The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-02-27
The Increasing Harvest of Homicide.
New Orleans Picayune.

New Orleans Pcayune.l
Prof. William O. Scroggs, Of the Louis
lana State University, has been interesting
himself in the statistics of murderous
crimes, and he finds that the inhabitants
of the United States are the most blood
thirsty people in the world.
In an article in the Baton Rouge Country
Review, of February 7th, he states that
the figures show "we have an average OF
twenty four murders day, or one for
every hour, and that, in proportion to pop
ulation, we have nine times as many MUIR
ders as the French, ten times as many as
the pagan Japanese, eleven times as many
as the English, and twenty-five times as
many as the Germans. In the last quarter
of century there has been ven-fold
increase in homicide in the United States.
| In 1911 there were 1912 homicides in the
United States, but in 1912 the number in
creased to 1852, gain of 1915 per cent.
In the single city of Chicago in 1912 there
were 237 homicides, an increase in five
years of 81 per cent; and yet our cities are
much less murderous, in proportion to
population, than our rural districts. Chi
cago had last year approximately 100 muir
ders for each million of it's inhabitants,
whereas London had in 1910 only five
homicides for each million of its inhabi-
tants. In other words, human life in Lon
don is valued twenty times more highly
than in Chicago.
"According to statistics compiled by the
Rev. H. S. Johns, chaplain of the State
Penitentiary, there were during the last
four wears 1,179 cases of homicides in this
State. This is an average of 294 per year,
and it means that the citizens of Louisiana
are Just thirty seven times as murderous
as the citizens of London. Perhaps bet
ter idea of conditions in this State can be
obtained when it is noted that during the
last four years there was an average of
nearly six homicides per week. This means
that practically every working day of the
wear a new grave has to be dug in Louisi-
ana to receive the mortal remains Of a
murdered man. We are no worse in this
respect than a score of other American
States, but it is no consolation to know that
we have plenty Of company.
"Our census reports show that our pop
ulation is increasing at the rate of 2 pei
cent year. Now, if homicides continue
to increase at the annual rate of 10 pei
cent. as was the case in 1912, how long viii
it be before the American people will dis
,, appear from the earth, through a process
of mutual slaughter? This is aice prob.
!. lem for mathematicians.
: Doubtless, the general law
lessness of this country has been vastly
increased and encouraged by the weak ane
infirm enforcement of the laws in this grea
nation. It is with difficulty that convic
: tons can be had in the criminal courts
: Then with appeals and delays almost in
. Vulnerable many more escape punishment
and out of the balance so many are par
doned, reprieved, punishment committed
: :. or turned out on probation, that it is com
= ;. ing to be fact that no bad man is afrait
u !. of punishment, and men of that stripe d.
= not hesitate to kill their fellows, for the.
q know that it will be truly astonishing
:, fact if any one of them ever gets to tn
. gallows:
. = That is the reason why we have so man,
= homicides, and this number will CONSTANT,
II increase.