Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-11
LaW.Aided Crime.

few days ago three men bound
and robbed Us many travelling Jew
elry merchants in q nilroad car in
Illinois and escaped with heavy loot.
They were soon after captured ET !"
posse as they We're fiounderiny in a
muddy field. to which they had fed
when their Communicated motor car
stalled. The loot was found intact.
Yesterday three robbers entered g
mail car OH a train in the suburbs Ut
Chicago, bound the clerks and es
capped with sacks of currency 10 the
estimated value of 100000, in transit
between banks. According to latest
accounts they had not been caught
or the stolen funds recovered They
made a clean job and thorough haul
These robberies occurred in circum
stances that should have made such
crimes impossible. The three mer.
chants were overpoWered in a passen.
ger coach. The mail clerks We're held
up III car that is supposedly thief.
proof. The suggestion has been ad
vanced that the latter robbery was
an inside job" That is to intimate
that the thieves had advance infor.
nation Of the dispatch of the cur.
rency, but does not inlpugn the in.
tegrity OF the mail clerks.
Are the railroad trains OF this coun-
try to become the most profitable
field of the highwaymen? In the old
days the train robbers held up the
trains themselves and looted them
Systematically. Now they enter them
and go after specific loot. The iewelry
robbers doubtless had trailed their
victims. The mail-car robbers doubt.
less knew of the presence Of currency
on the mail car. Crime has been
greatly simplif1ed.
The men who were caught in a
muddy field after robbing the jewelry
merchants are now in Jail. They will
in time be indicted and again in time
will be tried. They will get perhaps
long terms in the penitentiary, and
after d few years they will get out on
parole or under shortening of sen.
fences for good behavior" They
will, if experience is any guide, be
again at large in Il short time, keen
to practice their crooked game anew.
They should be given a swift trial
and the longest terms possible under
the law, with no prospect of remis-
sion or shortening or parole. An ex.
ample should be made OF them. 1t is
urgently important that this oppor-
tunity afforded by their quick cap
ture be improved to strike terror to
the hearts of the fraternity of high
waymcn. For observe: The mail rob.
berry came within forty-eight hours
from the jewelry robbery and the cap.
ture Of the thieves. The taking OF
those robbers did not deter the mail
looters They were willing to take
chances. Why? Because they knew
that the slow processes of trial and
the tender mercies of the law in pun
ishment favored them even If they
were caught.
We have come TO the pass in this
country where the Law, with its de-
LAYS and its consideration for its vi
olators, is actually aiding and abet
ting crime. The price we are paying
for crime is enormous, in lives and
in treasure. Government is not at
fording protection, because it is toe
slow of action and too kindly in treat
ment of those who f1out it. Banditry
is the mode. The time has come t
make a change, and it can be effected
only by complete reversal of the
procedure Of law enforcement.