The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-12-05
THE MASSACRE OF WOMEN.
BY HATTIE TYING GRIswoLD.
CHICAGO. Nov. l6.

BY HATTIE TYING GRIswoLD.
The horror of the Armenian mas
sacre has stirred the heart of the
whole civilized world. One great
cry of tumultuous Indignation has
startled the impassive Sultan in the
seclusion of his harem by the waters
of the Golden Horn. And redress
will surely come for the wrongs suf-
fered by the brave people on their
native hills and plains. This because
such publicity has been given to the
atrocities perpetrated by the Turks.
But in our own land there is a
massacre of helpless women going
on day by day, to which no attention
is called, and for which there appears
small hope of redress under the ex-
listing conditions of society. Though
many who have not had their atten-
tion particularly called to this sub
ject will smile at the title of this ar
ticle, and murmur, "alarmist, u mean
literally what | say. Fora long time
/ had noticed the frequent murders
of women which were reported in
the daily papers, and been startled
at their significance; but a few
months ago, l began to cut them out
day by day, thinking to get at the
number approximately for a few
months. read but one daily paper,
leading Chicago journal, and | was
appalled, to find that / got the record
of the murder of woman by man,
in almost every issue. I did not keep
up my count many weeks, but l did
not fail of my daily homicide but a
few times while l kept my count.
And for many months now | have
taken casual note of the same social
phenomena, with exactly the same re
suit. If | look for it l seldom miss my
murder. This morning | observed two.
The census bulletin of the United
States in 1890 gives the number of
those charged with homicide at 7 1856,
the whole number of prisoners at
80 329. But there are no statistics
relating to women alone. But if one
daily paper alone reports as I have
described, the number throughout
the country must be appalling.
AS regards causes given for these
homicides, they are various, but
drink enters into very large pro-
portion. l am not fond Of reading
murders, aud even for few weeks
found it trial to read far enough
into the details to ascertain what
cause was given. But persevered,
though reluctantly, for some time.
Jealously was the most frequent ex-
citing cause l found, but in almost
every case the summing up was "the
man had been drinking heavily of
late" or "the man was intoxicated.
A large number of men murdered
their divorced wives. Many women
who had left their husbands on ac-
count of their drunkenness, had been
foully murdered soon thereafter. A
great many murdered their mistresses
from jealousy, as we'll as their wives.
Very little attention is paid by the
papers to these daily homicides. Oc-
casionally peculiarly sensational
murder is exploited at great length,
but these everyday affairs get but
few lines, and these by reporter.
| do not fiud fault with this, for
would have no crime paraded in the
public prints. But the fact accounts
for the apathy of the people in re-
gard to matters which should startle
and stir them. The fact OF the carni-
val of crime should be noted but the
details suppressed. andrew d. White
has sounded a note of alarm recently,
upon the general subject of homicide
in this country, which has aroused
public attention to a remarkable de-
gree, but he did not especially elabo-
rate the annual massacre of women.
Many of these murderers are
doubtless degenerates of the classes
described by Nordau. Some have
almost no moral sense. Many are
the victims of drugs like chloral and