ROUGH JUSTICE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 15 January 1931, Page 7

ROUGH JUSTICE

UNITED STATES' METHODS. POLICE AND PRESS. On his return home this week from an extensive tour of the world occupying some ton months, My- 0. C. Mazcngarb, of Wellington, paid a tribute to the high standard of journalism in the Dominion and the fair administration of justice as compared with the United States. “One likes to return to a country where news is appraised at its true value,” ho isaid, “and where the headlines do give sensible interpretation of the reports that follow them. In the newspaper press of the United States tlio headings often fail to give any hint as to what follows. A CASE IN POINT. “For instance, what cau you make of such a caption as this which appeared when I was in America: ‘Girls Face Vice Traps Cops.’. “1 had to read the report through twice before I could interpret that headline. “It apparently referred to some sensational disclosures among the New York police concerning certain methods used. The police commissioner had suspended certain constables against whom it was alleged that they had framed up allegations ■of immorality against certain girls. The modus operandi was for a man, by arrangement with certain police •officials, to became acquainted with a girl, seek an opportunity of visiting her at her lodgings or apartments, only to be surprised by police officers, who made allegations of immoral conduct against innocent girls. “The man would then offer to ‘square’ the police, and the girl in desperation would obtain money from friends or relatives to avoid scandal. This system of obtaining money had been going on for many months until a dispute arose between the constables aud the man concerned. Then came allegations and the calling of the girls as witnesses to prove the framing of a false charge against them, and the payment of money. “This is the sort of thing that brings home to us the great privilege of living in a country where justice is fairly administered,” said Mr. Mazcngarb. j

ASSAULT ON. PRISONER. “To give another instance which, I actually, witnessed,” he- . continued. “We were in one of : the largest departmental stores in New York, and as we were passing one of the .sections, we saw a man who was alleged to be a pickpocket, grabbed by two plain clothes detectives. There was no resistance, but almost simultaneously with the arrest one of the detectives struck him a. cruel blow under the chin. A third detective then appeared, and taking a ‘bit’ or a similar piece of metal from his pocket, made a deep gash behind the unfortunate man’s car, and then strutted oil' leaving the other two to drag the prisoner off in a semi-conscious condition, and bleeding, from the store. “I heard one customer remonstrate with a, slioti walker, and receive the reply that the detectives, had been ‘trying to get the man all day.’ I was on that occasion accompanied by a merchant from Argentina. We both agreed that such brutality in our respective countries toward a suspect would bo visited with severe punishment.”