LURE'S MAGAZINE, said: "In this territory
murderers, robbers, and thieves of the worst kind are born, reared, and
grown to maturity in numbers which exceed the record of any similar
district anywhere on the face of the globe; murders by the score,
shooting and stabbing affrays by the hundred, assaults, burglaries, and
robberies by the thousand--such is the crime record each year for this
festering place of evil which lies a scant mile from the heart of
Chicago."

Within a few days from my going into this court, I was confronted with
the problem of what to do with violators of the city laws who had others
dependent upon them for support. To impose a fine upon such persons
would, if the fine were paid, ordinarily deprive the family of some of
the necessaries of life. On the other hand, if the fine were not paid
and the offender were committed to the House of Correction to work it
out at the rate of fifty cents a day, not only would the family be
deprived of their means of support during his imprisonment, but the
defendant, when released, would be without employment or the ability
then to provide for his family. I observed that frequently women whose
husbands had been fined for beating them would go out and borrow money
with which to pay the fine.

It was very apparent that such proceedings operated most harshly upon
the poor. A person able to pay a fine had comparatively little to fear
if he violated the city laws, while inability to pay meant the loss of
liberty twenty-four hours for each fifty cents of the fine and costs,
which was nothing more or less than imprisonment for debt.

_In the Homes of the "Repeaters"_

Persons were often brought before me who had been imprisoned many times
and who were no better but obviously much worse as a result of such
treatment. I found upon investigation that the city contained a very
large number of these persons, who were known as "repeaters," and that
the time of the police and the courts was much occupied in re-arresting
and recommitting them to the House of Correction. Upon examining the
records of this institution, I found that of the nine thousand persons
imprisoned the previous year because of their inability to pay the fines
imposed, _nearly one-half had been there from two to two hundred and one
times each_. _Eighteen women had each served one hundred terms._ I was
therefore convinced that this method of "correction" was not only harsh
and unjust to the families of suc