CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

CRIMINAL COURT PROCEEDINGS.

An analysis of the returns of prothonotaries or clerks of criminal courts for the year ending September 30, 1891, shows that the criminal proceedings of grand juries, as compared with the preceding year have increased, and court proceedings increased, thus:

It will be observed that there was an increase in the number of persons charged with crime of 2,285, or 11.62 per cent.; of bills laid before grand jury, an increase of 1,622, or 9.60 per cent.; of true bills, an increase of 1,130, or 8.74 per cent.; and of ignored bills, an increase of 492, or 12.40 per cent.

The court proceedings show an increase of persons tried of 400, or 2.93 per cent.; of bills tried, an increase of 22, or 0.19 per cent.; of acquittals, a decrease of 699, or 11.08 per cent.; of convictions, an increase of 323, or 9.24 per cent.; and of plead guilty to indictment, an increase of 504, or 16.58 per cent.

COUNTIES IN WHICH CONVICTIONS HAVE INCREASED IN 1891 OVER 1890.

an increase of 621 over 1890.

The convictions in the above thirty counties were 1,948 during 1891,

COUNTIES.

COUNTIES IN WHICH CONVICTIONS HAVE DECREASED AS COMPARED WITH 1890.

The number of convictions in the above thirty-one counties was 1,575; or a decrease of 298 as compared with the convictions of 1890.

In addition to the foregoing there were six counties in which the number of convictions in 1891 equaled those of 1890, viz: Bedford, 7; Butler, 22; Carbon, 28; Delaware, 71; Fulton, 5; and Schuylkill, 163.

Decrease on 1890.

OFFENSES FOR WHICH CONVICTED.

The offenses of which the 3,819 prisoners were convicted, are as follows:

TABLE À-Abstracts of Reports by Pro

Statement of the criminal business of courts in the several counties of the commonbefore the several grand juries, number returned as true bills, number ignored, number plead guilty to indictment, and amount of recognizances forfeited.