The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-24
THE DANGEROUS CLASSES.
The Charity Organization Society Dis
Cusses the Causes of Crime.
Views of Prominent Members of the Best
Means to Secure the Public Peace
and Suppress Vice.

At the regular monthly meeting of the
Charity Organization Society, yesterday
afternoon, statistical statement relating to the
crime of the city, compiled from transcripts
taken by the society from the records
of the Mayors Court and the Criminal
Court, since $780, was presented by Rev. o. c.
McCulloch, leading to a discussion of the
bearing of crime upon public order and the
necessity of a better enforcement of the
law. In every city, Mr.. McCulloch
said, there existed what is called
a dangerous class. 1t is made up chiefly of the
younger men and women. They are the idle,
the ignorant the uncontrolled They formed
the center of the late mob in Cincinnati. So
ciety knows nothing of them until it hears of
theircommitment In indicating the direction
that efforts should take looking to the preserva
ton of peace and good order he gives the statis-
tics of crime in this city, showing that since 1880
there have been 1929 arrests, of whom g. 1876
were of white persons and 443 colored. The
males numbered 3,610 and the females 629. The
nationalities were: American, 1885, Irish,
49, German, 291 and others, 46 CLASH
flying the nature of the offenses, 400
were against persons, 800 against property, and
1889 against peace, order and decency. OF these
offenses, 3, $50 were crimes of impulse and $50
crimes of calculation The crimes of impulse
mean those without reconciliation, and include
drunkenness and petty crimes. They are usu-
ally committed by young persons-non- profes-
SIGNALS. The crimes of calculation include those
which are planned and executed by the profess
sional class of criminals. In directing attention
to the nature of the offenses, Mr.. McCulloch
said that they showed that in the larger number
of cases there was no intention of com
hitting crime--the offense being largely
due to liquor or bad company. Thus, 2, AL ar
rests were for intoxication, 131 for disturbing
the peace 452 for prostitution associating with
prostitutes, making in all 1922 of this class
alone. The two occasions of their committing
these offenses are saloons and houses of prosti-
tuition. This class of offenders are chiefly the
young and those whose education has been defect
i've The cPimes against property are either those
of class who commit petty larceny or who are
largely professional. In illustrating some of the
criminal elements of the city, the histories of
several of the notorious families-the Harters
Hogartys Ferriters and others-were given,
showing that they had all been brought into as
sociations and relations through intermarriage
In speaking of the number of times that man
may be committed for drunkenness, the record
was read showing as an instance that John Ryan
had been arrested eighteen times in nine months.
The facts cited reveal ~ the existence of class
which may be called dangerous; ~ that there is
no distinction in the eye of the law between the
professional and non-professional between first
offense and second; (3) that slight punlshments
do not deter; az that the greater part of cTimi-
nal expenses comes from such familie s.
and (6l that the cost to the public of one such
family may be estimated at thousands of dollars.
l.. 4l,4.e
are preparing for future trouble. Public order
is that recognition of the rights and duties of
citizens which has slowly grown upon society
Property and person depend upon its observ-
ance. To secure the community against this
classic prevent its staggering under burdens
of taxation-what shall be done?
In the discussion of the matter Mr.. W. P.
Fishback expressed the opinion that the in
Discriminate .a association o.. Of the young ing
source of as much evil as any one thing,
which is all due to the false economy of the
commissioners Mr.. Bamberger thought that
the baseball mania was as much of an evil in
fuence as anything tolerated and sustained by
public sentiment. Very Rev. Aug Bessonies
thought the workhou would have a better
effect in sUppressing petty crime than any other
one thing Mr. McCulloch said that while pris-
oners were compelled to work on the stone pile
at any other time, and tramps would 60 miles
out of the way to avoid the city. At one time
the stonepile force was reduced to one man, but
since its abandonment the jail has been full of
prisoners. Mr.. Ingram Fletcher thought that
the liquor laws ought to be enforced and was
quite sure, from inquiries that he had made
among the police, that they could be enforced
Father Bessonies concurred in this view, and said
that there are more men arrested on Sunday for
drunkenness than on any other day Nh Mar
tlndale thought the whole matter of sup
pressing crime rested with the public. The So
ciety's mission, Governor Hendricks said, was
one of charity, and everything that adds to the
burdens of the public increases the labors of
the society; but he was in doubt whether it
should take upon itself the enforcement of the
laws The duty of the society was to admins
ter charity and it could properly have nothing
more to do with the liquor question than with
any other public question. Jude Hines said that
he could not agree with many good
people that liquor is the cause
of nine tenths of the crime in the community
1t is one of the Accomplishments of crime, in
stead of being cause A motion was finally
adopted providing for the appointment of a com
mittee of six Ito inquire into the causes and
remedies of pauperism." The committee will be
appointed in two or three days and it will pre-
sent the report at the next regular meeting of
the society in May.