The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02
MURDER ON The INCREASE.
THiT ~ THE SHOOTING or THE
LAST THREE MONTHS, At LEAST.
Double the Number of killings Compared
WIN the same Period Last Near-In.
SAINT, Can't BE Responsible. for the
Number Of the Insane Has Decreased
elbow journalism and Lack OF
Respect for Authorit, Both Iliamed.

Respect for Authority Both Iilamed.
The number of murders. and especially
of peculiarly brutal KILLING which have
occurred ia and near New York in the last
six months have set many people a think
ing. A. a rule, the ma jority of New Yorks
population reads the daily newspaper
record of crime over lis coffee without
turning a hair. But during the last six
months. when one homicide has followed
hard on the heels of another and larger
proportion of these murders than usual
have represented features the most re-
voting, some readers have begun to seek
"A reason.
Some folk have wondered if the I'M
| usually depressing weather conditions
have lad 30 tragi" an effect Others have
/ talked vaguely of wave of some kind
of insanity. But 70 questions ON the sub
J"ct not even ~" most advanced students
Of sociology and criminology seem to be
able to give convincing answers
Scin" Of these students were not 80 sure
| even, that there had been an increase of
| murders within period of six months,
| until confronted with the official figures OBJ
| tanned at the toronor'- Office in Manhattan
q
| year the number Of murders committed
| has been almost double that for the same
months last ycar-or 40 to 81
From January to October last year the
number of homicidcs wa- 81 against 50 for
! this year, but in 1901 the 50 were divided
| pretty evenly among the nine months,
whereas this year % occurred during the
| first six months and the other 10 were
1 ,..y. Ii 1
| The increase in murders in the suburbs and
cit les near New York has been even larger.
None Of the Coronors has any explanation
! to Justify the figures
Il have never given any thought TO the
subject said one of them. Perhaps at
| times there is a homicide microbc in the
air which attacks individuals.
In answer to another question he said:
We'll, perhaps insanity has something To
| do with it, but a am not an insanity ex-
| pert ! would rather not give an opinion on
| that point"
\ wcll-huown alienist who j. on the city's
| official roll of examiners for the insane
! pouiered moment over the same question
| and then answered it with decided mega
! tive
In my opinion, he declared. insanity
has nothing whatever iu do with the in
I crease in murder cases. For one reason,
there has been no increase in cases of in
sanity during tie last few years, although
have not the official data N hand To prove
/ il Nor have | found in my experience
that in any but extremely aggravated
/ cases Of dcmcnfil j. there any desire TO
commit murder. Needless to say. long
/ before that aggravated stage is reached,
/ the patient i safely shut M.
Nor can the muCh-ahuscd weath her Toe
held responsible for this plethora of crime.
/ II il qui'c true that people OF a highly
! nervous temperament are likely to Toe
unplcasantly affected by atmospheric de-
pr"~SiOn-thIt il, they are apt to expert
eucc corresponding depression of spirit,
/ bat not to such an alarming extent that
T they are in consequence melted to murder.
EX' rene depression tends rat her TO suicide
Personally, ! am firmly convinced that
the recent fertile crop Of murders Is due
solely and simply to mental suggest ion
induced primarily by yellow journalism
How can Il be- OF herwiso 80 long as he most
shocking details Of every murder are served
w 20 he community in flaming headlines
and vivid pictures which are nothing if
they are not the most powerful sort Of an
object lesson The most efTcCtual remedy
for murder can think of If that were
pu-~ibe-i- TO coufuc the newspaper de-
tails of any homicidal tragedy to bare
statement of facts, printed as inconspiCu
ou-v a. possible"
one statement made 10y Ills physician
a. to the absence Of an increase in insanity
! cases was verified at Bellevue Hospital by
the official statistics. These show that
from Jan. To Sept, 30 last year, go insane
patients were received and that the record
for ills year, up TO Sept. 30. was only .i73.
In all probability, however, said one Of
the doctors there, before The end Of the
year Ills discrepancy viii bo less, because
there II "a most years an unusual number Of
D arrivals Nov, I.lsar and IlIttn4lg,r TAX.
, one year with another, ,hc number Of ar
rivals at this pavilion IL practically the
same.
Il have noticed" be- commented, that
. murder, like suicides, 60 in waves, ard
that the torcrunuCr Of murder wave
j. apt 10 hc a murder of unusually sensa-
tloual feat ur,s which 'Cts everybody talk
ing. such "A fin" thing i example You
| know. perhaps, that after an cSCalc, or an
attempted escape, from an asylum, Wa al
ways TAX" IN" rrcCaU'ion To double the
guards for at least tire" or four weeks,
I ktovi ing that "A '-ire 20 escape i almost
sur" 10 De- born Immediately IN all the other
/ pa tents.
OF the clergymeu in this city more or less
identified With agencies for he suppression
or prevention e crime, the Rev. Or. Park
hurst holds the mos, decided views h"
] lost no tim" when the recent increase in
murders was brought Ia h~ attention in
ass ting COMPATIBILITY.
"lh" roo, 81 the evil lies in lack Of preset
for authority lack Of respect which
does lot wait 10 manifest i'-"li until the
child has become au adult, but begins
almost in infancy and In the home.
Parental authority has iccomr dead
l"ii"r. Children are no longer subject
To parents, Iau',t- are subject 10 their
chidcr"u, \ chId who has never been
conn PEELED to Weld obedience 20 the hum"
laws l. bound 10 grow mp with thrly
yelled contempt for the laws &C hi country
indeed for any law Whatsoever. You find
this in all circles Of society and among all
classes 81 men. Tn" Policeman on his
bent j. careful To break ~ many of the
rules laid down for his observance as he
possibly can, and tho same thing H. true Of
many higher Cilicial. This ! know,
Tho, too said NJ. pnrkhurst, in
crowded Commmi'irs iikc New York and
London, moral cnu'agion * deadlcr
menace than physical contaCiou, andmuch
moro difficult to combat. We become
habi ,uatcd to N" things we talk about and
read bout l',uco, II has come to pass that
oven In POLITE society mon and women,
good men aud women thoy are too-fail
/ 10 experience any but the very miido-t
sort of shuddor uIon learning Of tho
most airoclous crimes. and that late re-
"rlit- 20 the ranks oi the murGcr'rS are not
altoFothcr from the lower glasses.
III" close packing Of the population
| which l. feature of soma quarters Of New
v. . 1