The New York herald., 1921-05-23
CRIME IN GHICAGOIS
LOWEST IN 4 YEARS
Police Chiefs Figures Show
How His Men Curbed
Wrongdoers.
COMMISSION GIVES AID
Band of Citizens Arouses
Public Opinion and Ener-
gizes the Cops.
MANY CULPRITs IN JAIL
Organized Gangs Of Criminals
Headed by Master Crooks
Called Worst Menace.
COMMISSION GIVES AID
MANY CULPRITS IN JAIL


Special Despatch to THE NEW YorK HERALD.
CHICAGO, May 21.--Crime in Chicago
has reached its lowest point In four
years. Police Chief Charles G. Fitz-
morris makes the assertion and proves
1t by his own figures as well as BY
those of. the Chicago Crime Cofnmis-
sion, organized to rouse public opinion
and to aid the police in suppressing
criminals.
Criminal complaints for April
showed a decrease Of 30 per cent. un-
der April, 1920" said the Chief. Every
complaint is entered now. This was
not true a year or so ago. The total
OF all complaints made to-day IS less
than part of the total complaints
made one year, two years or three
years ago.
"The s11 900 Summit Bank robbery,
the s65O0Oo daylight Illinois Central
train robbery, the 100000 Union Depot
robbery and the recent holdup of two
North Side bankers all occurred within
the last few months. To-day they are
all cleared up
"In the week which ended April 80
732 persons were taken to the bureau of
Identification. or these 500 We're found
to have criminal records. This indicates
we are beginning to put our fingers on
the criminal class whenever need
arises"
Table Shows Decrease in Crime.
Here is a table prepared personally
by Chief Fitzmorris for THE NEW York
HERALD, giving the decrease IN stated
crimes for the first four months of this
year compared with the corresponding
period last year. The figures are:
Crime. Decrease.
burglary ......-..--.......... o4t
Safe robbery. Observation-Disclosures. 4
Pockets picked. ....--....~- -......s.. olN
Robberies ........-..........-.. las
Automobile thefta. ...................-. q
Murders .............-...... ..'......'. ~
Manslaughter5 ...''..'.-''+'.'' y
The next figures show the chiefs record
Of crime for the first four months OF 1910,
ie19~Burglary. IT'S; robbery. ss7 safe
robbery, 4; larceny, sos.
192o-Burglary. 2,o22 robbery. ,o64; safe
robbery. 16 larceny, 1,f73; thefts Of auto
ia21-Burglary, 1875; robbery. $50; safe
robbery. IL; larceny, o54; thefts OF auto
still another table prepared by the chief
gives these records of major crimes IN 1913
ieio-Burglary. 5.so1: robbery. $3.50; safe
robbery, 81. larceny. 6,6is; larceny BY pick
1o2o-Barsiary. 5.4is; robbery, 2.62o; eafe
robbery AZ larceny, 1888; ihefts OF auto
mobiles. 1,20i; larceny BY pickpocKets' 1lo.
Crime Commission Prods Cops.
The Chicago Crime Commission Is
Justly entitled to credit for It's work
in the last two years in arousing public
opinion and in energizing the police
force. Single handed and alone It would
have been n physical impossibility for
Chief Fltzmorris and his 5,172 police
men to have established record un-
equaled by any other metropolitan city
that OF reducing every branch Of
major crime.
Crime in Chicago Is a business or
ganized and operated by men OF effi-
cheney in their chosen pursuit. earning
comfortable dividends for them and
never embarrassed by a dearth of APP
prentices. The Chicago thief Is fought
not merely with revolvers. but also with
card indexes. In tho efforts scientifi-
callv to combat crime the corpmission,
which represents the earnest and single
minded attempt OF determined citizens
to protect the community. Is coordlnat-
ing and perfecting records. heretofore
obtanable only from separated agencies.
IT Ia working not IN conflict but in CO.
operation with judges, the police and the
States Attorney to the end that crime
be prevented when that Is possible and
that criminals shall be punished.
The commission was organized two
years ago by tho Chicago Association Of
Commerce after a series OF bank and
payroll robberies that netted thieves
about S1,500,000 In plumber. Drastic ac-
tion was necessary and the Chicago
Crime Commission was called into exist
ence because Of the failure Of the Police
Department to function properly
Criminals wigRIc ont Of Law.
Life and property were IN constant
danger everywhere in the city. even in
broad daylight, and hundreds ~ Grim
inals were able to evade punishment for
their crimes, even when caught ia t4e
commission OF them.
ne commission MS y INEilN6t@Ufa 1A
100 representative business men drawn
from tho Chicago Association az Conn
merce. Many are known nationally
Tho president is Edwin w. Sims, who
was United States Attorney IN the Chit
caro district in the administrations of
Roosevelt and Taft. II was he who OBJ
tained the famous Judgment az S29,-
100000 against the Standard oil COM
pany.
other men who hold important places
on tho commission are Henry II. Crowoll.
president of the Quaker Oats Company;
Halo Holden. PRECEDENT of The Chicago.
Burlington and Quincy Railroad Julius
Roseuwald, president &c Sears, Ilntbuck
& Co j.. J. Burlington, president Of tho
Illinois steel Company; john II. Wig
more. dean of tho Northwestern uniyor-
sity Law School WHY'S Nv. Baird. now
rresldent OF the Chicago Association of
Commerce: Bernard r. sunny vico-
,sxeideifr is tho American Telephone and
=cisgraph Company. and Joseph III dee
frees. president or the United states