The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-02
NatiYe- EOreign-
DEDUCTIONS.

Iotal prisoners. .62,329 4O4Il l0,932 A20
DEDUCTIONS.
It will be noticed that: 1. Of all pris-
oners those guilty of the graver crimes
constituted somewhat less than twen-
ty-four per cent. 2. OF all native-born
white prisoners nearly twenty-five per-
cent were guilty of the graver crimes.
8. OF all foreign-born white prisoners
only little over eighteen per cent
were in prison for the graver crimes.
a. OF all negro prisoners over twenty
five per cent We're in prison for the
graver crimes. 5. Less than forty
three per cent. of all the homicides
were committed by native-born whites.
6. Nearly thirty-eight per cent of all
the homicideS were committed by
negroes. Z. Negro and foreign-bOrn
prisoners committed together nearly
fifty-seven per cent. of the homcides.
The tendency of negroes is to crimes
against property of which more than
one third are assigned to them, and to
crimes against the person, of which
also their proportion is over one third
The tendency of the foreign-bo is to
offenses against society, particularly
public intoXication and disorderly con-
duct, and to offenses against property,
especially larceny. One fifth of all for
eign-bOrn prisoners were sentenced for
larceny, and between one fourth and
one-third of the negro prisoners. More
than forty per cent. of the rapes COM
mitted were charged to negroes. The
tendency of native-borr whites is to
crimes against property and crimes
against society and they commit two
thirds of all the crimes against the
government and a large proportion of
the forgeries, frauds, and embezzle-
ments. over ninety-five per cent. of
our criminals in 1890 We're men, and
over thirty per cent. were colored per-
sons.
ELEMENT OF NATIVITY.
We have next to inquire how the ele-
ment of nativity enters into the record
1t is the popular opinion that there is
much more crime among our foreign
born populations, in proportion to their
numbers, than among the native born,
and this supposition is correct. OF the
$3.50 white prisoners, 4O,47l were ma
tive born and 1892 foreign born, the
nativity of 9O7 being unknown. To this
number, in order to get the foreign ele-
ment as complete as possible, should be
added 12,601 born in this country, but
of foreign parents. There are 2,SS1 hay-
ing one parent foreign born and one
native-b born. If we take half of this
number, we shall have 49, 932 foreign
born, plus 12,601 born of foreign parent
age, plus LAO of half foreign parent
age, which equals 29,973. In other words
more than half, or fifty-two per cent. of
the $3.50 white prisoners were foreign
born or of foreign parentage. OF the
total white population, "a 1858, ,34S were
of native, and 20,625 542 of foreign, par
entage. 1t appears, therefore, that this
thirty-seven per cent Of foreign parent
age furnished fifty-two per cent. of the
criminals, and the siXty-three per cent.
OF native parentage, forty-eight Der
cent OF the criminals. To bring out the
comparison more clearly let us EMPLOY
ratios. 1t will appear that there was /
criminal for every 6SS of foreign par
entage; 1 criminal to every 1856 of ma
tive parentage; or, 1,453 criminals for
every million of foreign parentage; 79C
criminals for every million of native
parentage.
The difference tells more heavily
against our foreign populations than
most would suppose, probably. It ex.
plains in large part the relative in,
crease of crime in the last decade, and
indicates that the large immigration
pouring into this country will make
the percentage and ratios Of criminals
still higher. The two elements of oui
population which produce the most