The Semi-weekly Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 1923-19??, 1933-01-27
TOURNAMENT PASSES
SECOND WEEK IN FOUR WEEK
ENGAGEMENT OF PLAY

SECOND WEEK IN FOUR-WEEk
ENGAGEMENT OF PLAY
Sixteen players again competed for
the weekly prize at the Contract
Bridge tournament and registered
their scores for the grand prize which
will be presented at the conclusion of
play one week from next Wednesday
evening, February 8. The personnel
of players was the same as last week
with the exception of Mrs. P. r. En-
cry and Mrs. E. L. Killeen who entered
the lists in place of Mrs. r. S. Postle
and Mrs. H. B. Edwards.
This weeks prize went to Miss
Louise Richmond and H. S. Iliff. There
is still time to enter the tournament
but of course the chances of those GO
ing in this late will not be so good
for receiving the seasons prize.
Woman's Club
With the Prison Farm so close to
our door it is we'll to turn our atten-
tion to the circumstances which put
men there. The Woman's club, Mon
day, was enlightened by four excel
lent papers on criminals and prison.
ers.
Mrs. Lester Bidwell had for her sub
iect, "Gangdom Rule" and chose to
deal with this vast subject from the
viewpoint of book, "Rattling the
Cup of Chicago Crime. 1t seems that
the modern criminal is the greatest
egotist of all time, and while rackets,
the gaining of money through extor-
tion by fear, are as old as time, they
have never reached the stupendous
proportions of the present era. In
the city of Chicago alone over three
hundred thousand people are held up
and ruled by about six hundred gang
sters, and crime in the United States
is psychologically successful.
Organized criminals are turning to-
ward big business and syndicates op-
crate from coast to coast. 1t is ap-
palling to learn that Racketeering is
bleeding the country to the extent of
between twelve and eighteen billion
dollars, and that fifteen percent of the
country's wealth, in the course of a
year passes through the hands of
predatory criminals. In the end the
public suffers and of course pays. But
business leaders are organizing
against crime, and these ably led and
honestly supported cannot help but
give the future brighter aspect.
Mrs. Warren Tanners paper dealt
with the speakeasy which many have
come to regard as the off-shoot of
prohibition. This, however, is not the
case. Speakeasies have flourished in
the United States for over one hun
dred years under the names, blind pig,
blind tiger, etc. The speakeasy of the
modern day often masquerades in
swank restaurants or behind the elab-
crate accouterments of SO called pri-
vate clubs.
1t is the biggest and most lucrative
cash business, flourishing without the
law and hence without the tax. Also
the depression did not affect this bus
mess as quickly as it did almost ev-
cry other line of endeavor, due in all
probability to mans desire to drown
his sorrows
~,
We shudder at the thought of the
Spanish 1nquisition but no less
dreadful torture system prevails in
free America at the present time, as
Mrs. Lucille Bowen brought out in
her graphic description of the third
degree. This term was used at first
to impress the suspect. with the Dig
nifty and majesty of the law, but it
has since come to stand for the tor
lures practiced in secret in nearly ev-
cry police precinct in these United
States. This is proven fact as rec
ognized BY the formation of laws to
prevent the practice. But the suspect
Is at the mercy of the officer who has
arrested him until he is brought to
court for trial, and it adds to an offic-
er's personal prestige or the prestige
of his squad to get conviction. A
comparison was made between Amer
ican and English laws of similar
phases of dealing with criminals and
suspected persons much to the detri-
ment of our laws. England has no
third degree, no judges placed on the
bench by politics and not as much
crime.
Mrs. F. 0. Bostwick substituting for
Mrs. Walker gave talk on the Dis
charged Prisoner, telling the different
methods by which parole may be Sc
cured for prisoner. In most cases
paroled men make good and useful
citizens. It is difficult to trace the
records of the seventy-five percent
who go straight because they are not
proud of having served time in the
penitentiary and keep their records
hidden, but as long as they do go