The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-11
THE STATISTICS OF CRIME
n decrease In the Total Number OF
Criminal Cases Brought Before
the Courts in South Carolinn.

has endeavored to give in consolidated
form vne crime statisC tics Of the State
comparisons by counties and years fol
a decade being made. The year which
, has just ended shows that there ha.
been considerable falling of in the
total number OF criminal cases. The
only bad showing is that made in the
number OF homicide cases, In sum
marlZtng the figures given in the
complete tables MIR. Barber says in his
report:
"There are three consolidated state.
ments given in this report. Ist, Show.
ing the number and character OF Grim
lnal cases disposed of during the year
1877 2nd, Showing the crimes by cir.
cults and counties. Bird, Showing the
number CT homicide and other cases
disposed OF in the State during the
last ten years, and the number each
year.
From the first statement it will ap-
pear that 2,4S5 criminal cases were
disposed OF from the 1st OF January.
1897, to lst of January, 1895. DurinyG,
the III months from Nov. |, 1895, to
Jan. l, 1897, there were 3.0O2 cases as
reported last year. 1t will be seen
that there has been q decrease of SIT
cases. But this Is not the actual de-
! crease, as the last consolidated state
ment was for If months instead of one
year. An analysis of the statement
Tor the year 1897 will show that there
has been decrease in the crimes of
burglary, arson, assault and battery,
obtaining goods under false pretenses,
forgery, Highway robbery, riot and
violations OF the dispensary law, and
an increase in those of larceny, mur-
der, rape and resisting public officers.
The per cent. OF convictions ia all
the cases disposed of is 81, and of the
cases actually tried about 65. The per
mt. OF convictions in homicide cases
is about 27, in burglary cases 20, in
larceny cases about IS, in assault and
batteries about 70, and in dispensary
cases about 90 per cent.
"Of the convictions for the wear
1877, were sentenced to death, 26 to
the penitentiary for life, 4l0 to terms
in the peniteutiary, and HI to the Jail
and chaingaGg.
During the year there wcro 20 mis-
trials in criminal cases, some in all the
circuits. There were 81 cases OF rape
disposed OF, and OF this number there
were II no bills, 10 not guilty and II
guilty. There were % cases Of high
way robbery, of which number there
were I no bills, not guilty and l6
guilty. There were 225 homicide
cases, OF which number there were 81
no bills, 120 not guilty and a guilty.
The second statement shows that
In Charleston county there were 537
criminal cases, the largest number in
any county; Spartanburg is pext with
az cases, Greenville with l07, Orange
burg with LOG, Florence 20, Darlington,
"A, Uhion - Clarendon had the
smallest number-lS, while Greenwood
had 8, and Cherokee l3. Three Of the
death sentences were in New berry
county, one in Beaufort, one in Dar-
lluSton and one in Georgetown. There
were no death sentences in the lst,
9th, 9th and oth circuits. 1t appears
that there were only 26 sentences in all
the counties to the penitentiary for
life, and the largest number Of these
was in the 7th circuit.
" 1t will be seen from the third state
ment that 1T is incomplete as some of
the solicitors failed to make annual re-
ports.
There has been gradual increase
OF homicide cases disposed of in the
State each year since 1888. The year
1888 begun with l07 cases, and year
1897 ends with 225 cases. The largest
number OF cases during this period was
in the lst circuit-3l2: the next largest
in the 7th circuit, 225, and the next in |
the 2nd circuit 223, with the smallest
in the Bird circuit, Is. During the
year 1897, the largest number was in |
the lst circuit, A, and the smallest in |
the 4th circuit, II.
made an effort to ascertain from
the sheriifs OF the State the numbe of |
homicides committed in each county, |
and the names and color OF the parties |
killing and killed, but failed to get
sufficient information to give in this
report the number OF whites and col |
ored killed, and the number Of whites
and colored committing the homicides.
The reports OF the solicitors do not
give this information. AS to the cause
OF this increase in hOmicines in South
Carolina it is very difficult to deter
mine. There is no doubt that q com
bination OF causes produces this un-
fortunate condition"
The following Is the statement OF the
crimes and the results Of the trials in
the different circuits
First Circuit-Mistl ials, 4 no bill
and discontinued, 40S; not guilty, 49,
guilty, 2l0; grand total, 696 Jail or
fine, 81; penitentiary for term, l45;
penitentiary for life, b; death SEN
Second Crcuit-M Mistrials, 6; no bin
and discontinued, l07 not guilty, 45
guilty, 03 grand total, 245; jail or
fine, 73; penitentiary for term l5;
penitentiary for life, A; death SEN
tence, 1.
Third Circuit-M Mistrials 4 no bill
and discontinued, At: not guilty, 33 !;
guilty, 0I; grand total, III; jail or
fine, 33; penitentiary for term, IS !;
penitentiary for life, 81; death sen
tence, /.
Fourth Circuit-M Mstrials, / no bill
and discontinued, $50; not guilty, 33 !;
guilty, 90; grand total, 282; jail or
fine, 80; penitentiary for term, Is !;
penitentiary for life, 3; death sem
tence, /.
Fifth Circuit -Mistrals, / !; no bill
and discontinued, So; not guilty, 5S
guilty, 1l0; grand total, 235 Jail or
fine, 0; penitentiary for term, 10
penitentiary for life. 0; death SEN
tence, 0.
Sixth Circuit-M Mistrials, l no bill
and discontinued, 81; not guilty, IS
guilty, 03; grand total, 2l2 jail or
line, T.; penitentiary for term, 80
penitentiary for life, 2; death SEN
tence, 1,
Seventh Circuit Mistrials, l.; no
bill and discontinued. 1872: not guilty,
40; guilty, 1872; grand total, 3l3 jail
or fine, l04 penitentiary for term, 81
penitentiary for life, = death sen
tence. 3.
Eighth Circuit-Mistrials, Q ; no bill,
and discontinued, 105 not guilty, 10
guilty, LAB; grand total, 3l8; jail or