OCR Text |
Show INFESTED WITH OUTLAWS. The hold-up of the Oregon Short Line train on Second street, within the city limits of Ogden, i6 receiving editorial attention from the prets of the country. The Salt Lake Republican, in its comments, com-ments, points out, as did the Standard yesterday, that there has been a reign of lawlessness in this state and drastic action must be taken to free Utah, particularly Ogden and Salt Lake, from the desperate criminal gangs. The Republican says: "Three bandits, masked and heavily armed, held up the northbound north-bound Oregon Short Line passenger train a short distance north of ' Ogden at an early hour yesterday morning, brutally clubbed several passengers over the head with their revolvers as a preliminary to robing rob-ing them, broke into the express car and secured a large sum of money and then disappeared. "Utah has harbored all kinds and classes of criminals, but since the exploits of "Butch" Oassidy, has escaped the depredations of the train robber. Missouri used to have a monopoly of that sort of thing. With the breaking up of the James-Younger gang, however, train robberies became less frequent. "Montana was selected by Dalton and his pals for the scene of their extensive operations, which made the Treasure state notorious notor-ious if not famous for some years, and there have been train robberies rob-beries in the states of Washington, Missouri, California and Nebraska Ne-braska in the last two or three years, "It sometimes occurs that trains are held up by tyros, but in the main the men who engage in the business are the most desperate criminals to be found in the country, ready to sacrifice any number f human lives to accomplish their purpose. "Burglars, footpads and train robbers will all kill without the least compunction, and are not deserving of mercy when once in the clutches of the law, although the particular crime for which they are arrested may not have been accompanied by murder. "In some of the southern states burglary in the night time is punishable by death. In others train robbers are subjected to a like penalty, the theory being that murder is intended if necessary for the purpose of robbery or to facilitate the escape of the robber. "Many people object to capital punishment even in the case of the murderer caught red-handed and reeking with the blood of his victim. Others would extend the death penalty so as to embrace the train robbers, burglars and footpads. "While the debate as to the advisability of putting desperate criminals out of the way or attemping to make good citiezns of them by kind treatment is going on, crime of all kinds is increasing, the Passel murder, the operations of Bringhflrst and Thompson and the train robbery north of Ogden proving conclusively that Utah has her share of wild beasts. There is but one thing to do. Hunt down the criminals of all clasaea aad give them the limit of the law, whether it be death, life imprisonment or a very long term behind stone walls. "No man need go hungry in this state, and those who desire "work can readily find it. The truth is, most men become robbers In order to avoid working for a living. That being the case, they , are not entitled to the leaat consideration at the hands of the judjre or jury, j a "Utah cannot afford the disgrace which attaches to a long series ol enmes, least of all can Salt Lake and Ogden afford to lie under the charge that the two cities are used as bases of operations by thieves, thugs and murderers. Hunt them down. Not only the train lrsl but 41 tte othe aa well. |