Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-02-08
Tells Chief Cause For Crime
Wave In Delivering Vigor-
Gus Charge to Grand
Jury

Because juries will not convict
people who are guilty" is the real
reason for the crime wave which is
being noted all over the country, de-
clared Circuit Judge Shalkeford, in
opening of the February term of the
Madison circuit court here Monday.
The Judge gave his hearers, who
included Il full room of spectators as
well as the jurymen, some mighty CO.
gent reasoning on the criminal stu
alton, too, in the course of his re-
marks. He hit the nail on the head
time and again and some of his hear
ers looked like they would have been
pleased to add little applause to the
intense interest which the Judges
clean-cut observations aroused thru
out his whole address to the grand
jury men.
eff the bank robber is in the peni-
tentiary, he can't rob any more banks
and the man who is in Jail for carry
ing u deadly weapon concealed, can't
shoot anyone" said the Judge in the
course of his earnest appeal for en-
forccmcnt Of the law. Few charges
as strong for law enforcement have
ever been heard anywhere, as that
delivered by Judge Shackelford. He
did not mincc words but shot straight
from the shoulder.
"Every community has just as
much law enforcement as it wants."
he said. "If you find Il community
where the law is not being enforced,
it is because the people do not want
the law enforced. 1t is a lawlesS COM
munity. If the jurieS of court wont
convict the lawbrcakers, it is because
the community doesn't want the law
enforced. The whole thing is up to
the grand and the petit juries wheth-
CT q community is to be law-abiding
or lawlesS. My suggestion for the
certain suppression of crime is the
prompt, and sure conviction of Grim
inaIs; put them in places where they
can't commit crimes.
"Ir criminals find out that public
opinion of Il community, through its
juricS demands and sees to it that
law violators get swift, prompt and
adequate punishment, they are going
to give that community Il wide
berth. And at time which seems
upon us, when the paramount ques-
ton is whether or not the criminal
element is going to be allowed to
control society, | say to you frankly
that the man who is in the penitcn-
tary can't rob Il bank and the man
in Jail can't shoot any one with con-
ceaIed deadly weapon"
Judge Shackelford further along
deplored the "Sickly sentimentality"
that is sometimes found with regard
to criminals. He said that there was
no question but that a criminal would
seek a place in which to live where
the juries wouldn't convict or there
was such a sentiment in favor of try !
ing to cure criminals rather than
give them the strongest conviction
possible. He said that you can't cure
crime, but must cut it off. It's like
gangrene on the body polite; it must
be cut off.
Judge Shackelford referred to the !
"highly rhetorical" newspaper obser- !
vations of Gov. Morrow on enforce /,
ment of the Volstead law and said
that it seemed to him that murder, as
sault, carrying concealed weapons al /,
so needed some attention from the of !
ficials. He admonished the grand
jury to thoroughly investigate if any
violations of the liquor laws were to
be found. He told them to find out if
any one is selling jamaica ginger, hot
drops or any of the other concoctions
that nowadays cause men to go crazy,
and to assault, kill and rob. These
mixtures make a regular devil out of
{, man, said the Judge, and were not
to be compared with the "good liquor"
of the old days, which, he had observ-
ed usually had more or less benevo-
lent effect, and made everybody hap |
DIV. He said that he had noted that
the ingredient named as being used in
some of the "white lightning" was
given as 25 per cent corn spirits, 25
per cent poison ivy and so per cent
bald potash. The Judge branded any
man who would sell man such stuff
as not only violator of the law in
the sale but as no better than a poi
soner, or murderer.
Violations of the dog law requiring
licensing of CANNES, the compulsory
education law, reckless automobile
driving and other offenses were fully