The Statistics of Lynchings BY WILLIAM H. GLASSON, Professor of Economics in Trinity College Accurate information as to the extent and character of the lynching problem is much needed by those who would deal with it intelligently and effectively. As in the study of other social questions, there is here a chance to call statistics into service. From the nature of the problem lynching statistics are not to be obtained from governmental bureaus, but from private sources. In any case the collection of such statistics with any degree of accuracy or fullness is difficult. Attempts have sometimes been made by interested individuals to investigate by letters of inquiry cases of lynching found reported in newspapers. But such investigators have usually failed to obtain satisfactory answers (or any answers at all) to their questions. So the best that can be done in collecting statistics of lynchings is to rely upon the reports published in some newspaper of known reliability and enterprise as a news-gatherer, verifying and correcting such reports whenever possible. On For about twenty-five years the Chicago Tribune has published at the close of each year an itemized summary of the crimes, casualties, suicides, lynchings, and judicial executions throughout the United States during the year. the particular subject of lynching this review has included the following facts: The date of the lynching, the name of the person or persons lynched, with the color and nationality, the alleged crime which caused the lynching, and the town and State where the affair took place. Only the names of those who have suffered death by mob violence are included, no account being taken of attempted lynchings or of persons who were violently dealt with but not killed. This annual record published by the Tribune is the best available source of information on the subject. Fortunately the Tribune's statistics have lately been subjected to a scholarly examination and analysis. Dr. James Elbert Cutler, of Wellesley College, has recently published a most timely and valuable investigation of "Lynch Law" in which he presents a thorough and readable account of the history of lynching in the United States. Dr. Cutler's volume (Longmans, Green, and Company) is commended to the consideration of those who wish to gain trustworthy information upon the history of lynching, its attempted justification, and the remedies for it which have thus far been proposed and tried. We are especially concerned with the statistical side of the problem and are under great obligation to Dr. Cutler for the chapter in which he presents his verification, correction, and analysis of the Tribune's statistics through the year 1903. Some of the results of his work are here presented. Such additional statistics for 1904, 1905 and 1906 as are included have been courteously furnished to the writer by Mr. George P. Upton, one of the editors of the Tribune. He has, however, not indicated clearly whether his statistics for those years have reference to the number of lynchings or number of persons lynched. Since two or more persons are frequently lynched at one time, this distinction should be made in order to avoid misunderstanding and error. Completeness will hardly be claimed for the Tribune's statistics. However, a special effort has been made throughout the period included to secure fullness of the record, and without doubt the degree of accuracy is great enough to make the results fairly representative of actual conditions. The following table of the number of persons lynched shows a gratifying decrease in recent years: NUMBER OF PERSONS LYNCHED. Taking these figures year by year Dr. Cutler brings out the interesting fact that until recent years the number lynched was far in excess of the number legally executed. In the year 1892 more than twice as many were lynched as were legally executed. It seems possible that the recent increase in the number of legal executions may have influenced the decrease in the number of lynchings. In studying the lynchings by the months in which they occurred, Dr. Cutler divides the country into Southern, Eas tern and Western sections. There is little variation by months in the Eastern and Western sections, but great variation in the South. As a result of the consideration of the period from 1882 to 1903, it appears that fewest lynchings occur in the South in February. There is a steady increase in number each month until a maximum is reached in July. Then there is a marked decrease in August, the number remaining comparatively low until there is a considerable increase in December. In January there is a sharp decline. A possible explanation of the decrease in August is that the negroes are occupied with camp meetings and various religious exercises during that month and hence commit fewer crimes against the whites. The study by months of the causes of lynching shows that, on the whole, lynchings for crimes against the person are more numerous in summer than in winter, and lynchings for crimes against property are more numerous in winter than in summer. During the years 1882-1903 there were lynched 2,060 negroes, 1,169 white Americans, 45 Indians, 28 Italians, 20 Mexicans, 12 Chinese, one Japanese, one Swiss, and one Bohemian. From 1882 through 1885 more whites were lynched each year than negroes. From 1886 to the present more negroes have been lynched each year than whites. The general tendency is toward an increase in the proportion of negroes lynched as compared with whites. The greatest number of whites was lynched in 1884. In that year 40 horse thieves and cattle thieves were lynched in Montana and 17 cattle thieves in Colorado. The lynching of negroes reached the highest numbers in 1892 and 1893, the figures being 156 and 155 respectively. The following table shows the proportion lynched for various causes in the period 1882-1903: IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY. IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. Cause. Whites and Others. Negroes. Whites and Others. Rape... ..109 (8.5%) 321 (53.5%) 63 (10.5%) Negroes. 753 (38%) 96 ( 4.8%) 675 (34%) 18 ( .9%) 87 ( 4.3%) 206 (10.3%) 104 ( 5.2%) 46 (2.3%) In making up the above table, rape has been made to include rape, attempted rape, alleged rape, and murder and rape, thus showing the full extent to which lynchings may be attributed to this particularly horrible crime. It will be observed that rape is responsible for but slightly more than one-third of the lynchings of negroes. Of the whites and others lynched for theft in the whole country, nearly 90% were lynched for stealing live stock. Murder is the most important cause of lynching with both whites and negroes. With negroes rape is second and nearly equal to murder. With whites rape is in third place and theft and desperadism are comparatively important. The proportion of negroes lynched for minor offenses is much larger than that of whites. The following tables show the statistics of the number of persons lynched by States in the period 1882-1903: NUMBER OF PERSONS LYNCHED IN SOUTHERN STATES |