The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-25
CRIME AND CRIMINALS.
Prof ChurchfIi's Interesting Lee
ture for University stud~nts-

Prof Churchill. formerly Of Oberlin cob
leEe, bat now a resident OF seattle. irc-
tured Yesterday in Denny hail 81 the
University OF Washington before the as
spsubly Of students on THE Criminal
Classes" The lecture was comprehensive
In - treatment OF the subject. and made
interesting with pointed remarks about
the conditions of student life from the
standpoint OF criminaiogy-
selection by the university orchestra
preceded Prof churehiii's lecture, and
then Prof Reeves. in the absence Of Pres
sdent Graves. who Is still sick, introduced
the speaker Of the day.
Pref. Churchill discussed the crude cias-
siacafsoa OF criminals made by the law,
and the difference which one cent might
make In a theft by changing II from
petty larceny 10 grand larceny, and Wee
versa AS result two men VINO stole
almost exactly the same amount would
receive different degrees Of punishment
This might seem an injustice. he said, but
II was necessary TO make the division
somewhere; the classification could not
possibly tie made line enough to render
equal justice TO all The lecturer laid
great stress on the fact that the different
grades OF crime shaded into one another.
and oyeriapped each other the DIVISION,
he said was similar 10 the division OF So
cfety into rich and poor, honest and dis
honest. etc.
The criminal class TO the ordinary OBJ
server, he pointed out consists OF those
who are. were or might be in prison or
under bonds. To have been in this con-
dItton cut short the criminals career; no
repentance nor atonement could ever re-
store him TO his former position This
condition was unjust. said Prof. Church
Ill. and was comhated by Victor Hugo
In les Miserables.''
The treatment of criminals was then
discussed and also the effort TO reform
them The confessions OF a large number
OF criminals showed they were criminals
from deliberate choice. In all civilized
countries there was on an average one
criminal n \ f,p0nlE .Iatle
are necessary in the same proportion
According 10 this rule. said the speaker.
Seattle should have about fifty eonvicts.
Prof. Churchill showed that neither
wealth. rank nor education exempted men
from falling INTO the criminal classes. II
was constantly happening, he said. that
some man Of good family and good bring
tng up, etc. became criminal. IN the
case Of Roland Molineux, of New York
Yet IL was possible for man 10 rise
from the criminal classes and win a POI
was that of Henry Wilson. man whose
ancestry contained a large number OF
convicts and wrongdoers, but who yet
became a good and successful man and
rose 70 a place of eminence in the public
life OF his state. Massachusetts,.
After broad discussion OF the various
means of restricting crime, Prof. Church
III said that when a man sunk ne sunk
by his own Will and through his own
Will. He traced the different steps such as
an individual usually follows. going down
gradually and for long time ignorant
OF the extent OF his degeneration.
A discussion of crime in the abstract
sense followed. and the lecturer defined
crime as self-fnduisence AT the cost of
another. Thus murder. theft. and the
robbine of an orchard differed only In de-
gree. each was crime.
.All crime" said the speaker differs
only in degree. as the young tiger kitten
offers from the royal Bengal tiger"
Prof. Churchill then drew some good
lessons for the university students from
life al Dartmouth college over hair n
century ago The career of one student
named Durant. whose downward course
started with the stealing Of hrewood was
sketched hv Prof. Churchill The lecture
was concluded with general survey OF
college life from the view of crfminalocy
and with an earnest appeal to the stu
dents tn ne honest and upright and 10 be-
ware of ever taking step that might
lead downward.