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Show oo OUTSIDE COMMENT ON THE BLACKHANDERS The Blackhanders In Ogden already have given this city unenviable advertising. ad-vertising. The latest outrage is the subject of commont in many of the papers coming to hand Near at home, the crime is viewed 08 one that calls for all the power at Ogden s command to uproot. The Sah Lake Tribune has this to say: The people of Utah read with horror hor-ror and indignation yesterday that the perfidloub blackhanders had carried car-ried out their threat to blow up one of the Eccles homes. ANhile offers of sympathy may appear futile before be-fore the secret and mysterious power of the dynamiters neverthelcH the members of this prominent family should know that every good man and woman in the state Is ready and willing to aid them In every way possible. pos-sible. Throughout their ordeals by da and their nerve-racking vigils by night the Eccles family have shown a heroism that must win tho resnef nf all Refimltirr tn arre1 to the demands of the blackhanders, and undaunted by menaces of death If they failed to comply with those demands. Mrs. Eccles and her children chil-dren have displayed a calm courage that is beyond praise. Had they surrendered sur-rendered to the edicts of the blackmailers black-mailers there could be none to blame. For months the members of the Eccles family have been compelled to employ private guards for their protection pro-tection Can the people of the community com-munity In which they live regard such expense on the part even of a rich family with satisfaction ' The people of the county owo It to themselves them-selves to extend the means of protection pro-tection so that not a single person in the city or county shall be subjected to the terrifying experience that has been the ever present horror of the Eeeles family for many weeks Admittedly. however, the black-hander black-hander is one of the most baffling criminals, with whom the police have to deal. He is the modern survival of the pirates and bandits who made kidnaping for ransom their profession. profes-sion. Such bandits still exist In northern Africa and southeastern Europe where their ancient methods arc still possible. But In this conn-try, conn-try, where the safeguards thrown around civilization are much more efficient ef-ficient than the protccthe methods of barbaric countries, more subtle and, therefore, more terrible means must be employed by the criminals And thus the banditti have evolved Into biackhanders skilled in the use of explosives. I The ordiuary citizen knows enough about firearms to feel a degree of confidence that he can deal with the criminals who use revolvers, but he knows little of dvnamlte or other high explosives Before the mysterious mysteri-ous power of dynamite in practiced hands he stands helpless and aghast. The Individual who has skilled himself him-self in the use of explosives commands com-mands a power such as Merlin, the magician is reputed to have had in the days of King Arthur Such knowledge is quite aside from that of the ordinary law-abiding citizen. The blackhander chuckles in fiendish glee because he believes ho possesses posses-ses a power that can set at defiance the law and the guardians of the law. That the blackhander can be dealt with successfully however has been demonstrated In New York, where this class of criminals has been driven driv-en to complete Inactivity within the last few months. The framing of laws to deal with rrimlnole t U H . 1 . L j . , v. luiuiain ui im: uiatKuajia tvpe is necessarily difficult. Various plans have been suggested. In a general way. all of them look to severe restriction re-striction on tho shipment and sale of explosives and the imposition of heavy penalties for such crimes as blackmailing, death threats and abduction. ab-duction. Now that dynamite is being employed em-ployed extensively in mining, r-ngl-nfering work and even in agriculture, agricul-ture, legislatures find fhemselves confronted by a most perplexing problem when they seek to limit the use only to those who should hase a right to the use of explosives. Nevertheless, Nev-ertheless, this Is a problem that should be faced, and, indeed. Is being be-ing faced by various states and by the national government At present, however, the authorities authori-ties in Ogden and Utah must deal with the situation by means of the laws and facilities at their command. The laws are sufficiently effecthe if the, criminals can be captured, and, fortunately, it is within the power of tho state to increase the facilities by which the men may be caught. Meantime the sympathy of the community flows out to tho Eccles family Wo sometimes have wondered won-dered whether the blackhanders have wives and children of their own, and if they have, how they can look upon a sleeping wif or babe and then go forth into the night and explode the bomb which is to malm, slay or torture tor-ture Borne other man's wife or child. It is difficult to imagine such blackness black-ness even in tho soul of a blackhander. black-hander. fin |
