Evening star., 1925-09-13
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Half a century ago the country wa .
suHering from crime wave" which
prevaLera. was giving great con-
Germ to public authori-
of Crime ties and to citizens
nails of that time. however. were not
as numerous, or as bold, or as efficient
in evading capture and punishment
as today. Nevertheless the situation,
as thus set forth in The Star of Sep
tember z, 1875, was viewed with grave
alarm:
The question of how to suppress
the criminal classes Is becoming every
day more important and more and
more pressing, not alone in the great
centers of population but throughout
the whole country. OF course. where
the greatest number of people are
there the greatest number Of criminals
will be, not only in actual numerical
strength. but in proportion to the
whole population, for 1t Is a well
known fact that crime increases far
more rapidly In proportion to the
density OF population and size of a
city than in sparsely settled neighbor-
hoods. And the more general 1T is the
more bold and reckless does 1t become,
as well in respect of its haunts as its
methods. The New York World OF
Sunday publishes, for instance. a
tabular statement, filling more than a
column and half of that paper, CIV
ing the location and character of 254
criminal resorts in that city that are
known to and tolerated by the police
Some of them. 1t is even said, are
licensed by the licensing authorities
knowing full well for what purposes
they are used. Analyzing this fearful
record. 1t appears that 1o3 of these
establishments are frequented by
street walkers and panel thieves, 81
of the resorts of suspicious per
sons, 10 are the habitual houses
OF disorderly persons, are patronized
by tramps and vagrants and in 170
there are waiter girls, principally
panel thieves, pickpockets and shop
lifters out of luck who ply customers
to be feeced unmercifully
1T Is a disgrace to civilization and
monstrous mockery upon law and
justice that these resorts of vice
should remain open and that the pro-
fessional criminals who haunt them
should be allowed to go at large when
the officials know that they are only
waiting safe opportunity to steal, burn
and murder. Unless the present laws
on the subject are remedied the larger
cities, II not the whole country, will
soon be at the mercy of the danger
Gus classes, and the sooner the law
makers are awakened to this fact the
better"
Interest in the Kelley motor con-
tinued despite the incessant ridicule
KeeIev,s and open expressions OF
nceAeys distrust in the alleged in
Gouos rention of a machine to
70 ieyih 10
expense In The Star of September
s, 1875, is the following:
"Keeley, the motor man. has placed
on exhibition in Philadelphia a mon
ster gauge intended to register the
terrific force which he claims to have
discovered. 1t Is constructed SO
strongly that it will register a pres
sure of $4,000 pounds to the square
inch, at least SO they assert, and is
besides beautiful in appearance, being
elahorately ornamented with silver
and other costly decorations. It's cost
was 81 900, one-fialf OF this sum to be
paid in advance. Meantime the motor
itself. which Is evolved from a drop
of water and q breath of air, and costs
nothing, is kept in the safe back
ground. In the well barricaded back
building, we may say"
can you or any of your numerous
readers" writes Bird Lover" to The
Star In q letter printed
0paiio"s September 10, 1875. tell
Vanish what has become of the
multitude of sparrows
that so recently enlivened our city, oil
where have they gone, and IL this alb
sence will be permanent or will they
return? The lot attached to my house
the parking around 1t and the numer-
Gus trees were all Summer filled by
hundreds of these welcome little erea
lures. About 10 days ago they al
suddenly disappeared, from no cause
that | can divine, and / find now
wherever | go in the city, that tht
same anomaly exists-no sparrows
The luxurianee and hsslthfulnesl
of our young trees has been owing
much to the presence of these birds.