The Washington herald., 1915-12-26
Tennessee Prohibition Brings
Unexpected Increase In Crime
Criminal Courts Crowded as Never BeoreMajoriy Of In
dictments Are for Violations Of Anti-Liquor Laws.
Each Case Costs State $50

Chattanooga, Tenn. Dec. 5.-Omcials
of the various criminal courts Of Ten
nessee and students Of crime statisticl
have been much concerned for several
months over a large increase Of infrac-
tions against the laws of the State as
reflected by the work Of grand jurles
After having on the statutes Of Ten.
nessee for seven years Statewide
prohibition law, and q number Of lesser
laws designed and. enacted to aid In
the enforcement Of the Statewide law.
1t was confidently expected by the. ad-
vocates Of prohibition. but doubted by
opponents, that AZ material reduction
would be noted In crime: but instead
of a reduction there Is a steady in
crease in practically every grade Of
crime. from public drunkenness to pre-
meditated murder.
That grand juries have been buster
than usual this fall is shown by an un-
precedentedly large number of indict-
ments in the more populous cities and
counties. The criminal courts are
clogged with business and jails and
warehouses are full to oyernowing. In
some of the counties steps have been
taken to enlarge the facilities Of work
houses In order to care for the greater
number OF criminals convicted in tho
to the workhouse under a small offense
law.
Published lists OF indictments show
beyond doubt that fully nifty per cent
Of the indictments returned by grand
juries throughout the State are for vio-
lations Of the prohibition laws and for
public drunkenness. Half OF the time of
the criminal courts is taken up trying
these cases The last legislature enacted a
set of laws making II mandatory on the
criminal courts to take cognizsnce OF all
petty infractions OF the prohibition laws.
Every county in the State has its full
quota of boot-leggers and public drunks.
to say nothing of blind tiger operators.
and the prosecutions OF these offenders
keeps criminal courts in perpetual ses-
sion. But there has also been an in
crease in all other crimes. such as muir
der. robbery and larceny.
Admit Crime Increase.
Hamilton County. Of which Chatta-
nooga Is the capital. is the third
county in point Of population in the
State. being exceeded by Davidson and
shelby only. The grand jury for the
fall term of the criminal court of the
county returned more than 200 true
bills. the largest number ever return
ed by a single jury in the history of
the county. The average number OF
true bills returned by a grand jury in
the county during period of ten
years is about 400. This falls record
of 700 indictments, therefore. shows
an increase in crime over the average
record of about IS per cent.
Judge $. ID. McReynolds. OF the Grim
inal court. himself a prohibitionist.
admitted that the work OF this grand
jury established a new high record Of
crime and Prosecuting Attorney NJ y.
Whitaker. also a prohibitionist. said
in an interview that he could not ac-
count for the large increase. after ad-
hitting the facts as shown by the
grand jury's report. In the course OF
his interview Gen. Whitaker took oc-
casion to declare against constitu-
tionaI prohibition in view of the fact
that so much dissatisfa ction exists
with the prohibitive policy through
out the State and county that to place
prohibition in a constitution would
create opposition, il not contempt. for
the organic law.
In Davidson and shelby counties.