i
VOL. XVI., NO. VI
ESTABLISHED IN 18S6
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LINCOLN, NBBR... SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 0. 1901.
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OBSBRVAT
1
OBSERVATIONS.
t
1
"A Study in Crime."
Mr. Joseph M. Deuel in Town Topics
has collated a comparative study and
.tables compiled from the police re
ports of one hundred of the large
cities of the United States so scat
tered as to cover all sections of the
country. Mr. Deuel's object is to
show the moral tone and condition of
one hundred cities in comparison
with eacli other. Actual arrests made
during a period of twelve months,
mostly for 1899 or for a year ending in
1900 were the data used and as the
basis of computation is identical the
comparison is fair and just. It is
gratifying to know that Lincoln has
a high average of good behavior, even
if the thoroughfares and public build
ings are very dirty. Mr. Deuel's aver
ages are computed on a basis per one
thousand of population. According
to the census in 1900 Lincoln had
40,169 inhabitants. Grimes such as
larceny, burglary, arson, frauds, per
jury, forgery, felonious assaults etc.
Mr. Deuel classifies as mala in se be
cause these crimes involve moral tur
pitude, as to which police vigilance
and zeal are fairly constant every
where and influence and pulls play an
inconsequential part until after ar
rest. In 1900 then, the proportion of
mala in se arrests to 1000 population
in Lincoln was only 2.09 as compared
with 9.43 in Mobile Alabama, 7.G7 in
Little Rock Arkansas, 7.57 in Spokane
Washington, 7.41 in Omaha, 5.57 in
Denver Colorado, COS in Peoria Ills..
24.81 in Fort Wayne Indiana, 4.11 in
Davenport Iowa, G.87 in Topeka Kan
sas. "Savannah leads all other cities
in serious crimes, Lexington in as
saults, Atlanta in disorderly conduct
and in volume, Spokane in intoxica
tion, disorderly houses and vagrancy,
Covington Kentucky in gambling,
Manchester N. H. in excise Lincoln
Nebr , is the most economical in po
lice expenditure, and has the largest
numerical ratio between police and
population; the cost per capita for
police protection is only thirty eight
cents, and there are 2,678 inhabitants
for each member of the police force."
The excessive gambling rate for Cov
ington is explained by Chief Pugh
thus: "We have, during the year
from one to four pool-rooms operating
daily, and the name of the party op
erating each is placed upon the docket
every morning and a plea of guilty
accepted and a tine of 812 each entered
and paid." The revenue from four
pool-rooms a year is therefore $17,120,
half of which is given to the city
library fund. Apian like that oper
ated by Covington in dealing with
pool-rooms is in vogue in Maine, and
in western prohibition states, in the
treatment of saloons. Portland Maine
lias 30.89 and Bangor 40.96 drunkards
in each one thousand of population.
Lincoln has 11 92. Boston and Spo
kane Wash, eacii has more drunkards
to population than New York city
has of all crimes on the catalog.
vor, I got to do him one aint I? The
City Hall people want their graft just
as much as I do, an' they aint lyin'
about it. A town ought to be either
open or shut, an the gang ought to
say which it's to be. We know what
Chi is, an' that's why we hold 'er
down."
Mr. Flynt's testimony is exact and
every committee ot investigation into
the police administration of the cities
informed against corroborates it. He
says that the surest-evidence that a
city administration is hostile to
the grafters and determined to en
force the laws against them is their
desertion of a town. That Lincoln is
deserted of professional grafters is
shown by the testimony quoted, taken
from the report of a New-York sta
tistician, totally disinterested in Lin
coln except as to getting a report from
the city which should add to the
number of cities examined and make
his data more exhaustive.
Mayor Winrretfc was elected by the
order-loving- people of Lincoln with
the understanding that he was to en
force the laws and shut up the town.
He has kept faith with his constitu
ency He appointed chief of police
Routzahn were city detectives in the
Graham administration when these
gambling houses ran without moles
tation: Saunders and Webb, cor. 10th
and P streets. Louis Huldburg over
the Abbey saloon. So. 11th St. George
Bradcen, cor. 9th and P street.
Rhody McNamara North 10th St. be
tween O and P. Langdon and Uont
zahn were frequently found in these
places, placidly watching the gamb
ling. Glcason and McNamara. were
sent to the pcnitentlary.forgamblingv
The blessings of an orderly tow
are not appreciated until another ad
ministration has set it wide open-.
Mr. Woodward can only succeed ir
his ambition through the apathy of
republican voters, with whom Mayor
WInnett has so established a reputa
tion, that they do not take into ac
count the votes which an incessant
candidate can occasionally control.
"One striking result of the tabula- Hoagland with this understanding.
tion disproves the general belief that
a higher ratio in seriousness and vol
ume of crime is a concomitant of very
large centres of population."
This report taken in connection
with the discoveries and revelations
of Josiah Flynt in regard to the col
lusion of the New York and Chicago
chiefs of police with the habitual
criminals located in those two cities,
establishes the integrity and good
faith of the police department of this
city. The credit and honor of ridding
the city of "grafters" is shared by
Police .ludge Comstockand by chief
of police Hoagland. who fulfil their
respective and complimentary duties
to the full intent and purpose of the
laws made to repress and punisli
crime and drive criminals away.
"In spite of last year," (1900) says
Mr. Flynt in February McClure's, the
concensus of opinion among the graft
ers, witli whom 1 talked was that
Chicago is the best stopping place for
tramps and thieves in the United
States." A sort of a king among the
grafters said to Flynt tint he liked
Chicago because it was ''honest."
"The City Hall gang went intootlice
on the promise that the town was to
be open, an' they've kept it open.
Course they've got to put up a little
blull when the reformers get after
'em, but I know, 'an the push knows
that Chi," (grafter's slang for Chica
go; "is goin to be 'right for the likes
of you an' me as long's the push is in
power." I know ex
actly how far I can go an and what 1
can do in Chi, and that's the reason
I feel so at tome. It's the same way
with the gun (thief). Course he's got
to cough up to the coppers ev'ry now
an' then, but that's fair enough. You
can't get somethin' for nothin' any
Some of the policemen are not above
reproach, but the citizens have con
fidence that the excise board will dis
cipline them and get rid of those who
offend against the law and a strict in
terpretation of a policeman's duty.
Mayor Winnett has no favorite saloon
keepers. Those who pay their licenses
and obey saloon restrictions are pro
tected against irresponsible saloon
keepers who pay no attention to the
restrictions against closing time, sell
ing to minors etc. The mayor's strict
and exTact interpretation of his duty
according to the laws of the state and
the city charter deserves the com
mendation of all lovers of law and
order. His services to the city are
carefully and faithfully rendered. If
such services are uot almost unani
mously recognized by the 4000 repub
lican voters of Lincoln what does it
profit a man to deny himself and ser ce,
except for the secret and final com
mendation of his own conscience?
When the day of the primaries is at
hand every republican voter who
loves his town and knows the differ
ence between a demagogue and a man
will deposit a vote for Mayor Winnett
who is about to conclude the first
term of a notable administration.
j J
His Friends.
Mr. Woodward who is asking the
nomination for mayor has not a coun
cil record that can be of any assist
ance to him. His anxiety to be mayor
leads him to make foolish promises and
derogatory friends. Those who seem to
be most interested in his nomination
now are ex-policeman M. F. Williams,
detective Pound, ex constable Bentiey,
A. C- Langdon, O. M. Routzahn, Pat
O'Shee, Bud Gritter, Captain Murtin
where. If the copper does me a fa- and pawnbroker Adler. Langdon and
The Normal School.
The Peru Normal school is an old
institution. It has.furnlshed hun
dreds of good teachers to the state.
To move it from Peru, where it lias
been the educational center forso
long would have been a ruthless act.
Lincoln does not need any more edu
cational institutions and there were
many disinterested citizens of Lin
coln who rejoiced, when" the bill for
the establishment of a normal school
here was defeated. The defeat of Mr.
Thompson's senatorial ambitions,
largely through the influence of his
townsmen, may have deadened the in
terest u! the Lancaster delegation, in
Lancaster appropriations, but "It's
an ill wind that blows nobody any
good" and Peru is the gainer. The
normal school is Peru's only distinc
tion and dignity. Lincoln's crown
is jeweled with the State university,
Wesleyan university and Union col
lege, jewels which are (contrary to
the nature of gerusiconstantly increas
ing in size and lustre.
Our Manners-.
It is a thankless and barren task
to call attention to the misdemeanors
and vices of our own townspeople, but
the need cries out.
Citizens of Nebraska are not likely
to acquire a reputation for culture,
exclusiveness and conceit for some
time. If there were more and deeper
reasons for self respect there are a
number who would be willing to run
the risk of a reputation of self-righteousness.
In Nebraska the amenities of life
are trampled upon now with the same
disregard as in the early sixties.
There is only a change in the outward
appearance of the men and boys. The
youth in the university are vainer,,
they wear high white collars and m
longer stutT their trousers into their
boots. But they chew tobacco and
spit on the floors of the class-rooms so
that the girls who chance to occupy
the same seats, an hour later, must
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