tear
ropes with which to haul up to their
windows dope that is smuggled to
them by friends"
Two new blankets were recently
torn up by women prisoners in the
woman's department, by which they
hauled up from the ground below
narcotics brought them by friends.
Cannot Be Sent to Hospital.
Under the existing laws. dope fiends
cannot be sent to the state hospital,
except on their own volition. 1t has
been the experience of officials that
patients so sent to the hospital cause
much trouble. and soon leave the in
stitution when the craving for Lady
Morphine" begins to return to them.
I'VE need a place where these men
said Chief Hannah. Il tried to get
such a law enacted at the special ses-
sion of the legislature, but was mere
ly laughed at. Narcotics are a far
greater menace to Topeka than liquor
ever was
HUNDREDS AT DODGE FUNERAL.
Millionaire Automobile Manufactures