The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-12
STATISTICS.
Summary of the Annual Report of the
States Attorney General
Especial Correspondence.)

Especial C~orrespondence)
Raleigh, N. c., April 9.
Attorney General Walser today gave
to the press a summary of his first re-
port on criminal statistics. 1t is for the
year ending July l, 1897. In the 1896 re-
port only the more important crimes
were reported by name. The present re-
port gives the names of nearly all the
crimes and misdemeanors.
The report up to July /. 1896. gave
50 as the number of murders in the first
degree for two years. Strange to say
the last report gives Al for one year.
Or murders in the second degree, there
were 76 for the two years; now there
are A Tor one year, this showing an
Of rapes, there were % in the two
years up to July 1, 1896; the last report
shows -: a very large increase:
" or arson 6 cases are reported for T."
Wear, this being the rarest Of the capitEl
crimes in this state. The attorney gem
eral does not think any other state shows
so small a number
AS to burglary in the first degree. the
two years report showed IA cases; while
the new report shows 10, quite an in
81 cases Of burglary in the second de-
gree, while for the last year there were
only y.
or the forgery cases the two years
TtDOII SID"t u 10, " III UIIt ldSL ItpOI l
shows 81. a very great increase.
OF larceny for the two years, there
were 1855 cases, and the last report
shows 1,4SO, 50 the proportion is about the
same.
OF assaults with intent to commit rape,
there were for two years SO, and last
year %.
OF manslaughter. there were 80 cases
for the two years, and II for the last
year.
The report shows the following num-
Der of trials: For assault and battery,
726: abandonment, 81; abortion. 3; as
sault with deadly weapon, ga; ARRAYS,
90; assault. 1863; attempt to burn dwell
lngs, .; bastardy, %; bigamy, s; carrying
concealed weapons, 961; compromising a
felony, !; conspiracy, 40: cruelty to ami
mails, As; disOrderly houses, 81; dispostng
OF mortgaged property, &c; disturbing re-
ligtous congregations, 103: escapes, q;
cmbezzlement, 80; fornication and adul-
800; failure to list TAX, II; false i'm
Drisonment, u; false pretence, SO; forci-
BILE trespass, 217; gambling, 2J4; house
breaking, IS: house burning, %; incest, -:
injury to property, 63; injury to stock, Al;
libel, |; Obstructing public highway, 90;
perjury, 81; removing crops, 80; resisting
officer, 81; retailing wthiskey without Ii
ccnse. 1926; riot. SO; robbing, Il; selling
liquor to minors, q; Islander, CA; sedec-
ton, 10; trespass, III; miscellaneous
minor crimes, T3.
The total number of cases tried for
the year, ending July /, 1897, was. there
fore, 8rS12. For two years previous. the
total was 1900, an average of $3.50, so
there was some increase in crime.
OF whites convicted, there were for
the year, Ass; negroes, 1898; Indians.
2G. There were 5000 males, and 73 fe-
males.
The convictions in these cases, includ-
ing submissions, were 5,S13; the acQuit-
tails, 1927; mol pross, 1,551; others disposed
of, 121.
There were no lynchings during the
twelve months. There was 90 escapes
from jails. There were 8 criminal in
sane. There were two executions. that
of Monroe Johnson, colored, in Mecklen-
burg. for burglary in the first degree,
and that of Henry Dowden, colored, in
Halifax, for the murder of Engineer
Dodd. F. A. OLDS.