Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-08
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

A Chicago contemporary has taken
the trouble to compile statistics regard
ing the dark record of crime in the
United States for the year just closed.
1t appears that 1896 was about up to the
average of preceding years in embez-
zling, forgery, defaulting and bank
wrecking. There is, however, a graft
fying decrease as compared with the
three preceding years, the totals being,
1896. S9.465, 921; 1895, $40, 42S, POS; 1894,
25.2S4112: 1898, S19,929,692. New York
stands first in this record of rascality
with a total of 81, 23S,1 S6; New Hamp-
shire being second, Pennsylvania third,
louisiana fourth. and Ohio fifth, the
total for the Buckeye State being $780,
400. The States having no embezzle-
ments are Alabama, Florida, Idaho,
Maine Virginia, Wyoming and Utah.
Out of the $40 cases of embezzling re-
ported. fourteen persons stole over $50
600 each. twenty over 100000, one over
$500. 900 and one over S1,000000 The
losses are distributed as follows: Sto-
len by city and county officials, $685.
975: from banks, S3,996,57O; by agents,
81 O45. 500: forgeries, SS41,5OO; from
loan associations, SAFEST; by postmas-
tiers. $S2.S15; miscellaneous stealings,
$2.175,7S2.
The number of legal executions in
1896 was 122, as compared with 1872
in 1895. 1872 in 1894, u in 1898, and 1O7
in 1892. Arkansas had the largest
number. seventeen, and Ohio only one.
There were eighty-three executed in
the southern States and thirty-nine in
the northern. OF the total number,
seventy were whites, forty-eight ne
grOes. and four Indians. There were
1862 murders in 1896. as compared
with 10000 in 1895, $500 in 1894, 6,6l5
in 1893. 6.7S4 in 1892 5,9O6 in 1891, and
1920 in 1890
Judge Lynch executed $50 men and
one one woman in 1896. or forty less
than in 1895. Since 1892 there were 2S5
| lynchings. The number has gradually
decreased. Louisiana last year had the
most disgraceful record, being credited
with twenty-five lynchings, Alabama
being second with fifteen, Tennessee
third with fourteen and Florida fourth
with ten. Ohio had none. OF the to-
tai number, eighty were negroes and
fifty-one whites.
The hard times have probably had
a tendency TO increase suicides in the
past three years, as there were $500
in 1896. $3.50 in 1895, 1912 in 1894, 4,4S6
in 1898, 1850 in 1892, 1851 in 1891, and
2.O4O in 1890. OF the total number of
suicides in 1896. 1898 are said to have
been due to dependency, 42S to insan-
ity. 224 TO liquor. 2S6 TO i'll health, 262
to domestic infelicity, $50 to disappoint-
ed love, 105 to business losses and 2,O42
I 10 uuhuoMn NeluSVS. AC poiSOh iNNNN
was the favorite with the suicides, 1858
having poisoned themselves. 2,466 shot
/ themselves, 643 hanged themselves, 3SS
drowned themselves, while the rest
adoptd other methods, the most unus-
ual being self-killing by dynamite,
starving and freezing.
These statistics show the weakness
and wickedness of humanity. but
against this black record may be placed
the statement of generous sums con-
tributed by will or gift to churches,
colleges. charities, museums, art gal
leries. libraries, etc, amounting to $685.
60 as compared with S2S,94,S549 in
1895. and Sl9.967 ,116 in 1894. OF this
grand total. which does not include
countless small donations. concerning
which the facts could not be ascertain
ed. the immense sum of S16,S14,256
has been given to colleges; S10,S54,791
to charities; $2,1S5,142 to churches;
So. S3S. 500 TO museums and galleries;
81 ASP 600 to libraries, and $685. to
miscellaneous objects. This is splen'
did record. but one cannot peruse the
statistics of the year without reflect