Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-02
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The murder Of young Hirsh in this
city so years ago somewhat unsettled
Need of Swifter residents resi- Isrses of f. the the
Justice Stressed. c oSpit . ,s an 3
that Washington was experiencing
what would now be called a crime
wave" The Star of January 81, 1880,
thus discusses the matter of speedy
justice as means of checking this
criminal tendency:
Surprise Is frequently expressed
that a nom commercial city like Wash
ingtof should be infested by so large a
number of the criminal class. 1t is an
undoubted fact that there is an alb
normally large element of the idle and
vicious class afloat here, and that the
persistent efforts of the District au-
thorities and emigrant aid societies
have not served to dislodge any con-
siderable number Of them. The ques-
ton comes up whether the leniency with
which they are, or have been, treated
in our courts does not encourage them
to stick to Washington as safe and
pleasant home. BY comparison with
other localities we suspect that almost
everywhere else punishment is swifter
and more severe than here. The sharp
and prompt punishment received by
criminals in the neighboring States of
Maryland and Virginia have made them
shy of seeking home there, and,
judging by recent court reports of Phil
adelphia, they receive as little encour-
agement In the Keystone State. A day
or two since Jacob Miller, q citizen of
Philadelphia, was knocked down while
passing through Cherry street early in
the morning and robbed of his pocket
book, containing $45 and some papers
of value. Miller called in the aid of the
police, who, upon his description of the
robber, instituted a search and arrested
him in low alley. The offender was
taken before a magistrate, who held
him for immediate trial; the case was
at once presented to the grand jury,
who promptly found a true bill. At
noon of the same day of the robbery
the case was called up in the quarter
sessions, when Judge Elcock sentenced
the thief to pay fine of $1,000 and to
undergo an imprisonment of Q years
and 10 months at separate and solitary
confinement at labor in the Eastern
penitentiary.
Criminals are naturally inclined to
think badly of q city where they are
dealt with in this vigorous manner and
to seek more congenial quarters. 1t is
safe to say that no such swift and
severe punishment ever reached GRIM
inal OF this class in our courts. OF
course, with an overloaded docket and
the peculiar forms of law here, it is
not so easy a matter to administer
quick justice, but with the reorganized
courts 1t Is believed that great progress
can be made in this line. and 1t Is
hoped in the same connection that the
Judges will try the policy Of administer
ing sentences of wholesome severity as
means Of dispensing the vicious gang
that now infeSt the city. Our judges are
all right as regards probity and learn
Ing, but they need to harden their hearts
bit"
"Mr. George w, Childs," says The
Star of January 81, 1880, "who prob
ably knows as much about
uranC it as anybody. declares that
poow he knows nothing at all ex-
cept what he had read in
the papers about the reported move
ment or intention to withdraw Gen.
Grant as presidential candidate prior
to the meeting of the Pennsylvania
Republican convention next week. 1t is
just possible that as things stand at
present no person or combination OF
persons at present in the country Is
authorized to perform that once. The
only person duly empowered to settle
the matter seems TO have gone into o
hole and drawn the hole In after him,
so to speak"
The beginning of what later developed
into the rural free delivery system Is
~, discernible in the measure
1OstAL mentioned in the following
Rou+As printed in The Star OF
January 81, 1880:
THE bill declaring all public roads
and highways postal routes has passed
the House and the indications are that
1t will become q law. The effect of the
law would be 70 invest the Post once |
Department WITH entire discretion In |
II NOW renliiraG an act AZ Onaaarasa q