The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-11
MEMS LIVES AT AUCTION.

From the Y Tribune.
Our neighbors in Philadelphia have been
busted during the last week in the trial of q
man named Hanlon for the murder of child
With the details of the case we have nothing
to do; they are too utterly foul for publica-
ton; but the trial itself ought not to be suf-
fered to pass without notice, as it offered a
Hagrant example of one or two abuses which
are becoming but too common in our courts
The most obtrusive was the presence among
the spectators of large numbers of women,
well-dressed, as we are told, and apparently
belonging to the more respectable classes of
society. The evidence brought forward was
so unusually horrible and disgusting in its de-
tails that much of it was suppressed in the
reports furnished to the press. But these
women listened to the whole with unblushing
etfrontery, and came day after day in such
numbers as to exclude even the lawyers from
the courtroom, and crowd into the places of
witnesses, judge, and jury.
We have seen cases lately almost parallel to
this In our own courts, where women exhib-
tied similar incredible immodesty and pruri-
ent curiosity. They belong, of course, to
class who, from either birth or education, are
rendered incapable of understanding decency,
or the secret of womanly honor; it would be
useless, therefore, to attempt to point out
their mistake to them. But it is high time
that some restriction was placed upon the
habits of our courts, if we would preserve to
them any semblance of dignity or even de-
cency. Opening the doors to an indiscrimi-
nate irresponsible mob of both sexes during
the progress of a trial like that of Hanlon,
is as much to be deprecated in its effects as
secret trial would be. In one case there is
chance of in justice to the prisoner; in the
other the certainty of debauching the public
mind. We are no advocates of star chambers
or trials in dark corners But there is a me-
dunn between them and the solicitude with
which every foul novelty in crime is now
dragged into public, and turned over and dis
sected before swarming crowds of men and
women, whom only an unhealthy, vicious ap-
petite could have brought to such an exhibit
ton, and the people of all others whom it is
most likely to ineite toimitation. A man must
have good deal of the virus of crime already
in him before he can enjoy with gusto such
trials as that of Hanlon. Hew then must it
be with women? For the sake of public mo-
rails let justice be provided in future with
some decent safeguard of reserve; and let
women at least be excluded from places where
their mere presence degrades their whole sex
in the eyes of men.
The other point which we wish to notice in
this trial is a stir graver abuse. 1t appears
that when the child Mohrman was murdered,
q reward of some $4,000 was offered for the
murderer. Suspicion being excited against
this man Hanlon, when he was an inmate of
the State Prison, the detectives, whom the
reward had naturally made Jealous in the
matter, applied to the superintendent of
the prison for a man likely to succeed in
worming a confession out of him. pri-
soner named Dunn was selected, who, by
his own statement is a professional thief,
and has been a convict in England, Aus
tralia, and Sing Sing. He was placed in the
same cell with HanloD, with the understand
ing, of course, that pardon was the price
of his extorting the confession, as his testi-
mony could not be received while he was
yet Infamous by being under sentence of the
law. The strength OF the whole of the evil
dence against Hanlon was based on the
verscity of this witness The pardon was
placed in his hands before giving it. Now,
whether Hanlon was guilty or not, or whether