Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-08-22

posed seem in many instances to bear
little relation to the gravity of the
crimes. OF the prisoners committed
Tor adultery, 21.3 per cent were SEN
fenced to terms of less than thirty
days imprisonment The maximum
penalty for this offense was three
years. while the crime of fornication
was published in number of in-
stances by imprisonment for periods
OF from three to fifteen years and In
some cases even longer. It is also cur.
ious to find the offense of disorderly
conduct meriting Imprisonment from
SIX TO nine years and violations OF
hquor laws calling for even seyerer
penalties.
Death Sentences.
vi the LOG persons committed tn
prison under death sentence 80 had
oeen convicted of homicide, of as
sault, of rape, and / of a double
crime. murder being one of them
Two women paid the death penalty
for homicide.
Life sentences were Imposed unop
GAO prisoners, of whom $50 were con.
victed of homicide. % of rape, 70 of
burglary. 4 of robbery, of larceny.
Oh arson, l of assault, of the crim,
against nature, l of perjury. 7 of An
unclassifed crime against propertv
and i of crime not stated. TWENTY
women We're committed during 1904
OF life sentence.
CriminaIity of coIored.
Among the 1851 prisoners com.
mitted during 1904, 125,093 were white
and 1858 colored, of whom 1856 were
Mongolians and TIA Indians. In other
words, 1874 per cent OF the total num.
per OF prisoners committed during the
year We're colored. OF the general
population In 1900, the coored formed
only III per cent. Since II can not
De presumed that the proportion or
colored In the population increased
materially between 1900 and 1904 n
is evident that the colored contribut.
cd To the prison class in excess of
their representation in the genera,
population. This condition is not con.
hhed To any one section of the conn
try, for the figures show that n oh.
famed IN every state and territory ex-
cept North Dakota and Arizona. where
inc coiored population is composed
chiefly of Indians
The colored, moreover. formed A..
larger percentage Of the prisoners
convicted of the more serious crime,
'han they did of those who had been
sentenced for the lesser offenses
ihey formed 31.5 per cent of tho
major offenders and only 10 per cent
of the minor.
er'minaiity Of Foreign Born.
Of the white prisoners of know,
NATIVITY S5,o9S, or 2S,s per cent, were
foreign born. The percentage of for.
e'sh born In the general white poppla.
tion 10 years of age and over at rho
census OF 1900 was 21.9. The differ.
ehce would seem to Indicate that IN.
ioreign born contribute to the prison
c'ass materially In excess of their
representation in the general popuIa. I
tlon, but 1t should be remembered that
the heavy immigration between 1aoo
and 1904 makes such a comn,r,.or
naruly lair to the foreign born. If
the figures for geographic divisions
are considered, it will be found. mora.
over mat the excess of foreign hor,
Is practically confined to the North
Atlantic states. for in the only other
DIVISIONS IN which the foreign born ,
are OF great numerical importance
.he north central and the western
'hey FORM smaller proportion of the
PRISONERS than of the general popul,.
ooh 10 years of age and over.
The figures for the separate nation
Antics OF foreign born show that per.
sons born In Austria. England and
"aies' ireland. Italy, Mexico, and
scotland formed a larger proportion of
'the foreign born prisoners committed
during 1904 Than of the total fore,gr
porn This was not true of the per.
sons born in Canada, Denmark
france, Germany. Hungary. NORWAY
Foiahd, Russia. Sweden. and Switzer.
iand The last mentioned groun M
countries furnished SIS per cen, NJ
.he foreign born population of 1900
out only s6.5 per Cent of the fore,c,
porn prisoners committed dprins,
iS"4' while the first mentioned propn
included 1858 per cent of the nonp,a
tlen and 1913 per cent of the prisoners
IIIiterates I ms.
OF the total number OF prisoners
1850. or 1916 per cent. were unable
to read and write. The major offend.
ers were more illiterate than the min.
or and the cclored were more Hitter
ate than the white, Among the colorea
S2.S per cent Were illiterate. while
among the whites the corresponding
percentage was only 81.
laborins Class Contributes Half
About one-half of the male prisoners
reporting a gainful occupation were
Nrawn from the laboring and servant |
class. 23T per cent from, ,,s~so., -.