davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
Eet There Be Swift Justice!

Surprise and disapproval were eX-
pressed yesterday by many Washing
| tonians when it was announced that
Andrew Beckett, the store messenger
who saved his employers pay roll
from robbers Saturday morning, had
been arrested" in consequence of the
death of one of the men whom he
shot in resisting their attack. 1t was
felt that in such a case an arrest
was unwarranted.
Herein appears a misunderstanding
of the circumstances and the require
ments of the law. In this case man
had been shot to death. The known
circumstances, undisputed, pointed to
justifiable killing. The man who had
done the shooting was not only ex-
cused but was praised for his act.
Yet the law requires that he be for
mally held for what might in other
circumstances be a crime. SO his
arrest was automatically incident to
the development of the case. He was
only held technically, being at once
released in custody" of an attorney.
In such circumstances release from
all charges follows shortly, and no
stigma attaches to the person who is
thus held momentarily and in recog-
milton of the requirements of the law.
Inquiry by a coroner's jury follows
quickly, and upon presentation of the
facts the accused" is definitely freed
from all restraint or question.
The pity is that punitive procedure
by the law is not as speedy and GER
tain as that of eXoneration and re-
lease OF the guilt of the survivors
of the attempted robbery there is no
doubt. One was caught red handed"
and the other. taken after a brief
flight, acknowledged his participation.
Yet in the course of the average
handling of such cases many weeks
will pass before justice is effectively
dispensed.
Summary courts are not held now
adays, as in earlier, rougher times.
/ Yet they are desirable, to stem the
tide of crime that is flooding the
country and taking heavy toll of life
and property. Now and then when
notorious crime shocks the commu
nifty promise is made of swift justice
for the offenders. Indictments are per
haps quickly returned. and the first
steps for trial are taken with prompt
ness. Then something happens to
drag the cases along, and weeks. even
months, pass before the final DISPOSE
ton. BY that time the public has in
large measure forgotten the circum-
stances.
In case like this, with the facts
already fully established. the identity
of the offenders assured, a swift trial
and immediate punishment would
have a wholesome effect, perhaps de-
terring potential criminals from at
tempting hold-ups and robberies. Let
the men whom Andrew Beckett foiled
get as speedy justice as he is granted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
Mercy at the Public Risk

A man found dead from heart dis
ease in Il taXicab i'll Philadelphia YES
terday proved to be one OF the night
Watchmen of large bank of that
city. With him was a bag containing
cash and checks amounting to SAC. 900
stolen from the bank That is in if
self an interesting story. a tragedy
of more than passing interest to stu
dents of crime in America. But there
is another aspect to it which is of
even greater interest.
This man was a little more than a
year ago released from the peniten-
tiary, where he was serving a, term
of from ten to twelve years for man
slaughter. He had been convicted of
homicide in connection, it is believed
with a robbery.
Here is another case of mistaken
mercy. Parole and pardon boards in
the States are constantly making such
mistakes. Criminals are being and
have for some time past been released
from restraint upon the supposition
that they would thenceforth lead
orderly lives, only to return to their
lawless ways and engage in desperate
enterprises. sometimes involving the
taking of other lives.
The tendency toward lighter pen
a1ties and remissions of punishment
has been carried so far that this coun-
tr:,; IL now at the mercy of confirmed
criminals, who, having been once con-
fined. are bent upon taking toll from
society, perhaps in revenge or, more
likely, in response to a natural Grim
inal urge.
The Philadelphia robber had no ex-
cuse. He had found decent employ
ment- His employers gave him po-
aitiou Of trust despite his penitentiary
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
What of the Next Genera tion Q

Albert l.. Wiggam, biologist and au.
thor, tells the Wisconsin Teachers
Association that American women are
losing their beauty, and that their in
tellgence will be the next to go, as
beauty and intelligence go together.
world in prospect if the present tend
ency of the more intelligent and beau.
tiful women to lead independent, non.
family lives prevails. This by reason
of the fact, he asserts, that the more
intelligent and beautiful women are
allowing the less intelligent and less
beautiful to have nearly all the chill
dren. The consequence, says Mr..
Wigganl, will be that the next genera.
ton will be both homely and dumb.
Biologists and sociologists will differ
on this point. 1t will not be agreed
that all intellectual women are beau
tiful, or that all beautiful women are
intellectual. 1t will not be agreed that
the beautiful intellectuals are relin.
gushing child bearing to their home
ly, dull sisters. Biological statistics
on this score will be very hard to Sc
cure. In the first place, there is the
difficulty about the definition OF
beauty. A jury of twelve men passing
judgment on subjects" in such a
classification would render widely
varying verdicts. One of the safe
guards of society lies in the difference
of male opinion on the subject of
feminine pulchritude. Then there is
the question of what really is dumb
ness. Some judges--male judges. Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.

The world needs as much honest
fun as 1t can get. Most of the troubles
of life are caused by the too serious
folk who have no sense Of humor.
The World War would never have
got under way If there had been a
couple of good jokers in the diplo-
matte corps.
Take recent happening in Wash
ington that reaches from last Christ
mas to this.
There was a gentleman who thought
he would buy his wife one Of those
little sewing cabinets called the Pris-
ella.
This type is simply a small box on
legs, with two lids, hinged in the
center, and with a handle on top.
Properly designed, it is at once a
graceful bit of furniture, and very
handy, since 1t is easily portable.
The man found one he liked, and
decided to lug it home with him. Re-
member, this was Christmas a year
ago.
Much against the protests of the
clerks. he started out with his paper
wrapped article. He Unanswered it on
and off street cars, and at last solemn
~ STROBE down his street
As luck would have it, his wife was
downtown shopping. That was how he
the house.
Everything went well until Christ
mas eve. 1t was about pm. There
came ring at the door. The wife an
swered it.
Did you buy a sewing cabinet?"
she called sweetly. Here is one
from -"
Utterly dumfounded. the husband
confessed that he had, but had brought
it home some days ago, Those Junk
heads" he growled, sending me an
other one"'
The tale of the two sewing cabinets
has been favorite one in this family
since
Now for the sequel
Perhaps it should be said, at this
point, that the store where the cabinet
was purchased is one of the very best
in Washington.
A few days ago the wife went to an
other store, of equal merit, and bought
small Windsor rocking chair just as
a sort of gift to the home.
In purchasing it she told the clerk
OF the funny but regrettable incident
of the two cabinets and cautioned him
against a similar error
The clerk smiled.
We never could do such a thing 4"
he said. with a very superior air.
The chair was delivered at 4 O'Clock
the next afternoon. Every one. includ-
ing the cat, pronounced it a good pur-
chase.
The wife recalled to the husband the
story of the two sewing cabinets and
now she had warned the clerk this
year not to repeat the performance of
the clerk in the other store a year ago.
Thnre was many a laugh over the
incident. every one knows how such
FAMILY adventures are recounted over
and over again. Every home has its
standard jokes, which to outsiders
may not seem funny, but always stir
rnirthful recollections in the particular
family concernedD
1t was exactly 8 o'clock that evening
when the door bell rang.
At the door stood the same man who
had delivered the chair in the after
noon.
Here's another chair for YOU" he
said.
Honest, this is a true story.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
Legends Are Written
In Sands of Time
To the Editor of The Star.

To the Editor of The Star:
In the sands of time men write their
legends. Some read like this: "On the
altar of my emotions, / dedicate my
self to the erection of grand displays
for the editication of my poor self
before all chance onlookers."
Now, travelling the road of the
press, we come upon this headline:
Congress solicited for $4,000 for
monument to Unknown Soldier"
Having made little progress in this
bog. where many a flower is seen to
shed it's worth on desert air. we come
to this sign post: $50. 900 in flowers
and $4,000 coffin for slain gangster."
Despairing of the reading, we turn
to reflection. but find little refresh
ment in our memory of mummies and
kings, buried wealth and hidden treas
ures, some of which, not yet pilfered,
tell of the folly of man.
There was once a bereft son who
buried his mother and sought the
counsel of a man of wisdom as to
how he might best honor her. Go
and dig a well. that the thirsty might
drink"
But drink of the cup of wisdom
while this might be said: Parents
scored for lodging duty; shifting
their burdens to school teachers"
1TeSlueHl passes buSh W INeliSioli.
When flowers are given to the liv-
ing, when memorials to the dead,
whether unknown or acclaimed hero
with famous name, consist in their
deeds handed on for pedestals upon
which other models may stand, there
will not be so much broken statuary
because of lessons too often learned.
Their memorials will survive by merit
and require no ostentatious display.
'Tis the battle of life, and prepare
ton therefor. that needs to be eXalt-
ed above it's present state.
MARY B. GRAVES.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
Vertical Advertising.

Motorists are always gratified, in
touring, to find on approaching a city
or town that the name of the COM
munity is blazoned on the roadside, in
some conspicuous manner. Advertis-
ing signs often supply the informa-
ton. The towns themselves, in a
commendable manifestation of civic
pride, sometimes furnish the fact of
identity. Occasionally they couple it
with warning against too much speed
and too long a stay in the local Jail.
In any case, the motorist is we'll in
formed and kndAs where he is at"
Not so with the aviator. He cannot
read the roadside signs. He cannot
recognize the landmarks of even the
sprightliest little city unless he chances
to know the place through previous
passage. This lack of information is
handicap and sometimes a source of
extreme danger. Forced landings in
unknown country for the correction of
bearings have on numerous occasions
resulted in crashes and fatalities.
The st. Joseph, Mo-, chapter of the
National Aeronautical Association has
lately been busy in this matter and
has induced a number of towns of the
Middle West which lie along the ..air-
ways to paint Identifying names on
the roofs of buildings, and it's services
have ELECTED the formal praise of the
Army Air Service
This practice should become univer-
sal throughout the country. Airmen
are flying in all directions and there
is scarcely a hamlet in the United
States that is not flown over now and
then. The day may come, very soon,
when there will be a distinct CONNER.
cial value in this sort of identification
No town can afford to remain unknown
to the flyers. So, let all communities
large and small. proclaim their identity
TO those who fly as well as to those
who travel by road.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC HILLIAH VILE.

Boston should interest itself in the
task of cultivating good international
relationships and UNDERSTANDINGS
with Japan"
O. Bernard Shaw, Arnold Bennett,
II. q. Wells and other stars of British
lnteiligentSia head a committee which
wants to organize an international
movement to acquit Germany for
IIlally OF responsibility for the World
war James Montgomery Beck. for
iiler Solicitor General of the United
states, was asked to comment on the
plan, as author of The Evidence in
the Case" That historic brief on the
outbreak OF the war, written and pub
lished by Mr.. Beck in the Autumn
OF 1914, became one of the classic
documents of the era. Beck prefers
not to be drawn into any new con
troVerSy, holding that the world has
peace problems of surpas Sins magni.
tude to engross its energies just now.
IL he had to do The Evidence in the
case over again, he doubts if he'd
nave to uncross a ''t' or undot an 81"
K X X
On January %, 1926, an interesting
interstate controversy will engage the
attention of the United States Supreme
court. pennsylvania and New Jersey
are at loggerheads over the new Del
aware River Bridge that is to link
Philadelphia and Camden. The bridge
IS nearly completed. But the last
rlVets cannot be driven until Penn
ana Jersey mutually agree whether
II S to be toll or a free bridge. Jer-
Sey contends that she borrowed the
| millions to build her share of the
span on the guarantee that there'd
be tolls. She insists that PennsyI.
vanla pass corresponding legislation.
Penn declines and this month filed a
bill in the Supreme Court designed
to compel the Jerseyites to finish the
| bridge, regardless of what Pennsyl-
Vanla does. The court has summoned
Jersey to file an answer by January
20. Protracted litigation is in pros.
| pect.
Senator James w. Wadsworth. ir.
Republican. of New York was ad
dressing dinner company of G. o. p.
women here for the World Court fisti-
tufts. A preceding speaker, Miss
Grace Abbott, chief of the Children's
Bureau of the Department of Labor.
had observed that her most sue.
cessful single piece of work there
was the issuance of a circular to
mothers on THE Care and Feed.
| ing of Infants" Previous to that.
Miss Abbott explained, the champion
Government bulletin was one entitled
The Care and Feeding of Horses"
Nadsworth said he'd like to issue a
bulletin that he was certain would
outstrip either of those in popularity.
Hed call it THE Care and Feeding
of Debutantes.''
Copyright. 1921
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21
Keep the Salvation
Army Pots Boiling
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
We regret that any obstacle should
be placed in the way of hundreds of
the poor and needy and helpless little
ones which would hinder their enjoy
ing Christ's holiday with a little of
the Christmas cheer.
We regret that the Salvation Army
should be claSSed as a common beggar
seeking aims when they are asking
nothing for themselves, but seeking
only to give the thousands of kind
hearted people an opportunity, which
they would gladly avail themselves of,
to help the Army do the work they
feel sure God wants them to do.
We regret that Commissioner Cuno
Fl. Rudolph, who says that he knows
of no organization more worthy than
the Salvation Army, should have felt it
his duty to class that organization as
beggarS, while the horde of sure
enough beggars who infeSt the streets
of Washington, sometimes hid behind
a couple of lead pencils or a box of
matches, and often in the open, are al
lowed to operate unmolested, and
this to the certain knowledge of the
Commissioners and every policeman in
town.
We regret that Mr.. Rudolph should
attempt to excuse himself by saying
that the police regulation which pro
hibits the begging or solicitation of
aims for any purpose on the public
highways was adopted due to the ac-
Invites Of several women who solicited
funds fraudulently last year under
the guise Of charity, and when ar
rested the court ruled that there was
nothing on the statute books under
which they could be prosecuted, and
this regIlla fiOp was adOpfad primarily
to prevent a repetition of this case"
Why would it not have been just as
easy for the Commissioners to have
made a regulation for this class of
soliciting, requiring permit, and to
have refused permit to any organ
iZation or person deemed unworthy
after investigation?
BENZ. B. T. GRAVES.
Mount Rainier, Nd.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21

Is there any Washingtonian who
has spent every Christmas in so years
with a favorite brother or sister?
One local resident has passed every
Yuletide except one in the past half
century with his sister, and that sepa
ration was caused by events beyond
their control.
The Christmas they missed being
together was in 1914, when the sister
was caught in Cairo by the war.
Even then, however, they exchanged
cablegrams. BY way of coincidence.
their messages We're received, it
turned out, during the same hour of
the day. '
1T would be interesting to know if
any other brothers and sisters, or
brothers, or children and parents. or
ola friends can equal such a record.
There is common belief that near
relations fight like cats and dogs"
ana sometimes no doubt they do, so
mat such stories of everyday affec-
tlon are wholesome beyond compute.
The corrosion of the acid of hatred
is corrected by the milk of human
Kindness.
At this season of the year we need
All the stories of love that we can
una 10 turn us from senseless and
sometimes too ,eXtravagant giving of
slts which some indulge in to the
greatest gift in the world.
Ihose are happiest at this time of
the year who find love in the home.
Ihere can be only pity for those
VINO nave TO go out of the home circle
- ma the affection which every
human being needs.
Christmas,
nat memories it brings back to
each one of us. whether we hayo
peen fortunate enough to spend every
ioliuaS with the home folks or moi
1T Is Wholesome thing to do. right
now TO review ones past Christina
season, TO see If there is not a erea
zeal to be thankful for.
THANKSGIVING ought not to be con-
Iiled TO one day only. There is no
Id" so restricting it. Every day ought
~ pe one OF Thanksgiving, and espe-
cially Christmas day. for if one Is
not grateful now it is hard to see
now he ever will be.
Inns IS the season for happiness.
ror TINS reason, the foolish giving
OF useless gifts, which every one de.
pores, even the merchants, can be for
gwen. since the gift given 10 one
MO does not want it, and perhans
'oeS hol deserve 1t, brings "A certain
amount of happiness, if small.
w hen one thinks of the misery that
mankind causes, and which it re.
celVeS, 1t can be seen that Christmas
~ wonderful sort of safety valve
Most valves let emotions escane but
TINS one builds them up. Like an am
plilSlng tube in a radio receiving set
our christmas augments the fyinc
waves or love, and let's them loose
on one particular day.
how far they, shall fly. or into
whose ears they may bring hope, none
can say. Much as the poets song fell
on the air, he knew not where, but
later was found in the heart of a
friend, so the emotions of Christnas
tlne work wonders both known and
unknown.
VINO knows but what the unknown
"onder-workers are the greatest?
X x x X
Laughter. inseparable from Christ
mas, viii be present Friday, too.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21

record. He simply could not keep
straight. Death from natural cause
alone prevented him from being
caught-for his identity as the rob
Der of the bank was known-and
long term. But perhaps in that case
he would have been released before
the expiration of his sentence, as be-
fore, unless a change has occurred in
the spirit of those charged by the
law with the dispensing Of mercy to
conyictS,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-21

That old friend of man. Status Quo,
once more proves its efficacy as
harmonizer of disputes in the Irish
boundary settlement. America, as
we'll as Great Britain and the rest of
the world, looks upon this develop
ment as one of great import not only
TO the diSputantS, but to mankind in
general.
Calling the settlement lone of the
victories of peace more renowned than
the most brilliant and memorable
triumphs of war" the Baltimore Sun
sees in it a wise and benevolent
agreement to let the dead past bury
its dead and to look forward to a new
era The terms of the agreement are
briefly described by the Buffalo
Evening News: The Ulster boundary
is left as it was in 1921, when the
Anglo-Irish treaty was signed. The
Free State is released from obligation
to share the burden of the British war
debt. In return it assumes liability
for all malicious damage done to
property in Ireland during the dis
orders of l919-1921." These arrange
ments. continues the News, constitute
"a great achievement for peace in
Ireland
PERHAPS the most important part
of the agreement is that representa-
tives of the Ulster government and
the Free State government shall meet
whenever necessary for the considera-
ton of matters of common interests,
saws the Watertown Daily Times,
pointing out that this amicable ar
rangement bellies the age-old opinion
that IAN Ulsterite and South of
Ireland man could never meet without
fighting" In this same connection
the Fort Worth Rrecord Telegram re.
marks: "Things are surely reaching
q state of general peace on earth. The
Germans are at peace with all or
Europe and the Irish are making
friends with each other" The Charles
ton Evening Post thus expresses Its
happy astonishment: "Veritably peace
is the order of the day. That Sim
Feiners and Ulstermen could agree on
the frontier between the two divisions
of Ireland looks aStoniShingly like a
miracle
But the fact is that they actually
have agreed, as the Rochester Times
Union relates: "The Irish Free State
has accepted the London agreement
as to the boundary dispute. The Eng
lish House of Commons has approved
the pact. me olSlSl SoN oiA'c
has signified it's approval. 1t
is believed that the last serious barrier
to continued and permanent peace in
! Ireland has been swept away"
X X X X
Referring to Great Britain's act in
absoIving the Free State Of all share
in the payment of Britains war debt,
the Erie Dispatch Herald says, Can
collation. of this obligation turned the
trick in the boundary negotiations.
In similar vein is the comment of the
New York Times, which sees Ire
lands boundary crisis exercised by a
golden wand" and finds in the efficacy
of this concession another illustra-
ton of how exacerbated nationalism in
Europe is yielding to the argument
from practical advantage"
But Britain's was not the only con-
ciliatory spirit shown according to the
Syracuse Herald, which believes 1.-THE
Free State authorities made a grave
sacrifice through their consent to the
temporary alienation of the two coun-