Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-27
An Epidemic of Crime.


1t really does seem that the country is
exDeriencing the evil effects of moral
collapse of unexampled character. Not
a week, day-naY, an hour-passes by
without some revelation of a desperate
crime being made. No section of the
country is free from lawless deeds; no
class of society is exempt from the
presence of the crimson stains Of vio-
ience Thoughtful people are reused
" the number and startling
character of the crimes which are
oelng committed everywhere. The
germs OF the epidemic seem to pervade
the whole moral atmosphere; corrupt.
ing, enTaging and nerving the victims of
the disorder to deeds of death. The
crime craze has reached the higher social
circles. and all sorts of scandals and
peccadillos result therefrom. Indeed
amorg the high and the low,
the rich and the poor, the
learned and the unlearned.
there seems to have been a complete let.
ting down Of moral principle; and in.
stead Of peace and safety, a reign of
crime has been inaugurated. The re-
cords of a single days development of
crime would fill volume. To day. a
negro in Louisiana attempts dastardly
outrage on young lady; to morrow
mornings sun will greet a CHASTITY corpse
swinging to the limb of a tree.
a jail guard in Arkansas opens
the door of the prison and allows a quar-
tette of dangerous desperadoes TO 90 their
way. In another part of the same State,
a bowling mob takes from the iail a
prisoner under long sentence, shoot, and
then hang him. In Rutherford county,
Tennessee, negro mau, for a bru.
tral outrage, is seized by mob
of lyncheTs and speedily dispatched
Two murders and one legal execution
took place in Arkansas last Friday, and
on the same day two men were killed in
atfrays, one hanged by the officers of the
law in Henry county, Missouri, while at
Maryville, in the same State, two youths.
convicted of the crime of killing their
own father, were put to death by the
Sheriff in accordance with the sentence
OF a court. In Texas several persons
were wounded and bruised in affrays, and
some were killed outright on this same
fatal Friday. We read of Italian ban
dts domiciled in New Orleans, and the
next instant our eyes behold the bloody
records of American brigands, who
stopped a whole train killed the con-
ductor and a passenger, and carried
away the contents of the express
safe. But we have no disposition TO
extend the list further ], is
Sickening rec)rd. The crimes in
clude every variety and grade Crime
against life, against prope against
virtue, against morality; ,a violent
struggle of infuriated men, thu stealthy
shot of the concealed assassus: the pitt.
less embrace of the lusty brute; the in
vasion of the sanctities of home; SIAN
ders and lapses of every grade and char
acter constitute part of the records of
the crimes of a week.
What can be the matter? Is the moral
world out of joint? May there not be
some subtle intluence--s0me atmospheric
conditions that act upon the cerebral or.
gans to produce a species of madness2
Whether that be the case or not, certain
1t Is that the country seems to be afflict-
ed with an epidemic of crime, such
as mis- never before swept over it.
The moral tone of the people and the
press appear to be low. Mob law is
justified and defended by public prints,
and deeds of violence seem to excite but
passing consideration. Something
must be done to check the reign of law
lessness. What is the cause? No RENE
dy can be applied without knowledge
OF the nature of the disease.