Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 73.djvu/135

Rh with less than three per cent, from Italy, the number of arrests for the various forms (or degrees) of homicide was less than four in each one hundred thousand of the population. In 1890, when over 30 per cent, of immigrants were from Russia or southern Europe, there were nearly seven such arrests in an equal number of residents. In 1900, the percentage of aliens of this socially and economically inferior type had reached nearly seven tenths of the total volume of immigration, while the ratio of arrests on the charge of killing a fellow-man had increased to 13 per one hundred thousand of inhabitants. In 1906, the ratio rose to 21.51 per one hundred thousand of population. Meanwhile, in other large cities of the Empire State, such as Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, where the foreign-born population was derived almost entirely from northern Europe, no increase in the proportion of homicides to total population has been noted. In Syracuse there have been but six cases of homicide under jurisdiction of the police department in a period of fourteen years.

 Annual Number, and Proportion per One Hundred Thousand of the Population, of Deaths by Homicide; and Annual Number of Arrests made for Murder, Manslaughter, Homicide and Infanticide, during the Nine Years 1898-1906

It is worthy of note that while the number of homicides in New York City has greatly increased during the past thirty-six years, there has been no increase, to speak of, in the ratio of convicts to total population, held in the state prisons for murder and manslaughter. In 1880, there were 5.50 in each one hundred thousand of the population held for murder or manslaughter; in 1890, 7.36; in 1906, 5.78 per one hundred thousand of population. This may be partly due to the fact that the police force of New York City, where about one third of the homicides of the whole state are committed, has grown steadily smaller relative to the growth of population. Coroner Peter B. Acritelli