The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-07-26


before the openingof the cotton season,
but it is our judgement that if the farms
ers hold stiff upper lip all viii be well
Win you do it, farmers ?
STOKES.
It is quise. possible that enough has
been said about the murder Of Jim Fisk,
and Stokes, the man who committed the
crime From first to last. the case to-
gether with the antceedents Of the mur>
derer and his victim, has occupied a
large share of public attention The
trial of, Stokes has taken great many
people by surprise, and as it viii doubt
less exert no small influence upon the
criminal Jurisprudence of the country, is
worthy of a somewhat closer study than
is usually bestowed upon such subjects.
The jury have disagreed, and Stokes in
all probability will be admitted to bail,
and we presume all idea of his being
hung is abandoned. From clear case
of deliberate murder, cold, calculated,
and premedi'ated, it has become doubt
full if the case is murder at ALL The
theory Of the defense was exceedingly
ingenious, and embraced says the LOUIS
vile Ledger, these three propositions: p
"First-That Stokes had no murderous
intentions toward Fisk, aud the visit to
the hotel was without reference to him.
"Second-That meeting Fisk, Stokes
was obliged to defend his own life from
attack, and thus, in self defense killed
his antagonist.
"Third-That Fisk was not killed by
Stokes at all, but died under medical
maItreatment y.
It's said that the Judge who tried the
case evidently leaned to aquittal, and
the minds of the jury became 50 confused
as to whether Stokes acted in self. defense
or premeditated murder, that it was al
/ ost impossible to give righteous YER
dict. But the most remarkable portion
of the testimony, says the New YOrl
EUeniRg Post, was. that from the medica
gentlemen. The opinion of the Judge OF
this point, also, is unmistakoable, AM
may haye had its weight with the jury
He virtually said eff you can max,
anything of this evidence, do so. On the
one point Oh which their testimony woult
have been some use-whether the mai
could have recovered from this would
these surgeons said nothing; on tn
other point whether they killed him
among themselves by malpractiee--a
their testimony IS influenced by persona
hostility to each other. it is not wortl
anything" There has been OF late gooC
deal to bring the medical profession int
contempt on capital trials, bet in none q
them so much, we think, as in this w
presume that nothing that any of Ties
physicians and surgeons said had til
slightest weight with the jury. Such re
suits of the testimony of medical an,
surgical experts is by no means IN ON
mon-indeed, is getting to be rather tn
rule than otherwise, The misfortune j
that 1t is not the particular men only wh'
are brought under condemnation, bat tina
the profession and science are brough
into disrepute.
But even this may be eff little conse
quenoe if we may accept as settled tn
present tendency of criminal law anon
u.s. We are nearing, if we have not al
ready reached, that point where the tax
ing Of life is MOTTO be considered murdei
except 10 the case Of vulgar burglars, VIII
have trespasse1 upon the rights Of pro
J perty and sacrificed life to reach it. A
ordinary jury is still apt, in such casel
to return a verdict of guilty, and the onl
p objection for that class of criminal,
where there Is no question of guilt, is nc
to bring them to trial at all In sue
cases, therefore, as in that Of the murde
, Of MIR Nathan, the public speoulates upo
the remarkable fact that there is no clu
to the murderer. The public forgets tia
there would really be danger Of the &C
cused beng hanged If he were brought {
trial, aid, unless the supposed or know
criminal is altogether without influences
he is saved that inconvenience by not b'
ing tried at all But when gentlemen
or those called such, choose to quarre
and there is mistress or two involved ii
it; or when one man chooses to attack
and shoot another, because Of some en-
J., taDglement in their social or financial re
lations; OF when one chooses to believ
that the woman who is his wife, or whoI
he wants to be his wife, looks with to
favorable eyes upon his rival, then
trial, though an expensive amusement,
e not much else than a spectacle for tn
]. eloquenee Of the gentlemen of the ban
4 and On exhibition efprolessional jealous
and conflicting assumptions of scientif