San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-28
Notorious Underworld
Characters Deliver Ver-
bal Attack on Everything
From Crooked Police to
Unfair Judges, Salvation
Army and Prosecutors.
BY FORREST WHITE.

Copyright, 1879, DN tonsol. lreSS Ass II.
Los Angeles, April 2S.-The ban
quet given by Chief Vollmer, the
fancy cop imported TO command the
Los Angeles police. TO the prisoners
in the Lincoln Heights JAIL has
passed into tradition of that institu
ton MS the last supper"
The jailbirds crucified the police all
right, but that is not the reason why
the joyous affair will not be repeated.
They also leveled their shafts of
oratory against the courts, the judges
Army and the Midnight Mission, and
stirred IN bitter resentment all around
against the latest experiment in mol
ernism as applied by Vollmer to the
conduct of the police department.
1t was grand party while it last
ed. Among the guests were some of
the most notorious crooks in this part
Of the country. TO say nothing of dope
fiends, panhandlers and other types
sojourning in the jail. While the af-
fair was informal as to dress and
manners. the guests proved themselves
of no mean caliber as post-prandial
orators and that's where the hurt
comes in. For some Of the things they
said cut deep into the dignity Of the
courts and their officers and reflected
gravely upon court procedure.
Had Double Purpose.
Chief Vollmer's bright idea had a
double purpose; to celebrate for the
inmates themselves the opening of the
nice new Jail that has no bars or
keys and to determine from the
speeches of the crooks themselves the
origin of crime. The chief attended
with his staff of high officers. and I'M
doubtedly they learned many things of
interest in their study of criminology.
They would have learned much more
but for humping square into the un-
derwOrld code that crook does not
snitch. even on crooked police.
Vollmer's master of ceremonies was
Frisco Tommy who told his hearers
that he had been inside of more jails
than there were dollars in the crowd.
but had reformed, and announced that
Chief Vollmer wanted the boys pres
ent to pitch in and pan the police to
n fare-thce-well. The boys were I'M
certain about this announcement By
Frisco Tommy" but Vollmer con-
firmcd his words iwth a nod Of the
head and the flood was Tossed.
Johnny Jumper. youth with a
Valentino makeup, proved the code
of the underworld early in the pro-
cecdings.
Il never trusted the cops" said
Johnny. II never had to. / had a
superior quality of goods | was sell
ing to an exclusive trade. You got me
because my competitor tipped you off
to my residence.
What l want to know is this
When you pinch man and get
eighteen gallons of good whiskey from
him. why is it that the records show
you only confiscated three?''
Won't Name Crooked Cops.
Nollmer was interested. He got III
and asked Johnny to name the crooke,
cops. Johnny hesitated but the brief
est part of moment. but even then
the crowd began to yell at him, Dom
you do it. don't turn copper"
And Johnny, with smile shook hi,
head and Nollmer did not persist.
Fire on the courts and the prosecu-
tors. which extended to the Midnight
Mission and the Salvation Army lodg-
ing houses which were denounced as
breeding places of crime. was started
| by n negro who declared that the way
it is now before the judge can get a