Evening star., 1927-11-02
Bankers Association Official
Advocates Rural Plan to
Conference Here.
SCHEME HELD FEASIBLE
IN METROPOLITAN AREAS
Drilled Citizens Would Answer ST.
lent Alarm and Trap Criminals
at Scene of Theft,

organizations in large cities Of
vigllante groups, composed of citizens
armed with sawed-off shotguns and
pistols, as a means for checking the
crime wave, was advocated today by
James L. Baum, deputy manager Of
the American Bankers Association. at
the opening Of the national conferences
Tor reduction of crime in the Willard
Hotel.
The vigilante idea, which ba.
proved so successful in curbing bank
roDoerles in less settled sections. in
adaptable and can be extended to the
cltles' MIR. Baum declared before the
large gathering of prominent dele.
gates representing crime-control or.
ganizations from all parts of the
United States.
Plan Called Feasible.
In the larger cities this plan has
not been given a thorough trial. as
congestion may result in confusion
1t Is feasible there. however. but moi
without cooperation of business men
located within convenient range of
tne protected places, and Organized.
equipped and drilled to understand
ana answer a silent type Of automatic
alarm.
Business men in many cities could
pront from the experience of coun-
try bankers who are now eniovino
the fruits of armed vigilance in the
smaller communities, where this
quick hiring system has given such
favorable results.
crowded thoroughfares always have
oeen choice stamping grounds fo,.
criminals and tall buildings have ele-
Vators and more floors, and these give
crooks so many more hiding places
and exits for escape. To be effective.
therefore, any vigilante campaigns In
cltles must be decentralized and oper-
ated upon the silent alarm principle.
80 tnat enough trained marksmen will
be outside the place attacked with
IN two or three minutes after the
alarm has been sounded. Five min.
utes is often too late.
But armed vigilance and modern
alarm systems are merely essential
parts of any serious attempt toward
prevention of robbery, for they alone
can only help to faeiljtate arrests.
Adequate police power is recognized
by The banking fraternity as being
one OF the two outside forces with
OUT which banditry will flourish, the
laws and court rules that will keen
the criminal caught and placed at q
safe distance from law-abiding citi-
Zens."
Conference Impressed.
Mr.. Baum's statements made a pro-
found impression on the conference.
which is meeting here today and to.
morrow at the call of the National
Crime Commission. for the purpose OF
co.ordinating crime research and re.
form work of public and private
agencies. He was introduced by As.
sistant Secretary of War, F. Trubee
Dawson. who presided at the morning
session, and who welcomed the dele
gates to Washington.
The bankers representative re.
counted the remarkable falling of In
bank robberies in Iowa and Illinois
under the vtgilante system. sponsored
by State bank associations.
"A comprehensive and practical sur
vey of its criminal code and methods
of law enforcement showed ordinary
police systems in Iowa to be made.
quate and Intellectual" Mr.. Baum de-
clared.
ITO give law-abiding citizens and
police officers an even chance with
the bands of desperate criminals row.
ing about and fiouting the law, picked
men were sworn in and armed as
deputy sheriffs. The cost of arms, am.
and field work was betrayed
by the State bankers association,
most of the material being procured
the cooperation of the ord
nance department in Washington.
"OrganiZed by counties. these depu-
ties supplemented and worked under
the leadership of the county sheriff.
They were selected for their char.
acter, courage and sharpshooting
and. for the most part, served without
pay. a@
$500 on Committees.
To-day. Iowa banks are protected
by $500 additional men serving on it's
vigilance committees, well organized
and capable of discouraging further
lnroads by bank bandits as evidenced
by the burglary and robbery expert
ence of Iowa banks. In 1920 they suf.
fered 56 violent crimes resulting in q
total loss of S258,O0O.
with the system Of vigilantes in
operation the criminal element soon
found Iowa unsafe to ply their trade,
so that in 1924 there were but four
burglaries and holdups in Iowa, with
a loss of only $4,000. reduction ot
SO per cent within four years. AZ a
result, insurance premiums against
bank robbery in Iowa dropped to the
minimum of 81 per thousand, as com
pared with the rate in Illinois, just
across the river, where the premiums
were increased from 81 to $6 per thou.
sand, or with banks in Kansas, given
the same increase, and those in Okla
homa. where the rate jumped from 81
to $40 per thousand. "a
Periodical revolver and rifle shoot.
ing competitions are held in every
the bankers Offering various
prizes for the best shots in each coun-
ty and these local winners compete
later for State honors and trophies
which are provided by the State Bank.