New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-26
PRIVATE VENGEANCE

cially at the West. one feeling seems to be
strengthening that the personal hand may
avenge the personal injury even to the she'd
ding of human blood. While newspapers con-
tinue to extenuate such murders, and while
iuries refuse to convict those by whom they
are perpetrated, they will continue and will
increase in number, under the influence OF
mistaken notion of duty and an erro-
neous idea of tho requirements of honor,
Every such case, no matter how mildly
it may be reprehended. is substantially re-
turn to barbarism and q repeal of oil those
laws by which our civilization cOheres Society
is established, laws are enacted, executive
power is delegated, simply and expressly 10
prevest this recurrence to the ready revenge
Of the barbarian and when every consldera-
ton of duty to tho whole community Is, In the
mad fever of passion, recklessly disregarded,
the multiplication of such violent deeds VIII
90 on, until the life of no man who has active
relations with his neighbors can be considered
ordinarily safe. ..il.
A remarkable case Of the kind to which we
have referred occurred at KOkomO, Ind, upon the
18th of November. A Islander, it appears of
gross complexion, was circulated against Miss
Daugherty-that she had given birth to o mu-
latto child. The reader will be good enough to
bear in mind that such was the excellent char
acter of this young woman that the tale was
discredted by all who knew her. Lieut..
Daugherty, brother Of tho lady, immedi-
ateiy began to trace the falseho0d to its
source, as it was right and proper that
he should do. and finally it was brought
home to one Joseph Van Horn, man of
good reputation. His wife, however, from
whom he had been lately separated, was well
known as busy mischief making gossip; the
story against Miss Daugherty is supposed to
have originated with her; and upon the sub
sequent investigation before the Coroner no.
thing appeared tending to show that Van
Horn had promulgated the calumny. However,
upon Van Horn the angry brother saw fit to
fix the responsibility. He encountered his vic
tim in hotel and demanded public retrac-
ton. This according to one account, was re-
fused; according TO another, Van Horn denied
that he was responsible for the defamation.
Upon this, Daugherty drew his revolver and
fired three shots, from tho effect Oh
which Van Horn soon died. The muir
derer was taken into custody, expressing
" regret at the necessity for his action, but
4" mono at the course pursued by him. TO
render the matter still more melancholy, we
find that Daugherty il universally well spoken
of as heretofore an excellent young man, with
no vices, and distinguished 10y good service
during the rebellion. for which he had re-
eeived commission in the regular army.
Apart from legal considerations. IL is impos-
sible TO regard the step taken 10y this
misguided person IA other than y miser
able mistake In his blind wrath he has
destroyed man apparently innocent; but
he has done more. and. from bis own point
Of view, worse than this; for he has perpetu-
ated scandal against his sister. which other
wise must soon have subsidized, and no has
made her name common in the mouths of men
for generations. SO effective is the lapse Of
time in indicating female innocence, that she
whose character has been most cruelty abused
may safely trust to it for her ultimate
acduittal by tho general voice of her vicinage.
Patience may DO sorely tried. but in tho long
run it will bring its own reward. In the case
before us tho killing of Van Horn really alters
nothing. Those who were glad to believe the
calumny before, will believe it all
the more firmly now that it has. under such
awful circumstances, been proclaimed from the
house-to and in the public thoroughfares.
The misery of the young woman has only been
intensified by tho rash deed Of her brother,
whose life. whether it be taken OF not, has been
forfeited to the law. She has been rendered
by his mistaken chiyalry an object of painful
notOriety and If the idle tongues of village
praters temporarily disturbed her, sho must
now harbor lifelong grief from which there
can be no escape. The murderer, too. with
whatever fine phrases We may clothe his deed,
has blood upon his hands, and o mark upon
his forehead which only the forgiveness of God
can oblterate. We may pity, we may extern
Uate, we may loosely speak of the deed as an
act of honor; but not the less does the con-
scentious common sense of tho community
condemn it. If we hesitate before we
harshly rebuko such surrender to
unbridled and lawless rage IL We pity the
hallucination which led this man to murder,
we cannot escape from the conviction that he
is verify guilty, and that substantially he
acted as the meanest Of mankind might have
acted at the prompting of passion. Ii. under
the grossest provOcation, there Is to be no self
command; if the sense of wrong can no moro
be controlled in the civilized than in the saw
age man, every assassin crouching at a corner,
or stealing with noseless footstep to the bed
side of the doomed. may plead that he was
mounted upon his injuries, and is worthy Of
plaudts instead of punishment. 1t may seem
hard and unfeeling to say that this hot-headed
Lieutenant should DO held responsible for his
deed but was it not hard for Van Horn to
be shot down in a bar-room at moments no
tice, and hurried to judgment without the OPP
portunity of stammeriDg single prayerf
We do not choose this morning to point the
moral nv any detailed reference to moro re-