Evening star., 1923-01-07
Los ANGELES ACTS
b. TOCHECK CRIMES
''vigiIance Committee" Plan
! ned in Drive to Clean Out
UndesirabIes.
PROSPERITY HINDRANCE
Rumors of Protection and Graft in
{ Police Circles Are to Be
- Investigated.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
Los ANGELES, Calf, January g.
This municipality is paying the price
for its boosting and prosperity. AS
a city of wonderful opportunity it
has attracted, along with the great
influx of new citizens, a veritable
army of undesirables.
The powers that prey have found
IT bright and shining mark. The
ever-mounting wave OF crime, which
appears to have swamped the police
and other law enforcement agencies,
has become grave problem that
must be met Immediately.
AS a result, without any public
announcement, a meeting of the lead
ers of civic life has initiated plans
Tor the formation of what is, in effect,
d. vigilance committee. Acting in an
advisory capacity il will launch
drive to strike at the heart of the
evil.
Monday this committee will meet
10 find out what is the matter with
the city police force. Ugly rumors
about protection and graft and i'm
Snunlty of noted criminals from ar
rest and prosecution will be thor
oughly sifted. If necessary a. COM
plete reorganization of the police will
be demanded.
Promise All Men Needed.
If 1t develops that the present force
is too small, as the police claim, the
committee will see that the additional
mon needed are provided. Sheriff
Big Bill' Traege, popular idol now
1ottering. will be lacked up about the
Coddling of notorious criminals in
the local jail, the escape of Clara
Phillips and others, and will be warn
ed he and his men must stamp out
iY1A md hnl6 al frfy oiyo oIS,
out
The courts and judges are to be
watched for undue leniency to prison
ers in the matter of bail, straw bonds
granting of probation to confirmed
criminals. Any who fail to measure
up to the highest standard are to be
asked to resign.
While all this might sound foolish
and futile as program for d mere
unofficial body in most communities,
here in Los Angeles it is a vital plan.
The power OF recall over all elected
officials is in the hands of the Citl-
2ens and there can be no doubt that
the recomme ndation from such rep
resentative men as those comprising
this committee, including the pub
fishers and editors of the local news
papers, would carry sufficient weight
70 drive any official condemned out of
office.
The chief of police is appointed by
the mayor and not subject to recall.
But his sponsor, the mayor, Is elect
ed and comes under the operations of
the law.
AS developed the plan Of the COM
mittee is TO clean up and clean out
from the inside and then to establish
d dead line about the city to keep out
every undesirable and crook who is
headed for Los Angeles and rich pick
ings. 1t is hoped soon to have Los
Angeles advertised as the most un-
healthy spot on the map for all citi-
zens of the underworld.
More Important Reform.
There is an even more important
reform brewing as the result of the
failure of jurieS to convict in sensa-
tional cases-orimes of love and pas
sion-where women were involved
and made emotional appeals to the
jurors. Eighteen out of the twenty
two sitting judges in Los Angeles
have announced themselves as favor
ing an amendment to the code which
Will allow majority verdict by juries
IN felony cases, so that two-thirds
or threefourths vote will be suffi-
cient to convict or acquit.
Many JurtStS are OF the opinion that
only IN this way can convictions be
obtained in murder cases where
women are drawn on the juries, and
the woman juror admittedly has come
to stay. This reform will be urged
At the coming session of the state
legislature.
In the meantime, with these re-
forms under discussion, the jafls are
full chiefly with minor offenders.
The police are chasing petty gam
blers and bootleggers, while holdup
men, bandits and burglars ply a
thriving trade seemingly unmolested,
and automobile speeders still are get
ting theirs in the nature of Jail SEN
tences. When seventy three nickel
crapshooters were arrested they had
TO be left In the corridors of the
county Jail. After they went to court
Jailor Mark Bailey found that every
thing not nailed down had been car
ried off.
Bailey let out an awful yell. had
the prisoners brought back and
threatened to lodge a charge of lar
ceny against them. Then he lined
them up for individual search. onIv
TO ind the missing articles scattered
on the floor.
It is getting pretty tough when
3allor finds thieves in his pet Jail.
Copyright, 1927
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