Evening star., 1926-09-16

case. Except in rare instances of
crimes of major Importance, consider
able time elapses between the sum-
mons. arrest, arraignment, indictment.
trial and sentence of the criminal i,
who, until finally sent away, is admit
ted to bail pending the exigencies of
appeal and other obstructive methods
of procedure.
Like Ships in Fog.
In his last annual report covering
the work of the city magistrate s
courts, Chief Magistrate McAdoo paid
particular attention to the confusion
resulting from inadequate records. He
said that many cases after they have
passed from us are like ships that dis
appear in the fog
Wisconsin has now provided that
fingerprints may be taken before SEN
tence for the purpose of checking
up on past offerses. North Carolina,
Oklahoma, Vermont and Michigan
now have State bureaus with files of
ftngerprints record cards, photo
graphs and other Identifying mate
rial concerning felons. The records
of men convicted outside the States
are included in these files when OBJ
tainable.
The California Bureau of Criminal
Identification reported at one time
that of the 1852 fingerprint records
received over a two-year period, 1873
were those Of second offenders SEN
fenced as first Offenders. In Ohio last
year more than 26 per cent of the
1857 delinquents who were finger
printed were identified as old often
ders.
Welfare Workers Views.
Edwin J. Cooley, chief Catholic pro
baton officer of the court of General
Sessions; Capt. j. Stanley Sheppard
of the Salvation Army and Jess Peri
man, director of the Jewish Board of
Guardians, have contributed their
views to the Evening Post symposium
on criminal conditions. These three
social workers were in almost COM
plete agreement regarding reforms
needed.
Mr.. Cooley said: There is a star
ting need for the study of crime and
Tor the reorganization of criminal
code which has become not only an
tiquated but ineffective.
In its present state the criminal
code gives too ample opportunity for
the destructive rantings not only of
the sentlmentalist but also of the in
dlVldual who believes that all crime
VIII be eradicated by making our pun
lSnmentS more barbarouS and our
prisons more terrible. There is need
for the rational, scientific compre-
hension of the criminal character and
common sense disposition of the
dehnquent, based not SO much on the
character of the offense as on the
character of the offender.
No real solution of the crime nrob.
lem hn found
cerned with the administration of the
law and the treatment of criminals
take a new attitude toward the causes
OF CRIME. The inefficiency Of the
ponce, the unWieldineSS of the courts
the pertunctory and dilatory attitude
OF public prosecutors, and the cod
dIlng or some prisoners may plav a
part IN the spread of crime, but thev
are secondary causes only.
Many Cases Analysed.
ITO explain by the economic situa-
ton or the legal system is to miss
the main point To attribute the con-
duct OF defective repeated offender
to a lax administration of the present
criminal law is no less ridiculous.
The Catholic Charities Probation Bu-
reau has examined about 1000 in
stances of serious delinquency. The
authors of all these crimes had as
the resultant Of their varied eyDeri
ences, formulated beliefs which per-
mitted them to lead an anti-social life.
Some through their entire lives
had come in contact with little other
than the destructive influence which
civilization may provide, and had
found in poverty. evil associates and
lack of education-secular, moral and
religious-powers stronger than them