The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-19
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Hill UOV' Today AD
M By Frederic J.Haskin TX
b. Frederic J.haskin

/ %. By Frederl
II %Acendsnssd Chapter 4
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THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Washington, D. c., Nov. 19.-Ihe
field Of activity OF the Department Of
Justice was greatly extended a. = re-
suit Of q public demand for . con-
certed drive on organized crime.
Congress responded to this demand by
enacting laws increasing the num-
Der and character of crimes with
which the federal authorities could
deal, and by adding 81 100000 to the
annual appropriation for the Division
Of Investigation. to be expended IN
the Identification and pursuit OF
criminals. The Criminal Division Of
the department was expanded and
nationwide war was on against kid
napers, bank robbers, racketeers. and
other gangsters.
All this was necessitated by the
failure or inability Of state author
tiles to deal successfully with crimes
which were heretofore regarded Is
local In character and hitherto not
coming within the purview Of the fed
eral law, but which were committed
by rowing criminals knowing no state
boundaries. Crime was literally RAM
pant and the criminals were apper-
emily immune from justice. This was
illustrated In the case Of the gang
headed by the notorious John Dilling-
er, bandit and cold-blooded killer.
Guilty Of almost every crime In the
calendar, including several murders,
Dillinger escaped jails and police
traps at will and became such men
ace that he was popularity designated
as Public Enemy No. l. But there
was nothing the federal government
could do about 1t until special agents
Of the Division Of Investigation un-
earthed the fact that he had driven
stolen automobile from one state to
another. That was . federal offense
under the Dyer law. The greatest
man hunt in the nations history was
started. He was finally trapped by
government special agents at Chicago,
and shot to death as he pulled out
q revolver and was about to fire Ut
the officers.
Under the new legislation It u now
q federal offense to transport stolen
goods Of value Of 5000 or more
across state lines. It Is now q federal
offense for q person to cross . state
line to attempt to avoid prosecution
for murder, kidnapping, burglary, rape,
etc., or to avoid testifying in q case
involving felony. Extortion by mail,
long federal offense, has been ex-
tended to include attempts at extor-
ton by telephone, telegraph, radio,
and other means Of communication.
Further Changes In the Laws
II kidnap victim Is not freed or
returned within seven days, the legal
presumption Is that the victim has
been taken across state borders and
the Lindbergh kidnapping law automa-
tically applies. It Is now federal
offense to rob any national bank or
any member bank Of the Federal Re-
serve system. Machine guns must be
Registered by their owners with the
Treasury Department. Federal agents
may now carry arms and make ar
rests, and 1t Is q federal offense to
kill or assault federal agents, coast
guards, or marshals, or to aid In
breaks from q federal prison.
The cost Of the crime wave IN hu-
man life has been heavy. With .
murder every Is minutes, the United
States has q homicide rate Of 10.7,
as compared with 05 for England. In
money, the annual crime bill has been
estimated by the American Crime
Commission Is high Is 81. 0o0, 000. 900.
This includes police cost Of $780,
600 900, and $4,000, 000, 900, as the cost
Of criminal justice. Transportation
thefts were placed at half q billion.
which Is also the cost Of theftS from
warehouses and q like amount for the
loss In investments in fraudulent Sc
curities. Fraudulent bankruptcies
cost $500 900 900; embellishments. $780,
000,000: worthless checks, 100000
900; and forgeries, $4,000. 900. Rob-
bling the mails, the most hazardous Of
crimes for the criminals, cost only
$l0,O00,0 900. Bank robberies which
numbered 220 with . loss Of $288, 900
In 1921, increased to 554 with loss Of
1884 900 in 1882.
Research studies by the department
OF justice and by commissions dis
lclosed that the spread Of crime In no
mean degree was due to defects In the
local police systems. There are 1884,
1000 police and $4,000 detectives who
protect the cities and towns, but only
$1,000 slneriffs and 5000 marshals for
the rural districts which were help
less against the invasion Of criminals.
Police officers lose all authority a
soon as they step beyond the boun-
daries Of their own districts. Only
eleven states have . state constabu-
Larry system. So an elaborate under.
world organization grew up, especial
ly In the middle west, where with
fences to dispose Of their loot, and
informers to tell them Of the activity
Of the police, criminals have flour
ished.
The contrast between federal and
state effectiveness In dealing with
crime is illustrated by the fact that
in 1891 local authorities dealt with
280 known kidnapings and were able
to effect only s. convictions, while
federal agents worked on 20 interstate
cases and secured n convictions. In
these federal cases s. persons were
convicted, two were sentenced to
death, II given life sentences, while
other sentences aggregated 1913 years
AN average Of q years each.
Spearhead Of the Attack
The spearhead Of the federal at
tack on crime In the Department Of
Justice is the division Of investiga-
ton. Thu limited Qtatoc 0Anrnk .a,,,