Are things really getting worse, or are we just more aware of this now because of the Internet?
I think it was the confluence of forces that resulted in state mental hospitals being closed in the 1970s.
We’re just more aware. And there are more people in the world than before.
I’ve come across some old newspapers with some horrible grisly stuff in them:
Chicago Daily Tribune - Sep 11, 1882
Ninety-Nine Years.
Sam Hazel, Who Whipped a Child to Death, Sent to the Penitentiary for a Year Less then a Century.
Anna, ILL., Sept 10 - At about 10 o’clock last night the jury in the Sam Hazel murder trial rendered their verdict, after being out some five hours, and the brutal child-murderer was sentenced by Judge D. M. Browning to the penitentiary for ninety-nine years. The trial occupied a week of the Circuit Court’s time at Jonesboro, and much interest was manifested in it by people of all classes. It was clearly proven that Hazel whipped the child unmercifully with a cowhide riding-whip, and then kicked the little ?-year-old innocent from room to room until she was dead. He held back all who attempted to interfere by presenting a revolver at them. The Sheriff as soon as the sentence was delivered immediately removed the prisoner to Chester Prison, fearing mob violence.-—http://www.unioncountyilmuseum.com/genealogy/newspaper-clippings
Edwardsville Intelligencer (Edwardsville, Illinois) 1895 - Sep 3
Southern Illinois Fair Closes with a Dastardly Crime.
Anna, Aug. 31 - The southern Illinois fair closed here with a brutal and cowardly murder. John Jones, a notorious citizen of this place, beat and kicked to death a woman named Mendenahl. Jones had an eating stand on the fair grounds and Mrs. Mendenahl was cooking for him. She asked for her pay and an altercation ensued which ended by Jones knocking her down and kicking her so that she died in an hour. Mrs. Mendenahl was a respectable woman and had a husband and children. Jones was promptly arrested and is in the county jail at Jonesboro. He killed a man named Champion here about twelve year ago and served six years in the penitentiary.
On the other hand, justice was swift then:
Edwardsville Intelligencer (Edwardsville, Illinois) 1896 - May 22
John D. Jones, who stamped to death in a fit of brutal anger Mrs. Mendenball, at the Union county fair at Anna last fall was hanged at Murphysboro Wednesday. He admitted the righteousness of his conviction and professed repentance for the bad life he had led, and asked the living to take warning from his fate when the trap was sprung he dropped to death without a tremor. The lively Murphsboro Independent published it’s weekly in two editions in order to give its readers the news of the execution at the earliest possible time.