Salt Lake Tribune Sept 27 - 56 U.S. Crime Spirals in ‘56 FBI Director Discloses By Associated Press WASHINGTON, Spet. 26 - Major crimes in the United States jumped 14.4 per cent in the first six months of this year, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover reported Wednesday. The comparison was the first six months 1955. It indicated the slight dip in the nation’s crime rate last year was a shortl-lived trend. HOOVER CALLED the new figures a “sharp reversal,” noting that the last increase comparable to 14.4 per cent in a six-month period occurred in the first half of 1946. Up sharpest was auto theft, which spiraled 22.3 per cent nationally. The only crime to reflect a national decrease was robbery, down 1.1 per cent. The FBI offered this picture of the first six months of 1956. A major crime committed every 12.2 seconds. A murder, manslaughter, rape or assault to kill every 4.1 minutes. For every day, an estimated 37 persons were feloniously slain and 260 other felonious assaults were committed, 55 rapes occurred and there were 4.377 larcenies, 1,463 burglaries, 164 robberies and 738 thefts of autos. Larceny was up 18.5 per cent, negligent manslaughter 10.2 per cent, rape 6.9 per cent, burglary, 4.7 per cent, murder and non-negligent manslaughter 4 per cent, aggravated assault 2.8 per cent. J. Edgar Hoover...Reports 14.4 per cent gain in crime. The urban increase was paced by auto thefts, up 27.1 per cent. City murders rose 6.5 per cent. Some 134,320 automobiles were reported stolen during the first half of 1956.