Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-29
JUSTICE SPEEDED
UP IN NEW YORK
Court Calendars Nearly
CIear-PubIic Criticism Has
tens Processes of Law.
ny IENUEL r. PARTON.


SPECIAL Dispatch 10 The Star.
NEW YORK. August @9.-For the
first time in many years the grand
Jury calendars of the New York Grim
NAL courts are clear and the trial
court calendars are almost clear. The
administration Of justice, goaded and
lashed throughout America as a lag
gard is. at least in one great Ameri-
can city. catching up with the laws
delay.
National comment on the SacCo-
Nanzetti case. regardless Of divisions
OF opinion on the main issue, disclosed
deep public concern about SloWmoN-
ING Justice. Ii was apparent that the
seven years delay in bringing this
CaSe TO its final issue directed atten.
ton throughout the country to the
congestion of courts and slow and
cumbersome processes of adminstra-
ton. United States Attorney futile
famed up the discussion by sharp
comments. which have been widely
noted. Chief Justice Taft already had
warned the country that the courts
were being overwhelmed by legal in
tvicacies and delay.
Official Explains Situation.
H. w Hastings. acting district at
torney of New York City in the alb
sTtlCG Va joe IbtIiltft, WAS dShtd lOt
his explanation of the swifter pace of
justice here and for the decrease in
crimes and violence during the last
six or eight months.
"Other cities want to know how il
Is done" he was told.
There are two main reasons, | he.
love" he said. "One is more police
men-holding down crime-and the
other is general tightening up of all
the enforcing agencies of the law
Lots of hard work on the part Of
everybody having anything to do with
arresting criminals, preparing the
cases against them and showing them
through the court. is, in my mind,
The main answer to the question of
delay. We have beer able to get our
calendars virtually clear by fighting
evasions and delays and by getting
the cooperation of the courts and
police departments in keeping things
moving.
AS to the decrease in crime, while
I think that greater energy and eff
cheney on the part of officials has a
lot to do with it. there are many
factors to be considered. The Baumes
laws unquestionably are doing a lot
10 lessen crimes of violence
About 5000 policemen have been
added to the New York force. 1t has
been said that the restriction of i'm |
migration was partly responsible for
the drop in crime statistics i'll New
York. | do not believe this is true. |
We always managed to brew plenty
or crimes of our own and the foreign
contributions didn't amount to as
much as one might think"
Reductions i'm Robberies.
Reductions in New York robberies
by percentages during the first half |
of 1927 compared with the same period |
OF 1926 are as follows:
stores, Is per cent; pay ROLL IS per
cent: office, 80 per cent: cigar stores, |
II per cent: jewelers. and employees. |
100 per cent: restaura hts, IS per cent; !
truckmen, 81 per cent; messengers, 100 |
per cent: garages. SO per cent: taXis, |
AZ per cent; druggist. % per cent.
In six months of 1927 $45 900 was
stolen in hold-ups. while during the
same period in 1926, $533,064 was
taken
Crlmlnologists agree that the period
covered has been too short for any
definite conclusions as to causes of
the lessening of crime, but they are
watching the workings of the Baumes
laws closely and say. with reserva-
tons. that there is ground for the
belief that these are lessening crimes
of violence.
The old vicious criminal gangs Of
New York. which used to terrorize
whole sections of the city, have been
all but eliminated. Here and there
some picturesque old-time gangster
survives, but in each case he has q
meager following. The Baumes laws,
which provide a life sentence for the
fourth commission of felony. are
believed to be holding the gunner
in check.
In the field of juvenile delinquency
and offenses by women, the records
are not SO encouraging. The State
reformatory at Bedford. n. Y, now
has 319 young women inmates, an in
crease of so over the same date of
last year. This is the largest number
It has housed in eight years. An
official of the institution, asked to
explain this, said:
THE women are getting more devil
ish around New York. That's all
there is TO It."