Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1893 — Murder and Its Punishment. [ARTICLE]

Murder and Its Punishment.

Pittsburg Chronicle. Some very startling figures are published concerning the mui'ders committed in the United States and their punishment. In 1889, according to these figui'es, 3,568 known murders were committed. In 1890 there were 4,290 known murders—an increase of 772, or about 20 per cent. In 1891 the number of known murders, was 5,998 —an increase of 1,708, or about 40 per cent. In 1892 the number arose to 6,791—an increase of 793, or a little over 11 per cent. The knpwn murders, therefore for these four years numbered 20,647; and when we take, into account the murders that were not discovered, it is entirely within bounds to say 25,000 murders were committed in the United States during those years. On the other hand, the record of the punishment awarded for those murders is no less startling, The entirely; credible source which has gathered these solemn, not to say ominous, figures, the Chicago Tribune, gives the following amount: Of the 4,290 known murderei-s of 1890, 102 were executed by law and 127 were lynched by mobs. In 1891, }2S of the 5,998 murderers were executed bv law and 198 were lynched. Of the‘6,79l murders of 1892, 107 were executed by law, while 236were lynched by mobs, five of them being women. In other words, although 17,079 known murders wei'e committed in these years, "only 337 persons wore executed by law, while--537, or about 60 per cent, more, were lynched by mobs. Judge Parker, of Fort Smith, Ark. * very properly holds that, “Every one of these cases of lynching, no matter what the crime of the party lynched, was a murder of. the most brutal and most horrid character, and they may be added to the grand total of the' other ihurders.