New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-08
CRIMINAL srArIsTlCs.


We have had occasion from time to time to COM
ment on some of the Inconvenience attendant
upon our system Of Jury trials. One OF the most
striking of these inconveniences is the disagree
ment Of Juries, perhaps after tria OF many days
at 4 great expense TO the public, and heavy draft
upon the time and patience of those called upon.
whether ss jurors or witnesses, to participate IN
the trial
The Annual Report OF the Secretary Of Safe on
our criminal statistics for the last year, published
under the act Of 1889, and now before US would
seem, however. to show that the machinery OF the
law. trial by jury included, has pretty efectua
operation and that the evil Of the disagreement Of
ures serious as it seems to be in particular cases.
has not yet, and perhaps never will become so
common as to be of any great practical import
ance.
1t appears from one of the tables which 90 to
make up this report. that during the year 1853 the
whole number Of indictments tried in the State,
with the exception of seven cOuntes-mostly small
opes-which failed to make any returns, was 1863,
on which there were 500 convictions and 3oo ac-
quittals with only 20 cases in which the jures did
not agree These convictions, acquittsls, and nom
agreements added together make only l,247,
leaving Of the whole number stated TO
have been tried 122 unaccounted for. Ii
would have been more satisfactory had We
been told distinctly what became of these
122 cases. Perhaps they were cases upon
which, after trial and verdict of Jury, SEN
tence was suspended, or a new trial granted on
some points Of law, for though the c69
cases included in Table G are there spoken
Of as convictions, are inclined to think
that they include only those cases IN which SEN
tence was passed But, in addition to these 500
prisoners convicted upon verdict by Jury, there
were nearly the same number, vz SAB, who did
not think it worth while to make any defense,
but were convicted on their own confessions.
If to these LIP convictions and the 35o acqut-
tails we add 800 cases in which the parties indicted
were discharged without trial, probably because OF
the insuficiency Of the evidence, We shall have
only twenty dsagreements out of 2,4SO cases, or
considerably less than one per cent, which GER
tainly is not more than fair allowance OF cases so
doubtful that Jury could not reasonably be ex-
pected to agree upon them. OF these ,7l2 con-
yictions 436 for offenses against the person,
including ii murders; 332 for ofenses against
property, accompanied with violence; 6l7 for
offenses against property, without violence; 10 for
oflenses sgainst the currency and for other
offenses, 237.
In these offenses, which include all of serious
character, there has been a gradual and steady
increase since 1880, but not greater than might
have been expected from the increase, and
especially from the increased density, Of
population. In 1880, the convictions numbered
I,O59 By 1910 they had risen to l,343. In 1850,
they came up to I,552, since which they have
risen to 1,7I2. In the last three years, however,
there has been a considerable falling off in the
number. In l-53 1854 and 1855 the convictions
were, respectively, l,S44, 2,ll7, 1S3O. In 1856,
1-57 and 1858 they were 15O7, 1,554, l7l2. We
hope this does not indicate any relaxation of the
rigor with which justice is administered. Out of
1227 of these cnprits for which the tables account
|, I22 were males and los females; 3i9 were under
81 years of sge; 392 we're married and 7lo single;
$40 were natives 629 foreigners; 767 could read
and write. 263 could do neither; 5i5 were temper
ate, 53e incorporate
OF petty offenses the returns show for the coun-
ties, exclusive of the Cities of Albany, Brooklyn,
Hudson and New-York, which are returned sep
arately, 10 339 convicted offenders, of whom 2 029
were females. Ofthese convictions ., 49S were for
assault and battery, 1858 for intoxication, 2,6l7
for petit larceny, and 456 for keeping disorderly
houses The four cities above named (there being
no reports for Schenectady, Utica, Rochester and
Buffalo, show an aggregate of 1851 offenders, of
whom s,627 were females. OF this number 3,9l2
were natives, Il3l8 were IRISH, 1866 Germans,
9O9EnRi.h; 9I54 could read and write, 5, l3 could
do neither; l,642 were temperate, while 1862
were incorporate, thus showing the very close
connection between the grogshops and this sort OF
offenses In this City Of New-York the number OF
female offenders of this description considerably
exceeds that Of the males. out of a whole number
of IL 400, 4,7e4 are reported as males, AMI 6,6So
as females; 4,05l were convicted Of yagrancy 2,2s1
of petit larceny, SAP of being drunk aud dis
orderly.
The report contains great deal Of interesting
information, but it is great pity that all OF 1t
should not be concentrated in Il single table, which
might easily be done.