The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-03-21
STATE POLICE
BEGIN Their WORK.
COLONEL BAUGAMAN TELLS
HOW THE ARM OF THE LAW
WILL BE TRENGTHENsD.
MAKE FAVORABLE IMPRESSION
BY These Gallant And
Efficient Young
Troopers.
BY RAYMOND s. TOMPKINs.

hibttne first its military and physical
skill and next its snaNpiness in uni
form and drill was-'Well. here's
fine. neacrful thing to be doing after
the war: sending a force of trained
brass butt0ned gunner out on the
Maryland roads 10 pry into eEerYbody's
business, What VIII the farmers and
the labor unions think about this?'
The writer heard pretty quickly
what the labor unions thought about
it. and he heard a former member OF
the House Of Delegates say. after look
ing the State policemen over, well.
they're all right as long as they don't
come around bothering our Carroll
county farmers" SO he suspected
what the farmers thought.
The big question was, What have
the leaders of the state police force
got to say about IT." And that brought
about the interview with f. Austin
Baughman. Commissioner of Motor We.
hicles for the State of Maryland.
Colonel Baughman is the real leader
OF the Mar ldHtI INjdit / oIlNV' I'ii
big boss" is, Of course. Governor
Richie. and their immediate command
ing officer is Captain Roger Williams.
But whenever the Maryland State po-
lice force swoops down upon lawless.
ness, drags sneaking criminals into the
light. shields women and children, or
d0fIs its khaki cap to the plain citizen
who is trying to be decent. YOU may
know that the motive power behind t
all is furnished by Austin Raughman.
The writer happens to know that tn"
Maryland State police force is Colonel
Baughman's idea. and that its person.
mel is hand-picked by himself; and any
body else can learn. in 10 minutes talk
with him. that its spirit and its rrin-
ciples are the ones he breathed into it.
BY the same token. if it makes mis-
fakes. Colonel Baughman Will take the
| blame. Charitable people may say.
''Well. there have got to be some bad
ones in every barrel. so it isn't his
fault" But If a single man on the
MARYLAND state police force goes
, wTorg. Colonel Baughman will he as
hart and as remorseful as though he
had gone wrong himself The whole
thing is that close to him.
To Colonel Baughman. therefore, the
writer went to learn the meaning OF
this epochal addition to the govern
mental machinery Of the State OF
Maryland
Just what is the big idea behind the
formation of this force of swift riders,
! hard fighters and straight shooters?"
the writer asked Colonel Baughman.
He replied slowly and with much en-
| phasis.
"The idea is to extend and strengthen
the arm of the law in Maryland. Moth
49, more and nothing less than. that.
| Il is as much OF a move in the direc-
| tion of improvement as building up
| broken down Jail wall would be, or ex-
| tending electric or telephone wires out
| to new territories When you want to
[ improve and use a room in your house
| that you have been neglecting one OF
the first things you do is to string
| wires TO it and get some light in there
| The new State police force is going to
| do somewhat the same thing for the
| State OF Maryland. If there is a single
| dark place for crook to hide in after
these men get on the job in Maryland
I'll be mighty disappointed
"How does the State of Maryland re-
| semble room that has been neglected,
| Colonel Baughman?" the writer asked.
"In this way" he replied, that a
| great part of it has been neglected in
| measures to protect the people against
l. professional bandits and desperate
| criminals. | do not mean to suggest
| that the county and town authorities
| throughout the State haven't been on
| the Job. They have done as much as
! any men could do. But what chance
| in the world have they against bands
| of professional bank robbers who dash
in, shoot. rob and dash away again in
| high-powercd automobiles almost be-
! fore anybody can count them?
81 want you to understand that ]
| don't take any particular credit to my
! self for the creation of this force, "
| Colonel Baughman added. 1T so hap
| pened that as Automobile Commits
! sioner, | was in a better position than
| almost anybody else to see the trend
| of the times in my own line of work.
l. And the trend of the times, as l saw
| it, was toward the use of automobiles
| in speeding up crime.
professional criminals had Topped
minutes off Of safe-blowing jobs, hold
! ups and killings, Just as runners lop
seconds off of sprinting and long-dis,
| lance records. But at the business OF
| catching them we hadn't speeded up
at all
'On the other hand. the State was
| aiding and ahettine them, in a way. 1t
was furnishing them broad, smooth
boulevards to ride n-,highways that,
while improving the good citizens
heath and business, also sped the
bandit on his way TO freedom. It oc-
Cured to me that having. in the neces-
sary, course of State development
smoothed the criminals getaway the
State owed it to the people to quicken,
lengthen and stra tighten the arm of the
law.
Why, do you suppose automobile
bandits will be able TO roam up and
down, robbing whom they please in
Howard county or Carroll county, or
any other county, when this bunch
gets out on the road on those motor
cycles?" exclaimed Colonel Baughman.
He sat up straight and whacked the
desk. Il want to see en- try it, that s
all Why, in Howard county last sum
mer it wasn't safe for women and chill
dren to venture out on the roads at
night For that matter, it wasn't safe
for men, either, unless they were
| armed But it's going to be safe from