Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-08-25
from The Hearth and Heme
MINUTE PAPERS
Murder a Good Trade.

PfrlDle PUNISHMENT, IllAH uoItuA
Judge can indict. But 1t is quito
different now since the world has
undertaken to furnish itself with
Justice, and it will not be difficult
to show, by modern social .science
and modern theology, that murder,
prudenuY followed ia safe and
profitable business, Tor body and
soul, for time and for eternity.
} The cllances are greatly against
success in any calling a man may
choose to follow. tits established
that not one merchant in hundred
succeeds. But it is shown that ore
murderer in four escapes detecLlthi
and more than one in three escapes
conviction when detected. Now,
il a man will only be a proper,
well-regulated, and prudent muir
derer, and resist all foolish and
spendthrift impulses to take life for
revenge or through jealousy, or
any such unworthy motive, and,
keeping his eye on the main chance,
follow his trade for the money
there is in it, in what other line has
he so few chances against him?
( But suppose him to be caught
red handed in tie act? Well that
IN the city where l am writing,
would be unpleasant, but not high
ly dangerous. The result might be
beneficial. 1t is not long since q
proven murderer here stepped out
of the dock with a better reputation
than lie had before he committed
,the murder.
But suppose be got on trial bo:
fore a judge of the old fashioned
honesty, and a jury not yet refined.
enough to perure themselves, be-
cause they believed hanging the
worst use man can be pgt so,t"
and got sentenced to be hung by
the neck on certain Friday until
dead, dead2 Humanity spesJtlbg,
matters would theh look serious;
and if the learned and jealous coun,
sci failed to get new trial. and
then failed in his half dozen frantic
appeals to executive clemsncyl
backed by certificates of good chAN
acter, signed by thousands of cur
most respectable citizens, your Ex;
celIeney," the tradesman W. are
considering had better smut up his
earthly shop. But even yet his ad.
vantages continue. If he had beet
a wicked merchant, and, failing III
business, had come down to dedthy
door, more than likely he would
have passed through it without sig9
Of repentance, or Tublic asstrancd
Of forgiveness.
Not so the modern murderer
He sends for a minister of that
church to which he has always beet
--let Us say-least hostile, the doot
Of the cell is closed, some prayers
are prayed, some Scripture read;
some spiritual songs sung, aid
forth comes the ministcrihg priest
to assure the woba through an in.
terviewing reporter, that the con-
vict is not only penitent and re,
rigned, but having made his peace
with heaven, and obtained lively
and Joyous assurance that his sins
are all washed out, he is in a state
of blissful ecstasy. 49,,
find in an Omaha newspaper the
following, in a description OF what
occurred at an execution in Dakota,
The criminal was executed for the
atrocious murder of one whom he
himself describes as "a mild, inof,
fensive man." for his money. See
what is said to have taken place GA
the scaffold . $500,
"He 1.-THE murder) said he fofgave
all his enemies; that he had truly
and savingly repented of all his
sins that he felt perfectly we'll pre-,
pared to die; that God was now
yetonciled to him and that heaven
was opened to receive his reRener-
ated and sanctified soul. The tler-
gyman told him that he fully be-
lie1ed that the angels were waiting
to welcome his sQundly converted
soul into the midst of the glories of
paradise" ,i
Seriously, is there not something
horrible in this and all similar 'last
hours" of criminal murderers ?
/ am sure Gods dear mercy is
infinite, that the pitEing love of the
Savior of mankind condescends to
the most loatIlly wretch who has
stepped his hands in human blood,
and all right hearted people must
gladly trust that a ray of the divine
forgiveness will penetrate the cell
of every repentant felon, .,.r. or
But 1t must, from the nature Of
the case, be d trembling trust, a
hope mixed with fear. 1t is to be
nursed iq the twilight Of the felon's
quiet cell with humble distrdst. and
abasement, And when such fel51
stands on the scaf1old, and with the
sanction and encouragement of a
minister of the. Church, as is row
the habit, loudly and coarsely as;
serts his own salvation, and with
blasphemous impudeRee exhorts tie
bystanders to become as he now is,
and join him in the heavenly king
dom, our notions of the divine gov,
ernment are shocked virtue and
vice seem to have the same reward
and the same triumphant issue out
of lifa and VIC ara du11ad vsikh a