Bisbee daily review., 1918-01-09
COUNTY ATTORNEY OF
 MARICOPA CONDEMNS SENTIMENTAL STATUTE
L. NJ. Laney Declares That Great Increase in Murder in Maricops is Due to the Abolishment of the Death Penalty.

That the abolition of capital pun ishmert is responsible to a great degree for tie increased number of hcmiciies in NaricOpa county. was the statement of COuntv Attorney L. NJ I.znev in Phoe1ix several days ago
 T am not prepared to say whether or not it is morally right to hans. but am convinced that capital pun nshment has a restraining effect on those who contemplate murder" he said.
 Nr. Laney. in recOuntins the crimes committed in NaricOpa county since the abolition Of the death penalty. declared that he had evidence to the effect that fear of death stayed the execution Of crime This he noted conclusively in the case Of John Groff. who aided and counseled L. Anderson in the murder of Stephen Hughes. a Te-pe rSncher- Owing 10 the fact that the alleged crime was committed four days before the law abOlishins capital punishment went into effect. the court instructed the jury that ID event the defendant was found guilty of first degree murder the verdict might he returned for life imprisOn- ment or death
 sr. Laney said that Croft had up to this tine been under the imp-es- sion that since the people had voted on the measure it was out of the province of a jury 10 impose the death senteSce- He maintained his nerTe stoicaI.v throughout the trial. and it vas not until this instruction was read that GrOff showed signs of weakening
 .It is always a dramatic moment in a murder case when the jury re turns its verdict said MT Lanex- -Whsa the clerk read the verdict we, the jury do find John Groff guilty Of murder in the first degree Croft turned deathly pale and thought he would shriek. He sripped his chair, awaiting the final verdict with more emotion than I had seen displayed in the court room in years. When the clerk continued after a brief pause, announcing the verdict Of life imprt sOnment, GrOff relaxed and MT La ney then pointed out the fact that Star Daly, who committed the most in famous crime that has ever been com mitted in this state. was not afraid of punishment in Arizona
 Daly. after murdering Gibson. srossly mistrested his wife and when she protested and finally confronted him with they'll hang you he iaughingly replied. mot in Arizona"
 Just how much crime is due to the abolishmeEt of capital punish ment can not say. but certainly the evidence tends 70 show that it is re- sponsible in a large measure to the increase of crime. There are several other elements that enter into bring ing up the homicide rate in this cOun- ty." said Mir. Laney, who believes that the psychological effect of the war and the general growth Of h com munity brought about by the influx of Nexicans and other laborers in con nectiOn with the cotton industry.
 While the cotton industry is one Of the fine and iaudable projects of the valley, yet the fact remains that the type of iabOrer it brings constf tutes a measurable element in the in crease of crime and violence said the county attorney. While none of the hOmicides could be traced direct ly to this source there have been sev- eraI assault cases that arose in the cotton fields Another factor which the prosecutor gives as a cause for the wantOn murders in this county is the war element. the public alarm that is being experienced. and which has resulted in the too free use of fire arms
 The border raids have instilled a certain fear among our people. who have acquired the habit Of protecting their homes with guns While it is proper to have gun in the house for protection, this does not warrant the use of it under circumstances not justifiable"
 In only one of the cases is liquor