CRIME IN CHICAGO.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 92, 28 March 1922, Page 7

CRIME IN CHICAGO.

44 TO 1 ON THE HOMICIDE

Even Los Angeles, with its recent unsavoury and as yet pending murder trials, seems to feel itself at liberty to point the finger of scorn at Chicago. Says the “Times” published in the great “movie” city:— There were 217 murders during the first eleven months of last year m Chicago, but only six convictions in the first degree. One of these six walked out of the jail two days before he was to be hanged; stepped into a waiting automobile and is now enjoying freedom and safety. The statistician has found that if a man commits murder in Chicago there is but one chance in forty-four of his being compelled to pay the full penalty. As a pastime murder is about as safe as golf. filling policemen is classed as a nonhazardous occupation. A crook who specializes in the slaughter of “cops” is considered a good risk by the life insurance companies. They take especial care of him and feed him dainties. The .county and city authorities do not team together very well. When prisoners pass from the keeping of the police into the hands of the sheriff they may also pass into the highways and hedges. It is easier for a political! or labour leader to break out of jail than it is to break in. The Chief of Police has grown angry over the killing of his men and has served notice that the saloons where these crimes are planned will be closed. Every joint where whisky is sold is to be pulled. We have had a few years of prohibition, but they have only got around to talking of closing the saloons in Chicago. There needs to be a lot of cleaning up in Chicago, but between the Thompson administration, labour domination, Socialism, the black hand and a dozen political feuds the cleansing processes are sadly hampered.