Saturday, August it, 19 26 New York Wages Bitter War c n Crane Burt M. McConnell in Dearborn In dependent Mnet of us have been aware at some period or other within the last five years of a crime wave, particularly *» * ar large renters of population. y\e have more criminal courts and less result's to show for them than any other nation. Crime is no long er merely an occupation; it is an in dustry, highly organized and directed with extraordinary cunning. There fore no function of organized govern ment is of greater importance to the people than lie protection of life and property and the preservation of law and order. The honest citizen will be glad to h»rn that the state in which much of the crime of the past five years has occurred—New fork —has some new laws which went into effeht July Ist. They tighten the screws on some of our most desperate criminals. Their effect, already noted, will be to expe dite. strengthen, and simplify the ad i ministration of criminal justice; in crease the terms of imprisonment in state prisons; restrict the indiscrimi-1 natc release of second offenders on hailjjnd permit the state-wide col-< and dissemination of criminal! pnfe and information. An appro-1 afion of S3O, has been made for; latter purpose. Phe first result was a great stam c of criminals to get into prison be e the longer .sentences may be im »ew York has set an example for rest of the states to follow. With evidence of file existence of organ-' I gangs of gunmen, bandits, and rdcrers all over the East, the New rtc legislature forgot for the moment political squabbles and adopted the at drastic program for the elimina i of crime in the history of the ntry. )f course, there were objections to proposed changes in criminal pro ure on the part of some lawyers » Specialize in criminal practice, b. in and out of the legislature, ipite this opposition, however, gev- I important amendments were ap ved by Governor Smith.' These t be summarized as follows: new laws 7 provide for a state e collection of criminal records, | such as finger prints. Uertillion meas urements. et cetera, by police officers and prison wardens, and the inter change of such information with the- authorities and police officers of other states and countries. ’ The absence qv existence of a crim inal record fefu&fc be (Mablisfcect' before a person charged with a felony or any one of seven specified misdemeanors' can be admitted to bail. The court , may also use its discretion in refusing bail to a person charged with any one of these misdemeanors. ; District attorneys, except In New York county,'are required to proceed against rthe surety on criminal bail bonds within sixty days after the ad journment of the court directing the forfeiture of the bonds, instead of. ‘at die heretofore. Persons Jointly aeeused may here s after be tried separately or jointly at | the discretion' of the court. I A defendant in a criminal case must snow appeal within thirty days, in stead of within one year, as formerly. and appeals must be argued within } n'n«t.v days, unless the time- is ex pended by . the court. And except in , instances where the appellate court is overruled, there can be hut one ap peal. The sentences of judges'will here after be carried out as imposed. This amendment, by nbolisbing compensa tion and reducing the time granted 4for commutation, through the sub'sti ;tution of a new form'of commutation I limited to five days a month, will have Bthe ecect of increasing definite sen- Btences from sixteen to sixty per cent. Commutation and compensation .in 'the case of life sentences will hcre fefter be abolished. , ■ The actual term of imprisonment in ’ a state prison will in future be not , less than one year, and. this term muy uot be reduced. — 1 - , - ——= TOJJE THE SHE is anxious to please ~ ============== j WtSSIN® CAMP A6AUABA TO J TONES- I'3.'TAMCE iCAW FIMC> A ISHOuUS OaNISM - M J % oS-.'/BM * SIA-O'/uSi OVEIc AN CAMP- I FROM FIMP out IF YOU'VE W\ TO you, I SMavX m Mot IVE For. Kay RIECEMT i-IE AftADAfeA- 1 KVEW vaii-iCH OWE I CAMP < vefey (TLAO Imav NOT UMjf Disuse- CO &r<&Ax OPF I •K The statutory sentence for felony shall be increased, when committed s by an armed person, from five years, ! in the case of a first offender," to • twenty-five years or even life in the ease of a fourth offender. And such I armed persons, even when first of i fenders, may not be released on -pro bation . or otherwise have their sen • itence* shortened. 1 The penalty for burglary in the first! degree shall he not less than fifteen years for robbery in the first degree, 1 from fifteen *to twenty years. A life sentence, in future, will not mean a minimum of ten years or an indeter minate sentence; it will mean a life > sentence. , Persons convicted for the fourth time of felony must hereafter serve a life sentenoe. Persons originally sen tenced as first offenders may be re sentenced on the discovery of previous conviction. The receiving of stolen property in any amount is now a felony, with thw maximum penalty increased to twenty 1 years’ imprisonment. | These new measures resulted from a years survey of the crime situation Iby the New York, legislature. Other . states have undertaken crime surveys, j but most of tlie commissions have , merely piled up reams of evidence and volumes of testimony. In the' ma jority of states, under existing laws, a criminal sent to prison' for a long sentence rarely serves more than one third of his time; hundreds of crim inals are fCecil on hail every week, and many of these undoubtedly aem inft new criines to pay their bonds men, and then “jump” t’jeir bail. “Pences,” who form the backbone of much of the crime industry, are vir tually immune from effective punish ment in most of our states. A large number of old offenders escape charg-| es against them because of the lack! of adequate means of identifying them, j Their plunder enables-them to. engage shrewd lawyers. ,• ’ | It is these handicaps that the New York legislature, despite the protests •■■■>* »'M L— ■ EiTTJtm JULIUS SNEEZER : i : ——— I MY MY-I'VE BEE H I JIT ti EVEN WTO THE I £ —ll PS even into tmfl . ' 1 ThTl —< fHHiI IE EVERY STATE g -STATE Os- INTO*-] W V § STATE OF \ Mt THIS UWlOril ( igp ICATIQN. f-i • J IIUULa ff MATRIMONY! f . Cj IJ j y" . II ’■■ ■-■ J I«E WHIZ- r JIT CBRTAIIfLV | . -I’- 1 — 'tY nen look aHKe to him, except wnen they don't) . ; • |[ -i *o»* 1 ol * ! Hl3ll§Sftl J /Tlhts WMC.T THEY\ - W »t.wc»>oHeoHe«e- OF Bueroo. 1 “ tf seae me «s»-\ Wn 50 “F'VUY ._ J y Oesuiii n«r ‘ tur of n*ECO«! of lawyers with criminal practice, both in and out of the legislature] has overcbme. There is no doubt that a large per centage of the crimes committed in New York City during jhe past five years were p'.anned and carried out by criminals who were out on bail. Here is one of the large loopholes in our administration of justice. With the old offender, crime is a business. He does not about being arrested and held for the grand if he can be released immediately on bail. Given his liberty, he can at once be gin planning i another crime. Tha system that pyrmits this condition is a scandal. There can be no appre ciable lessening of crime iintll this practice of freeing criminals on easily procured bail is ended. New York State has taken the first step. Under the new law, second offenders are not entitled to bail as a constitutional right. ffc New York City alone taere are said to be over five hundred bonding agents ready to put «p bail that will free the criminal. The handit always has a bondsman. Many bonding com panies are willing to take a risk when the crook can pay the premium. Once he his freedom on bail, the criminal often commits another rob bery to get money to pay his bonds man. According to a New York City magistrate, some bonding houses hire agents who are in close torn* with the criminal world, if they are not trim-' lhals themselves, and who luibw when a crime is to be committed: > > The bonding agent, in'many installers, is : looked upon by crooks as a friend, mid he often is, ready to go the bail 'of the arrested criminal up to ainy • amount before the ink is dry on the commitment papers.' Many bonding houses accept stolen property as «d- ; j lateral. In some cases they , take no j collateral against bonds, but ae , cept the promise of oilier crooks that i I the criminal wiU be produced upon re quept. ' • - .. • ; , | Under the 1 new Hw, district'uttior- * ueys, except in New York county, are required to proceed against the bonds- . itHE C6NO6RS DAILY YWbune inaa in the case of forfeited bail with in two months. Heretofore no time limit has been fixed. Under another provision, the bondsman who accepts stoen collateral lhay be sent to pris on for perjury. One of the reasons f|r tbe preva lence of crime in the United States is the long delay between the crime and Die punishment, dae to the opportuni ties to appeal from one court tp anoth er. It will be impossible hereafter ‘ n . w York State to postpone i»- definitely to one appeal after another at intervals of ten months or a year. , Furthermore, in cases where the ap pellate court is overruled, but one ap-i peal wiU be granted. The habitual crrminal regards B prison sentence with comparative in difference. He knows that if he con ducts himself in strict accordance with the rules of the institution, he will get the benefit of “good behavior” al lowances —and be able to return to his chosen profession in a few months. Heretofore, the phrase “life sentence” has meant little to the inmates of a Niew York State prison, but in future the sentences of judges will be car ried out as imposed. There will be no commutation in the case of. a ‘‘lifer.” Dangerous criminals arc often pa roled after serving part of their sen tence. There are many cases on rec ord in the larger cities of hardened gangsters ebnimlttiug murder. In future, prisoners sentenced to a New York state prison must serve at least one full years. There will be no phrole, nor. will the actual time serfed fey reduced -through “good behavior.” Additional punishment will hereaf ter be inflicted on the person convicted, of a felony committed while armed' with a pistol or other dangerous weap on. Nor will the prisoners be re- Ifeased on probation, or olherwise have hfc sentence shortened. Udder the old New York State law,| a life sentence could be converted into] an indeterminate 'sentence, with a maximum of ten years. Under the , W'v law, effective September first, a I life sentence becomes exactly that. 1 And ft aj«y be imposed even dor first- 1 - degree robbery. t- ’ ' ► Formerly the New York State law! r provided that to sentence a criminal j * as an old offender it was necessary to! indict him as such, and to prove him to be an old offender at the trial. I Under one of the new amendments,] | it ij not necessary to indict a per-j 1 , son and convict him as a previous ’ j offendci in order that he shall receive tbe increased punishment provided. f And persons convicted for t'.ie fourth 'I time nf leuoy must serve a life sen : j fence. ■- No Ibnger may an arbitrary, dis tinction beinade between receiving stolen property of a value of less or more than S3O. Under the new law, j > the receiver of stolen property, no matter what the amount, is-a felon. • Moreover, the max'imum penalty has] 1 been increased from five years to, twenty years, although the court still j retains the right to impose a fine in j 1 lieu of, or in addition to a prison sentence. There has been too much twaddle about the criminal. As a result, oars is the most lawless of civilized coun tries. Murder, banditry, robbery and violence of every description are more common here than anywhere else in the world. What are the causes of, the astounding prevalence of crime among a people enjoying the widest benefits of liberty, education and self government Unemployment might hav» been advanced as a reason for the crime wave in 1922, but it would not be a sound explanation today. . Some say that one of the contributing causes is the loose laws in various states permitting the sale and distri bution of firearms. Carrie—Hut suppose you didn't. What would you do? Marian—l wouldn’t, j Carrie—Bf't you might, even if you didn't. j Marian—But I couldn't, even if I ■ jiad to. i ‘fe scale so delicate that it will 'weigh a dot over an eye was rcoont ly tested at the Marquette Ajriiversity • Bchoel of Medicine. ™ -I | Have You Heard ! This One? ! Good Stories That Are Going the Ronds i i Minister (to hostess’ little daugh ter)—Wouldn't you like to come to Sunday school and hear about heaven ( and beautiful golden streets? ] Little Lola —Yes. sir, but it will < take away the surprise when I get i there. % S [ l Prospective Ford buyer, to agent—]] | Why dodn’t they put si>eedometers on ( ! Fords? i ! Agent—lt isn't necessary. Fords < 1 are always passing other cars and all i ! the driver of a Ford has to do is to 1 | give a glance at the other fellow’s speedometer and add five or ten miiies to it. Then lie’knows how fast be us going. .' * • ’ 'j “I can’t understand how Caesar and Shakespeare and Napoleon’ ever got to be great.” “Haven’t you read the histories of ‘ their times ” “Yes; Coat's what makes it so j puazUag. Nobody seepied to teach ! anything by mail in those duys.” 1 * Observing a young lady standing j alone, the young man stepped up to ‘ her and said, “Pardon me. You look like Helen Black.” "Yes." she replied, “I know I do, \ but I look far worse in jvhite.” After the church service little ] Jackie was introduced to the minister and said politely: "Air. Lougwind, I sure am thankful to you for that ser mon.” “And bow :s that, my boy?" asked the gratified pastor, while mamma beamed. j “Cause brother Jimmie bet your Sprmou wouldn’t last mOre'n three- 1 iplarters pt an hour, an’ 1 let ’it i last 48 minutes. So I won bis knife and I’m awful grateful.” , PPOooooßoooaooeaaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooodßb * Don't Fail To Come | Moose Auto I SHOW Merchants Exposition AUTO DISPLAYS VAUDEVILLE ACTS MUSIC VIRGINIA i CAROLINA ACES aLlnext week Commencing Monday, Aug. 23 I Door* Open 7:00 O’clock i SATURDAY MATINEE 1 SEASON TICKETS i | 50c—SEASON TICKETS—SOc J £ Just bt SOLID CAR OF 28 GAUGE GALVANIZED ROOFING $4.75 PER SQUARE : Yorke & Wadsworth Co. : I We Sell Good Hardware Cheaper J !; o“ j | Be Ready When Winter Comes I As our new furniture arrives, it is being placed ready j I , fur your inspecUon. It is not too early to choose vS ' ’ ’ ; fall and winter furniture now. ■ / C yOUr j| j | ( ; I Y °ung people about to establish a home, we earnestly i ! ask you to compare the Quality. Beauty and Price of l | urniturc with what is offered elsewhere and we are sure i hat your selection will be no other than our furniture ! ! ' i wlU , be . an “'vestment that will carry itself proudly S' i throu ss h | hc years, yielding to time nothing of its? excel- 0 | fence and charm tome in any time this week; we’d like \ i S see many new designs and have you com- § - | pare them with others. S BELUiARRIS FURNITURE CO r The Store That Satisfies, and the Home of Beautiful 1 | * Furniture J» Nothing brings such con* lotting relief SIS the original H * Bourne Bangui. It starts to drive out pain as soon a* you apply it. j GET THE ORIGINAL FRENCH I i anM OtsidviJ '' . ‘ ■ iky . : ■ >. v 4 PAGE SEVEN MERCHANTS I BOOTHS j ACTS ; PLENTY OF FUN FOR YOUNG AND I OLD |: VALET >' IvciZ Ar y /3K w fhhrnowte [ itself . ’, ' , ’ 1,3 7ys J