, 1866-10-23

THE HOMICIDE OF SUNDAY


THE HOMICIDE OF SUNDAY
NIGHT.
On Sunday night four human beings were
murdered in their lcds in the vicinity Of
Slate and Madison streets. Had man en-
tered their dwellings and with pistol or knife
taken their lives, the community would have
'":en appalled, at the enortnity of the crime.
Had MAN s1ealthils kind}ed flame under
til. tencments, and thus DESTROYED tue lives
Of four human beings, the mere hanging
of the hcartlcss murderer would not
have satisfied the public Judgment
upon his crime. Had q man ven
tured beneath the frame buildings and
ty use of saw and rallct SO weakened their
underpinings that they had fallen, buEying
IN their ruiz: FIVE human beings, there would
have been but one opinion IS to the fate that
such q wretch would merit. Yet in what
degree docs the wholesome slaughter of
Sunday night differ from any other inhuran
Filling Of harmless persons We do not
propose in advance oftllc Coroner, to charge
the crime upon the architect, The builder, or
Tie owner. Either may be guilty in
whole or in part; all mar
share the responsibility, or neither may
1'e justly eltargeable. But Il crime has been
committed; some person or persons must be
Responsible. and upon that person or persons
we charge tie murder Of these people. II
Will mot TO 10 say that there was an absence
Of ail intent to kill any body. The man who
;!res lis pistol wantonsy in the streets where
the probabilities arc that he will Kill some
Ttrs"n, and does kill some one, is as guilty
Ct nichrd ii,tsnt though he tuok dclib-
C::tr aim ii the man lr shot. The man
wiz th:".rs :: stone through his nci.hbor's
widow, ll:pwi:1g the probabilities of f1tal
@'>s.?' I'D Kills that n.i:hbor, Is as guilty
y II = ;B::nl to his1 were openly avowel.
Il tbs v.!se there Wr.ScEcctvd two nafallel
"::?!s 10 ,cet long. and t9ty-fiye feet ligl
:,s',is the Foundation, each wall only twelve
l1lr3cs it. thickness. TL.$c parallel walls
6ssfe cn:::ecitil i at ono end, and that end did
E": t:lll. Bit Ut the front there had not been
&: | .sth laid To connect or tic these side walls
trv 10 The other. These walls being nothing
d 1lor: tlsn Two bricks piled sideways, one
1;cn the Other, 10 the height offift five feet,
fctl, uI,on the first high wind that struck
them, and in their tall buried Eve or sir
dwelling houses viii! their living inmates.
NJ call that m11rdnt. The man who builds
i FIRE SO near to his ncighbor's dwelling and
Is SO careless III its protection that it com
nlusicates to that dwelling, causing the
death rf It's inmates, is rs guilty Of their
death as If he set fire to the premises secret
Il. Thcsc walls were erected in the heart O:
cluster Of small frame dwellings. IL Was
the business Of the responsible parties to
have so constructed them that ~ injury
could have occurred to the Joining prcm-
i.ts titlGr Iv f:,1li1sr hr;, 4. rr I,p,},rr JFit
was ii solemn duty TO have guarded
against injury to lfc md property by the
falling OF L single brick Or timber upon the
.""fs OR inlo the yards of.thc adjoining
premises, then there was responsibility
Resting upon some one to see that the en-
tlEe building was So constructed, and
strengthened and protected, that It would
not fall upon the ncighborins houses, de-
str"S1HE Tic pro'crty and lives Of its i'll
mates. II may he that this calamity was
the result 81 ignorance j; il SO, then il was
an Ignorance 50 criminal, that It should be
punished 1t may he that it was tn!
result Of carclcssness: If so, then it wa:
! carriessEess so criminal in its nature
that 'hc crime is only enhanced by the ia
ta" nj tue apology.
Til is moi thu first aecidcat OF this kini
iuss have .alle,l, owin. TO the like stupidity
or carcltssness, or w"r=e. of the persons re
sponsihle for the mode If their constructiu:,
Buildings have been c7crttd in this city thi
seasot-buildincs of the most preieatiod
tlaraeier-wl1icll, 81, far as the streny;s, q
f,.eir walls and tisns,crs in proportion 10 III,
general dimensions of the cljlccs, haze h .cr
want.u abuses Of put,.ic cnntster,a. N.r
claim and exercise with iu,puu;:y th
right te erect buildings To rent a.rd to he oc
4u1,ieI rs dwellings and for business 3ur
,,o.c$, which are in fac, but so nl,nr tr.,s
which are crru1nallr to fall, burvicr he
,nu,l them The victims of this criminal dis
rc.raru for human safcty. There art, huil,l
iu.s now in This ci,v. ,.uI perl,aps Others i,
construction. which. .,.s,,ile their m,r,,!
fronts uDd ..y,,,ly ,.yfrrnal.. s1,ou,d -hc 20,
d,s,unc,} as :,,,i.ance:. ;!an.~rrons 10 tte nth
lie s;.1y;,. and should lie ;o,u down uith,u
l,inv.
III. ,.r,xions ins.,rcas of Tim f,,1;co- ,
l:,i,diu., in Gh:c,rt tay,, been uu,tt.us,r
win, .,-s te Hf, and ,,av, moi o.tr,c.ci1 4;
attention which t],cr deserved This raj.
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