The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-18
CHE g1tdi4tnan
wuEELINo. JULY IS, 1903.
Train RooDlng and Train wrookiug.


The New York Railroad GaseAepub-
fishes a remarkable statistical record
which, it says, it has been led to COM
pile in view Of an apparent epidemic OF
Of train robberles in this country. In
investigating the subject the Gaseae in-
cluded train wrecking, and the result
is a rare collection OF most interesting
figures, not without q moral.
The record begins with January, 1903,
and shows that in the first half Of the
present year, there were lin the United
States aud Canada sixty.oue attempts
to wreck trains and in the United States
alone twenty.one attempts to rob
them" Most OF these attempts tho re-
cord shows, were unsuccessful, and in
no case was any one effort wholly sue
cessful-that is, the robbers met with
bad luck, and the train wreckers caused
no serious wrecks. But the figures are
by no mean pleasant to contemplate
and the Gazette, in commenting on it's
own showing puts the facts in q forcible
light in the following sentence: 1--WE
think OF this as a highly civilized coun.
try, and yet we find in six months sixty
one attempts at a crime far more afro.
cious than plundering caravans, and
twenty-one attempts at robbery holder
and more dangerous than the exploits
of Dick Turpin."
The most remarkable fact brought out
in connection with this record is that
the crimes, to use tho GnzeAeS own
expression, aro mot confined to the
least civilized parts OF the United
states." Tho figures presented shows
ing the geographical distribution Of the
crimes are startling in this respect.
We quote from the Gdsete'S record as
follows;
We find that Massachusetts, and Illinois head
the list 10 the number OF attempts TO wreck
Trims aud that Ohio comes next. In these three
respectable states u per cent OF all such crimes
was concentrated, ind Sew York follows next IN
order. This curious circumstance may beck
planned partly by tho great train mileage IN
those states. The attempts at train wreCking
were more numerous, because the trains were
more numerous, Probably a more important
element Is tho fact that many Of these efforts TO
wreck trains are made by ttamps, who naturally
intest those states In which the distance Is not
too loug between pic, 70 say nothing Of DRINKS,
The ingenious Statisttcian of crimes may be lis
Aa.N ~. NLtu .uNnnttIuNNaN. NNNRNl,na kKSl Nan
are content with the explanations suggested
The geographical distribution of attempts nj
train iobbing is also curfotsiy interesting. We
find tho same number Of these attempts IN
Iowa us In the Indian Territory and Oklahoma
taken together. Texas follows next, aud then
Kansas aud Nebraska, In fact, O. per cent Of I'LL
tratn t0hbcrtes and attempted train F0bB0Fies Ia
the United States are found In those four states
and territories. OF course the population olthe
Indian Territory and Oklahoma Is. not choice,
aud Texas has a lnrEe seml.crlmlnnl element In
ia population; but now shall We explain tbs
fact that Kansas Nebraska and. Iowa furnish so
many Of the traiiftObberles. and that more have
occurred IN Iowa than In nny other one statc2
This IL indeed a curious and interest
fng collection Of data--and the statisti.
clan Of crime will find in 1t u suggestion
that 1t would DO well to follow up tho
record in the future, while the thcorist
on matters touching criminal history
will find a new field in which to exer.
else his genius.
It is interesting to note before leav-
ing the subject, and as n further hint
to tho statistician aud thoorist Of crime,
that rs per cent OF the attempts at train
wrecking took place during tho months
Of April, May and June, and that ali
the attempts at train robborica occurred
in May and June. In fact the crimes
seem to have boon epidemic and coli.
fined to tho season embraced in these
months. Perhaps tho tbooriat AN fig.
urc out tho cause Of this singular phase
Of the subject