Show CRIMINAL ELEMENT contemptuous nothing which has happened in this city for many a long day has had such a profoundly depressing effect on the minds of law abiding people as the cold blooded murder of charles A faus the well known and highly respected wholesale druggist at his home on the evening of the 3rd ard instant while seated at the dinner table with his wife and family masked bandits entered his home proceeded to the dining b room and as mr faus arose to inquire what they wanted lie he was shot down and three days later died from his wounds the invading thugs made their escape without attempting burglary and as this is written they have apparently been apprehended murders are becoming alarmingly an more inore frequent in this city holdups hold ups and burglaries are becoming so numerous that they have 6 grown grown commonplace the very atmosphere seems to be laden with an undercurrent of lawlessness that permeates every stratum of the social fabric police and detective agencies are working 6 unceasingly to stem the tide but the crime wave sweeps on almost without interruption the criminal element seems to have cave no fear of consequences quen ces for it is becoming bolder all the time Is it possible that this boldness and utter disregard of consequences on the part of lawbreakers is unwittingly strengthened through laxity in law enforcement let us hope not but the sentiment is being frequently expressed that our system of dealing with criminals is altogether too considerate si of the feelings of the wrongdoer wrong doer the officers whose duty it is to apprehend lawbreakers law breakers and develop evidence that will convict them too often it is claimed find that their work has not been fruitful of lasting results that wrong 6 doers are brought 6 to the bar of justice and that even after conviction and punishment has been meted out to them they are rarely required to pay the full penalty that has been imposed or that which their offense justifies the officers arrest a man the court convicts and sentences him and then the guilty one languishes in the penitentiary not for the length of time prescribed or suggested by the trial judge and jury but during b the pleasure of the state board of pardons which may mitigate or even terminate the sentence which has been imposed this system of handling lawbreakers law breakers it is claimed by many has a tendency to create a feeling of contempt for the law not only in the minds of those who have broken the laws and who have been convicted but it is claimed by students of psychology and particularly by trained detectives 1 tec tives and police officers who make a study of criminology that men without criminal records get the impression that they too can enter the ranks of the housebreaker and holdup or even the life taker without extra hazard in facin facing 9 the law men who think and talk along these lines believe that our state board of pardons ought to be abolished and they also believe and state that once a man is sent to prison for a crime he should not be the recipient of flowers and food and favors from friends outside of the prison walls and that lie he should not be regaled with concerts and entertainments by mis misguided b aided souls who feel that he should be molded over J ag aga inand airland be quickly released so that he may feel that he had a good time while in prison and that he would just as so soon on go back there as not next saturday the board of pardons will meet to determine whether the applications of more than twenty in inmates of the state prison shall receive clemency whether the judgments of courts of justice shall be set aside or modified the use of having courts and paying the costs of their maintenance if their actions in dealing I 1 out justice to offenders can be nullified by a pardoning board lets have an operation performed for the elimination of this vermiform appendix the state board of pardons |