The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-26
Yellow eyes,
THE POPULAR CRIME.

Inc most popular crime in America to-
DAY is murder. We have not, perhaps
entirely degenerated into nation of red
handed homicdes, but that the crime of
murder should have become so popular
h IN one of the most enlightened countries
in the world within few short decades
IS sad commentary on our boosted civ
ilization
10 say that murder is ''popuar' in the
4 United States of to-day is, perhaps to
make an astonishing and startling state
neht, nut the assertion arises logically
from the cold figures.
Murder Is the capital crime, most awful
mlsdemeanor in the category, vet that
species OF crime has for the past fifteen
or twenty years been increasing out of
all proportions to the increase of popu-
latio.n This ratio of increase has gone
on year after year until now we have
reached point where the condition of
affairs Is becoming really alarming
fIteen year ago less than 200 hon.
lcides and just fable homicides were COM
mitted within the limits of the United
States each year. In the year the num-
Der exceeded the thousand mark for the
first time, the figures that year being
l,449 Within the next twelve months
the number almost doubled. the murder
ers that year cutting off the lives of al
most 2,331 of their fellow creatures.
Since that time and down to the present
year, the ratio of increase has been so
startling as TO attract the attention of
the entire civilized world The figures
for each year since 1887 are ,s follows:
1SSS, 2,Ssi; 1889, 1861; 1890, 4. 290: 1897,
5,9OG: 1892 G,,9l; 1898, gels: 1894, o.
0;S0 1895, 10.2l2
Murder is the most popular crime per
haps, because il is the one least suffering
u "a taN
less than one in twenty it he that iniict-
ed by the conscience.
There is no European nation that has
one-half, one-third or even onc-fourth
as many murderers to each million of
its population as have the United States.
This Is Il rather damaging statement,
hut facts are facts, even though the firm
ament fall. England proper has, in
round numbers, II population of 80, 600,
ooo, but only 3.' murders on. AN average
each year. Her population is nearly half
as great as that of the United States. vet
the lapse of twelve months adds 10000
TO the crop of red handed murderers in
the United States, while il is ONLY ad-
ding a paltry 300 to the English calen-
dar Kept for the purpose of recording the
blackest of crimes. Italy, 1.-THE most muir
derouS of the European nations" has !,
population almost half as great as ours.
lct she annually has less than one
fourth as many murders committed
within her borders.
The figures certainly show that we are
not only fast becoming, but that we have
become the most murderous nation of
civilized beings on the planet. Something
must he done TO check this great evil
II we mean to hold our place with the en-
lightened nations of the world The mi
tial movement in the direction of reform
should be made by judges and juries
Such persons have it in their power to
make murder unpopular. If something
is not done to make this heinous crime
of society in this country at the en- d of
the second decade of the Twentieth I'M
popular, what will be the condition in
the next century