Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-29
CRIMES IN LONDON
Police Stations and Prisons
Never So Full.
COST MILLIONS YEARLY
ALL SORTS OF INSURANCE
SCHEMES ORGANIZED.
The Origin and Development of
Lloyd's - An Imprinted Story
About Senator Sumner.
COST MILLIONS YEARLY
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIs
Written for The Star and the Chicsxo Record.
Herald.
The English newspapers about a year
ago had great deal to say about crime
In the United States-particuIarly in CHI
cago-and lynchings-particularly in the
southern states. DR.. Andrew ID. White,
in his very interesting memoirs. takes the
ground that crime was less prevalent ii
England than in this country, because OF
the more effective operation OF the British
criminal courts, and his assertion pro-
voked much comment. 1t Is true that the
defendant in criminal proceeding in Great
Britain does not have so many opportuni-
ties to escape the penalty of his crime
as he would have in the United States
Changes of venue, conttnuances appeals
and new trials are not granted over there.
except on convincing evidence that there
has been miscarriage of justice There
are no loopholes in the laws for the escape
of murderer or thief or a forger in
England. There Is no unnecessary delay.
In this country man accused of serious
crime postpone the execution of the
penalty for years. In England he cannot
postpone 1t longer than a few months at
the most, no matter how much money he
has or how high his rank may be. or how
great his political influence. He has no
privileges that are not accorded to the
poorest and humblest prisoner. 1t Is I'M
necessary to say how different is the GRIM
inal procedure in the United States. Law
yer Patrick Is in New York as an exam
pie. He has been fighting successfully for
five years to escape the electric chair. Such
6 thing would not have been possible IN
England. The courts there try criminals
upon the evidences of guilt and not upon
the techncalities of the laws. 1t Is use
less for the defendant In British criminal
procedure to plead flaw in the indict-
ment against him, or for his lawyers to
resort to any other defect or mistake OF
the prosecution, or any legal trickery.
Costs London $13, 100000 Yearly.
Conceding this. however, recent inquiries
into the subject do not show that there has
been any decrease In crime in England. On
the contrary, the London papers declare
that the police stations and the prisons were
never SO full. and that such serious offenses
as murder burglary, counterfeiting and as
sault have never been so frequent as within
the past year. 1t costs the city of London
$40, O0O, 600 year to maintain her police. her
prisons and her reformatOry institutions,
which is an average of 1851 per capita for
every taxpayer. In addition to this, 81 ,2l8,-
625 is the estimate of property stolen by
thieves last year which has never been re-
covered. The loss of time to the citizens Of
London because of injuries suffered from as
saults by footpads is estimated at nearly q
million dollars, and several millions more
are expended in apparatus, such as burglar
alarms, window fastenings, safes and other
of protection to property. Social
who have recently made a study
of this question place the total cost of crime
in the city of London alone at more than
SIS, OO0,00 year.
This prevalence Of crime has caused the
organization of all kinds of insurance
schemes to indemnify those who suffer. One
can get an insurance policy to cover almost
There is window insurance and
dog insurance; one can get indemniication
for burglaries or injuries caused by assault.
Anti-burglar insurance has been common for
many years. Almost every rich householder
in London has his silver plate and his wife's
jewels covered by insurance against bur-
glary. Many similar policies are issued in
the United States, although we do not go so
far as they do in England. The latest form
of insurance over there is protection against
injuries sustained from automobiles or
motor cars, as they are called. It seems
quite natural and necessary. A chauffeur
can take out policy which will pay him so
much week in case of injury and so much
to heirs in case he is killed by an accident
to his machine. The general public can In
sure themselves against being run down by
automobiles, or against all accidents which
may result from this new method of locomo
ton. Policies against injuries from being
Knocked over by bicycles have been written
for many years, just as you can get insur-
ance against being struck by lightning