In view of such conditions so favorable to wrongdoers, the low
criminal record of Santo Domingo is all the more remarkable and speaks
highly for the character of the population. Crimes evincing malice and
a depraved disposition are exceedingly rare. The Dominican boasts that
it is possible to travel without fear from one end of the Republic to
the other, though unarmed and carrying large sums of money. The few
attacks on travelers which are on record have generally been due to
revenge or some other personal motive. There is petty thievery, but no
more than anywhere else. A friend of mine used to remark that he had
never seen so many chickens in a community where there were so many
negroes. No criminal is so greatly despised as a thief, and to accuse
a person of being "mean enough to steal a pig" is a mortal insult. A
distinction is made, however, between public honesty and private
honesty, and the impression has been only too general that stealing
from the state is not stealing.
The most common serious offenses are homicide and assaults committed
in sudden quarrel or due to jealousy.
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