Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-13
CRIME GOES UNFINISHED.
Murder II Increasing Mt nm Appalling
Rate.


Murder il Increasing Mt an Appalling
Rate.
Mr.. Andrew D. White, formerly president
OF Cornell University, made an address
the other evening before the Patria Club
Of New York on 1.-THE Problem of High
Crime In the United States" He quoted
statistics to show that in no land is the
right to live so trampled upon by a priv
ileged class Of criminals as In America, and
that crime increases in proportion more
than the population.
The homicides In 1880 In this country
numbered 1867. In 1895 they numbered
lo,5OO The executions in these same years
averaged, respectively, one in forty-five
convictions and one in seventy-four con-
v1ctions. He said If the murderers for the
last SIX years were In prison there would
be 10000 Of them. The eleventh census
shows that there are but 1851 in prison.
Mr.. White denounced the sympathy ex-
pressed for criminals, q striking example
OF which was furnished in the Bat" Shea
case; where 1000 people followed the body
10 the grave and $500 was spent in floral
offerings. More than q, 600 people signed
the petition to the governor for q pardon,
notWlthstanding that numerous witnesses
Rasn NJ tha Wh they saw Shea kill Robert
To-day, this 10th Of April, 1896, I an
nounce to you that there are doomed to
death In the United States. in the year
persons.
who will be executed murderously. cruelty
without opportunity to take leave of those
tney ioVe, without opportunity to make
provision for those depending upon them.
ana all OF this multitude of persons, who
have committed no crime. will he mt to
death without the slightest regard for the
fearful distress and sorrow, and, in MANY
cases. beggary of their families. Fully
two-thirds of these murders will be due to
this easy-going, maudhn sentiment in the
community at large. miscalled mercy but
really most fearful cruelty"
me speaker argued against imprison-
ment Tor life as punishment for murders
pointing out the average length of impris-
ohment Tor even the worst criminals is
only ten years. He spoke at some length
about the perversion Of legal methods to
bring about appeals, new trials and par
dons, giving examples of horrible crimes of
recent date where the murderer was ac-
quilted.
The increase Of crime was ascribed large
ly to the careless. culpable and criminal
exercise OF pardons" by the governors of
the various states.
He said that 1t was noticeable fact that
wnlle criminal lawyers are old and skilled
men, the district attorneys are young and
inexperienced, as rule.
MIR. White assigned as particular causes
Tor increase in crime the widespread GRIM
NAL education Of children, by means of
dime novels, sensational newspapers post
ers and melodrama and the fact that old
and young are confined together in the pris-
ons He suggested as remedies attention to
simple elementary moral instruction in
schools the preaching in pulpits of right
prisons and laws against vicious books and
pamphlets, and laws providing for habitual
criminals. He also suggested the passing
OF laws for speedier punishments and that
state courts should sit frequently to re-
ceive statements regarding change or mitt-
cation Of punishments.