The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-10
HOW JUSTICE FALLS SHORT.

We have come to look upon the
United States as perhaps the most
peaceable place on earth and rela-
lively free from crime as compared to
the rest of the world, but study of
police conditions, emade by Raymond
B.Fosdick. revealed in a book which
he is about to publish called "Ameri-
can Police Systems" SHOWS that the
larger American cities are faced with
a task such as European police organ
izations have no knowledge of, and
that the police forces of London and
of Paris, with all their efficiency.
would be overwhelmed in New York
and would fall far below the level of
their present achievements if they
were confronted with the situation in
Chicago.
He then proceeds to furnish evil
dence of the preponderance of crime
in America. London, in 1916, with a
population of seven millions and a
quarter. had nine premeditated MUIR
ders; Chicago. one-third the size of
London, in the same period, had 105-
nearly twelve times as many. In the
year 1915, Chicago, with its 100000
people had twenty more murders than
the whole of England and Wales put
together. with their $4,000, 900 people.
The similar relative record prevailed
from 1910 to 1914 and in 1917 to
1918. In 1919. the number of murders
in Chicago was almost exactly six
times the number committed in Lon
don.
New York City, in 1916. had six
times the number of homicides that
London had for the same year. In
1917, the homicides in New York City
exceeded the total homicides of Eng
land and Wales put together, by 56.
In each of the years from 1914 to
1918 inclusive, New York had more
homicides than occurred in London
during any three-year period previous
to the outbreak of the war in 1914.
In 1915, st. Louis had eleven times
the number of homicides that Liver
pool had. and in 1916, eight times the
number. Los Angeles is one-twen-
tieth the size of London, but it had
two more homicides in 1915 than
London had for the same period. In
1917, it had ten more than London.
These relative records pertain to other
large cities in the United States. In
burglary statistics the same COMPARE
son maintains.
These conditions are attributed by
Mr.. Fosdick to a failure of justice in
this country, in relation to which he
says:
As many prosecuting officers have
pointed out, the criminal law in Amer
lea is a game in which the defendant
is given every chance to escape, fair
and unfair. while every possible OBJ
stacle is placed in the way of the pros
ecution. To such an extent has this
situation developed that under pres
ent conditions it would seem to be the
community that stands in need of pro-
lection rather than. the criminal
The wonder now is not that so
many guilty men escape" said a prom
ment msfnber of the Philadelphia bar,
but that under our present system
any guilty men are ever convicted
Where they have money enough TO
employ the most able counsel and to
take advantage of every delay and
technieRlity available, they practically
never are convicted"
In single year in Oregon---to use
an Illustration that could be duplicated
observation-disclosures occurred Sc homi-
cides. F0rty-six of the offenders were
arrested. OF these, 10 committed sui
eide and SO were held for trial. Of
the SO, only 3 were convicted at all,
and of these only l for murder in the
first degree.
In 1913, in the city of New York
there were 323 homicides, 1856 arrests
and only so, convictions. OF the so
convictions 40 received death SEN
fences.
In 1914 in the same city there were
202 honicides. 1875 arrests and Sc con-
victions. OF the Sc convictions. re-
ceived death sentences.
In 1917 in New York there were
2S6 homicides $50 arrests and 81 con-
victions, of which received death
sentences.
In 1913 in the same city there were
221 homicides 256 arrests and II con-
victiOns( of which received death
sentences.
In Detroit In 1917 there were SO
murders, 104 arrests and IA convic-
tiOns; in 1918 there were II murders,
147 arrests and % convictions.