Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-05-12
RECORDS OF CRIME.
THE DIFFERENT KINDS THAT FLOUR.
ISH IN SEVERAL STATES

The Average of Some sections Lowered by
the Influx of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to
the Records, Ohio Seems to be the Hest,
Michigan and Florida the Worst.
Nine out Of every ten men If asked In
which part of the country was the
most wickedness would answer the
Atlantic seaboard. Their assumption
would be based on the fact that the
large cities and particularly New York
are situated there and almost every
body thinks New York city is the wick
eldest place in the United States.
The records of crime do not bear out
this assumption and comparison of
the police records of Eastern and West
ern cities is quite favorable To New
York, Philadelphia, Boston or any of
the Eastern cities.
The population must, of course, be
taken into consideration when a com
parison of States is made. just as IL is
when their relative illiteracy is made
the subject of statisticians' reports.
Thus considered, the Empire State
compares most favOrably with any
other State in the Union. And thus
Judged, also, the Two worst States are
Michigan and Florida. Michigan's
crime list is sweled, it il said, by the
influx of lumbermen TO the upper half
of the State, while certain parts Of
Florida being almost in their primitive
state may account for its condition.
The average of certain manufacture
Ing States is lowered by the influx
there of foreign workmen who bring
their crimes with them. Massachu-
sets and Connecticut would have the
reputation Of having the best people in
the country were it not for the Portu'
guese and other foreign laborers at
tracted TO Fall River and similar
places where there are big mills or
manufactures OF various kinds Some
of the most dreadful crimes in the an
nails of the law have been perpctrated
In those extremely law abiding States.
That Is why they do not rank very
high among the virtuous.
The same Is true OF New York city
or rather Of New York State, because
of the city. Its crime" record is pro-
digiously swelled by the rapid knife of
the Italian, and the imported citizens
of other nationalitics.
The records show that the very best
people in the United States are the
men and women of Ohio. out of every
| hundred thousand inhabitants Of Ohio,
only n commit serious crimes during
| year. And when the police report
best they practically mean most
| honest. If you take any hundred
| crimes committed in this vast cOun-
Try, you will find that 30 OF them are
thefts, burglarles or rObberies
| The second, third, fourth and fifth
| best States, that is. most honest.
! States, are those lying adjacent TO
Ohio, like Indiana, Pennsylvania, Miss
ouri and Kentucky. Those conspic-
uous in the other direction are some
of the Western States, particularly
! California, and some Of the Southern
| states, including two of the Gulf
States.
Some people will tell you that drunk
enness is the cause of all other crime.
But the criminal annals show that
there is no truth in this statement In
the Eastern States twice as many in-
dictable serious offenses are committed
as in the Western etates. But the
| Western man becomes intoxicated
| three times To the Eastern man once
Assaults and other crimes Of violence
also seem to have small relation to dis
honesty and very little connection with
drink. Inc most violent of all are the
people of Tennessee, but in point of
honesty they are third best; and with
regard 10 drink they occupy sixth place
among the States,
1t is safe 10 say that almost every
one has somehow formed the impress
sion that the inhabitants of North
| Carolina are a shiftless as we'll as
wicked set Of people This, however,
is one Of those general impressions"
which will not stand investigation; it
is a slur on the State which has fur
nished excellent citizens and supplies
magnificent scenery. AS a matter Of
stern fact North Carolina ranks bet
ter than fourth in the pyramid of vir
tue formed by the various States, and
the cause of its crimes, illiteracy, keeps
them down to a somewhat innocuous
or petty grade.