As the motives of these crimes are the same as those of economic crimes without violence, we shall treat first those that are caused by poverty; secondly, those that are committed from cupidity; and thirdly, those that are the work of professional criminals.

Statistics show that a part of the economic crimes of violence are committed from poverty, for their movement is influenced by the fluctuations of economic conditions. We take from the German criminal statistics the following table of the course of these crimes in the different months of the year.

Germany, 1888–1892.[441]

Number of Crimes a Day in the Different Months, on the Basis of an Average of 100 Crimes a Day throughout the Year.

Number of Crimes a Day in the Different Months, on the Basis of an Average of 100 Crimes a Day throughout the Year.

Crimes. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December.
Robbery, etc. 100 87 78 84 94 98 99 106 84 120 132 116

The highest figures are shown in the winter months when poverty is at its height. (The slight increase from April to August, which appears also in the case of a number of other economic crimes, I am unable to explain.)

As we have seen in the statistics in Part One, the economic situation also exercises its influence upon the movement of these crimes during a period of years. We refer to them here while adding some others. [[593]]

Germany, 1882–1898.[442]

Years.Price of Wheat and Rye per 100 Kilogr. in Marks.To 100,000 Inhabitants over 12 there were Convicted for
Robbery.Extortion.
1882 185.19 1.3 1.7
1883 165.37 1.3 1.5
1884 159.73 1.4 1.5
1885 154.01 1.1 1.4
1886 147.26 1.3 1.3
1887 145.99 1.2 1.4
1888 155.43 1.2 1.3
1889 169.64 1.2 1.4
1890 181.32 1.3 1.4
1891 216.31 1.3 1.4
1892 184.00 1.4 1.8
1893 146.94 1.1 1.6
1894 127.10 1.3 1.7
1895 132.17 1.1 1.9
1896 139.29 1.2 1.7
1897 152.08 1.0 1.7
1898 170.55 1.3 1.6