The Plight of Prestonsburg

In May, 1921, The Pike County News reprinted an editorial from the Prestonsburg Citizen lamenting the breakdown of public order there.  The piece starts out, "To what is this city coming?"  It goes on to describe the problems in more detail:

"'Bootlegging' thrives unrestrained despite official effort.  Public drunkenness is so common that it occasions no comment except, perhaps, some jocular remark, and 'pistol toting' is so general as to be fashionable."

The writer goes on to blame 'moral lethargy' and inertia for the lack of effective response.

One surprising statement made was unexpected:

"The fearless performance of strict duty under the law by officers is liable to bring about homicide.  If the officer escapes he is apt to find himself indicted on a charge of murder."

The general crime rate in those days, particularly murder, rivals that of the worst U.S. city today.  I will have much more on this later.