The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-04-27
$500 Per Year in Advance.
Ban,berg Leads mHomicides
Says Professor Wilson Gee

South Carolina averaged a homf-
eide every other day last year, ac-
cording to figures compiled by Prof.
Wilson Gee of the department OF ru-
raj social science at the University OF
South Carolina. These figures, based
upon the records of the bureau OF
vital statistics, show that during the
year j247 people lost their lives
through violence in the state, an av-
erage of 14.7 homicides for every
100000 people in the state.
OF the 46 counties in the state,
Dorchester has the only spotless rec
ord, while Bamberg, with 13 'homi-
cides, has the worst record Of 81 vio-
lent deaths for each 100000 popula-
tion. Florence, ranking 44th in the
list, had a total of 16 homicides, but
only showed a record of 31.7 homl-
cides per 100000 population. Rich
land county is seventh in the list with
q total of seven, or Of only lot
every 100, 900 people.
There is nothing more priceless or
precious in the world than human
life" Professor Gee says. The "value
of a single soul is incapable OF being
estimated in terms of material con-
sideration. All such attempts in the
history of mankind have met with
disaster.
"some nameless crimes that are
worse than depriving the human in
diyidual of the right to live, because
they take the motive and Joy out Of
living, are more diabolical than homf-
eide, but these are few in number.
One of the first principles engraved
into the makeup of the young life
should be the consideration of the
rights and privileges of his fellow
man-a knowledge of the live and
let live principle. The first lines of
one of the most famous documents in
our national history recognizes that
all men are endowed with certain in
alienable rights to life! liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.
Become More Tolerant.
seMost of us are conscious of these
feelings. We carry them as an un-
DERIVING substratum to all of our re:
lations with one another, and the
older we become the more tolerant
we are of the opinions and actions
and reactions Of others.
"But something is materially
wrong with an age and a state where
with less than 100000 Of souls
within year there are 247 human
lives snuped out and sent into eterni-
ty on a moments notice by another
human being, usually under a high
emotional tension.
tThis was the situation in South
Carolina in 1921. The records OF the
bureau of vital statistics of the state
board of health are Authority for the
statement that last year there were
247 people who died in South Caro-
lima with homicide as the as
signed cause of death. The situation
in 1920 reveals 24s as the number Of
homicides within our border.
"These figures mean that practi-
cally two days out of every three
within the borders of our fair state
some human being takes the life OF
another human being, and the voice
of Abel cries aloud from the ground
before the Almighty to condemn his
brother, Cain. Almost every day the
press carries the details of some hor-
rible tragedy enacted within our bor-
ders, and we wonder that human be-
ings can 50 degrade themselves ana
mar the perspective in which they
should view life. ....
One County Clear.
tsIn only one county in the state
was there no homicide in 1921. We
are glad that there was this one, and
may Dorchester county stand out as
an example to it's sister counties in
spring them to likewise keep their
hands free of the blood of their fell
low man.
ssThe county with the largest num-
Der of homicides last year, is Flor
ence with 16 such tragedies enacted
in it's midst. It is closely followed
by Spartanburg with II homicides
and Charleston and Bamberg with 13
each.
"But it would be somewhat unfair
to put the rating upon this basis, for
some counties have much larger pop
ulations than others. Ranking the