lves, and were thus led
into the committing of criminal acts. These circumstances, however, do
not warrant the conclusion that with the coming of the Negroes to the
North there arose a wave of crime of various kinds. This was not at
all the case. The truth of the matter is that there was an increase in
certain cities in both minor and major offenses committed by Negroes,
but in this regard the increase in minor offenses was far greater than
that in major offenses.

What has just been said is well illustrated by the results of an
investigation of Negro crime in Pittsburgh. This was done by comparing
the police court records for a period of seven months during 1916-17
with those for the same period during 1914-15, before the migration
occurred. This comparison showed that the arrests of Negroes for petty
offenses during the former period greatly exceeded those of the
latter. During 1914-15 the total number of arrests was 1,681, whereas
during 1916-17 the total number was 2,998. There was also a
disproportionate increase in arrests for such offenses as suspicious
characters, disorderly conduct, drunkenness, keeping and visiting
disorderly houses, and violations of city ordinances. Increase in
arrests for major offenses was very small. In 1914-15 the number of
Negroes arrested for grave offenses was 93, while the number arrested
for same in 1916-17 was only 94.[160]

The report on Negro crime and delinquency in the city of Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, showed that the Negro population had served more than to
double the number of prisoners of color during a period of one year
ending 1917. During the spring and summer of that year more than half
the average number of inmates of the county jail, 200 in all, had
been Negroes, although the Negro population of the county was
estimated to be about 10 per cent of the total population. Most of the
Negroes had been sentenced to serve short terms for stabbing, carrying
deadly weapons, or for fighting.[161] Likewise, in Steelton,
Pennsylvania, there was much disturbance among the Negroes which
manifested itself in the form of fighting and cutting one another.
From the first there had been a general carrying of weapons,
promiscuous shooting, and dangers of trouble with the white
population. Many arrests of Negroes were reported to have been made on
the especial charges of drunkenness, gambling and disorderly
conduct.[162] The Census of 1920 shows, however, that very few Negroes
remained