Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-24
GANGSTERS QUAIL
BEFORE THIS JUDGE
$50, 900 Bonds and Long Jail
Terms Feature One
Chicago Court.
~ the Associated press.

~ the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, November 24.-Out Of the
comparative obscurity Of Chicago's
Municipal Court, q rough-tough Judge
with Q scorn Of technicalities has
bounded into the forefront Of the city's
war on crime.
John Lyle, in other words, is on the
front page again, this time as the
Capone and bugs" Moran, OF Fur"
Sammons and "Dago" EIangano.
He Is saying $4,000 bond" when
gunner demand their constitutional
rights He Is roaring six months in
jail and 500 fine" in answer to men
ton OF "habeas corpus" and change OF
venue"
Methods Divide Public.
And he is saying it to varied re.
Spouse from the towns audience Of
three and a half million. He lacks
judicial temperament" the Chicago Bar
Association complained in urging his
defeat at the recent election. He Is
Q Judge of vigor and independence who
has given voice to the aspirations Of the
law-abiding," responded the Chicago
Crime Commission. The opposing views
clAkhed November 4 and Lyle, q Repub-
1ican, rode safely through Democratic
tidal wave that swept 10 of his fellow
partisans from the municipal bench.
Since youth, it seems, he has always
been on the front page. He was there
as an alderman for seven years, during
which time his quick temper brought
him into several winning fistic combatS
with political adversaries, including
Tommy White, one-time prize ring top
notcher He was there as State Rep
reSentative and, before that, the realm
Of sportdom knew him as professional
boxer, base ball pitcher and basket ball
player.
When he first went to the bench, six
years ago, 1t seemed inevitable ne would
do something out of the ordinary, and
he did: He launched a policy OF high
bonds for known criminals and sum-
mary treatment Of hoodlums that has
brought him into repeated controversy
with his colleagues on the ground he
has not held strictly to the law. Re-
CARELESS Of these clashes he has per-
sisted and has def1ed the Criminal
Court to review his decisions.
Has Way With Lawyers.
On the bench he has been a paradox
He will berate one lawyer for wasting
his time and rebuke another for trying
to rush o case through. He will refuse
to listen to one robbers plea and take o
collection for another because his
offense seemed prompted by family
need. He will scold the police for
gentle treatment Of gangsters and con-
denim them with equal eloquence for
rough handling Of minor tramps.
When the Staying of Alfred Lingle,
Tribune reporter, whipped Chicago into
its most persistent drive on the under
world. John Lyle was in his glory. He
H. 81 IL Ra,
year on a vagrancy charge before their
lawyers had time to get habeas corpus
wrtts
When the Crime Commission issued
its public enemy" list he promptly re-
piled with vagrancy warrants for all
those named. When North Side police
brought in herd Of petty gamblers
and loafers he cried out against them
bitterly. telling them to go out and
bring in al Capone and Bugs Moran
instead"
Undaunted by Reversal.
When the State Supreme Court held
his policy Of $50 1000 bonds for vaRrancy
was Illegal he was 1unda,mted and fol-
lowed with $40, 1000 bonds for two more
men hailed before him on that charge.
So it goes with this man of amazing
energy, who Is a. but looks IS, and
whose steely muscles testify to the
effectiveness of his daily one-hour work.
out in gymnasium He met a police
man at the gym the other day and
was told Of the problems of getting
"big shot" gangsters behind the bars.
Call me any time" Lyle responded
"Cal me, day or night, and I'll come
a-running and show you how to keep
them in jail"
And John Lyle was on the front page
again.