The New York herald., 1872-12-07
Hanglnx for Murder.

H0n&Sn8 TOE murUers
The legal strangulation of Henry Rodgers
in Brooklyn and Barney Wood in Washing
ton yesterday for q pair Of brutal homi-
cides will not be unwelcome news to the
law-abiding community. If there is any
virtue in the death punishment while
on the statute books it should not
become legal fiction. The details
OF these affairs are seldom inviting The
Brooklyn murderer fainting at sight of the
gailows Is not much more shocking than the
Washington homicide meeting his doom
quietly, for the life of human being was to
be taken in each as we take the life of dog
In the opposite scale to this we must, how
ever, look upon the death agonies of their
victims, and think that, SO far. ga life
for life" is the only restraint, besides
religion, yet discovered upon the tendency of
men to murder, where human life stands in
the way of their ends. We have murderers
nearer home than Brooklyn who are legally
convicted, but who have settled down into Jail
life with cheerful hopes of ultimate release, but
not by felon's death. We have men in
prison on whose hands is the blood
of fellow beings, but who rejoice
in the thought that there is no
law to hang rich men. Exchanging of con-
victed murderer, poor or rich, is simple
justice, and no invidious distinctions should
be made. The written law does not try the
purse, but the crime; yet it is fast becoming
an axiom much believed in that it Is harder in
New York to pass rich mans neck through
a hangman's moose than for camel to pass
through the eye Of needle. Will this
reproach stand always?
The Missouri HoRRoR-A STRUGGLE FOB
LIFE.-Another survivor Of the Missouri has
been found, and his story is full Of terrible
interest. This man, Richard Smith, in COM
pany with another, named Alfred Steward,
reached the steamers capsized boat, and
clinging to her. as she rode bottom up, was
driven about for three days OF the mercy of
the waves. On the fourth day they managed
to right the boat, and, getting in, made sail
of the life preservers, and on the seventh day
landed at the most westerly key of Abaco.
Stewards strength failed him and he died
soon after reaching land, leaving Smith alone
On the ninth day a welcome rain supplied the
survivor with water and renewed his strength.
He found some prickly pears and soft shell
crabs, on which he managed to live until the
seventeenth day, when he was seen by pass
ing boat, taken of and carried to Nassau. His
story is marvellous, for it is almost impossible
to conceive how life could have been preserved
through SO many trials. Smith will be re-
garded as an abridged Robinson Crusoe.
The ACME OF hRUDENcE AND YLLANY was
reached bya Virginia ex-convict yesterday.
As set forth in our special despatch published
elsewhere Northern gentleman was waiting
at a railroad depot for the train that was to
convey him homeward, and while he was
standing on the platform well known Peni-
tentiary patron came up to him, enlisted him
in conversation and detained him by the de-
tails Of well-planned story until after the
train had started. The unsuspecting North
erner was next decoyed to Rockets, short
distance from the station. Without an in
stant's warning the thief stunned him by
blow from slung-shot, stole all the money he
had in his pockets, went to the station and
secured the strangers baggage, and quietly
departed, leaving his victim for dead