The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-16

The Murder Mania-Terrlble Chapter OF
Crime.
Under the influence of the summer sun the
worst instincts of our vicious population seem
to attain an extraordinary development and
the seeds Of crime to grow with terrible vigor.
The murder Of Augustus Brown by gang Of
youthful ruffians has been followed by an out
burst OF violence during the past week almost
without parallel in the criminal annals of our
city. Murder appears to be an epidemic,
for as soon as one crime has been
committed which strikes the public imagina-
ton with horror and amazement others fol-
low in rapid succession, as if by the action Of
some natural law. The pent-up passions of
individuals are aroused and they rush to
infict vengeance on their victims, often tor
some imaginary crime, with blind rage
maddened by the sight Of blood. There
is something Of the tiger instinct in some
men, and no sooner do they smell the
fresh blood than they are seized by o
kind Of madness to kill. This is the only
way in which we can account for the frequent
recurrence Of epochs Of murder. For time the
lava of passion slumbers, but at the most I'M
expected moments the volcano of pent-up
human passion bursts forth in streams Of
blood, until law and justice seem to be in
danger Of being overwhelmed and buried in
the debris Of society. Fortunately the
very violence of these explosions makes
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followed by reactions which in part
neutralize the Generalization which results
from them. However, the shocks which So
ciety receives from these constantly recurring
outbursts of crime must in the end have the
effect Of sensibly lowering public morality un-
less steps are taken to repress them, and to
make an example Of those who under any pre-
tence take the law into their own hands Much
of the inclination to violence manifested by
the criminal classes is due to the lax admins
tration of the law. For this the judiciary are
not altogether to blame, but the people them
selves mostly.
An unhealthy sentimentality has pervaded
the juries in the punishment of certain classes
of crime and has had most injurious effect
by depriving the law Of much of its terror.
Nowadays men argue that, if only they can
show plausible maudlin justification, they
may commit murder with something like i'm
punity. Every one who thinks himself
wronged, therefore, seeks ready redress with
knife or pistol rather than by the slower and
less certain process of the law and the result is
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Crime in nearly every form is rampant, and
the law appears unable to check it, because to
the popular mind the law has lost its majesty
and certainty. Rowdyism Stays its victims on
the corners but Justice is blind and refuses
to see the gang of ruffians, all of whom are
morally guilty Of the killing which one has
done with the tacit approval of his COM
panions. In the case of Augustus Brown the
police have acted with commendable vigor in
arresting not only the supposed murderer, but
some of his companions. But they ought not
to be satisfied until every man who was present
when Brown was insulted is placed in the
dock. It must be brought home to the class
Of ''heelers'' that whether they actually do
the killing or not, the law will hold them re-
sponsible for the acts Of rufianly companions
whom they support and encourage by their
presence. This is the most important lesson
that can be taught to our dangerous classes, who
have hitherto been allowed to enjoy immunity
because they hesitate as little to commit
perjury as murder. A proper rigor exer-
cised by judges and jurors would have the
effect Of suppressing three of the most COM
mon classes of murder-those arising from
rowdyism, drunkenness and jealousy. The
extraordinary leniency which juries, and, in
deed, judges sometimes exhibit in cases aris-
ing from these causes, may justly be looked
upon as an incentive to kill rather
than stern attempt at repression.
If there are crimes which the law
does not adequately punish, and if the gen.
eral conscience demands stricter measure Of
justice to be dealt out to certain classes Of Of
tenders, then let the law be changed to meet
the public sentiment; but the appeal of indi-
viduals to the wild justice Of revenge ought
to be suppressed at all hazards in society
like ours. Or if we are to regard personal ven
geance as justifable in certain cases, let the
law say so, and the same decentralization will
not follow.
If we are not prepared to accept this posi-
ton boldly, then we are not justified in COM
promising the dignity of justice by allowing
offences against the majesty of the law to pass
UNPUBLISHED. Under the present system there
is no sufficient restraint over violent men, and
when their passions are aroused the knife or
pistol is resorted to quite as matter of course
Within few days we have had ex-
amples of the different classes of crimes
quiet citizen murdered in presence
of his wife, whom he wishes to protect
from insult then the terrible domestic tragedy
of Leonie Andre, false to her marriage VOWS,
slain by an ennged husband; George Wood,
the victim Of some almost causeless drunken
brawl and the coolly atrocious attempt of