The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-07-04
THE Land Of the Frcc.-

Two years ago young man in ag Interior
city was arrested on the charge Of outra-
ging the person of poor and friendless
girl, filling an humble thong honest station.
Her statement of the event was very explic-
it, carrying conviction of its truth. The
accused being of good family, and enjoying
the troop of friends with which prosperity
always surrounds one, furnished the re-
CURED bail and passed out at once into. free
air, to try his prowess upon some new VIC
tim. The accuser, on the other hand, hav-
ing no moneyed friends to protect her was
locked up as a witness. BY dint of the
various expedients to which culprits resort
when fearful of meeting the charges filed
against them when they are fresh, the trial
was put off from time to time, until two
years had elapsed; and finally the accused
was acquitted altogether upon some bubble
which saved him from the penitentiary, but
not from the scorn of all lovers of justice
who had watched the proceedings. Mean
time during the two years in which the farce
was pending, the victim of his crime Ian
guished in prison. He became the hero Of
sympathizing friends, and she endured the
only punishment resulting from his wrongs.
This case presents striking commentary
upon the absurd injustice of imprisoning
witnesses. A day or two since another and
somewhat similar case was furnished us
somewhat nearer home. A servant-girl
made complaint against her employer for a
successful felonious assault in the presence
of his own daughnr. The circumstance Of
the case appear to have been peculiarly ag-
rrayated-for, not satisfied with the accom-
plishment of his hellish purpose, the accused
beat and kicked her in most shocking man
ncr, until she was rescued by his wife, a
policeman and others, who burst open the
door of his room and arrested him in the
verv act. The assailant was taken before a
Magistrate and released at once upon bail;
and the girl placed under lock and key as a
witness-the duration of her Imprisonment,
in all probability, depending upon the ability
of the accused to clog and delay the wheels
Of justice.-N. Y. Times.
These are only two in a thousand similar
gases. In 1852, a man murdered in cold
blood prussian porter Of Il wine store, in
New York. The murdered man was a Wild
over but had two children. boys, one eleven
the other thirteen years of age. The mur-
derer was held to bail on charge of man
siAugBkSF-tiit WV VI Ih-ah oo.S '0hiaihS1
in the tombs thirteen months, associated
with the vilest of the vile. The murderer
was then convicted and sentenced to the
penitentiary for fifteen years, But the two
Young lads soon followed him there, their
prison associations having trained them into
felons. Thus the convicted criminal only
murdered the father while the law mardersd
the souls of the tuo orphan boys, which
was the greater criminal, the law or the
murderer:
We have always been opposed TO this fosl
and unnecessary crime perpetrated in the
name OF justice. 1t 10 unnecessary. tTran-
meal. and worse than any other species d
despotism the world over. 1t only offers a
dlrtet bribe-the liberty Of the witness-tc
keep his lips seaied and cover up crime
What posr man, a stranger in strangt
place, VIII reveal any crime with which b
il acqasInted at the risk IT a long and unde.
So d uprisonnrt--an imprisonment rem
4 sas more bitter by knowing that tn.
criminal i a; liberty on bailS The day tha
tn.s foul siss-ace is w.psd ON oar statns.
hacks viii b. bite dsy fog tne freedom
III n that which does awav " Id Almost al,
FroIg in the land Wis. State Journal.