Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-10
he is Fast Becoming Accustomed to
Daily Routine.
INTEREST IN TIE COMING TRIAL
Major Sylvester Presents Statistics
of Crime'in District.
SOME COMPARISONS MADE

Benjamin II. Smell, the pension Office
clerk who killed Lizzie Weisenberger at her
parents home early Sunday morning, is
fast becoming accustomed to prison life.
He thinks his cell is entirely too small for
him, and would be better satisfied with
larger quarters. but he no longer COM
plains. The first day of prison life was
rather severe on him, he thought. Because
of his nervous condition, the result of
drinking. the Jail physician found it ncces-
sary to give him something to quiet his
nerves. He has now regained his normal
condition, ana seems to realize more fully
the prospects ahead of him.
Each day Smell is given time for exercise
in the corridor of the Jail, and he gets his
two meals a day the same as the other
prisoners. His meals are served in a tin
box, and he has learned that knives and
forks are no longer a necessity. With him
they would perhaps now be regarded as a
luxury.
While Smell fully appreciates the serious
ness Of his position, he is losing no sleep
over it. His wife did not call at the prison
yesterday, though she was there the day
before.
his fellow prisoners seldom address him,
except in the line of their duty in the cor
ridor. Smell understands that his case can
not be tried until October and he seems
does not say much.
Hope of Early Trial.
AS published in yesterdays Star the
grand jury has heard the evidence in the
case and will probably return an indict-
ment Monday. The arraignment of the
prisoner will follow, and the police hope
that the presiding judge will set early
day for trial, in order there will be no ex-
cuse for delay when the case comes before
petit jury.
The officials interested in the prosecution
are anxious to know what will be the plea
in the case. An old Jail official, in CONVEX
sation with a Star reporter, said he sup
posed a plea of insanity will be made He
said it was his experience where a plea of
self-defense or one of alleged justification
cannot be made, one of insanity is invar-
iably resorted to. SHELLS conduct since he
reached the jail, the official said fails to
show any evidence of insanity, whatever
may have been his condition when he COM
mitted the awful crime.
Delayed Trials.
A member of the police department. in
conversation with Star reporter lately
concerning the Smell case, said he thought
it was an injustice to the people arrested
during the spring and summer months that
they cannot be tried until fall Grand jury
cases in the summer he said, We're usually
numerous. All the people held by the Police
Court on serious charges, the records show.
are not guilty. These people, many OF
whom are unable to give bail, are required
to remain in prison for months and are
really punished before trial, merely because
the judges absent on vacation. The sys-
tenn, he thought was entirely wrong. The
innocent ones, he declared, are entitled TO
their release and the guilty ones are entitled
to a speedy trial. -.
Views of Police Superintendent.
Major Sylvester, talking to a Star re-
porter on the question of crime, said:
ut is difficult thing to say whether or
not more crime~is. committed at one season
of the year than the other. We all know
that extreme heat causes sickness, and so
does frigid cold. Dogs suffer from the
rabies in cool weather as well as in warm.
They are more apt to be taken with hydro
phobia during the summer, in my opinion,
because they proWl around more and OBJ
tain irregular and unwholesome food and
water.
THE vicious classes are much like ami
mails in this respect, with the intelligence,
in some instance, however, to take the pre-
cautions warranted by climatic changes.
But the lower order of humans are neglect
ful in that they drink intoXicants in the
warm season, in vain attempt to cool
OFF, and it appears reasonable that they
should be more disposed to fight and quar-
rel. Statistics lean toward the spring of
the year for the commission of crimes
against the person. 1t should be considered
that our floating population begins to leave
US then; that outdoor operations take
laborers and mechanics into the country;
that drinking places in the suburbs
visited as against the resorts in the city,
and that our citizens begin to seek sum
mer shades at seacoast and in the noun
tainS.
Some Statistics.
While murder like petty thieving, will
always prevail, the District of Columbia
has fewer cases than some other commu-
mites of equal population. Generally, MUIR
der is committed by the low and ignorant
but it matters not by whom it is DONE no
place furnish more horrible details in
most instances than this jurisdiction. In
other words where we lack in the number
OF cases, We prevail in disgusting circum-
stances.
During the fiscal year which closed the
Both of June last no individual charged with
murder escaped arrest at the hands of the
police. There were fourteen instances
where such was the charge. Four occurred
during the first quarter of the year, from
july l to September 30, 1898, three OF the
defendants being colored and white
Four took place in the second quarter, Oc-
tober l to December 81, 1898, all of the par
ties being colored. In the third quarter
January l to March 81, 1889, there were
five arrests made on this charge, the indi-
viduals being colored. Five were recorded
in the fourth quarter, April, May and June,
1899, one being white person and four
colored.
Il cannot, with such figures before me,
venture to assert that any season of the
year is conducive to crime of the greater
magnitude. HOUSEKEEPING, we would sup
pose, would be more general during the
heated term. Likely it would were there
rot so many houses secured, valuables re-
moved and residents away from the city,
AS it is, however, that character of crime
averages up throughout the year. The first
quarter there were Sc cases reported; the
second. 81; the third, 50, and the fourth, A.
The estimated value of property stolen
under all charges, was, from July l to Sep
TENDER 80, 1898, $1T716; from October 1 to
December 81, 1898 SIG. 1874; from January
to March 81. 1899, 9s15, 1922 from April 1 to
June 30, 1889, SIT, 17s; theorecoveries for the
same periods being s., 349. 45, s6,076.25, So
5000, and S7,6SS.55. respectively.
ARRESTS, by quarters, were 1907, $500
o,9I3 and $3.50, respectively. Assaults ran
as follows: 457, 372, 2SS and 395; assault
and battery, 1850, 321, 226 and 29S: assault
with intent to kill. IA, %, II and 81; disor-
aeriy conduct. 1,510, ], 195., $50 and ,445; in
toSication, 2o2, 243.,i239 and 267.
Makes a. Comparison.
1T will be observed that while the higher
grade OF crime maintained about equally
throughout TIE several parts of the year,
the cases of disorder, assault and such be-
n vol xo,rilo nd ,i,o;,