The New York herald., 1921-05-23
ONLY ONE IN -FOUR
SLAYERS CONVICTED
Results Compiled From Fig
ureS Obtained i'm 80 Cities
Show Uniformity.
NO GREAT INCREASES
War and Recent Industrial
Depression Seem to Have
Made Little Difference.
NO GREAT INCREASES
NEW YORK NOT WORST
Much Talked of Crime Wave
Did Not Noticeably Change
Average Of HOmicides.

A nation wide survey made by The
New YoRk HERALD discloses that on
fhe police records in thirty-nine cities
in this country in 1920 there were
1874 murders noted For various rea-
sons. to be summed up briefly later on,
these same records show that the
courts registered one conviction for
every four murders.
Somewhat impressed BY New York
city statistics, kilograms were sent 10
thirty EIGHT cities selected at random.
and the replies. based upon official
data, provide something for psycholo-
gists, sociologists and plain, everyday
folk to think about
In the first place industrial depres-
sion is not making US a nation Of mur-
derers. There We're more Sayings
prior to the setting in of radical de-
hation. Secondly. it cannot be noticed
that the addition of the Eighteenth
Amendment 10 the Federal Constitu-
tion has made any difference in the
country's bent for. homicide. In this
matter we seem 10 be no better nor
worse than we were in 1915.
Furthermore it is indicated that the
much advertised crime wave that
swept the land within the last twelve
months did not cause murder sta
tistics to mount TO a noticeable degree.
But whether the crime wave helped
maintain the killings average of the
wet years can be nothing more than
a conjecture or a point for argument
because there are no reliable sta
tistics on which to base fair state
mont.
In all the usual phases Of a years
murder crop last years figures and facts
indicate that. despite the millions OF
words being written by learned diagnos-
ticians of our national complexes in
these out Of Joint days. We are still pur-
suing the wonted tenor of our way. be-
ing no more and no less murderous than
we were before the war And. on the
same score we are being punished just
as much as ever and no more. The
ratios rema ain the same.
New York No Better or Worse.
Before taking up the reports received
By THE New yoRk HERALD from the
various cities aueried II must be under
stood that there has not been an arrest
for every murder committed. Az nearly
accurate as the figures received permit.
Il is here set down that there have been
arrests made in more than 10 per cent
Of the cases Two-thirds OF these ar
rests produce nothing IN the conviction
column
Then there Is very small percentage
ns the recorded murders solved ga tue
spot by the suicide OF the murderer
Furthermore 1t must he understood that
the aggregate of convictions-abo one
for every four murders--includes those
found guilty Of homicide in the first and
second degree and ma nslaughter in two
degrees.
Again II must be remembered that
number Of those arrested for murder
have not Vet been tried,
New York city suffered 2l5 murders
in 1890 The thirty mine persons killed
in the Wall street explosion are not in
Guided Manhattan produced Ia and
returned nlneteen individual convictions
BROOKLYN shows seNentN-three homicideS
and tweuty-oue convictions. seven per
sons veto murdered In the Bronx and
hut one was convicted In Queens there
were fourteen aliugs bat only two
Convictions over In Richmond there
we're four murders, onl$ ono of winch
has been solved but -four persons were
found guilty of that one.
But New York II neither better nor
worse than other American cities in
This respect. She maintains the Ameri-
can average, which the most reliable
statistics indicate is somewhat lower All
around than that OF Great Britain. even
exclusive of ireland.
There were 1i6 killings in Chicago in
1920 and twenty-five OF them have been
avenged Dv convictions. However, chi
cago is trying to be better city. for
sbe suffered but Is during January.
February and March of this Year. Phil
adelphia indicates rather active police
force and hard working prosecutor.
Last year that huge village noted 1O5
murders and 81 persons charged with
murder were convicted The average of
convictions was high In Philadelphia,
but several cities had no such victories.
birmingham Had $50 killings.
Birmingham. Ala, has population
Of about 1873 600 or was credited in
1920 But there were l5s murders In
the county CJefferson) of which she u
tho county seat and virtually everything
Else. Negroes were more than 7b per
cent. OF the victims and about the same
percentage OF persons arrested for and
now being hunted for these murders are
blacks. But despite this number OF
homicides only % per cent OF the muir
ders have been followed BY convictions
Pittsburgh reports a5 murders In Allie
gheny county About 40 Of these
CURED In the city proper But thus far
there have been but s convictions. How
ever. there were al convictions for homi-
eide in Allegheny county In 1920. but 81!
hut OF them affected killings perpe-
trated before the first OF the year. De-
troits records show as murders in that
year, with ~ convictions. Hut IN the
same city there have been 20 killings
during the first three months Of this
year. with 2 convictions.
Syracuse has record Of murders
and no convictions There were 50 homi
cides in Cleveland and its suburbs and
the average OF convictions totals about
20 per cent. There were arrests In 81
cases ST. Louis produced l0 murders.
~ OF which are still unsolved There
were 81 convictions. Cincinnati admits
of only 10 killings. cutting Its 1919 list
in half Moreover. she boasts OF con-
victing 10 or the perpetrators OF last
years crop of killers
There we're 81 slayings In Memphis.
( Tenn which had then q population of
. $4,000 Like Birmingham. negroes fiR.
Nred largely as perpetrators and Nic-
lima The District Attorneys records
"a Il.