American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-08-09
Acquittal of Mary Harris.

y
ings on the trial of Mary Harris for
the murder of A. J. Burroughs, at
Washington, must have seen the re-
suit of it. Indeed to our untutored
eye the trial seemed like burlesque.
the Neao- York Tribune, in referring
to the case, makes these appropriate
remarks:
Miss Harris had beau. His
name was A. j. Burroughs. She was
quite Young when they were first
attracted to each other. He was
several years older-say 21 to her
14-rather better educated, and
moved, perhaps, in little higher cir
Gle than she did. They corresponded
when separated, kissed when they
came together, were very fond of
each other, and had an under tand-
ing, if not positive engagement, that
they were in due time to be married.
So far there is nothing peculiar or
distressing in the case of these young
people. Most girls have beaux-wo
mean, one apiece-or wish they had.
And if "the course Of true love" had
only run as it too often won't, they
would probably have been as happy(0
as humdrum, and as rnconspicous as
the most ofu:
But Mary, mainly out of sight, in
time was out Of mind. Burroughs,
tired of his engagement (or under
standing,) wrote less frequently and
fervehtly finally became acquainted
with another, whom he found moro
attractive than Mary, wooed, won
and was married-not to his earlier
love. Hence disappointment, jeal-
ousy, bitterness, revenge and mur-
but no, we must respect the verdict,
and say, insanity.
We reject the hypothesis that Burroughs
sought to entice his affianced into den of
infamy. 1t is not clearly proved and
there was no rational motive for such all
act Of villiany. There is no suggestion,
no hint, that he ever said or did anything
that Miss Harris should have resented
intimacy and her undoubtng affection.
That must be most supererogatory
scoundrelism that would thoroughly re-
speot her maiden purity under such cir
cnmstapces, yet afterward seek, by an
anonymous note in disguised hand, to
lure her into den of shame. Who
could fail to realize that innocence would
be alarmed and repelled by such palpablo
enticements to infamy?
Burroughs Tilted Mary Harris, and she
shot him. Had she Tilted him, and he had
therefore shot her, nobody would have
adjudged him guilty of insanity. But
she is women and it is virtually adiu-
dicated that woman who shoots the
man who has been faithless to her is
necessarily insane We don't see it.
Yet there is rough, "wild justice" in
this and kindred verdicts. Our laws are
made by men, and they are not Just to
women. They ought to punish the con-
spirator against female purity severely;
but they do not, because too manyof our
Legislators and jurists are .lbertines That
is rather blunt way Of stating it; but it
is fact. This city is full to-day of dens
of lewdness, each Of them u perpetual
snare for female innocence Every wo-
man Cor MANI who makes a gainful
trade of ministering to others lechery
should be felon by statute; every one
who couspires or aids to deprive girl of
her virtue should be punished at least as
sverely as burglar, a forger, or highway
robber. They are not so punished, be-
cause it is TO magnates nconvenient that
they should be. Yet the wrong is felt,
though not redrssed: hence the rude
equation effected by such verdicts as that
which has just acquitted Miss Harris.