The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-21
SEVERE PENALTIES DO NOT
PREVENT CRIMES INCREASE
The Question of Should Our Statute be Changed Dis
cussed by Judge Allen. Some Sugges-
tons Offered

, lions unless conditions are the same.
North Carolina is largely a rural COM
munity without police protection, and
murders and other crimes can be COM
mitted with but little means of detecting
and taking the criminal or of securing
and preserving the evidence In case of ar
rest. These are fruitful sources of es-
cape.
Add to these the active spirit and
nervous strain of the age, the liberation
of slaves and the race conflict incident
thereto, the immigration of the lawless
from other sections, the settlement OF
new localities and the establishment of
many new enterprises, especially the
lumber and mining industries, and it can
be seen what great effect all must have
upon the increase of homicides
Our burglary statute has been divided
into two degrees similar to our murder
statute, and no one is complaining of the
increase of that crime except now and
then there is an outbreak in some city.
1t is due to police protection and the fa-
cilities for keeping money In banks, but
safe robberies are increasing and they are
confined mostly to small places unpro-
tected by police power. Until man ceases
10 Dc d CldCA OOAhS3 uheh NnAS az $3.50
prevalent until the press ceases to par
ade the details of every horrible crime
before the public eye, and, in fact, until
there is more of the spirit of Christianity
infused into the mould of modern clylll-
zation-crime of one kind or another VIII
| continue to increase except as the faclll-
ties for checking it are increased.
With the exception of the first case OF
murder which was tried by the Almighty
God land He did not inflict the death
penalty, but marked the murderer so that
ne should not be slain) human life has
been held cheap by man and by the law
since the world began. An eye for an eye
has been the prevailing idea of punish
ment and it has not been success.
In the meantime there are many other
evils that have come along with this
thing we call modern progress, and are on
the increase, which cannot be charged to
the courts. This is not the place to dwell
iron them, but / will mention opium, co.
caine. cigarettes, divorces, ETC., etc.
Much is said about the laws delay as
cause of crime, and there is room for i'm
provement at this point. l think the
Judges might have the power to continue
term of court to some other time with
out the call for a special term or waiting
for the next regular term when either
party in an important matter is not ready
or for other good reason. The Fedora
courts have this power. Any changes
however, should be along safe and con
servative lines.
The grand jury system might be made
less cumbersome.
No man ought to be exempt from jury
service There ought to be fewer cause:
| of challenge and fewer peremptory chat
| Icnges in capital case, and the unanI-
rsous verdict might be modified. car
/ sec no more reason for unanimous yer
dict than for a unanimous opinion iron
our Supreme court.
The question of how to deal with Grim
inals should be given more attention ans
studv not only from the standpoint OF
humanity but from that of necessity.
| Crime is disease and when we learn
to treat it as such we may look for bet
| ter results.
n H ALLEN