AN EPIDEMIC OF CRIME.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8938, 2 October 1907, Page 4

AN EPIDEMIC OF CRIME.

Tho epidemic of crimes against women and children in New "iork ha 3 had the effect of lashing tho whole city into a fury which is finding vent in a number of attempts at lynching. Innocent and guilty are suffering alike before the storm of blind rage, and many deaths are likely to result.

On Sunday, August 4th, a woman, seeing a youth seize her 14-year-old sister and try to force her down an alley, rushed into a crowd of excursionists who had just landed from a steamer. Gesticulating wildly, she shrieked, "Save my sister. Lynch] that man." Everybody started to run, and soon cries of "Lynch him!" rang through the entire neighbourhood. A young man at tho head of the crowd, Louis Ooncanula, who was participating in tiie pursuit, was mistaken for the assailant. He was knocked down, kicked, and mortally injured before I the mob discovered that the real as- < sailaut of the little girl was a loi year-old boy named Tony DcOesio. A still more serious outbreak occurred about the same time in East 29th street, George Kestner, a Swede, being nearly put to death. According to the police, the man is a mauaic, and this knowledge, coupled with the suspicion that Kestner had ill-treated two little girls, aroused the quarter where the Swede lived. Kestner ssvore that he was not guilty, but ho lived in the district where children had been maltreated. The" children's father, a man named Hamburg, suspected Kestner, and that was enough. The cry went through the neighbourhood like wild-

fire ; men and women came from the I big tenements, and .on every side there was tho same yell: "Kill the fiend! Lvnch him!" The women joined the men in the attack, throwing stones and spitting .it the shivering wretch. When Policeman Walsh came the men fell buck, but the women tore Xestnor from tho constable's grasp. If Kestner is a lunatic he was not mad enough not to appreciate danger. Spitting blood, his teeth gone, his body covered with cuts and bruisos, and every stitch of clothing torn from .him, lie stood by the policeman trembling with fear. The mob wanted tho assailant of children to die without the law's delay. A policoman's son appeared with the club his father had once swung, and attempted to assist Walsh. Tho club was wrested from him and he was beaten with it. Walsh was cast aside as though ho was an infant. The big Swede was taken up iu the arms of the men and carried to a fast-approaching tramcar. "Hurl him under it! Griud him to bits!" the men yelled. Just at this moment the driver brought the car to a standstill. The mob surged about the car, the passengers tried to leave, fearing personal harm, but it was impossible, so great was the crowd about them. They were hemmed in. Someone-camo with a rope, and the yell went up, "Now wo 11 hang him." The naked Swede was dragged to the nearest lamp-post, stumbling, begging, and shrieking from fright. Then camo the police reserves. Every head that showed was hit with a club. It was a hard fight these reserves had, but they fought as trained men. Tho mob fell back, with the exception of the three leaders. They were arrested. Kestner was covered with a horse blanket and taken to the station. There the mob gathered again. Kestner was tiien removed to the Presbyterian hospital, more dead than alive. The three leaders of the mob were also attended by an ambulance surgeon, and then carted down to the police court where tho simple charge w»s made agianst them of '' trying to take a prisoner from the police." Kestner is not expected to recover. At Williamsburg, late in the evening, Mies Sadie Haesnflug, a tall and attractive girl of nineteen, nieco of Senator Hasenfiug, was walking in a lonely street with her fiancee, Mr Michael Oann, when the couple were assailed by two Italians. The girl pluekily drew a hatpin and stabbed her assailant so vigorously that he shrieked with pain. The Italians fled, and after a hot pursuit were captured by Policeman Drum, with the aid of a big crowd. But when Drum was about to load the prisoners to the police station tho mob, led by Mr August Goebel, a wealthy butcher, interfered, demanding the instant execution of the men on the nearest lamp-post. Not until Drum levelled his revolver was he allowed to escort his captives to the station. From the police records it appears that altogether thirteen women and children wore attacked oil one day in the streets of Greater New York. Indignation at tho apparent supineness of tho authorities is everywhere at white heat. Ono sees oxamplos of private vengeance on all sides. For instance a motor-'bus crowded with sightseers ran over and killed a boy on the Bowery. Mobs surrounded the car, attempted to fire it, and threw bottles at the occupants, in which people in the windows of neighbouring houses joined. Tho panic- . stricken tourists fled for their lives, chased by an army of Greeks, Germans, and Poles. The samo afernoou saw several other instances of the temper of the people. Miss May Mace, aged 26, was standing in the doorway of her homo in Seventh A.venue, when she was invited by a stranger to accompany ; him to a restaurant for an ice. On her refusal he promptly kissed her, and then fled. He was pursued by a crowd throgh several streets, knocked . down, and was being kicked to death when a squad of police oharged to his; rescue, and conveyed him to hospi- ■ tal. There is a noticeable increase in

the number of cases of hysteria under treatment by the doctors, and this is accounted for by tho excitement -under which nervous women are labouring in the poorer quarters of the city.