The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-03
PEOPLES FORUM
Capital Punishment and Statistics.

Editor of The Virginian:
Sir,-According to the mortality statistics COM
piled by the United States bureau of staststics,
for all the years reported covering a period
OF ten years from 1900 to 1909 inclusive, the
yearly average of the number of homicdes per
1000 population for the eighteen States com
posing the registration was as follows:
Colorado, 20; California, 1884: Connecticut.
~; Indiana, "a: Maine. rs; Maryland TIA;
Massachusetts 2.57 Michigan, as; New Hamp-
shire, 23 New Jersey, 4; New York AS;
Ohio, 1912; Pennsylvania s,s; Rhode Island. 5;
South Dakota, s.33: Vermont, 4.s2: Washing
ton, 1852: Wisconsin Al
The general average for the years of the
period reported for Maine. Michigan. Rhode
island and Wisconsin--the four States where
the death penalty has been revoked-is 1872 per
100000, while for the States infiicting the death
penalty, for the same period, the general aver
age is s26. or nearly 115 per cent greater
examination OF each years report covering
the ten-year period shows an increase of homi-
eide In California, Connecticut Massac husetts,
Indiana, New Jersey. New York PENNSYLVANIA
and Vermont-States where capital punishment
obtains and where It is rigidly enforced-while
of the four States that have abolished the death
penalty, only Michigan shows an increase, which
is very slight Tho increase in Massachusetts
from 1905 to 1909 was 100 per cent
Though unable to get statistics from Kansas
a recent letter from the secretary of the gov
ernor is to the effect that the homicides in
that State are comparatively few and that there
- no disposition to restore the death penalty
we Will remember that capital punishment has
been abolished by practice in Kansas since
lsf2 the governors In their discretion having
Jailed to sign the death warrants at the end
or one years imprisonment, as the law re-
quired since this date. It has been recently
abolished by statute. The State of Washington
In the face of its high homicide rate abolished
the death penalty the present year
Examination OF report No. 1Os of the fftv-
lourth United States congress, on capital pun
ishment, Will show the results obtained from
the abolition OF capital punishment in foreign
countries are no less beneficial than in our own
Holland. Italy Portugal. Norway, Costa RIGA
and hfteen of the twenty-five Cantons of Swift
zeriand have abolished 1t by statute and Belgium
by practice. 1t Is gratifying to note this official
from the abolition Of capital punishment in the
above foreign countries, but the conditions of
high criminality have become better
When we consider statistics and all thirFs
that affect conditions of criminalitv when we
hnd the self-nfcted death penalties (suicides)
average $500 per year in the United States and
add to this the fact that when a government
calls Tor men to expose themselves to missiles
OF death on the battle fields many vicious and
criminal men will Join the ranks with men of
integrity and patriotism, the claim that has been
so long held, the death penalty is great de-
terrent from grave crimes" should become a
question to every who is looking for the
truth.
L. w. HENDRICKSON.
Nashville, Tenn