In the time of the fair the rate at which men and women killed one another rose sharply throughout the nation but especially in Chicago, where police found themselves without the manpower or expertise to manage the volume. In the first six months of 1892 the city experienced nearly eight hundred violent deaths. Four a day. Most were prosaic, arising from robbery, argument, or sexual jealousy. Men shot women, women shot men, and children shot one another by accident.
The year of the fair saw a stark increase in homicides across the United States, particularly in Chicago. Police struggled to cope with the surge in violence due to a lack of resources and the necessary skills to address the situation effectively. In just the first half of 1892, Chicago recorded nearly 800 violent deaths, averaging about four each day.
Many of these deaths were tragically commonplace, resulting from everyday conflicts such as theft, arguments, or jealousy in relationships. The violence spanned all demographics, with men attacking women, women retaliating, and even children becoming unintentionally involved in tragic incidents.
