The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-07-03
aEAn,Ha rRuIr.

NAKED and armed men broke into the
Jail at Salem, Indiana, took out q pris-
oner named Delos Heffron, the murder
or Of D. Halstead, and hung him. Thus
Heffron was desperate case, having
been guilty Of one murder before this,
escaping without punishment. The
court, on the Thursday previous, had
continued his case until the next term,
and this Was, It is believed, what in.
cited the people 70 resort to mob vic.
lence. The result is just what might
have been anticipated. Il When the
laws, through the fault Of those who
administer them, fail to command re-.
spect, then will tho people take the
punishment Of crime into their own
hands. Trials for murder have become
. farce. Delay follows delay, until final.
ly the criminal wears out the patience
Of the people and escapes with some
triaing penalty or none at all. In.
stead of justice, an outraged commuui.
ty is treated to a show of tricks and
technicalities, legal bubbles and sub.
terfuges, until the law and all con.
nected with it are held in utter contempt.
1t has come to be recognized that with
money and sharp lawyers the boldest
desperate may carry his case over from
one term to another, appeal on some
'tfiaing exception from lower court to
a higher, and at last, with the dlsap.
pearance of some witnesses and the loss
of memory on the part Of others, have
himself pronounced an innocent and \
prosecuted man, and walk forth to dis
pose Of his next victim, as did Hebron.
The people Of Indiana had just read
that Stokes, who shot his man in open
daylight on the stairs of great hotel,
after being twice convicted, had been
granted his third trial; they had just
read the appeals Of other Of the New
York murderers for new trials, with
the weight Of precedent in favor Of the
applications being successful ; and they
had just heard announced the post
pouement Of Heffron's trial, which was
looked upon Is being the next thing
to his release OF, escape. Human ma
ture asserted itself in this deed of vic.
lenee, Is it is very apt to under similar
provooations. The blame lies not SO
much with tho rioters, as with those
judges who make trials for murder
travesty of justice. =,
Tho massacre Of the .Modoo prison.
ers by the Oregon volunteers was the
legitimate fruit Of the policy of the
government in its dealings with the In.
dams. 1t has seemed as though tho
savage that could exhibit the most
scalps Of white men or women was the
surest to receive reward and protection.
Indiaa chiefs tried and convicted of the
greatest barbarities were released and
returned to their STRIDES for the sake
of peace" It will be remembered that
just before this massacre the announce.
ment had been made that Sautanta,
Who had been convicted of a dozen
murders, was, despite the vigorous
protests of Gen. Sherman, to be not
only set at liberty but furnished with
transportation to his people,: An ont.
rage such as this could not be expected
to pass without producing acts of vic.
lence.
We do not apologize for mob law in
Indiana, neither do we defend the
massacre of the Modoo prisoners, but
we assert that those who, charged with
the administration Of the law, bring it
into contempt, and those who inter.
fere with its rigid and impartial execu-
ton, are responsible for the condition
of popular feeling which manifests it.
self in these lawless acts.