The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-18


death of sedueers and the acquiital by juries
of those who killed them, having in view the
lare acqni,taI of Mr. Sickles, says:
Our whole judicial history is full of precisely
similar cases Singleton Mercer. in Pniladel
| phia followed he man who had sediced his
sister. for days. aud shot him in a coach:-he
was acquitted by the jury. Mr. Ja:hoe. in
Waihin gton, met the seducer of his sister and
asked him il he intended to marry her:-he
answered no. Jarbne shot him on the spot
and was acquiited-MF Myers in Virginia,
went with friend t" hotel, soaeht the Sc
ducer Of his vile, fonnd him in his room and
! shot hirn:-he was tried and acquitted AHe-
llla NormaBs in this cay shot the man on the
steps of the Astor house, who had betrayed
her:-ste was arqnifted. A Mr.. Siomph, IN
Maryland. sho' at the seducer of his wife, and
was tried Tor an inten, TO kill:-he was acquit
ted Mr. Bowyer, in Virginia, shot the sedu
Ger of his daughter month after learning the
fact and IVES acq nted Mr. Smith, in Phil
adeIphia, shot a Bank President. who had Sc
duced Snitl's wife before her marriage:--he
| was acanifted Mr. Sherlock in Philadelphia.
accompanied the seducer of his wife from a
public room, shot him dead on the street and
was acquitted 1t would have been very re
markahle, if after all these precedents-with
4 moi solitary instance to the contrary so far
4 as we are aware-Mr. Sickles had heen con-
vicied of killing the man who had prof ed by
his friendship accepted his hospitality, enjoyed
i his confidence been constant, welcome and
a trusted guest at his fire side. and during all
this time had heer maintaining the most Grim.
Iinal and Infamous relations With his wife,
Such an issue would have required some spe-
cial explanation. The most strenuous efforts
+, have been made in various quarters, and on
varions grounds. to procure departure, In
3 Mr. Sickles' case, from this uniform action OF
; our iuries and criminal Courts in cases pre-
E cisely like his own. They have all been de
g feafed; and the result of this trial only adds
q one more TO the list of cases in which juries
e have justified the killing of men who had
committed the most cruel of crimes without
8 the slightest danger of being punished by law
If men, in such cases, are not to be theil
own avengers, let corrected public senti
m.nt demand of law givers a severer penalty
q against seduction, and let the law in it's execu
tion be prompt and certain.
l But let not such depraved rascals run. Gar
n the people of North Adams look npon thu
e grave of Matte Butler and feel justified il
letting the villain Litlefed escape without al
!, attempt to arrest him. or to inflict upon hin
the least punishment
y If so. the poisoned cbalice may be applied
d to other lips-other fire. sides than that o
: Charles Butler may be m de desoate by th,
I, base arts of vile seducers.
e The Springfield Republican says that tn
o investigation of the North Adams case of Sc
Z duction, abortion, and death. by coroner
!, jury. is revealing hew and important feature
,r in its history They are not fully develope
l. yet, but threaten to involve the mother of th
victim. and possibly the family physician, j
! the abortion which contributed to, if it di
not cause the death. There is some strang
estimony in the case; and more to come {
h w hich We hnvt bnt the hint 90