CRIME, HOME AND FOREIGN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 514, 16 February 1883, Page 17

CRIME, HOME AND FOREIGN.

The New York correspondent of the Gazette writes as follows upon the subject of crime as committed in and out of Ireland :—: — " It makes all the difference in the world where and how a crime is committed. If you happen to murder a man in Ireland you are an atrocious monster ; if you do your killing in the United States, well you are an unfortunate fellow, rather to be pitied than blamed, and mostly insane. A murder or two in Ireland are instantly blazoned all over the world, and recounted in every newspaper the day after the occurrence, and all because they are agrarian. This created an idea that Ireland is about the most murderous spot on earth, which is simply nonsense. Allowing for the difference of population, there is three times as much violent crime committed at least in New York City alone as in all Ireland, which really and truly is one of the most peaceful countries in the world, and nowhere on earth is life and property more safe. Thus the week in which the killing of policeman Cox in Dublin sent a thrill of horror through the civilised world, there were a least four murders in this city alone, and there was no thrill and no horror to speak of, and no cabling, and no fuss. The evening papers are so full of domestic crime, culled from the interior of the country as to be sometimes perfectly sickening. We are certainly the last people who ought to be severe on Irish or other foreign crime when we have so much of our own at home. Thereare 15 or 16 murderers living the lives of gentlemen in the city prison here, while Mr. Frank James, assassin and bandit, is the honoured guest of the truly remarkable State of Missouri, and a far bigger man than any honest artizan or farmer within the bounds of that commonwealth. Let us spare some of our virtuous indignation against foreign crime and criminals and look at home."