Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-07-30
The Btlansky Esca pc !...Who II Res.
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The Btlansky Escape !...Who II Res.
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There is but one voice expressed in the
community concerning this escape. It is an
outrage! 1t is an event that mocks our en-
tire machinery of public justice Our legis
latures assemble and make laws prescribing
the mete punishment for crimes committed.
For mysterious or suspicious deaths, Coro-
ners inquests are provided. Grave physicians
examine and pronounce upon the bodies
District Attorneys give the case their jealous
attention. Grand Juries find indictments
Courts and Juries try them. Learned coun-
sci exhibit their skin and expend their breath
in prosecution or defence Huge jails are
erected at enormous cost to confine the GRIM
inals. Sheriffs and deputies and turkeys
are extravagantly paid for watching to prevent
escape from the penalty of the law.
All this expensive and extensive machinery
has been in play to detect and punish the hor
rible crime of which ANNE BIiANsKY was duly
convicted-that of secretly poisoning her has
band! And yet, from one of the best and
most secure jails in the Union-replete with
all the modern improvements both for COM
fort and security-this husband .murderess
has been permitted to escape.
We say, "permittedr' The flimsy web
Of imposture-the idiotic tale-that a woman,
according to rumor probably eneiente since
her Imprisonment, Through whose means it
might be well to inquire) could without assist
ance, in moment Of time, force herself be-
tween or over iron window bars-may do to
narrate to the credulous and the verdant-
The very facts admitted by the Sheriff and
his deputies, that it was their practice @ to
allow her to wander from her cell amongst the
aisles and corridors of the jail-allow con-
| victed murderess to roam in unrestricted free
dom over the building; and that through this
unwise liberty she was enabled to escape-is
enough of itself to damn the officials having
her in custody, from the highest down to the
lowest 10 s # .s.- .... q
In England, in the olden times, the jailor
| who permitted convicted murderer to es-
cape, took his place, and suffered his penalty !!
, What penalty should be melted out in this
case, we pretend not to say. But to permit
such outrages to follow one after the other,
and yet nobody to blame" for it, nor any
one made to suffer for it, is simply making a
farce of justice and mockery of our laws. 1t
must be stopped!
The People themselves have however one
remedy for it in their own hands. When
Sheriff TULL1s had charge of the old log Jail,
no criminal of Importance ever made his es-
cape from its ricketty walls. Why9 Because
what the jail lacked in security itself, was
made up in the extra vigilance of the officers.
This is the style of officials we need now. 1,
is kind the Democratic party does not seem
capable of furnishing to the public. And a,
the next election therefore, we hope to see the
people OF Ramsey County cleaning out the
whole Democratic Augean Stable of this Coun,
ty, Sherif's office and all, with vigorous
broom 1t is a wise maxim of political econ,
omy, that whenever one party proves itself,
through tn, mal-action of officials, incapable
Or too corrupt to rule, justice and the public
interests demand a change, by the substitution
of its opponents in the places of power. In
our county affairs, the Democracy have, by
many act1 besides this escape, fully establish
ed the thorough unfitness of men of tina,
party, for their proper and safe admin
; istration. The County Jail itself, is vel
known to have been one huge Democratic job
costing three times its proper price Ant
now, its usefulness to the community, for s.
curely confirming the criminals whom the safet,
of society demand should be incarcerate,
, therein, seems, through the negligence of Dem
ocratic County officials, to be exactly in an in
verse ratio to its enormous cost
What is to be done by the community, i'm
mediately, in view of this barefaced escape
is question of some moment, for the sake {
the future. Immunity in wrong breeds it
repetition. Are we to quietly sit still and pc,
init these derelictions of duty upon the part G
public officers, and yet raise no united voic
of condemnation, nor apply any organizes
correction to the evil? 1t is notorious, tina
Mrs. BILANsKY, prior to that decision of tn
Supreme Court refusing her new trial, wa
seen outside of the Jail walking the streets o
our city! Her counsel, Mr. BRIsBIN, can ties
tify to the fact! Is this not to be investiga
ted? And for such gross wrong and out
rage upon the whole community must the
Sheriff, his deputies and his jail-keepers, &c
scot free of even formal expression of public
indignation? But" says some one, "the
Sheriff isn't to blame,-only PAT SMITH, the
Jailor." Away with scape-goats! Let us
deal with principals until they establish, be
yond doubt, that neither by their carelessness
nor by their own corruption, does this outrage
justly lie at their door! 1t is right that the
people hold the Sheriff Immediately RESPONSE
bic in this matter. No secondhand parties
will they allow to be interposed between him
and their indignant Judgments Until he
proves the contrary, they will continue say
unto him as Nathan said unto David, Thou
art the MANI If not, let him make it appear
Mr. Baker, the Republican Candidate