The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-11
PREVALENCE OF CRIME.


ially of murder, in all public journals
of the country, East and West. In cou
ucction with this, there has been q gen
eral criticism of the inefficicncy of thS
courts in dealing with crime. In salt
Lake there has been much discussion
Of this question, and the noel of that
discussion is evident from the fact that
so MANY desperate characters arc still
waiting the final determination Of their
eases. although as to a number of them
there is not the least question Of the
guilt of the accused. Recent murders
in this city have kept the public atten-
tion strained upon this point; aui the
reign of lawlessDess both here an
throughout the State is generally de-
plorcd The double murder by Crowd
at Moab is also fresh in the public
mind. and the Logan Journal, making a
review of a number of the more prom
iucnt eases of murder in this State. mar
rates how a constable at Hyde Park mar
rowly escaped death at the hands of q
desperate whom he was trying to sup.
press, but who drow pistol and
snapped the hammer. the officer
escaping only because the car
fridge was detective There is no
question but that, as the journal
saws, "the general demand is for few
swift convictions and prompt e1ccu'
tious;' but we dcprccatc ITS further
conclusion that, unless these arc had,
tho communities "wilI resort to the
earlier frontier methods of f-protcc-
ton and lynching.' We trust that
nothing of this kind viii be done III
Utah for that would put the whole
community III the murlerers class, and
would benefit nothing whatever. So far
as Utah is concerned, the great diff
Guilty is in the laws and court prac-
tice: and a fruitful source of delay is
the constitutional right Of appes which
has been so literally construed that
those on trial are practically granted A
free bill of appeal without regard TO
the merits OF the questions raised.
We find statement in the Portland
Orcgonian from Mr.. Leslie NJ. Scott. III
which he shows that "morc than $500
persons arc victims annually Of homl
eide in the United States, and only
about 100 slaycrs are executed cach
YEAR. that is. only about one IN 50.
Mr.. Scott quotes from the Chicago
record of the homicijes and
executions in the United States each
wear since 1850, showing that in the lat
ter wear about one iu Is Of tho muf-
dercrs was executed; but from thence
onward tho proportion dwindlcd until
i'm 1896. with 1862 murders, there
were only l22 executions, beng about
the same proportion as in l9lU, Wh'cn
had 500 murders and l0f executions
Mr.. Scott very Justly makes tho areu-
mcnt that. unless the criminal laws arc
enforced. crime wil grow and .-eriml-
mails VIII increase III their recklcssncss.
The New York Evening Post recent.
" printed record OF cone Month of
Crime compile, from newspaper rec
orls Of thirty days in twcnty-thrce
States. The thirty DAYS taken were
from October 10th TO November loth.
In that time there were 21i murders,
one of them double murder, so thai
he murdcrcrs' victims numbered 10
I,Nnchiuus were included under tho head
Of murder: aud so the exact number ot
could not definitely he fixed.
Tennessee and Alabama healed the list
At MI
aud Georgia came next with IL each,
Florida had 10; North Carolina IA; ILL
nos Is. West Virginia had 10: Penn
sylvnnra and South Carolina cach;
Louisiana I: Kansas, Nebraska, and Ok
lahoma each; Indiana. Missouri, and
MARYLAND > each. There were IN addl-
tion. homicldes which could not proper
lv come under the head of murder
since the element of intention or dc
libcratc generalization was lacking
fifteen killings Of ,hs character.
There were. besides tho murders. -
eases of criminal assault, 81 suicides,
& eases Of arson, G successful or ut.
tempted train wrecks, Is Jail deliveries,
and white.slaverv ami kldnapmg cases
23. 1t is black recorl IN
decd. one that is disgrace to the Rc-
public.
But. what is 10 be done about il We
in Utah can I 10 anything about mur-.
ders in other States. but ne ought GER
fainlv 10 be able TO DO something about
mlrlcrs in this state. Thus far we ap-
pear paralvzcd, unable TO act. in the
other States very similar conditions pre-
vail: and so the paralysis is nation
wide.
California has recently adopted con
amendment aimed TO DO
away with tcchuicalities and to min
imizc the importance of trIviaIltics III
he trial of criminal eases, Unless the
LAWYERS and tho courts succeed III mIn-
imiziug in practice tho effect of this
California ought TO show
results that would be ~eaccrly sought
hy other States. Aud certainly Utah
needs such Qualification of It's Grim
inaI iudcial system almost more than
any other State,