The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-30
'0FFINES CAUSES
OF CRIME WAVE
Criminal Coddling Sug-
cests Disrespect for
Law Processes
URGES SWIFT PENALTY
Increased Feeling That Law
Is Something to BE
Resented

LEXINGTON, Va, June 29.--The
,,oddlins Of criminals" raher than
ns nervous reaction from the World
MAR was blamed for the crime wave
ali over the country today by wade
lu Ellis. member OF the American
sr association committee investl-
81 hing the increase in crime, who
p,6oke today at Washington and Lee
vtriyersitv Of which he is a graduate.
fbs findings OF the crime committee
Isensed m part for the first time
y VI Ellis. wlll he made kuuwn
i, detail when the report OF the
conmlttee is filed next month.
Mr. Ellis said that In the period
,-om 1910 to 1921, the number OF
1,urders IN cities like New York
chicago 81. Louis. Los Angeles and
practically all the large centers OF
bonulation increased nearly $50 per
Ssbt and he asserted that this in
r-ease. when compared with that OF
v,gland and France, was both "hu-
rilIa,!ng and appalling" Referring
IA conditions in New York city. Mr.
Ellis said.
Grimes OF highway robbery on
tho streets and IN the stores In broad
daylight have increased in startling
rroportlou. In that city, for ex-
,nple. l out Of every 80 registered
,ytomobiles is stolen every year. The
American Bankers association re-
,rts show that I'm 1917 there were
/ iIA burglaries and so holdups Of
barv throughout the country and
IN 1921 there were 3I9 burElaries
land 1876 holdups. The losses paid
NJ IN. burglary insurance compan-
les grew from S1,6S6,l95 in 1915 to
si0lS9S53 in 1920, an increase Of
blJ per cent
Mr. Ellis then asserts that this
condition is not entirely due TO
'srenshock from the war nor to
unemployment, nor to the great in
lly Of aliens lie adds:
"All there instances combined do
no, answer the question. The real
causes lie deeper. They inhere in the
Widespread and growing disrespect
4 for all law The delay in punish
ment. the inadequaCy Of the PEN
s,y. the coddling or criminals. tho
ease with which they escape. the
| tschnicalities surrounding the in
4 diclment, the trials, the appeals. the
| PROBATION. the suspended sentence.
the eommutation and the pardon
. have more to do than anything else
| with the breakd down of our criminal
| jurisprudence.
And deeper still IL the lament
| able fact that in the hearts of
thousands, perhaps millions, of the
submerged In our popuLttlon-the
| poor the unfortunate, the ignorant
and the envious--there is a feeling
that the courts OF America are a
luxury for the few, tina. In both civil
and criminal cases the expense Of
| lHlgiiion is beyond the means OF the
great masses of the people; that
thaa courts are not their courts:
| that this country is not their coun-
{ 'T,y. and that by a sort of exclusive
\ vs. IN the attitude OF organized So
- they are put beyond the pale
This produces hostile mind
toward American institutions and
gives 10 tho down-and-U outer dark
linking, muddlebrained a kind OF
snge Justification for taking the
sF into his own hands"
Among the remedies produced by
W. Ellis are these: Establishment
a federal bureau to gather and
aNyze statistics on crime, swift
Punishment OF offenders, prohibl-
ton Of the manufacture OF firearms.
ard the placing of Justice within
reach Of the poor.
Nr Ellis also advocated striCter
Erguation OF the admission of i'm
M Yants and the enactment of a
eieceral law making it "A criminal Of
'snss FOR native born or uaturdlized
citizens to teach or incite the over
fNrow OF the government
The speaker called attention to "a
certain fashion--silly, detestable,
oul none tho less vicious--among a
small class of notoriety seeking pro-
lessors," who believe themselves lib
eTal when they teach contempt for
the established institutions Of
america" He cited the college stu
cent who turned radical because he
was victim OF a fad. These, he said,
were In a very small minority, but
.ney were the most effective en-
em!es Of peace"