Catholics and Crime

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 22, 1 June 1905, Page 17

Catholics and Crime

From time to time we have placed before our readers large classes of cases in which the religious beliefs of convicted persons in this and other English-speaking countries are misstated upon the statistical records, to the disadvantage of the Catholic body. The Melbourne "Advocate ' of May 20 has the following editorial remarks on this qurious and persistent freak of misrepresentation that is practised by so many members of the great guilds of orime. It describes as one of the most remarkable instances in point that came under Its notice ' the case of an atrocious murder committed a few years ago at Wiihatnstown, where a criminal named Knox deliberately shot dead the son of a leading tradesman in that suburb. In the report of the crime which' appeared in the daily press the murderer was stated to be a " Roman Catholic." ' A representative of this journal,' the ' Advocate ' continues, ' was deputed to inquire into the case,, and it was found that, in answer to the usual questions after his arrest, the criminal had declared himseh to be a " Roman Catholic," and as such he was entered in the watchhouse records. Further inquiries led to tne fact that Knox was, and always had been, a Presbyterian, and at his subsequent execution for the crime for which he was convicted he was attended by a Protestant clergyman. We purposely cite this case because the facts came directly under our personal observation, and we have no doubt that the crime would be

carried through the criminal records as being committed by a " Roman Catholic," The latest, though not the most serious, case of tihe kind is reported in the " Harald " of the Bth inst., when two men, wiho gave the names of Joseph Murphy and James Maihoney, were convicted at the City Court of larceny. These names are suggestive, and doubtless the record of the religion of the parties would be equally misleading, for the " Herald " report concludes as follows : " There was a long list of iro\k»us convictions against both accused, who it apjpeared were brothers, named James J,ones and Thomas Martin Jones. They were sentenced to three months' imprisonment." The facts just quoted are typical of many sjuch cases that occur in dealing with criminals in this State, and they serve to show what little leliance is to be placed upon the figures which are so frequently quoted for the purpose of defaming Irishmen and Catholics.'