The morning times., 1896-08-09
SUICIDE AND SUMNER HEAT
Science Traces Waves of
Crime to Hot Weather.
FIERY JUNE TOPS THE LIST
verificatiOn of the New Theory From
the Series of Recent SelfMurders
washingtOn-Intere Results of
a Special Inquiry Into the Subject.

/
nished within few months past ample
evidence TO sustain the theory that the
weather is a potent factor in the CON-
mission OF suicides and murders.
Since January last there have been
committed fourteen beino.s crimes-mur-
der, outrageous assaults &C, ompanied by
death OF criminal and victim. and suicides.
All OF these have not taken place within
the Incorporation, but In a contiguous
area including the city, which is not much
greater than such cities as Paris, London,
for the purposes of scientific considera-
ton, may be regarded as having taken
, place within a short radius, with Wash.
| iDston as a center.
The cases within the year are as fol.
lows:
Joseph Cooking murders his wife and
sister, Daisy Miller, April 23, at Port
Tobacco, Nd.
4 Joseph Cooking is iynched.
| Clarence Thorton is brutally beaten to
death atsandy Spring, Montgomery county,
Nd, In June The men charged with the
murder Are in jail.
| Wesley Hall, a poor colored deformed
shoemaker, is murdered in Washington ON
April 6.
| Elsie Kregio is murdered near the Zoo
logical Park by Irwin Ford, June 20 Ford
was hanged.
Sadie Buxton received wounds in her
bed at Gaithersburg, Nd, May %, from
| which she died.
| Sidney Randolph, accused of this crime,
was Iynched July 6.
James Crooks died July IL OF injuries
| received July in fight Richard King
is charged with the murder.
Marguerite Drown was murdered in her
bedroom at Seat Pleasant, Prince George
county, july IS, by John Thomas Smith.
| james j. Irwin is murdered at Aliens
Fresh, Charles county, Nd. August 2.
| George Matthews is charged with the
murder.
| DR.. W. ". Waring is fatally stabbed by
his cousin, Mordecai Plummer, and dies
Of the wounds in Upper Marlboro, August
l6.
John S. Ford shot probably fatally by
Columbus Person in Georgetown August Z.
| MORE DISTANT CRIMES.
Crimes more distan,ly located in Mary
land are:
| Ambrose Wilson shot through the heart
by Frank l.. Thomas at Linkwood, Dor
chester county, June 20
Samuel n. Rash, OF Centervillc, was shot
and killed at his home in March. his brother
| in-law, T. X. Brown being suspected OF
| the murder. a
Garretson Perkins, throat cut, at Chop
tank, January 3. No clew.
1t Will b. observed that while there were
fifteen crimes, including the Iynchings. only
two of them were committed in January. a
winter month. Two were committed in
April. one in May, four in June, three in
July, and three during the first week in
August, making ten out of fifteen for the
iastnamed three months. Therefore, 66 1-3
per cent OF the crimes of / S96 have been
committed in the hottest months OF the
year, June, so far, being in the lead
These figures bear out the most recent
theory as to murders and suicides Not
very long ago it was held that November
was the month in which life seemed
dreariest to people who were tired of it.
This was found to be an error growing out
OF incomplete statistics Scientists have
concluded from world wide observation
| that more suicides and other murders are
committed in June than in any other month
JUNE A FATAL MONTH.
hi
life is easier to all classes in the summer
than at any other season: 1t is the cheap
est for the po or and the rich flee from its
temporal discomforts to where brcczes blow
and the society of the winter is resumed.
If a person living in Washington were
asked when are the very poor here un-
happiest, the reply would be, when the
weather is coldest and when the charities
OF the rich are most needed. Then, if
it is discomfort with ones lot which ac-,
counts for suicide and other crime the
majority ought to be looked for in No
vember, December, and January. This
is not so. and even as to the misdemeanors
that lead TO greater crimes, the greatest
Dumber. occurs in the summer.
,.. Clerk Harper of the police court, who
is naturally a close observer and q statis-
tician, said to The Times yesterday that
the court records show that there is an
increase by 90 per cent or the petty
crimes of the summer as against the
winter.
The most reasonable cause for these
established effects is probably the near
est and most obvious one, the excessive
heat of the summer. The particularly
with which the effects of heat prostra-
tions have been noted, some cases of which
occurred within the week in New York,
indicates that the heat affects seriously
both body and mind permanently, and.
violently temporarily.
There has been q now discarded belief
that man who has suicide on the brain
is apt to be emboldened to carry his de-
termination into effect as soon as he
hears or reads OF recent suicide This
theory is discounted by the fact that
there is no notable series of crimes in the
cold months, although isolated cases do
occur in such months.
HEAT A CAUSE OF CRIME.
1t is, therefore, not unlikely that great
many mysterious acts, which are classed
as produced by Temporary alteration"
are not melted by the stereotyped "long
broodiDg over wrongs" ''despondency,"
or other intellectual process, but by .
physical power, such as the excessive heat,
which is known to cause hysteria, insanity
and death. Certainly, the statistics of the
world indicate heat as powerful incentive