The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-01-05
7.soo MURDERS \ YEAR N =. :.

] ssffNN ~ hlfNaNAE Y NNHhi - -
The homicide record OF thirtN-one
American cities Tor the year 1915 in
dicatcs no change Tor the better hat
quite the contrary. AZ compared with
the average rate. S4 On 100 coo for
the years i9ti-ls. 1910 shows a rate
OF 90. or am increase of 81 per cent.
There appears also To have been a
steidy Increase during the Las, decade.
the years BILLS showing "a rate OF
50. as against : for i9o6-io.
These facts. compiled for an article
on the homicide record for 1919
which appears iu THE Spectator, a
weekly insurance journal leads the
writer OF the article to the conclusion
hat certain general national TRAN
and special economic and social cor-
.di,ionS are responsible Tor the excess
siyc degree ~ homicide frequency Il
ma, Doe couser,ativelv estimated. he
say. that there are NOT less imam
$500 homicidal deaths annually 800 the
continental United states. and de-
| plorrs ,his needless sacrifice Of NE
TO the extent" the writer continues,
| that murder trials are unduly pro-
lIongod. and that the public gives the
weight of its ondorsement To w'o"S-
rul actions. the tendency to murder IN
| American cities derives It's utmost
cncouragement pt the present time
The problem ot murder prevention
and control h., however Sc most serl-
ous and involved one. In the soiutio1
OF which life insurance companies
have a diroet interest IA view Of -tae
fact that che murder Of Insured per-
sons Is by no means a rare exception
and that premature mortality losses
on account of homicidcs constitute q
measurable element OF cost Ia the
policy holders"
The five cities with the highest
homicide record are IN the south
Memphis, Atlanta. Ncw Orleans
Nashville and Charleston. The five
cities with the lowest rate during the
year were: Newark. y. j.; Providence
n. L.: Rochester, \. y; milwaukee,
Wis, and Reading. Penn. An OF these
cities are representative industrial
centers, with n large proportion at
tho foreign-born population They
not only show low rates, but also and
| without exception. a decrease in the
| rate during tho year 1915, in CONF
parlson with the preceding five years
They are ali OF tho north and central
west, in contrast 20 the five cities
with rates far above the average
which are an Of the south.
As has been the case in former years
the highest homicide rate prevails III
Memphis, she usunl extremely hlsn
rate having increased 20 the almos
incredible proportion Of $50 Co 100
600 Of population. The pro-omir'n'e
81 this city for it's murder record is
emphasized by the fact that Atlanta
with the next highest rate shows "n'S
81 10 100. 600, while BOSTON has ""''
Is.
Geographical distril uiipu OF ''I'-
bv districts shows Approximately ''
I same situation. Eastern cities have a
Into of 49,: central cities l2i; SOUTH
crn cities. 2l.7. Pacific coa-t cities.
go. Distribution ny states shows
| roughly the same condition.
Both the state Of Connecticut aud
| the city NJ Hartford have an cuNi"hl'
| position iu these Tables 'ouucctirui
has % homialdal rate of $50 with only
eight states as good oT better There
are only Elk cities with RACES u- good
as or better than, IIartford's 4 Co
600. 900.
The high murder rate of the south
,ru cities and states rs partly, but NOT
wholly. due 10 the negro population acc
,urdng to the statistics The average
white homicide rate i'm the southern
states for the years l915-i6 was 50.
mhjlc Tor the colored b was 3oi That
this ip not the SOC Is shown.
however, Dy Tho fact that Memphis
with IT'S extraordinary number oil
~homi,ldcs. shows , white rate ~ 90
us against 1887 for the coiored popu'
iouou.