The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-08-15

produce exactly the opposite rom one major
result desired-which Is to reduce the personal
Jeopardy of KIDNAPPING victims.
There is no evidence that severe punish
ments ever have acted as an adequate cure
on crime There is ample evidence to support
the contrary opinion IN 1900 there were
about 200 capital crimes in England. While
in many cases the death penalty actually was
commuted TO transportation, there were an
immense number of executions-most Of them
public.
The carcass Of a.thief robber. or murderer
swinging from the gallows was as common
sight along the roads Of England as advertis-
ing signboards along American motoring high
ways today Pocket picking was scandalously
common in the crowds assembled to witness
the hanging Of thieves. In 1900 only pre-
meditated murder and treason were listed as
capital crimes in England. But the crime rate
was far lower in 1900 than it was in 1900.
Equally instructive is our own experience
with desperadoes in the west. If ever sum-
mary justice was melted out. here was the
place. The death penalty was exacted even
Quoted by the vigilantes. A rope and tree
limb constituted the trapping of criminal
justice.
Yet the profession of the highwayman and
Of the panhandler flourshed so long as it
offered any considerable prospect of remunera-
tive cultivation
Among our racketeers today squealing and
violation Of the racket code mean sure and
sudden death. Yet plenty Of this sort of thing
goes on.
The dual objective of any anti-kidnaping
drive should be to protect the kidnapped from
death or serious injury and to discourage the
crime of kidnapping.
This requires, in the first place, effective
organization of state and federal police for
an offensive against kidnapping in general and
for the detection of any particular gang of
kidnapers Procedure should be as secret as
possible, so as not TO forewarn the kidnapers
Of the movements of the forces OF the law or
to stimulate them to panicky murder of the
Victi:.l
AS to penalties, if there are severe penalties,
including the death sentence they should be
imposed only in case of injury or death of the
victim. The penalties should be mild GER
tainly not over ten years imprisonment in
case the victim is returned unnjured There
is little probability that this would greatly in
crease the popularity of the kidnapping racket,
but it notably would reduce the temptation to
murder those abducted.
No sum of money is very significant when
human life is at stake, and kidnapping rarely
will take place except in instances where the
persons seized or their relatives are amply
able 20 pay stable ransom.
The New York Journal is quoted as saw
ing that to pay a ransom and guarantee i'm
munity to the kidnapers is nothing less than
compromising a felony" This may be true
from a strictly legal point of view but it will
continue to be the natural and human thing
to do. Nothing will be gained by policies
which will promote the demise of the person
held for ransom
While making every effort to recover I'M
harmed victims of kidnapping repressve pro-
grams should get at the roots of the kdnap-
ing racket. They should assail the something
nothing psychology Some of the higher
ups in the financial rackets should be con-
victed, to show that the government does not
have one law for the moguls and another for
the small fry who share their business ideals.
Wen-known racketeers and their entour-
age should be placed in concentration camps
even though specific testimony as to technical
criminality can not be adduced There will be
ample loopholes for those who can prove that
they follow orders or wish to follow an honest
and productive occupation.
Finally, immediate steps should be taken to
give sufficient protection to those coerced bv
racketeers The United States army we'll
might be drawn upon if necessary for this
purpose
once we begin TO bear down upon organized
crime and racketeering in general we shall
put crinp in kidnapping. So long as we con-
tent ourselves with waving the death penalty
at kidnapers only, we shall aid nobody except
coroners and undertakers