Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1935-01-31
Ohstructing Justice


Attorney General Cummings ask
ed the budget bureau for an appre-
priation for the increase OF the
crime investigation department by
two hundred additional agents.
To the amazement of the country
this request has been turned down
under circumstances which would
actually compel a reduction in the
existing force.
The only fault with the request is
that it is too modest. Two hum
dred more men is inadequate. The
strength of the division Of investi-
CATION should be INCREASED by at
least two thousand agents-as the
Hearst newspapers have advocated
earnestly and strenuously.
| Only last Friday the crime inves-
| tigation division of the department
| of Justice, which has made won
derful record of efficiency, gave ad-
| ditional proof of it's ability to cope
with desperate crime where all 9TH
er agencies have failed.
The roundup in New York City
| of the tri-state gang, which has ter
| rorized Virginia, Pennsylvania and
| Maryland, deserves to rank with the
rubbing out of the Dillinger gang
and the twenty-seven solved cases
Iof kidnapping chalked up to the
credit Of this under-manned but
heroic and relentless division of the
department of justice.
Robert Mais, the leader of the
| tri-state gang, known as Phlladei-
phia's public enemy No. 1, and his
confederate Walter Legenza-both
escaped convicts under sentence OF
death in Virginia-and two other
gangsters were taken into custody
as the elimination of as clever and
determined a piece of crime pursuit
as was ever recorded.
This fine exploit of the laws Of
fcers followed by only few days
!, the bringing down of the last MEM
| bers of the gang which kidnapped
i Edward G.. Bremen, the Minnesota
businessman. A desperate gun
: battle in a Florida hidout ended in
the death of the fugitives.
Such is the vital and important
defense of society which the budget
bureau seeks to impede and OBJ
struct by stupid opposition to the
requests of the United States At
torney General for needed support.
f The latter, referring to the small
$ force at his disposal, and VITA
which he is expected to protect the
r entire country from crimes Of ma
tional scope, says:
= ''The people expect more and
more of us, and we will gladly
respond But If we are to fight
4 AN ARMY of criminals, we
s must have more than our pres
ent CORPORAL'S GUARD of
! brave and resolute agents"
: Of course this is true
, The Importance of federal prose-
) cution of crime is universally recog-
nized throughout the country.
{ The crime conference assemblies
! in Washington to outline ways and
means for ending the curse of crime
, in the United States.
J The most important proposition
made is for an extension Of the Sc
cret service and the increase of the
; personnel of the department of jus
n tice for more efficiently Investigate
ing and dealing with crime.
| The President of the United
States advocates the relentless pros
ecution of criminals and the eraAi-
cation Of crime.
| The politicians generally inform
the public that the people them
selves must have equal interest in
the determination of crime.
| The people respond magnificent
ly.
l The department OF justice asks
for an adequate appropriation (be-
cause you cannot maintain the de-
sired organization for eliminating
crime without paying the investiga-
tors and secret service men).
But the politicians proceed no,
only to deny the appropriation re.
quired, but to CUT THE APPRO.
PRIATION FOR 1895 BELOW THE
APPROPRIATION FOR 1891
Chicago Herald-Examiner.