Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-03-11

1910 1918, ~
The act of 1894 may be considered as having
nearly abolished the punishment OF death ior
the crime Of murder Since the passage OF the
act the convictions of murder In the nrst de'
gree are not one.tenth of the whole NUMBER
The facts show, that, as the population OF the
State was more than three times as great In
1918, as it was in l77e, the mild but certain
punishment Of confinement TO hard laoor, mas
proved to be more than three times as efhca'
cious to prevent the crime Of murder as the pc
nal,y of death; that it has proved at least three
times as eficacious in the crime OF burglary,
and more than four times in the crime OF rob-
berry That do not attribute more force to
this argument than 1t warrants will appear
most concusive,y when come TO mention to
the committee some facts which | have 10 lay
before them on another branch OF THIS deeply
interesting subject.
From i779 10 1886, the CONVICTIONS III the
State, for the crimes Of murder, arson, rape,
robbery, burglary, crime against nature, ana
foIg gerry Of the current coin. and paper oills Oh
credit Of the State, all, at that time, capltai le
lonies, were al, and the executions were IS.
During the next period of eight years, from
1886 10 1894, after robbery, burglary, and the
crime against nature had ceased to be capital,
the convictions were 1913, and the executions
but Is. During the next period OF eight years
from 1894 to 1902, after the punishment OF
death had been abolished, except for murder In
the first degree, and while the 2enltenllary was
under the best system of government, and pro-
ducing great moral effect, the convictions were,
for tht same crimes, but7l. During the next
period of eigh. years, from 1902 to 1910, alter
the crime of arson had been extended by statute,
so as to comprehend number OF malicious
burnings not punished by that name under the
act of l7ls, and the subsequent acts, prior 10
1879; after the crime of forgery had, by legls-
lative enactment, entirely changed its nature,
being extended to embrace almost every species
of writing; after the introduction OF paper
medium of commerce, much more liable 10 DE
forged than the current coin; and alter The Po-
pula,ion had increased to double its amount IN
l77e: the number of convictions for the same
crimes was los, "a of which were Tor forgery
not known to the law of 1879; so that the real
number Of convictions for the same crimes was
about 81 During the next period OF eight
wears, from 1910 10 1918, when the crime OF
forgery had become still more extensive, by
the creation Of forty new banks, and the entire
Punishment Of the metallic currency from the
commerce of the State; when the penltentlary,
by being over-crowded by oonvicts who were
necessarily confined together in large numbers
in the same room, had lost much OF its moral
power; when the population was nearly mil
lion; and when crimes had greatly increased
throughout the United States, by the dlsband-
ment Of the Army, at the close OF the late war;
the convictions for the same offences were 2l3,
81 of which were for forgeries either wholly
unknown to the law, or not known to it as telo-
ni,s in 1879, and l6 OF them Tor arsons, nearly
all of which were not known to the law by that
name, at that period
will now recapitulate these facts in another
shane. which will make the argument arising
ont Of them still more clear and !orcible. From
1879 to 1886, the convictions for the offences l
have mentioned, then capital, were in the pro-
norton of one to about 1870 Of the population.
From 1856 TO 1894, the convictions for the
same offences were in the proportion OF one TO
!, 400, though burglary, robbery, and the crime
against nature, were no longer capital. From
1894 to 500, after the abolition ofcapital pun
ishment, except for murder OF the first degree,
the convictions for the same crimes were in
the proportion Of one to about 6, 1856 OF the pop
ula,ion. From So2 to 1910, after the altera-
tons in the crimes of forgery and arson have
the convictions for the same crimes
were in the proportion of one to 7,7l4 Of the
population: or, excluded from the calculation
all those forgeries and arsons not known to the
laws by those names, till after l779, in the pro-
portion of one to about 5000 Of the population.
And. from ls 10 to 1918, after the operation of
all the causes have mentioned, tending to the
increase of crime, the number oil convictions
for the same offences was in The proportion OF
one 10 5000 of the population; or, excluding
from the calculation all those forgeries and az
sons not felones, or not known to the law from
,779 to 1896, and therefore not computed in the
calculation for that period, IN the proportion OF
ONT TO about 5000 of the population.
will now proceed to lay before the commit
tee another set of facts deeply Interesting to eve
~ friend of humanity, as they at once add i'm
mensely to the force of the argument TO be
drawn from the views have already submitted,
and clearly disclose one Of the principal rea-
sons why the dreadful penalty Of death, has not
been as effectuaI to prevent crimes as the mild
system now advocate. 1t is because its Sc
verify made the execution of it uncertain and
precarlons
From 1879 to 1886, while robbery was pun
ished with death, the number OF prosecutions
was SIS, the convictions IS, the aequlttals 90,
and the executions 90. That is, little more
than the one third of those prosecuted were ac