The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-31
SWIFT PUNISHMENT
PREVENTS CRIME
President Sims Gives Bar
Association COnvinc-
ing Figures
CHICAGO MURDERS
EXCEED ALL ENGLAND
Trial and Conviction Much More Speedy
i'm England and Canada than in
United States-Results of Chicago
Clean Up of Murder Trials.


Clean UD of Murder Trials.
CINCINNATI, O., Aug. 31-The his
tory of organized government demon
strates that the speedy trial of criminal
cases and the swift and certain punish
ment of criminals effects a reduction in
the volume of crime, Edwin w. Sims.
president of the Chicago crime commits
sion. told the American Bar association
at the meeting here last night.
ION the other hand" Mr.. Sims contin-
ued, Increased crime follows closely on
the heels of delayed trials and deferred
punishment. In short, crime increases or
decreases in the proportion that punish
ment is swift and certain. The speed
with which a crime is punished has.
great deal more to do with the preserva-
ton of law and order than the severity of
punishment.
Criminal laws bear close analogy to
natural laws. A child puts its hand IN
the fire but once. One experience is suth-
cient. 1t is not necessary that the injury
be severe.
Evolution of Centuries.
Existing criminal laws in America are
the evolution of centuries of practical eN-
perience. AS they have been developed
they are invaluable. There are those, how
ever, who attack the theory of punishment
and who, cOntending that crime Is dis
ease, recommend and urge that punish
ment be abolished and some other form
of treatment substituted. 1t is a grave
mistake to in any way interfere with, i'm
pede or hamper the enforcement of exist
ing laws which have been centuries in de-
velopment. at least until the experiment
has been thoroughly tested and found to
be practical.
Work of Crime Commission.
Three years ago the Chicago associa-
ton of commerce appointed and financed
n crime commission. 1t does not of itself
undertake the apprehension nor the prose-
cution of criminals. The commission
limits its activity to an investigation of
crimes of violence, murder, burglary and
robbery. 1t early reached the conclusion
that crime flourished because criminals
escaped punishment and that the rrin"i-
pal avenue of escape was the delay in the
trial of criminal cases.
THE commission was organized in the
year 1919. Data collected for that year
showed there were 40 murders to
100000 of population in Chicago as
against nine to 1000 600 in Great Britain
and 13 to 100000 in Canada. This
meant that during the year 1919 three
were more murders in Chicago. with a
population of 100000. than in the Brit
ish Isle with a population of 100000.
For years in Great Britain and Can
ada murder cases have been generally
| disposed of within 60 or 90 days. In
American cities there are practically no
murder cases being tried within 90 days.
Clean Up in Chicago.
"On April /. 1920, 133 persons pre-
viously indicted for murder were awaiting
| trial in Chicago. In 104 cases the ac-
cused were at liberty on bond. The situa-
ton was brought to the attention of the
courts and officials by the crime commits
sion with the result that four judges then
| in the civil courts volunteered to sit in the
criminal court and try cases until the muir
| der docket was cleared. The trial of
these cases resulted in the sentencing of
| II to hang and u to the penitentiary for
| from one year to life.
THE effect on the number of murders
in Chicago was electrical. Immediately
the murder rate there dropped 81 per
cent, where ii has since remained The
record for the first seven months of each
of the last three years is as follows
1919, 232; 1920, 81; 1921, 81.
A Case of Delay.
I'm compiling it's report on contin-
uances the Chicago crime commission ran
across a case, and in December, 1919,
the defendant was placed on trial. The
1872 years after the crime was committed,
evidence seemed to be convincing, and the
case was ably presented by the prOsecut-
ing attorney, Notwithstanding which the
jury returned verdict of not guilty
THE jurors. in explaining how they
came to reach that verdict in the face of
the evidence presented, stated that they
felt there was some reason which was
being withheld from them for the nearly
nine-year delay, and that under such
peculiar circumstances they concluded to
return verdict of mot guilty."