Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-31
The Gunman's Word Of Honor
On. Y. Herald Tribune)

IN. Y. Herald Tribune)
Following the arrest of five Of the
gangsters who, armed with guns and
travelling in automobiles, have been
terrorizing the city, Police Com
missioner Mclaughlin said:
Here we have four policeman
lying in hospitals dangerously wound
ed from the bullets of desperate
gunner like these fellows. 1t would
be a good thing If the courts would
send criminals of this type to prison
for long terms, to cut down the
shooting of policemen and civilians
three of these prisoners are out on
parole. They are dangerous men.
AMI should have been kept in jail
The five men. who were captured
after an excellent piece of police
work, have admitted taking part In
the recent robbery of Roosevelt Hos
pital and completely in three other
old-ups in Brooklyn, Queens and
Manhattan. 1t is the belief Of In
spector Coughlin that they have had
a hand in many of the daring raids
on stores which have taken place in
the last four months. In their rooms
guns and ammunition were found
in abundance. They stole cars as
they needed to facilitate escape.
They were we'll organized and work
ed on a regular system. Never did
they hesitate to shoot to kill when
their own skins were in danger.
The assumption Of a parole board
that a man who has taken part in
a gang robbery will see the error of
his ways and resolve to reform after
a few months in Jail is mistaken
ora
are young or old. such men are hard
ened to crime. They obey the rules
while in prison because in that way
only can they shorten their terms
and get back to their scoundrelly
business. The word of honor that
they give to the board is worth ex-
actly as much as would be the word
of honor of Captain Kidd or Jesse
James.
1t becomes more and more appar-
ent that the indeterminate sentence
and the parole system are Of far
more value to the criminal than they
are to society. A luminous example
is that of the gunman Presser, whose
business was crime and who was set
free after a brief Imprisonment, al
though he had in the mean time
escaped from the penitentiary and
was only caught when he had COM
mitted another crime in another
state. To extend the opportunity of
reformation to Presser or to any of
the FIVE gunner and potential muir
derers who are now in the tolls OF
the police is but to make easy the
way to further outrages.
Such men fear nothing but force.
Once they are given to understand
that robbery and murder will be fol-
lowed by drastic punishment. They
will seek safer ways of earning their
livelihoods. Let them believe that the
worst they can get is short term
and a parole, and the city will have
no protection from them. The po-
lice, under the direction of the Com
missioner and Inspector Coughlin,
have hard task in rounding
up the many gangs which infest the
city for eight years. They have dis
posed Of two of the worst gangs al
ready, and now have broken up
third. If they receive the backing OF
the courts, and If the idea is aban-
doned that a man who does not
hesitate to murder will keep his word
to a parole board to go and sin no
more, there will soon be reasonable
measure of safety for the citizens OF
New York.