The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-01-05
South Carolina
Crime Statistics.
summary OF Attorney Gene
ral's Annual Report.

Golambia, Dac. 3l-.At,orney Gen
.sral Barbsr's report TO the general as
sembl7 Is nov 10 the hands Of the State
printer and will be issued in . few
|aays. 70 his report this year he has
sendeavored 10 give 10 consolidased form
Sfha crime statistics of the State, COM
pasisoas By counties aud years for q
assade being made The year which
has isss ended shows tbst there has
sheea considerable falling of 10 the
ssssl nnmher Of criminal cases. The
enly I'D showing Is thar made in the
nanbsr of homicide cases In aum-
nsarisisg the tigures given 10 the COM
Dless sables Mr Barber says 10 hia re-
here are three consolidated state
ascnss given IN this report. 1st Show
M tlss nambef and character Of criui-
nsI cases disposed of during tde yesr
1897 2ad. Shosing the crimes BY
Sssrsuiss sod counties. 3sd. Showing
de Dauber Of homicide and other
disposed Of 10 tbe S.ase during
shs Ie1s san years. apd The ponber each
spesr that 9. .4S5 criminals cases we're
aisroesd of from The lst Of January,
1891 % lst January, 1898. During
81 H months from Nov 1895, so
s 81 1897 there we're s,O02 cases
sss reporsed last yest Z will be
seen fhas there has been 8 decrease Of
sss1 csses But this IS NOT the actual
decresse, IS sbe last consolidated state
mani xas -, TOT / mouths instead of one
e asal5 l5sis ofs the statement for
A Az gssr 1897 Mil show th.t there has
sbsen i d dkcreasei 10 the crimes Of burg.
aaf arson, assault and battery, obs.
saini1x gsods under false prstenses,
gezY hiehpary robbery. riot and.
ssioasfoDs Of the dispenesry law, and
Al IS iineresse 10 those Of lareeny. mnr-
as APE aud dresistisg public officers.
"a psr ceoto of consietions ID aslthe
disposed Of is 81 aad Of the
soases aasually tried about 65 The per
cent of so1victions Ia homicide cases
Gs abont q 10 burglary cases 20. iD5
sssenT cases shout 65, 10 assault and
battslies sboSt 20. and IL dispsnssry.
sssses shout 60 per cent
the convictions for the year.
1887 s. we're sentenced TO death, 26 TO
st6a psnitensiary for life, 40 TO terms
fhss penitensiary. and al 70 the Jail
'sad eliaingang
During the year there Here 20 mis-
sTssls ii oriminsi cases. some 10 all
80 eiscuits There we're 81 cases Of
sape disposed 81. and OF this ppmber
sheres uere u 20 bills. 10 not guilty
md 70 guilty There we're 25 cases Of
hiek ekssy robbery, of which number
there we're q no bills, 2 not guilty and
ZIG gailiy There sere 225 homicide
cases, Of which number there were 81
SO bills, 120 not guilty and "a guilty
The second statement shows that 10
Ebsries.on county there we're 537 crim.:
iaai cases. the largest number in any
Sconaty Spasssnburg is next witb 142
slses. Green vile vish 107. Orsngebnrg
Nth 196, Florence 90. DarlingsoD, Il, !,
Uuiop 72 Clarendon bad the smallest
numbs while Greenwood had S.
sSd Chefokes Is Three Of the death
senseBces sase 10 Neuberry county.
onesin Beaufort, one 10 Darlington aud
soe u Georgetosn. There were no
death sentence in the LES. 5tb. 6sh aud
SIS oircuiss Il appears shas there
we're only 26 sentences IN ail the coun
sies 10 the peaissnsisry for life, aud
yths lsFgest puuber of these was in the
TIL eirouit.
e viii 81 seen from the third ssa,e-
neat that Il IS incomplete a. some Of
the selleitors failed to make annual re-
ports.
There has been gradual increase
Ssf komicide cases disposed of in
She: State each year since 1883. The
syssr 1883 begun With l07 Gases. and
tbe year 1897 Gods with 225 cases.
The largest nrmber Of cases during this
period vas 10 she 1ss circuis-3l2; the
next largest In the It'll Circuit. 225. and
tue next 10 the 2rd circuit. 223,. With
the smallest 10 the 3rd circnis. l16.
Dasipg .he yesr 1897. the largest Dum-
berssas 10 tie 1ss circuit. a.. aud the
smallest 10 the 4sh circuit, Il
81 made an effort to ascertain from
the sberifs Of the State the number
of hemicides committed in each conn
II, aud the names aud color of The par
ties killing aud killed, but failed to get
sufficient information to give in this
report the number of whites aud col
sored killed, and the number of whites
and colored committing the homi-
cides. The reports of the solicitors do