The Topeka state journal., 1922-11-18
Rewards by Bankers Assn
Have Not Eliminated Banditry.
Secretary Bowman Urges State
Police System in Kansas.
SMALL TOWN STORES VICTIMS
Merchandise Taken Away by
Truck Loads, Reports Show.
Protection and Prevention Fea-
lures Need Strengthening.

The offer of the Kansas Bankers
association of 5000 for bank rob-
bers, dead or alive" has not eliInin-
ated this form of banditry in Kansas,
nor even reduced it to any great ex-
tent, according to statistics gathered
by w. w. Bowman, secretary of the
association. There have been thirty
five bank hold-ups in Kansas during
the first nine months of the calendar
year 1922, as compared with So for
the entire year of 1921.
THE one big lesson which the Kan
sas people have been learning is that
the weak point of our system is the
front end said Secretary Bowman.
'It is the old lesson of LOCKING the
burglar has come and gone, a re-
ward is hung on the Christmas tree
out of a fund which the bankers
themselves have created. This is as
good as any after-the-horse-iS-s
method. In fact, there is nothing else
to do, under our present police system.
An adequate state police system is the
needed thing; it will have to come. 1t
is the protection and prevention end
that needs strengthening.
Banks Not Only Victims.
''By no means are the banks the
only victims of bandits. They prey
on small town stores, carrying off
truck loads OF merchandise and little
is heard about these robberieS outside
the communities where they happen"
The thirty-five bank robberies this
year were upon banks in every section
of the state and include every type
Of attack from simple amateur per-
formances to most formidable hold
ups, Mr.. Bowman said. The list in
cludeS twenty-five burglaries, eight
In some the attacks were unsuccessful
and in others the losses were heavy.
The robberies occurred in the follow
ing order in these counties: Labette,
Wilson, Wyandotte, Greenwood. Mar
shall, Wyandotte, Stevens, Kiowa,
Haskell, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Barton,
Rice, Mcpherson, Chautauqua, Wyan-
dotte, Wyandotte, te,Leavepworth, Smith.
Meade, Logan, Lane, Rocks, Woodson,
Greenwood, Smith, Woodson, Reno,
Ottawa, Norton, Phillips, Lincoln,
Dickinson, Wyandotte and Montgom-
cry.
No Respecter of Persons.
zone of the lessons to be learned
from these ever recurring incidents is
that the bandit is no respecter of per-
sons and has all season for his own,
commented Mr.. Bowman. These
thirty-five attacks in 1922 occurred IN
the first nine months of the present
year-did not miss single month"
Secretary Bowman points out the
following as advantages in mobile
consta bulary force:
1t would prove especially helpful in
enforcement of automobile laws foI
protection of those who travel.
Serve the purpose in many instances
instead of calling out militia, thereby
saving the state g, large sum of money.
Aid in detection of. violators of state
laws.
Protection of homes and families
in localities that have no police.
Enforce prohibitory laws and sup
press illegal resorts in Isolated places.
Would always be on guard and
ready to pursue offenders against life
and property, without delay.
Would be effective. beyond any
other device, in the capture of ban
dts.
The cost to the taxpayer would be
trifling.