Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-21
CHURCHES aNp cRiME.
Interesting Delaware Statistics From a
Recent Census Bulletin.


Census bulletin No, ia, recently issued.
gives statistics of the Presbyterian family
of churches, The parent body, popularity
called the Northern Presbyterian Church,
has congregations in Az states, includ-
ing all the southern states except Mis-
sssippi. The Presbyterian church in
the United States, commonly known as
the Southern Presbyterian Church, has no
churches north of Maryland, Kentucky
and Missouri. The following general sta
tistics are given Presbyterian organi2a-
tions in the United States, 1896 church
edticeS, 1852 1850; seating capacity,
4,033. T2a; halls, &c., l,371 seating capacity.
lsl,0l4; valuation of church property,
Sai, SIG. 233 commandments or members,
l2TS,Sl5.
The earliest Presbyterian churches in
this country were organized near the close
Of the 18th century. The elements com
posing them were chiefly English ruri-
tans and Scotch and Irish immigrants.
Rev, Francis Mackenzie generally regarded
rs the founder of American Presbyterian
ism, came to this country in 1888 from
Ireland, where he had been a member of
the Presbytery of baggan. He preached
in Virginia. Barbados and elsewhere, and
organized a Presbyterian church at Snow
Hill, Md, at the close of the century In
1905 Francis Mackenzie, with two ministers
he had secured on visit to London and
brought 10 this country in 1908, John
Hampton, an lrishman. and George
| McNlsh 3 Srotchman, and four other
ministers, Jede,liah Andrews (Philadel.
phial, Nathaniel Taylor (Nlarylandl and
Samuel Davis and John Wilson della
warel, organized the first Presbytery in
America, The Fresbytery of Philadelphia.
The last four were Puritan ministers, who
had come from New England; Mackenzie
was Scotch-lrish, Hampton Irish and
McNish Scotch. The same year this pres
bytery ordained John Boyd at Freehold,
\. j.
The following figures concerning Della
ware are given: New Castle county:
Organizations. 2l: church edi,lces 81; seat
ing capacity, l2,425; value of church prop
erty, S6I6, 800; communicates or members,
$40. Kent county: Organizations, A;
church ediiices, 3; seating capacity, |, l35;
| value of church property, $Sl, 500 com
munCanls OF members, DO Sussex
| county: Organizations, :, church cdifices,
| I; seating capacity, 40, value of church
| property, So, 900 COMMITMENTS or mem
! berS 55S. Whole State: Organizations, %;
| church edihces, AZ. seating capacity, l4,97O;
value Of church property, STO9 500; com
| ninicants Or members, 1872, summary
| for New Castle Prcsbytery, composed OF
| Delaware and the Peninsula: Organize
tons, so church edtices. 63 seating ga
| pacity, 2l,470; value Of church property
100; communicates or members, 5000
| Census bulletin No lS2 gives statistics oil
hOmicidos In 1880. On June LIST, 1890, there
were confined In the prisons Of the uniteC
States, of all grades tother than reforma
tory Institutions for juvenile delinquentsl
I S2S24 men and women, of whom ~ ~
had been convicted OF some oitense agains
the laws, punishable by fine, ilnprson
ment, or execution; $3.50 were awaiting
trial: 81 were detained as witnesses; II wert
held for debt, and SSS were lunatics II
temporary sate-kceping.
The following figures respecting Della
ware are given: Prisoners l39 parent
native, 20; one parent foreign, /; parent
foreign, Is one or both parents unknown
s; foreign horn, IS; negroes, II: NAL
prisoners, l;St parents native, 26 on
parent foreign !; parents foreign, 49, on
or both parents unknown, (; foreign born
ID, negroes, G5i female prisoners, 6; negroes
g. prisoners charged with homicide {
parents native, 2 negroes, 4; male prisoner
charged with homicide, o. parents native
=. negroes, g. population Of Delaware II
1880, l6S, 493 homiridcs. g; ratio, 81 popu
lation in 1880, ltb bOs; homicides, =, ratio
J 30; absolute decrease, .; relative decrease
, -; percentage decrease, $3.50. IN til
numerical order of states, according 10 III
number of prisoners in each charged wit
, homicide, Delaware in 1870 was next +
last Wyoming. which had FIVE prisoner
charged with homicide, was last an
Texas, which had $50, was first, while Ne,
York, which had 473 was second Tn
homicides in Delaware were Of the lega
variety termed murder, Two of I'll
r prisoners were sentenced to ~ years {
over, two to life imprisonment, one wa
executed and one held for trial