Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-13
The immunity Of Murdercrs.
New orleans Picayune.)


all discussion which is Of any value anu
the facts of social life. the notable or uh-
common acts of persons I'm their relatiohS
TO the social conditions under which tney
live furnish the grounds upon "hi'n
alone any intelligent CONGRATULATIONS anu
valuable studies can be made OF what 10
necessary TO improve the human race III
its social relations.
Any useful study OF crimes must DC
based on the consideration OF the causes
which produce them, and the means whlch
are employed TO repIess them IhlS -
particularly the case with regard to VIC
lent crimes Ordinarily. when men nave
been robbed of their property, or the w
men of their families have been assault
ed or their personal honor has been VIZ
lently attacked. If no legal means OF re-
dress be ct hand ready or reliable. they
will commonly take personal action "
right their own wrongs. But when a man
Is murdered the redressing or the ou'i"so
must be left to others. who, IN MANY
cases. have no interest i'm avenging nm
,rd do not concern themselves with the
vlndicat.on OF the law. Thus II Is that'
after the first shock Of a murder mas
nassed away the people who nj frst were
startled and aroused into indignation soon
lose interest I'm the matter. ana, II the
victim have not powerful or active .'er
sonal friends to push his cause and stanu
for a vindication Of the law, the ahedder
of blood will either 80 free or be made
quately punished with certainty OF soo'i
being set free.
II is for the reasons set forth that
lynchings are 90 frequent in the United
States or. in default of the Intervention
of popular violence. where there IL on
each side-that is on the murdered and
the murderer-a large family connection,
family feuds. in which alternate killings
are perpetrated. until the slaughter has
embraced tens and scores.
The Chicago Tribune's statistics for the
year 1896 just closed, show some inter
esting facts in regard to the matters
Just mentioned. There were in the United
States in 1896 murder TO the number of
1852 The number of legal executions
i'm the same period was I'D The lynch
ings for murder were 49, From this it
will be seen that. while there were over
10 coo murderers, only 1871 of the murderers
met with bloody retribution. while ,49l
either escaped wholly or received some
punishment that does not at all corre-
sponG TO the enormity of the crimes com
mitted.
1t is not at all surprising that popular
violence is visited upon a few Of the
criminals In truth It IS wonderful that
been a vast deal more Of Judge Lynch's
Justice and it only goes to show how
little effect the violent shedding of blood
exerts on the average community when
a bank robbery by its own officers can
work the people into a fever Of excite
ment and indignation. But this is easily
explained when it is understood that
bank robbery personally affects more peo-
pie than would a score of murders. and
people are commonly most interested in
their own personal affairs
A brief statement of the general facts
Of the matters mentioned above will be
interesting for reference. The total num-
Der of murders committed in 1896 shows
a small increase over 1895. being 1862 as
compared with 1880 in 1895; $500 in 1891:
G.6l5 i'm 1898; 6,79i in 1892; 5.9O5 i'm 1891. and
1920 i'm $50. The causes of these murders
may be classified as follows:
QuarrelS .......,................... o'05O
Unknown ........... ...................... 3,Zbl
Jealousy ................... .............. 40l
Liquor NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. .............. 4Jy
BY highWaymen OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. w
Infanticide ........ .......... ........... sd
Resisting arrest ............ ............ -
Highwaymen killed ......... .......... 100
Insanity ........ ........... ........... 25S
Self-detence ........... .............,... -
Strikes ............,.. ............... ..... 10
OutrageS ........... ........'s....'...'. -
Riots ........ ............... '.''..'....... III
Coming 10 the judicial vindication Of thu
law. it is seen that the number of legal
executions i'm 1896 was l22 as compared
with 1872 in 1895. 1872 in 1894. l2G in 1893. and
1O7 I'm 1892. The executions in the several
States and Territories were as follows:
Alabama ............... .................... )
Arkansas ............... .................. IL
California ........ .....'s..'.''' ''''''''''
Colorado ............. .....''''''''''''''''''
Connecticut ......,.......... .........'.....
Georgia ........ .....s.'...''''.''.' L
Idaho ........... .............. ............. l
Illinois ........... .......... ..............'
Kentucky ............. ......'..'.''..''.''.
/ Louisiana ......... .............,. ....'..'
Maryland .........' ..........''.'''''''.' =
Massachusetts ........... ............ ....
Minnesota .''''''' '''''''''''' '''''''''''
/ Mississippi ............ .......'.''.'.''.'
Missouri ............... .....'''...'''...'''.
Montana .....'.''' ..''''.''. ''''''''''''''
Nebraska ..............'.'.. .''''''''''''''
] New York ........ .,...... .''''..'''''.''
/ North Carolina ................ ......'..'..
/ Ohio .......... ........ .................,. L
| oregon ............. ...'... '..''''.'.''''''
I Pennsylvania ............... ..''.'..''....
South Carolina
/ Tennessee ....,... .........'.....''....'...
Texas ............ ............. ..'''''''''' II
/ Titan ............ .'.'''''''''''' ''''''''''''
/ Virginia ....... ........ ...............-..-.
/ Washington ............. ....-.-..... ...s.. L
/ District OF Columbia .....................
! New Mexico .................. ..'''''.'''''
! Indian Territory ................'.....''.'
There were 50 executed in the Southern
and 80 in the Northern States. OF the
total number, 10 were whites, As negroes,
/ and Indians.
Judge Lynch has executed lG persons
| 1870 men and l mountaineering 1896, or ~
/ less than i'm 1895 Following is the Tri-
/ bune's record Of lynchings for term Of
| years past:
1879 .ss....'s''''.
1856 .......... .......... .......... ...'.'..l5o
1881 ........... ........s'ss. '.'...s''''s'..l-l
1883 ...........s. s....ss..s.s..lf-
1889 ................. ........'. ..'.''''''''lio
1880 ................. ........ ''''''''..''''l-l
1891 ................ .......'... '''''.''''''l9-
1892 ............. .............. '.'.'.''''..zoo
1893 ................ ....''''''.''. ..''.'''''-v
1894 .................. .....''.'''. '''..'''''lV
1895 .................. ........... ...'.'...''l1
1896 ............. ...........' .-.s...s.s....l
| The Hnchings I'm the various states ana
Territories were distributed as folows
| Alabama .......... '...'... '''''''''''.'s''i0
| Arkansas ............... .......... .....'....
Colorado .............. ....... .''.'''''''..'''
Florida minimum. ..''s'''''.'''' ''''''''''AV
| -