The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-11
ARMS
TO FIGHT CRIME,
URGES HOOVER
Governments New Policy Is
to 0utShoOt Gang
SterS.
BY KENNETH WATSON
Times Special Writer

]
reer of John Dillinger, is mot only
to outthink but also to outshoot"
desperate criminals.
J. Edgar Hoover, head of the JUS
/ tice Departments Bureau of In
veStigation, stated this policy in
commenting today on the efforts of
his group Of 400 picked young de-
tectives to put down crime.
He emphasized the efforts to i'm
prove craftsmanship Of the force
and to equip it with the same mod
ern weapons of offense and defense
used by the gangSters themselves.
1t is crlme-perhapS 1t better
may be termed a tragedy" he said,
that so many of the law enforce
ment officers of the country are not
properly armed and equipped with
the latest practical arms and de-
vices such as machine-gunS, gas
guns, bullet-proof vests. shields and
other law enforcement and protec-
tive equipment
Caught Four a Day
The record of his bureau for the
past year shows heavy penalties
against racketeers and other organ
lied criminals. Last year the bu-
reau located 1,163 fugitives from
justice-an average of about four
a day, although there was but one
federal agent for each 5000 square
miles of territory Convictions were
obtained IN 95.5 per cent of the
cases handled, ranging from auto
mobile stealing to kidnapping and
murder.
When gangland turned to kidnap-
ing with the approach of repeal,
Director Hoover and his men, as
sisted by Assistant Attorney-Gen-
eral Joseph B. keenan,, made such
a smashing attack that this form
of crime has been almost discarded.
Since congress enacted a federal
kidnapping law in January, 1882,
there have been twenty-nine cases
of kidnapping. Moving swiftly and
relentlessly, the department of JUS
tice has cleared up all but three.
The tWenty-siX cases resulted IN
sentences totaling LII years melted
out to seventy-one gangSters. Eleven
more are in custody awaiting trial.
Two of the kidnapers-the men re-
sponsible for the bruta. Staying Of
young Brook Hart in San Francisco
were lynChed, while three others
committed suicide in their cells.
Only Three Left
The three unSolved cases are the
kidnapping of 6-year-old June Robes
in Arizona and the Bremen and
Hamm cases in st. Paul In the
latter case two men were tried, but
acquitted. Director Hoover says the
identity of the men who kidnapped
Brewer is known.
1T is but a question of time be-
fore we capture them" declared
Hoover.
Director Hoover does not regard
the famous Lindbergh kidnapping as
a federal case 1t occurred before
the law was passed.
Strangely enough, although the
public came to regard the search
for Dillinger as a duty of the de-
partment of justice rather than of
state or city officers, there was out
one federal charge upon which his
agents could have prosecuted the
Indiana outlaw, Hoover said.
This was for stealing the auto
mobile in which his sensational eS-
cape from the Crown Point jail was
staged But the people regarded
Dillinger'S capture as a duty of the
government and we worked unceas-
ingly upon the case for months"
he said.
Not boy Scouts"
That the government is able to
wage such successful and relentless
warfare on crime is due primarily
to the eXacting requirements for
service as a department Of justice
agent.
Since 1924 the department has
insisted that all its special agents
either be graduate attorneys or GER
titled public accountants or have
done at least three years of inves-
tigating work" Hoover said.
Some hostile critics have dubbed
Hoover's organiza ton Boy Scouts"
because Of the educational require
ments and exact training courses
needed for service. While it is true
that 81 per cent of the bureau have
had legal training and q per cent
expert accountants qualifications,
the background of the agents re-
veals no mollycoddles.
The force includes not only many
former Texas Rangers, state troop
ers, sheriffs and police chiefs, but
numbers an amazingly high per-
centage Of college athletes. Five
agents have made a name for them
selves as wrestlers, five are expert
boxers, half a dozen have played
professional baseball, six were foot
ball coaches and seventeen we're on
varsity grid teams. Six agents have
been basketball coaches and ten
we're college stars in basketball.
Are Expert Markmen
The average age Of the federal
agents is Sc years. Age requirements
for Joining the government force
are 25 to IS. Perfect physical con-
dition is Of course a requisite.
Since spring every agent has been
required to take a course of train
ing in Workmanship and must be
able to handle not only a revolver,
rife and shotgun, but understand
the workings of the gangster Tom
my gun" as we'll.