Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-03-17 | Page 7 | Codding Bandits

A I Coddling Bandits r. r f OUR ilien rilen have just a a six months months' retirement in the county jail The charge i t gave aye their heir brief e from cri crimI crim- crim l I Ih l lab rs was was called petit larceny If their crimes tr re petty then nothing short of murder is' is isa felony in Utah J- J At l least ast three thre holdups and the theft of eight ight au automobiles om biles were laid to members of criminal gang by the sh sheriffs sheriff's riffs riff's office The lives of several citizens were threatened duri dur- dur i irig their operations for for the last fort forty days What did these bandits care for the lives of the perSons they h held ld up Tile The and safety of of any of us might have fallen under their sallies Tile The police machinery at orthe the city and county was taxed to round up tip the gang D Deputy sheriffs risked their to catch three of them and only succeeded in trapping them after firing on their speeding automobile Citizens with families families' might have been kill killed d by th the guns of these crooks And they are ar sentenced to jail for only six sic months fr I 1 alk about cry cry- cry fiby hearted chicken c prosecuting officials When the men were l' l called for trial l lit in the city court on grand larceny charges a motion was made by the county attorneys attorney's office to reduce the states state's i i serious case against them to petit l larceny The worn time yarns of dependent widowed first offenses etc were drummed t to make it a perfect weeping case for 1 The judge made a pretty speed speech the bandits making good And they Vere ere let off with a six months months' county jail term 01 didn't these men think of of their mothers before they started to t rr a community They ask a court to ha ve i cOnsideration that they did not feet feel It is said the hev are young all about 21 Jf years ears old Sur Surdy ly That is the age that v criminals are developed In New Y York orl 62 per cent cf the criminals tried w w wre re under 25 years of ac Silly sentimentality helps turn Ii them into lifetime crooks N t AGain the sobbing officials may say they intend to place charges against the quartet after they serVe their jail sentences B By time mo most t of us will have forgotten their dastardly escapades Frequently prosecutors prosecutors prose prose- forget Why wait to give r them justice The way that crime in Utah is is to be stopped is' is by backing up efficient and sheriff forces with sure police e sure speedy enforcement of adequate a sentences of the in this this case is k The fhe betrayal public case J deplorable