Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-20
THE pUBLIC,S RESPONSIBILITY

1t is important that the public should realize that
it has part in the cleanup campaign which has been
inauguraed and is being executed by the city govern
n1ent The city officials can only initiate The pros
ecuton of the booeggers and disorderly characters
must fail unless it is supported by public sentiment
and that not merely by giving assent to the campaign
but by willingness and determination to stand last
Whenever any of comes in actual contact with
the cleanup business itself
Police Commissioner Fawcett and his chief, Harry
Barker going about this thing with deermln-
alton and better practical understanding than the
city has even been blessed with heretofore The police
department knows where the booteggers and hop ped
ders are and how to get them, but the people must
play their part when the time comes.
And the time comes when anyone of us Is called
on the jury Each is by itself and must be de-
cided on its merits, of course We don't mean that
there should be any general policy of'fndg everyone
guilty but it is important to have general UNDER
Standing of the practical side of catching and con-
victing bootleggers.
We come almost immediately then to the question
as to what is to done with the testimony of the paid
informer. Many people refuse to believe the detective
or paid informer under any circumstances Whatever
They get jures by evasion of the question and
then proceed to acqu because of prejudice against the
informer.
It should be evident enough that the police depart
ment cannot enlist pastors, leading citizens and
business men in the business of catching bootleggers
The work must be done by someone who knows the
ropes and can get the inside 1t often happens that
those who available for this work are themselves
not spotess character even of very much esteem
in the community. For the moment this IS not the I'M
sportant thing. That which is to be decided by he
Juror sitting such and having before him the
Testimony of such witness Is whether the testimony
is supported by other facts and circumstances IN way
to make it probable beyond reasonable doubt that the
testimony is true And this is almost always possible
The testimony of the informer ties IN with that OF
others and with the exhibits of bootleg booze and with
the general situation that an intelligent person may
know whether the testimony is true and whether the
defendant is guilty. These the things that must de-
ternne and the question whether the profession OF
paid informer is respectable or enviable
And another thing is the question of so-called
"frame-up If by frame-up is meant deliberate plan
and determination the part Of the police department
to apprehend and convict the gamblers and bootleggers
then every one of these cases Is framed But II by
aframe-up' is meant Justification of the facts and
testimony and the creation of situation with malice
aforethought for the sake of getting someone INTO
trouble then the mere thought of it is preposterous
and should not have minutes consideration. Mayor
Fawcett has too much other business to give attention
to be intriguing against innocent people Whenever the
booteggers and other dsordery characters are haled
into court it because of strong presumption OF their
guilt based upon what has been observed and learned
The paid informer's part necessary one and your
business and mine when are called on the jury, Is
to weigh the testimony reasonably and without preJu
dice arriving at verdict in accordance with the facts
and the general good of the community and in recogn-
ton of the difficult and unpleasant problem which the
department is endeavoring to work out.