Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-06-22

his authorship bot the exalted satisfaction OF
.;,,o bis father, Unlike Charles MI, Ben
,ras no, proof agains, the charms of beauty -
He fell in love in due time, and who knows
bu, this tiger might have been bound and tanned
bv Hymen's silkea chain, had proper steps
been taken. Bot his memorable father would
M, furnish him with decent suit in which to
WOO the fair one. He married another girl,
not from love. but hatred. He married
DAUGHTER of Canaan 10 vex his father. They
separated, and Ben having exhausted every
sxpedient 10 embitter his fathers existence, it
only remained to take his life. The Majors
na;obbors admonished him, and Ben was con-
fined in Jail, from which his mother procured
his release. His mind vascillaed-he ap.
peared and disappeared in the neighborhood.
He absen,ed himself fora year or two, and
probably endeavored to forget the past. But
he could not live where the object of his dia-
bolica malice was out Of sight. He came
hack. revolved at distance around his victim,
bu, DELAYED the attack. He accused the old
man one day of abusing his child. assaulted
him; The old man retreated TO the house, and
az he entered pushed Ben from the door
The latter then ,sho, him with pistol, drag
ped him into The yard. and amused himself in
beating his skull into jelly. There was
man near by, who saw the monster despatch
ing his prey, but feared to interfere. Mrs.
White, (the Majors second wife, for Ben's
mother was dead ran out and beat him OIL
He aimed second pistol at her, but she
glanced il aside, and the shot did no damage.
Ben's cherished object was now accomplish
ed, and he felt as languid as the rattlesnake
after i, has discharged its virus, he scarcely
had energy enough TO leave the ground. 10
avoid the appearance Of singularity however,
he commenced mock flight towards neigh
boring town. When overlaken he surrender
ed without resis,ance-he had expended his
venom, and seemed as placable as child
When brought within sight of his fathers
corpse, his natural ferociiy was revived, and he
exclaimed "there lies the modern Herod!'-
Ben was hung in Jail by the Sheriff, ia the
presence Of doctor and few Witnesses
these gentlemen must have fell like commit
tee of murderers while they were choking a
man 10 death 10 prison. Capital punish
ment ought TO be public, or be abolished
The effect of example, good or bad was lost
and the execution Of Ben White degenerates
into cool. gratuitous murder. Whether this
mode of punishment ought TO be abolished is
a doubtful question. Its advocates refer to
Gods command to Noah, "whoso seddeh
mans blood, BY man shall his blood be she'd"
Blu. these very men both in England and A.
merica, sanction a violation Of the letter and
spiri, Of this command, in furnishing man.
slaughter by Imprisonment or exile. Among
those 10 whom this command was given, MUIR
der and manslaughter were punished alike
Ifn is allowable 10 alter the penalty with res
pect to one degree Of homicide. why not to
other. Is tnol probable that this command was
intended for state Of society where the pen.
i,entiary system could not be perfected! II
society be settled and stable, ifthe convict can
have no hope Of escape from changes which
may take place 10 the government, then lm'
prisonmen, for life bears closer analogy te
The punishment threatened in the bible, thar
death. Natural death is humiliation so far as
man can effect it. This is not the mode Of
punishment proposed in the Bible, to be infiic
ted on the wicked-it is'e,ernal imprisonment
10 short, it is imprisonment for life. And
when man has reached such a state Of society
that he can like his Maker, build safe prison
for life, why should he not. like the Divine
Being, adopt mode Of punishment which al
lows the criminal TO exist, living. perpetual
monument of the consequences of guilt!
]. T. M.