The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-02
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
A Wave of Crime-Drinking Saloons and
Their Effect-Gen. Grants Birth
day, &c., &c.


WASHINGTON D. c., April 2Sth, 1885.
Messrs. Editors 1t is said that crimes and
epidemics, like many other things, move in
waves. There has Of late been good deal of
crime committed in different parts of the country.
and if the theory be true, then would be COM
PEELED to acknowledge that the criminal wave
reached this city not later than last Saturday
night when two and probably three homicides
were committed. But not being entirely able to
comprehend and establish the connecting link in
this theory between crimes of this class elsewhere
and those committed here, except it be that lnen
are depraved everywhere alike and the conditions
being ripe and in readiness, when the criminal
wave is once set in motion at one point it spreads
everywhere, am inclined to abandon this theory
to spectators who have greater psychological and
philosophical knowledge than have and are bet
ter able to comprehend and prove its verify.
But to me there are local causes in every COM
munity sufficient generally to account for the
crimes committed within its borders. Especially
do believe this to be true in this city. When the
present census that is being taken by the police
is completed, it is believed that it will show
population of more than 200, 900 inhabitants, and
of these nearly one fourth colored, and great
many of them of course low and degraded. But
poverty alone, nor even the degradation that usu-
ally attends abect poverty and ignorance will
entirely account for all the homcides and other
terrible crimes that have been committed in this
wholly destroyed its fair fame for being one of the
most christian and moral cities in the world, at
least in the United States which it might and
ought to be with all its culture wealth ndoppor-
tunities for education refinement and philanthropy
ic works. In fact, it should be the model city of
the world.
It's numerous saloons and drinking shops are
responsible for nearly all these terrible crimes
They are more numerous here perhaps than
almost anywhere else in the United States in pro-
portion to the population, and there is probably
more drinking done here in the Same ratio SSAaii'
anywhere else. Who cannot see where the re-
sponsibility lies when two men drinking in a
saloon and from pleasant words quarrel com
mences, a fight ensues. they 60 out on the pave
ment, the fight is renewed, and one picks up
stone to strike the other, who in turn stabs him
to the death with pen knife? Again, step son.
mere youth, has been drinking on Saturday
night till the hour of midnight, goes home to his
step fathers is noisy and disorderly, refuses to
dcsist when spoken to, and when his step father
attempts to eject him from his house, picks up a
heavy piece of plank, fes his step father to the
floor with blow; and strikes him once or twice
again, crushing his skull, from which he dies but
a little while afterwards Then third man is so
wounded in fight in a drinking place that he is
now in the Freedmen's Hospital, it is thought
fatally injured. All were colored men. With
such instances of homicdes and other crimes as
these before tho world 1t is not necessary to search
out abstruse theories of epidemic or criminal
waves to account for them the reason is hardly
and easily seen. All communities, believe, are
afflicted with the curse, and if digent search were
made into the cause of the crimes committed in
them it would be found to be on account of tho
drinking houses and liquor drinking.
The most notable thing that has occurred here
in the past week. concluding with oday, was
the celebration of General Grants sixty third
birth day, the meeting being held at the Metro
politan M. E. church last night. The church was
filed, the body of the auditorium being reserved
for the members of the Grand Army of the Re-
public and their families. Most of the veterans
wore the Grand Army badge, which distinguished
them from the other citizens. There were many
ladies in the assemblage. Neither the President
nor any of the Cabinet officers present,
although several of the latter sent letters of re-
greet and sympathy, which were read. Eloquent
speeches were made by prominent gentlemen and
the meeting was very enthusiastic and less sad
than it would have been few weeks ago, before
Gen. Grants health began to improve. tele-
gram of sympathy and well-wishes was sent to
Gen. Grant. The meeting was unique from the
fact that it was the first celebration that &C.
cured of living mans birth day, which was re-
ferred to by the speakers. ANON.