Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1905 — HAS AROUSED THE PRESIDENT. [ARTICLE]

HAS AROUSED THE PRESIDENT.

Failure of the Lavr to Punish Crims* Proven by Figures. Crime in thia country has reached a point where it will be made tho subject of a part of the President’s message. The lax manner of enforcing the law will be dwelt upon. For this purpose statistics are now being compiled by the census bureau. They show the following record during the past twenty years: Homl- Bxe- LynchYear. cldes. cutions. ings. 1885 1,808 108 181 1880 1.490 88- 183 1887 2,885 TO 125 1888 2,184 87 144 1889 8,567 98 175 1890 4,290 102 128 1891 5,906 123 193 1892 6,791 107 230 1893 6,615 126 200 1894 9,800 132 189 1895 10,500 132 166 1896 10,652 122 181 1897 9,520 128 166 1898 7,840 109 127 1899 6,225 131 107 1900 8,275 117 115 1901 7,825 118 185 1902 8,834 144 96 1903 8,976 124 104, 1904 8,482 116 90 Total 131,951 2,286 2,920 The figures show that the number of executions has decreased steadily since 1885, while the number of murders and homicides has increased, but there is nothing in the statistics to explain the decrease. Eminent lawyers ascribe the decrease in executions to two causes, one being the growing sentiment against capital punishment and the other and more important one being the lax administration of the criminal laws and the fact that attorneys take advantage of every technicality to save the lives of the murderers they are hired to defend. Secretary Taft, in his Yale address, referred to the prevalence of this method of practice among criminal lawyers, and declared that the judges should be given the power to compel the lawyers to try their cases on their merits and not permit them to exaggerate unimportant evidence and cover up the salient points. Statistics covering the years since 1894 to 1905 show toe causes of all murders and homicides committed in that period. During the eleven years 51,602 persons lost their lives as the result of quarrels, 23,508 as the result of unknown causes, 4,987 as the result of jealousy, 3,711 were killed by highwaymen and 2,516 mothers killed their infants. In resisting arrest 1,460 persons were killed and 1,101 highwaymen were killed. Insanity was the cause of 1,592 deaths and 516 persons were killed during strikes. There were fewer lynchings in 1904 than any year since 1894. In 1892, according to the statistics, there were 230 persons killed by lynchers, the greatest number in any of the eleven years. The number killed by lynching has fluctuated each year, but there has been a gradual decrease until 1904, showing there were only 90 lives taken by mob violence.