The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-04
TEETH FOR LAW AGAINST KID.
MAPPING
IN. Y. World-Telegram)

Death penalty, in the jury's discre-
ton, where the kidnapped person has
not been returned alive prior to the
trial: mandatory sentence of from
twenty years to life where the kid
mapped person has been returned alive;
new law making it a felony to pay
ransom or to negotiate for such pay
n1ent, also to refuse information to
properly constituted authorities:
speeding up Of trials and appeals
such is the drastic legislation recon-
mended by Governor Lehman to
strengthen New York's drive against
kidnapers.
Six other States already have the
death penalty. Present selections of
the Penal Law of this State dealing
with kidnapping and compromising a
crime are silent or vague as to ran
som payments. The Governor right
~ holds that "the State cannot coun-
tenance compromise with this most
heinous of criminal offenses," and that
we cannot afford to consider the
feelings or interests of an individual
when they conflict with the safet,
and welfare of the people as a whole. y
Governor Lehman does not, in his
message, specifically mention the O..
Conneu case. He might well have
done so to give point to certain of his
recommendations, particularly the re.
fusal OF ransom and the duty to SUP.
ply information.
Whatever the facts about the re.
ported $4,000 ransom, we are, O
course, glad that young O'Connell wa.
released by his kidnapers unframed
But we hope it is true that Senate
Copeland and his Senate investigat
ing committee mean to subpoena tn,
O'Connells, District Attorney Delane,
and anybody else who can throw ligh
on the way this kidnapping case ha
been handled.
Public interest and the whole pres
ent drive against kidnapers demand
this. 1t IS high time to find ou
whether family of powerful politi.
clans can tell public prosecutor sup
posed to owe them political allegianc
what he shall or shall not do in a cas-
involving grave issues of Justice an
public safety.
Former Police Commissioner Georg
V. Mclaughlin of this city said re
Gently Of the O'Connell kidnaping:-
THE spectacle of a political
family which has had close asso-
Citations with the District Attorney
| and the Police Chief not giving
| information to the law enforce
ment authorities is the gravest
example of non cooperation in my
I experience. It is the most dread
ful admission made by political
| forces in all my time"
No one will deny that Mr.. McI.augh
lin knows something about politic
police and prosecution. What he say
will remain true whatever succe
may now be achieved in running dow
the O'Connell kidnapers. This Al
bany case In which political, sportln
and underworld circles interweav
must be probed to the bottom to hel
find out why State and local prose
cution has failed to cope with racket
and why federal authority has ha
to come to the rescue.
/ Governor Lehman, we think, migl
well take the conspicuous O'Conne
} case as the basis of a special invest
cation of his own. The reflection
upon the prosecuting system of til
State of New York. No political cor
sideration should persuade the Cove,
nor to ignore it.
| This is basically as important as tt
new law he urges, which the speci
session should enact. Even new la
will not serve unless politicians ste
meddltng with or disregarding pull
lie prosecutors sworn to enforce it.