Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24

emily affected by outside conditions Those
who are weak mentally or phyHically are
d asa ma shsa sas osers
weather, when there Is IS an 3. excessive
amount Of humidity in tie atmosphere,
suicide Is very prevalent. . while, on the
other hand, more murders are committed
where the air Is either drysand hot or dry
and COOL r.
In summer, when a low,sbaremeter pre-
vails all nature seems depressed and mel
ancholy ideas appear to pervade during HUI
nudity: in a clear. bracing atmosphere the
animal part of man seems TO predominate
and deeds Of another nature appear to be
more prevalent. A man who attempts to
commit deliberate murder would plan It
on clear, cold day rather than during
suicide weather. Burglary would also be
planned and carried out when the atmos-
phere Is clear and braciRg rather than
when 1t Is heavy and depressing. 1t seems
peculiar thing that in summer time poi
son and the bullet seem to be the favorite
methods Of both murder and self-destruc-
ton, while In winter the rope and knife
appear to be the most popular modes of
ending the existence Of either self or an
other"
Epidemics of Crime.
Statistics Of crime show beyond question
the truth Of Mr.. Dunn's assertions relative
to the undoubted influences Of climatic
changes upon crime. Not only are GER
tain crimes more frequently committed at
certain seasons Of the year, but In certain
countries the climate is especially condu-
GIVE to such crimes. For instance, in south
ern China, where a warm or humid temper
allure exists for the greater portion of the
year, there Is less regard for life than per-
maps In any other portion OF the globe
Muroers are everyday occurrences, suicides
100 common to even pay attention to
while theft. rape and all other crimes are
innumerable. -
The history Of crime shows that evil do
ing Is subject to epidemics as we'll as dis
eases. We find epidemics of suicides emf
denies Of murders and epidemics of rob
berries. A careful study of the question re-
Veals the fact that these epidemics last I'M
til the weather changes. and an analogy
between the conditions of the weather and
the frequency of crime cannot but impress
the careful Investigator This clearly ind;-
Gates that crime is. to a degree contagious:
that a certain ethical influence or psychic
influence is cast abroad and that this in
fuence is to large degree magnetic Con-
d1tions of the weather which favor the in
duction of electricity, or magnetism, are
capable of spreading these crime germs, If
we may So call them, so that they come in
contact with those sensitive to such inf1u-
ences, and literal breeding Of crime Is
the result
Just 3 certain atmospheric conditions Of
certain localities cause the air to be laden
with the germs Of malaria, so the air itself
may be said to be laden with the psychic
but none the less potent, germs of crime
Those among us who are, as We say, "ac-
climatized," escape the malarial Influences;
and equally SO, those among US who are
morally acclimatized escape the evil psy-
chic germs that are sometimes among us
But the ''sensitives." either moral or phys
fcal, fall under the dire influences, and
these we call criminals. Who shall say
that when science, advanced to that point
where the reins Of natural law are COM
pletely in control of man. and the weather
is at his command no less than the func-
lions Of his own organism. We shall not
be able to preserve perfect meteorological
condition, and thus annihilate an external
excitant to crime. if we have not long be-
fore that time wiped out ti4e~criminal him.
self? NJ