The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1854-01-12
CRIME TRIUMPHANT.

| Tue PuUHC miuu ~ III All uuIOIluudle
mood, in this country, in relation 10 vic.
lations Of law. Criminals are mere nu.
merous IL the land than they ever were
before. and they are more generally tol
Grated. Public feeling seems TO be strange.
ly Indifferent on the subject. Juries re.
fleet the public mind, and frequently re.
fuse to find yerdicts Of conviction where
such verdicts ought to be found. And
many Of the courts are, in this regard, al.
most valueless. Combinations Of wealth &
influence are found to be capable Of shield.
ing almost any villain from legal punish
ment. A most alarming proof Of the truth
Of what We say was the verdict Of acquiI.
tai rendered in the Martha Washington
case. In fact the whole trial in that Csc
was a solemn farce, and WIS directly cal
cuIaied 10 produce or foster in the public
mind disresreci for the Judicial tribunals
and disregard of law. At the outset an
ill.considered and useless order was made
by the court, which it could not and did
not enforce, and which had the effect Of
working actual prejudice to the cause ot
justice. In the progress Of the case the
counsel for the defence stopped suddenly,
when only about half their witnesses had
been examined, and when the rebutting
Witnesses for the persecution we're not
present. Whether they foresaw that by
so doing the case would 60 10 the jury
without full evidence can only be coDjec.
lured. but such was the result. The wit.
nesses for tine prosecution could have
been produced in few hours. but the
court would not wait moment. The
District Attorney was forced TO commence
the argument OF the case without proper
preparation. When he had closed, the
defence announced that they would not
argue the case. This ruse cut off the ar
gument of Mr.. Stanbery, and prevented
the case from being fully presented TO the
jury in argument. This trap was sprung
so suddenly that even the court found it.
self caught, aud was obliged to adjourn
to take time TO make up its charge. 1t
couldn't wait 10 get important testimony
before the jury, but it could wait to fix up
q charge such as it never delivered be.
fore, and never will again. The jury re.
turned verdict Of not guilty. 1t may be
that they did it conscientiously, but by do.
ing it they turned loose upon society as
dangerous a set of criminals as any coun.
try can produce. We do not believe
there is living man, conversant with the
facts, who sincerely thinks the defendants
in the Martha Washington case innocent
of the charge upon which they are tried.
The verdict of acquittal in the Ames
shooting case, at Cincinnati, was another
proof OF the demoralizaion OF public feel.
ing. 1t was a case OF deliberate shooting
with intent to kill. The defendant. how.
ever, goes free. He is at liberty 10 ply the
pistol or bowie knife again, when it suits
him, and society may take care Of itself
if it can.
There is 10 be trial in Louisville soon.
Ward is to be tried for the cold. blooded
and deliberate murder of Butler. Very
recently we met gentleman of reSpecla.
biity and intelligence from central Ken
lucky. We asked about the Ward case.
He said it vas a most atrocous murder,
but that he had not the smallest belief that
Ward would be convicted. We asked
why. because" said he, "his family is
very wealthy, and they are connected with
many other families of great wealth. A
million of money can be brought to bear
upon the trial" We asked il that Was
the way matters were managed in Ken.
lucky. Oh" said he, "f it turns out as
have said, we shall still be behind Ohio.
Look at the Martha Washington case !"
We trust our friend may prove mistaken,
and that justice will not be mocked in The
manner predicted by him.
Can there be no remedy found for this
monstrous tendency oil the timesl Ifthere
cannot, then we shall soon reach crisis
in which it will be untrue TO say that we
are people gOUerned by just laws. We
shall be virtually in the condition ofthose
communities in which the law of the bow.
lie knile and club is supreme.--SciOtO Ga.
zette.
l., d. A T,s.nI L.