The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-01-11
TRAGEDIES Of 1872.
Statistics Show Increase in Number
of Legal Executions and Suicides,
and Decrease in Lyncf1inas
Heavy Loss Of Life Among Avia-
tors.

The number of legal executions IN
1912 shows a large increase, as COM
pared with those Of the last few
years, being I45, as against II in
1911, 104 in 1910, lot in 1909, and SO
in 1908. One hundred and thirty
nine were put: to death for murder,
four for assailing women, one for at
tempting to do SO, and one for bur-
glary. These figures were compiled
BY the Chicago Tribune.
The number Of lynchings III 1912
shows gratifying decrease, and is
the smallest since these records
were begun, in 1884, being 81, as
compared with II in 1911. The
number of lynchings in the various
states was. as. follows. Alabama, s;
Arkansas, 8; Florida, 5; Georgia, II;
Louisiana. s; Mississippi, 6; Mon
tana, l.; North Carolina, l; North
Dakota, /; Oregon, 1; Oklahoma, /;
South Carolina, Z; Tennessee, 5;
Texas, 3; Virginia, /; West Vlr-
ginia, /; Wyoming, /. Cases of
race rioting or killing by posses
not included. Of the total num-.
Der sixty were blacks and four
whits, three of the former being
women.
The record of suicides shows an
increase, the number for 1872 being
1881, as compared with 1922 in
1911. The proportion of suicides as
between men and women remains
about the same, being 1882 males
and 5349 females. Physicians, as
usual, head the list among profess
sional men, the number being 40 as
compared with 81 in 1911. Clergy
men come next, having taken their
own lives. 1t is curious fact that
few lawyers are guilty of suicide.
Among business men ID bankers have
made away with themselves.
The causes of suicide were as fol
lows: Dependency, 6321; unknown,
1882; insanity, 1912, domestic infelic-
ity, 1920; i'll health, 1862; business
losses, 50; liquor, Ill; disappoint-
ment in love, 821.
The melancholy feature of these
statistics is the constantly increasing
number of those who We're impelled
to commit suicide because of i'll
health. Of the total number 4148
shot themselves, 1926 took poison,
2722 hanged themselves, 852 drowned
themselves, 148 cut their threats, $50
asphyxiated themselves, So threw
themselves in front Of railroad trains
and 1853 from roofs or windows; 80
stabbed themselves, q burned them
selves, Is blew themselves up with
dynamite and 6 starved themselves.
The total of killed in sport and
through accidents arising from cele-
brations is as follows: Fourth Of
July and other celebrations, II;
baseball, "a; football, II; bicycles
and motorcycles, 1874; horse racing,
81 wrestling, 2; didn't know it was
loaded IS; prize fighting, q roller
eoasting, i basketball, 2; rocking
the boat, disc throwing, &; put
ting the. shot, 4. golf, foot racing,
I; hunting, 155.
One of the saddest features of the
disasters of the year is the large in
crease in the number of aviators who
have sacrificed their lives in the at
tempted solution of the problem of
safely navigating the air. IN 1908,
one man killed; in 1909, 4; in 1910,
80; in 1911, 50; in 1912, 152; making
a total Of 288 in the four years since
air flying was attempted Shreveport
Times.