The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-12-30
MURDER RECORD
SHOWS DECREASE
Figures For 1912 Show Rate
Is Still Very High.
THIRTY CITIES INCLUDED.

Rate Per 100000 For 1912 Is 81 Against
8.4 For 1911-Memphis the Worst, /
With Advance of 11.6-United States I
Homicide Ratio Is Highest In World, |
Says Report.
The annual murder record for the |
United States. While showing slight |
Improvement over previous reports,
still suffers by comparison, according
10 statistics of homicides published in
the current issue of the Spectator.
Compilations made by Frederick l..
Hoffman show that there were 1914
homicides in thirty large cities of this
country in 1912. rate of 81 per 100.-
600 of population.
Similar records for 1911 were S.4 per
100000. There is Il corresponding de
crease in the relative number of sui
cides. equivalent TO 0.S per 100000. or
Al per cent The highest homicide
record reported occurred in 1907. when
the rate was SIS per 100000. ana the
lowest rates We're in 1901 and 1897
when A. per 100000 was the record.
OF the large American cities Mem
pms. L tltH. " III o. ltOlIAItllttS. SliDMo
rate of G4.3 per 100000. an increase
over 1911 Of ll.6 Ii is explained that
suburban murders arc counted in with
the city percentages.
New York Rate Increases.
The New York city record does not
show the same Improvement that the
average suggests. There We're 1913
4J.s, ~ Cf
G.S per 100000 or an increase of IL
For the ten years ended in 1911 there
We're Sci deaths of homicidal ma
turc with rate Of "a per 100000.
The high rate of homicide shown by
Memphis is carried ont when the cities
are taken by geographical groups. OF
the thirty cities cited those of the
southern group reported III homicideS.
an increase Of 10 I'LL its rate Of 20.2
per 100000. The eastern cities had the
lowest rate sl6. or 4.G per 100000.
while the western group showed los
anu the central group 50 per 100000
All these rates showed an increase over
the average for ten years
OF speeial interest i'll the tabulations
is the Inclusion of Il record kept by
the Chicago Tribune of the causes OF
homicides from 1905 to 1912. Accord
ing to this. 49, per cent Of the whole
number was caused by quarrels while
unknown causes We're responsible fol
Iii per cent Liquor IS given rs til,
cause Of % per cent Of the total whiis
murders by hghwaymcn caused s.
per cent Of the deaths Jealousy in
cidcntaly. was responsible for tho
same percentage.
Nc Homicides In Reading. Pa.
To Reading. Pa. is given the dis
tinction Of havin. no homicides com
mitted within IFS limits in 1912 whit,
5 in Philadelphia there We're only TWEEN
D ty-tmee homicides. rate Of Ii pc
100000. For the ten years ended il
1911 Hartford Conn. had the loves
number Of homicide Deaths twenty
six, although Milwaukee showed tn,
lowest rate. 10 per 100000. The lar
"est number Of deaths from homicid
in the ten years is shown 10y Chicago
with 4 total Of 1,II0.
9 In support of its comment on HE I'm
It favorable record Of this country. com
: PARSONS are made with the homicid
4 records in foreign cities In Italy Is
: pecially, whore it is generally assumes
i that human life is held cheaply. tn
!. rate for the latest year available. 1917
is 81 per 100000. 4 FIVE year averag
= shows rate of 80 In other words
to every 100 homicides in the Unite
\, States there are only sixty-six in italy
ii London. including only the city PROF
II err shows a five year average of IS
XXI per 100000 as compared with the sam
u average for New York Of GO. Ia Pari
ia in 1910 Il rate of SO was recorded Th
II city of Copenhagen, Denmark, is show
rs the safest European city, with n re-
ord in 1910 of only one homicide and
five year rate of 0.4J.