Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-06
Wednesday, December 6, 1911.
Breaking Down the Law.

tailed proof that United States GRIM
inal law in this twentieth century is
next TO useless. No more striking ex-
cupying the news columns, and COM
ing chiefly from Los Angeles, Cal.
Were it not that we know of the rapid
increase and prevalence of crime,
what startling exemplification that
the great labor organizations of this
country should have thought it neces-
sary to raise hundreds of thousands
Of dollars for the defense" of men
of their order accused of crime!
And this enormous sum of de
tense" money was to be expended
chiefly in hiring renowned lawyers
skilled in taking advantage of every
legal teehnicality!
Defense of those accused of crime
In these days seems to be along the
line of a belief that government Of
ficers charged with support of our
laws, would convict an innocent man
If possible, for the sake of making
good showing of service. Defense Of
notorious criminals in recent years IS
conducted much the same as if the
court were regarded as a highly paid
figure-head, that must be swayed by
brilliancy of legal talent and display
of wealth and power.
In Golfers for December 2, is a re-
narkable article by Carl Snyder on
1.-The Monstrous Breakdown of the
Criminal Law" 1t is a declaration
that the administration of justice in
DIAL and farce, and proves it by
facts. figures, and expressions of
judges and jurists in the strongest
terms. This article is convincing to
the 1ayman that conduct of our
courts and methods of procedure
therein, are responsible for a deplor-
able condition of affairs in which
technicality- clogged decisions have
rendered this country notorious before
ihe civilized world.
The writer quotes many of the coun-
try's ahlest jurists. governors. law
school experts and others, to show
that conditions are growing worse;
that administration of law is broken
down, and that acceptance of absurd
technicalities have rendered justice
largely impotent; that the laws de-
lays and man-handling by unserupu
lous lawyers have cost the respect of
the people for their once most cher
ished institutions; that the bowling of
the courts before trivialities has
brought it about.
Stripped OF its voluminous support
by eminent jurists and others, the
article referred to above carries the
following striking facts, which may
furnish food for thought for every
reader Of the Kennebec Journal:
A simple calculation suffiees to show
that:
There are more than 100000 muir
derers now living in the United
States, of whom more than three
fourths have never been imprisoned
for their crimes.
In the last issue of Golfers l en-
deavored to show that the estimate of
5000 TO 5000 murders annually in this
country was under rather than above
the mark. This has been true for
more than Is years.
The age of the average murderer Is
under 80, and probably not over %.
The average expectation of life for
a person alive at rs is SO years. The
majority Of all murderers are profess
SIGNAL criminals, which means that
they are for the most part tubercn-
little, syphilitic, or otherwise diseased
A considerable part do not outlive
their crimes 10 years.
If we take Is years as an average
for the whole number, then, at the rate
OF above 5000 murders per year, the
estimate of above 100000 now living is
low. Not many men kill more than
one person in their lifetime.
Now as TO the failure of the law.
Last year in New York City the
coroner reported 1856 homicides; the
grand jury considered 119, and there
were As eonvictions-one in four.
In 10 years 1851 murders have been
investigated by the grand juries-
probably but little more than half OF
the actual number done-and there
have been 1872 convictions. Say one
I'm four or five.
In Chicago last year there were 202
murders reported: one was hanged,
Is sent to prison, 1856 went scot free.
This is nearly nine out of ten.
Yet the courts Of New Kork and
Chicago represent a high average. far
above the rest of the country.
In Texas the editor of the journal
of the American Institute of Criminal
Law" estimated there have been ovel
1000 murders in the last two. years
There We're 104S indictments.
In Dallas County alone there wer,
rs murders in one year, 23 indictments
one onviction-sentence five years.
In Harris County 81 murders; tw'
hanged.
In Tarrant County 40 murders; non
hanged.
And these are fair samples. In tn