Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-14
URGES HALT IN SALE
FIREARMS TO CHECK
H0 mICIDE Rate

New York. June 13.-Drastic federal
legislation for the control Of firearms
as means Of checking the steadily
growing homicide rate was urged by
the Spectator. an insurance periodical.
today in making public homicide stats.
tics for 1922 which showed q staying
rate in % of the largest cities Of nine
per 100000 of population.
THE record since 1900" said the re-
view. reflects an attitude of lawless-
ness and Indifference to human life
without parallel in the history Of man.
KIND. Nor Is the true state Of facts
clearly revealed by the recorded MUIR
der death rate. in view Of the practical
certainty that to an increasing extent
clever methods of crimes are resorted
TO- ana successfully. to hide the true
Facts OF murder. while deaths are re-
ported as accidents or suicides.
The outstanding facts Of Americas
murder record are: First, the excess
slve proportion of criminals who 60 en-
tirely unpublished or who fail to re-
celve punishment proportional to the
seriousness OF their offenses; second
the large majority Of murders COM
mitted by shooting. as the result of the
ease with which revolvers and ammuni-
ton can be secured even where the
law prohibits their sale"
Presenting statistics of the federal
census bureau to show that nearly five
out Of every seven murders in the last
IL years were committed with firearms,
the review said:
While beginning has been made
IN some states to control firearms.
there is probably no alternative than
that of congressional action for meet
ing the murder problem"
Capital punishment" the review
concludes. "is not a sufficient deter
rent Of homicidal crimes to Justify it's
continuance" and should be abolished
as "a relic Of barbarism for which
modern civilized society should long
since have been able to find a proper
substitute"
The review showed Memphis. Tenn.
heading the homicide rate list with
GA per 100000 of population. Spo-
kane. WASH. at the other end of the
list with l per 100000. Nashville.
Tenn. had the second highest rate.
S0.7; New Orleans was third with 81
and St. Louis fourth with 1863.
Next to Spokane. the cities with low
rates were: Reading. Pa. is: Hart
ford. Conn, 2; Milwaukee,. Wis. 20;
Rochester. n. Y. 90; Providence. r.
T.. 3.3: Boston. Mass, sc; Seattle.
Wash. 5.4, and Minneapolis. Mimi. SIS.
Sectionally. the South showed the
higher rates while the New England
states recorded. generally speaking. the
lowest A supplemental list showed
Brockton. Concord. Lynn and Salem,
Mass, as without any murders in 1922.
as were New Haven. Conn.,. and VIII
Transport. Pa.
Citing number OF recent outstand-
ing cases in which the slayers have es-
caper MISUNDERSTANDING the STAY
ing of Dorothy King. New York model;
Clarence Peters. Haverhill, Mass.
youth; the double murder of the Rev.
Edward Wheeler Hall and Mrs Eleanor
Rcinhardt Mills of New Brunswick. n.
j.; the Herrin massacres and the Mer
Rouge hooded band killings-the re-
view concluded:
Murder indeed has become safe
trade and the government and the pub
lie view the most appalling situation
on record with Indifference if not with
lack of serious ccnccrn."