The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-11

We take from the american the following ac-
count of some of the antecedents of one JAMES
HAsLEM who, on Saturday last, in attempting to
wound upon an unoflendng stranger sojourning
in our midst
Whn the last four months by the officers of the Cen
trail Station Hasem has been arrested times viz
On the ID April 1885, the charge of attempting to
swndle Thomas Stinchcomb by selling him galvanized
watch, which he represented gold one On him was
found box containing number of rings of the same
spurious metal He discharged by the Justice Stnch
comb appearing against him. On the night OF the 10Th
April he again arrested the charge of brutally
beating striking Mrs McNaly with billy while near
the of Front and Powman streets He was released
for further hearing On the 9th April he was arrested
the charge of fighting in the street, and was released
peace security On the 18th May again arrested for
disorderly conduct and mmited to jail but shortly
after released peace security On the 18th OF May he
arrested the charge of cruelty ang his wife and
pouring hot water heragain released peace
curty On the DIST June he arrested on the charge
committing assault and severely beating sailor
named John Summers, while in tavern in Frederick
street This time he committed to Jail by the Justice
the charge at Court On the 18th July along
with Thomas Mahana he was arrested on charge
swndlng the Eastern Shore by selling brass
rings costing 10 cents dozen for SIS He was then COM
med Jail for trial, but it appears, let out and
on Saturday committed another crime"
As in railroad accidents though apparently re-
sulting from gross negligence the gentlemanly and
polite conductors and engineers are never to blame,
so for the sad consequences daily flowing from the
impotent and careless administration of the laws,
our popular Magistracy is, we presume, in no wise
responsible. Have they not received the snflrages
of their fellow citizens account of their peculiar
fitness for their several places? How else could
they have been enthusiastically nominated in their
wards, and endorsed by Councils and Conven-
tons? Neither let us be too ready TO find fault
II e I, lD,nc Ill
see the error of his ways, are less disposed to
comment on his blindness, than upon the remiss-
ness of those whose duty it was to enlighten him.
Seven times within four months has he been ar
rested, and so far he appears to have passed each
ordeal unscathed. He has been lulled into secu-
rty by a course of tender treatment, that would
assuredly have imposed upon any man however
suspicious He is amply justfedin believing that,
for some good cause, the freedom of the City has
been bestowed upon him; and though he has sew
EN- times siDned he remembers the offending brother
with whom we are to bear ''until seventy times
seven" He has gone on then from bad to worse,
until murder will probably close the catalogue of
his crimes. Nor is the case of this man an excep-
tional one. The instances are numberess, and
the Court Calendar records them, in which noto-
rious ruflans have grown strong in crime,
solely because of the impunity with which
they first committed it, of the leniency of
the punishment which followed it. We
have now come to a point beyond which we
cannot go with safety, for we solemnly believe
that in no civilized community on this side of the
Mississippi, is the ring of the revolver heard more
frequently We state the truth in no partzan
spirit and we care not whether party men, on the
one side or the other, deny or confirm it. The in
dustrious and upright men, whose sagacity and
labor have made our city what it is, and whose
hardly earned property is taxed to support its
government, are those who suffer from the lax
administration of the laws. 1t is the complaint
of such men only that we re-echo; and we look
to the hands of such alone, to make straight the
crooked paths wherein social order has lately
wandered If a reformation is needed in the
executive and legislative departments of the city
government it is doubly necessary in that to
which criminal jurisdiction is committed. The
laws are many and strong enough for the ends
they were designed to accomplish; it is in those
who should eypound and enforce them that the
admitted ineffciency will be found. We can have
no essential or lasting improvement upon the
present state of things until our Courts shall be
so organized as to command the respect of our
people. They can never reach that high position
until wiser and better officers are selected to con-
troll them-until we can there see the dignity
of the man lending weight to the firmness of the
Magistrate--the high character of the citizen
superadded to the recognized capacity of the