Smyrna times., 1873-06-18

"Ihe verdict will not satisfy the people that the
deed was committed in selLdeience, or that it was
not murder, although the jury may have felt their
legal obligations to give The prisoner the benefit Of
all doubts, and therefore, rendered The verdict in
the case"
BALTIMORE SUN.
"Yet we do not arraign the honesty Of intention
ON the part Of the jury. They acquitted the pris
Oner ON the ground OF sefdelence, and though suci
plea may seem absurd enough to some, yet 1t i.
10 be remembered that the only direct testimony "a
10 the killing Vests confession, coupled will
the assertion that the deed was done selfdelencc
and 1t was the province of the jury TO accept The
whole of that confession, including the feature o
selfdefence, if they ch0se. The public has al
equal right 10 dissent from the Justice Of their yer
dict, and Is as likely to be unanimous in its con
demnallon, as the jury in rendering It,"
WILMINGTON EVERY EVENING.
"The crime which Isaac C. West committed
against society in his brutal murder Of Couch
Turner SINKS, almost into nsignIfcance when con
trasted with the crime committed by the iury
which, in defiance of law and fact, and in uttel
disregard of decency and their odIhs, pronounced
the murderer not guilty, baslng their action en-
trey on the prisoners own excupatury statemenI
lhdt he billed hIs victim III 'seli.delence."'
MIDDLETowN TRANSCRIPT.
ut was expected by many persons that the pIis
but that the jury should ignore the plea OF tLe
prisoners counsel, and render verdict in accord.
ance with the mere statement of the prisoner him.
sell seems aim st contrary to common reason. The
only plausible excuse that we can see for this
action, Is the ace little technical point raised by
The prisoners counsel, Ex-senator Salisbury that
as the State accepted the confession Of West with.
out other proof that he killed the negro therefore
they must accept and believe the statement also
D. e. that the deed was done IN sclfdcfcnce, aud as
'hey were bound To give the prisoner the benefit of
every doubt, they gave INN the benefit of this
technIcaIty, if such 1t can be called. However
inns may be the verdict does not the approval
oil the people. Had the plea of insanity been ac.
cepted, aud West cleared on that ground IL would
have given more satisfaction, but the people will
lail TO see the proprety of clearing prisoner on
the strength OF hts own assertions only, aud that
too, wholly divergent from the defence offered by
his COUNSEL
DELAwAREAN (Saulsbury Whitewash.)
"Ihe verdict surprised many. There was in the
community deep seated conviction of the guilt of
the prisoner, but Those who watched the trial of the
Case closely dad not fail TO perceive that there was
nothing but circumstantiaI evidence and but little
o that, outside OF the prisoners own statement to
prove that he killed Turner or that the body found
was Turner's There was no evidence on the part
OF the State 10 hx motive for the killing on the
prisoner. His explanation was that he killed
turner IN selkdeience, aud afterwards mutilated
The body to destroy its identity, hoping to be able
10 bury II IN detached PuTts, and himself from
imprisonment and the odlum of The crime This
aspect of the case, it seems presented itself 10 the
Jury, and they felt Obliged, notwithstanding the
horrible surroundings of the killing. so foreibIy
presented by the State. to find the prisoner not
guilty under the Indictment"
SUSSEX JOURNAL.
"Ihe main ground Of defence was insanity. and
everybody supposed that he would be cleared nnop
u, but what was the surprise Of counsel court and
The people everywhere 10 hear it announced that he
was acquitted because he killed the negro in self
defence No fault can be found with either the
counsel TOR the prisoner the State. Mr. Sauls
bury handled his Case well and gained an acuuttaI
Ior MS client Mr.. Lore did his duty faithfully and
the verdict ot twelve will not ash the murderers
bands or feInstate HIM in society as an iDpocent
man. we have no disposition 10 comment further
on the case In Our last issue gave the views
oil The thinking intelligent and order loving people
on this subject. great crime was committed
against society and if man who is eanght in a
murder Is to be acquitted when he made his vietim
drunk and then butehered him in the most inbu
man manner, simply on his word, then in the name
OF heaven let US do away with the farce Of Jury
trials" -
PHILADELPHIA LEDGER.
whilst the acquttal Of DIR. West is a Yeproocb
'u US '"Se " '"e jury that brought IN the yer.
1lct, there can be Teproa rh 10 the Det,ua,e
The charge Of the Judge was clan
and straight. and just. As TO the defence of in
'ahlty' ne SAID that the jury must be satisfied he
yond reasonable doubt, that West was insane At
me t'me "i The killing, and insane as to that pay
icufdr act OF murder, as TO be unable to dis.
anguish wrong from wright. And as 10 the A,msv
Plea OF Seli Defence, he dispeled all the sopbisirv
II the counsel for the prisoner on that point, The
Judge did his duty; the whole disgrace ia ,v;,L
he jury"
PIIILA. NORTH AMERICAN.
VI The man who slew Cooch Turner has been duly |
fneu ana acquitted OF the charge of murder There
3 no iegai gong behind that verdict, and some may |
lrgue that the man and the act are removed from
ne held OF discussion and review The majority of
men hold the contrary opinion, however and the
we've good men aud true" will not escape the
earless criticism which their Imbecility, or some
h'ng worse, invites. They profess 10 base their
eTdict upon reasonable doubt Of the intention of
he accused to kill his victim. We venture to saw
max not ten men IN America, conVersant with the
acts elcIted on the trial, entertain any doubt what
yer oil the deliberate premedtalion of the deed by
Vest. There is 10 evidence of passion boweveT.
I was a cold. .booded murder, and the motiye was
realize the proceeds of policy Of life Insurance."
WILMINGTON COMMERCIAL.
"The jury's verdict in the West case is esta bsbed
pom hne-spun legal fiction; namely, that there
vas no proof West murdered Turner, except the
Oimers own cunfessiou. in which he declared that
was in selEdefence."
The EFFICIENCY OF THE LASH AND
'ILLoRY.-A Chicago paper, the Inter- Ocean.
recent article ON Whipping, as punish
nent tor crime, says:
''(lut Of Donu lafiOn &c 1OE n00