The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-20
STATISTICS OF PAST YEAR
The Donations For Public Purposes
Was Enormous.
Suicides Numbered S597 and Homicides
S9I6-StIght Decrease in Record
Of DefaIcattons.

Chicago. Ill.-The donations of 1908,
by actual gift aud by bequest to
charity. religious enterprises. edu-
cational institutions, libraries, mu-
seums, galleries and municipal bet
terments. amount to S7S,912,411, as
compared with $77,397,167 in 1902;
S123, 1888, 1872 for 19O1-the last be-.
ing a record breaking year. 1t should
be understood that these sums do not
represent contributions to charity in a
general sense or church contributions,
but only those individual donations
and beauests which have been pub
lished as news announcements. OF the
total amount stated above. there has
been given to educational institutions
$50, $50, ,692; to charity, $21, ,726,31S; for
religious purposes, $3,906912: for mu.
seums. art galleries and municipal bet
terments. $2,927 500, and for libaries,
$7,5S3,556.
Mr.. 'Carnegie's share in this benef-
cence is as follows: To Libraries, $5,-
595, 500; to colleges, $1,294,500; fund
for pensioning steel workers, $4,000
600; for the Engineers Union Home,
$1,OOO,000: for miscellaneous purposes,
$6S,0O0. He has also given for various
purposes abroad S9,S37 900.
J. D. Rockefeller, Sr.. has given over
S2,0OO,0OO to the University of Chicago,
S282, 900 to other colleges, S173,5 to
religious bodies, and $4,000 to charity.
He has also intimated his intention OF
giving, or has already given, $6, ,OeO, 600
for scientific research at the University
of Chicago.
One hundred and thirty-seven COL
Ieges have shared in the educational
donations, but seven Of these-Bar-
nard, Colombia, Cornell, Johns Hop.
kins, Harvard. Tuskegee, University OF
Chicago and University of Penpsylva-
nia-have taken $14,4S7,7S9, or more
than one-third of the total sum.
The lynchings reported for l902
showed a decrease Of twenty-nine, as
compared with those of 1901. but the
last year they have increased again,
the list standing 104 for 1908, as COM
pared with ninety-six in 1902. Of these
lynchings, twelve occurred in the North
and ninety-two in the South. OF the
victims, eighty-six were negroes, seven.
teen whites, and one Chinaman. One
woman was lynched in Mississippi and
one in Louisiana.
The number of legal executions in
1908 was 1923, as compared with IA in
1902, 118 in 1901, and 119 in 1900. There
were seventy-seven persons hanged in
the South and ferty-six in the North.
Sixty three were whites and sixty
blacks.
Suicides are steadily increasing in
the United States and the value OF hui.
man life steadily cheapens. The sui
cides Of one year closely resemble those
of another year in causes and meth
ods. No special feature stands out
conspicuously except the ease with
which the victims can obtain poison
from the druggists. Poisoning is the
most common method of committing
suicide, and carbolic acid is the most
common poison in use. .
The total number of cases reported
during the year is S597-53S5 men and
1912 women-as compared with S29l
in 1902. How steadily suicides increase
annually is shown by the following
figures: In 1899 there were 5340 cases;
in 1900. 6755; in 1901, 7245; in 1902,
1921. Physicians, as usual, head the
list among professional men, the record
standing: Physicians, thirty-fve; min
listers, FIVE; lawyers, four; artists, four |;
college professors, two; actors, one;
bank officials, twelve.
The record of embezzling, forgery,
defaulhng and bank wrecking for 1913
shows a slight decrease, being $780,
165. as compared with $6,769, ,125 last
wear. The losses are distributed as
follows: Stolen by public officials, $6l5,-
176; from banks, S1689,752; by agents,
S1,T12,912; forgeries. $21S,817; from
loan associations S1SS,2SS; by postal
employees. S17,967; miscellaneous steal
ings, $2,174,153. ,oo,
The number of homicides in 1903
shows a small increase, being 1916. as
compared with 1884 in 1902, and 1852
in 1901. There was an increase in the
number of murders by burglars, thieves
and hold-up men.
The total number Of trains held up
in fourteen years is 341; total number
of persons killed, ninety-nine. and the
number of persons injured (shob 1O9: ,
The number of trains held UP in l90S
was thirteen, as compared with twen-
ty-two last year.
The number of stage robberies In
1908 was six, while that Of last year
was seven.
This years record shows that no
passengers or trainmen were killed by
robbers, but there were six Woundeu.
Last year one was killed ana tnree
wounded. ~
One robber was killed in 1903. as
compared with three killed last year.