Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-16

An understanding OF tlc conduct and
morality of the now conner and strang
er is essential both for the migrant
himself and for the community upon
which he is thrust. The migrant is
unknown to us. We look upon the
stranger with suspicion and upon all
his habits and customs as queer and
out OF the ordinary. 1t is therefore
natural for us to question his morali
ty and character and to consider him
the cause Of the crimes and vices
OF the community. III the past, we
blamed the Italians. the Slavs, the
Jews and the other foreign groups as
being mainly responsible for many
of the anti-social acts in our urban
society; but when we come to know
them our attitude changes.
Could there be more charitable
defense of any people than Dr.. Epstein
has made here? Here is "the gospel
truth;
The Negro, although with us for
centuries, Is still nintelligiblo to the
average northern community This
has been borne on, Dy our present
survey in the Pittsburgh district. Al
though i'll many instances the Negro
cs live near the wIl;tcs, even among
them, there is very little understand
ing or communication between the
two races, and mutual prejudice and
suspicion prevail.
And again:
With tIc cessation Of tho white
immigration incident to the war and
the influx Of thousands Of Negroes
from the South the black has become
the Stranger in town. We sec him
crowding in certain districts. congre
eating OH street corners, apparently
amazed at his sudden transfcrencc
from country TO city life; from his
home familiar though oppressive eli
virCnment, into the glare and lure
OF the great Industrial city with its
apparent freedom for al. The Negro
looks with wonder upon all this, and
HIS reaction to it seems suspicious to
the whites. When they see IL, polcA
patrol wagon frequently in the color
cd district or when some crime is com
mittcd in that neighborhood it is not
unnatural for them to think that these
strangers are responsible for all
crime and vice. This, unfortunately,
is not only the attitude Of the average
person unfamiliar with conditions, but
is also the theory upon which the
police officials seem to proceed in
their work. On one occasion when a
murder was committed in the "Hill'
district the polio made wholesale
arrests Of the Negroes, only to free
them in q few days, having no evil
dence against them.
This assumption Of the Negroes re
sponsibility for "wavc of crime, rape
and murder" this year was held not
only by persons who got their inform
alton from played-up case in the
newspapers, but also by many social
workers and Negroes tnems
was evidenced by their expressed per
sonal opinions. A colored probation
officer, for instance, asserted that the
Juvenile delinquency among her peo
pie had at least doubled during the
last year, and she was greatly supris
ed when an examination Of the records
disclosed very considerable decrease
in these cases. This Illustrates how
strange groups in our communities
may be, and how essential arc the
facts to a clear understanding of the
situation.
1t will be seen then that a colored
probation officer had a very poor es
timato OF the condition Of her own
people. But here are the statistical
facts carefully compiled:
In order to ascertain the facts con
corning the extent OF Negro crime in
the Pittsburgh district an analysis
was made Of the police court records
OF seven months in the year 1914-15
in comparison with the same period
Of 1916-1917. The periods selected
were December 1, 1914 to June 80,
1915 and December /, 1916 to June
80, 1917. The first period embraces
the time Of the initial war prosperity
before the migration had begun. In
the second period the Negro migraa
ton was at it's highest point. The
police dockets Of Station Number 1,
the Central Station, and Station Mum
Der (which is in the most densely
populated Negro section OF the city
were carefully canvassed and com
pared as to number of arrests, kind
OF charges disposition Of cases and
age, sex, etc, of the accused.
Could any statistician be fairer in
dealing with a class Of people? Ho
says:
The first thing that strikes us is
the disproportionate increase in pet
ty arrests over the increase in court
charges or graver crimes From the
figures obtained 1t appears that al
though 1.-THE number Of arrests on charg
les OF suspicion drunkenness, disor-
DERBY conduct and similar petty
charges have increased from approxi
mately forty percent to over two hun
dred percent; tho graver crimes, as
a whole have remained stable in spite