The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-08
IS CRIME INcREAsING2

State Prison Census Nearly Doubled in
 Twenty Years-Large Growth Last Year
 Probably Due to Foreign Element Rather
 Than Native Born- Urgent Need of Re
 formatory Institution in Tiis State \
 It seems to be an undeniable fact that crime is on the increase in this state 'and that the regulations of the land of steady habits is seriously threatened.
 The increase of inmates of the state prison in recent years Is perhaps the most suggestive fact in connection with this sub ject. From 1877 to 1892 the prison popu- lation did not vary In any startling degree from year to year, running from 220 in 1882 to 333 in 1880; but since then tue nufnber has steadily increased with each year until the census for 1897 reached 5O3 or an tu crease over the previous Year fof eighty eight prisoners.
 These figures were taken in November of each year, but they do not show che exact situation last year, Ilf the total number of prisoners under co1ifinement at the state prison during 1897 was 60B. line further facts revealed that from 1877 to 1897 the cent. and that the Inst year has seen the largest increase These figures were sup piled by President Jalnes ". Cheney of the tistics reflected the truth as to the increase The Probable Causes.
 'I am sorry to say that ttey5do. l at business and industrial depression, fol, one thing. Such depression is always stimu Jus to crime, and we have noticed q growth of the acts against property. as too, that our close proximity to. New York city has much to do With the Increase of crime In this state Of course New York has always been there, but you know there hos hna ftt,tf md pt tlr country, and we have no doubt received more than the usual overflow from our big neighbor The increase has been principal ly in the m western part of the state, espe that the majority of these men are from New York or other places outside of Con. necticut. It is possible that the police of recent years and have driven the criminal class into the surrounding territory"
 Rev. John J. McCook, president of the now defunct reforma tory board said:
 "Nothlng has been done, so far as know since the legislature wiped the whole re- formatory matter from existence. The op- position, to the site we had selected here ton, which was to the expenditure of money for the purpose. Altogether, 1t made a famous row, although realy q temDest in a teapot and set back the reformatory ques- reformatory very badly. The absence of such an institution and the fact that we must send youthful criminals to associate with those that are hardened is nothing less than blot on the stute l trust that the next legislature will re-enact the law which was formulated by some of our ablest men, and, while by no means perfect, could easily be amended until satisfactory Warden Woodbridges Views.
 Warden Woodbridge of the state prison said there was no denying the fact that there were more convicts in the state than ever before, but did not think that crime was increasing among the native born popu. lation. He was inclined to attribute the in crease of crime to the low class of iInmi- grafton which was coming here, especially among the Italians and Russian Hebrews. He thought that increased police vigilance in the large cities had driven the criminals to easier pastures in tho surrounding cOun- try and that the recent industrial depression had had its effect in making criminals. He added
 'I want to see q reformatory i'll the state. We have here forty odd boys. between the ages of sixteen and twentyone, and nearly 150 very young men and only four of the whole lot had ever been arrested for q crime before they suffered for that which brought them here.
 "Of course. It is manifestly wrong that these novices in crime should be sent here and be permitted to mingle with the most hardened of criminals. 1The result Is that they will leave here worse. no doubt, than when they came in. "-Hartford Post.