The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-26
Tho Era OF Murder-What Can We
Do To BE Saved9

DO To BE Saved3
The cry of the peaceable, reputable citizens
of New York to-day is for protection against
assassination. The events of the past year
have destroyed the feeling of safety in every
mans breast, and no one who walks the
streets and mingles in the ordinary currents
of city life can be regarded as entirely safe
from the pistol, the knife, the car-hook or the
bludgeon of the murderer. The prevalence
of ruffianism spreads the danger of fatal en-
counters. Men who have never before accus-
toned themselves to carrying concealed
weapons now recognize the necessity of arming
themselves in self-defence and as they know
on how many occasions harmless persons
have been butchered recklessly, cruelty and
without purpose or an excuse they
feel the necessity of shooting down
promptly any ruffian who may abuse or
unnecessarily interfere with them. No
one can blame them for their determine
tion Judging from the experience of the
past twelve months, the only chance of saving
ones own life in New York is to take the life
of any rowdy who may evince disposition to
indulge the brutal propensities of his nature
A quick eye and ready hand is, unfortu-
nately, better protection than the law.
No doubt the crime of murder is fostered
by the hardness and by the too frequent
failure of justice When murder is COM
mitted the whole community is excited against
is properly appreciated But the murderer,
after committal, is left to linger in the Tombs
or is suffered to interpose bubble after quib-
BILE to drive off the day of trial, and before he
is placed at the bar some other deed Of horror
has driven his own crime from the public
memory, and the example of his punishment,
if by accident he should be punished, is COM
paratively thrown away If a murderer could
be brought to as speedy trial as is consistent
with justice, and could be made to suffer the
penalty OF his offence without any more
delay than common humanity requires,
there is no doubt that the promptness
of his arraignment and of his punishment
would have beneficial effect upon those who
might feel disposed to follow in his footsteps
As this course has not been recently pursued,
and as an army Of murderers has been suffered
to grow on our hands, the terrible example
of the execution Of the death sentence on the
same day on all who are found guilty and con-
demned to death would act as fearful and
effective warning to the criminal classes, not
in New York alone, but throughout the Union.
1t has been proposed to resort to special
legislation to enable the Courts and the prose-
cutting officers to clear the Jail Of those prison
ers who are now awaiting trial for capital
offences. The suggestion is good one and
should, if practicable, be promptly acted
upon The Court of Oyer and Terminer
meets, and it's time is occupied for weeks with
some suit which every person fears
will result in failure, and the murderers
in the Tombs remain untried. If a concurrent
term of the Oyer and Terminer could be called,
nv specid act or otherwise, for the trial Of
npital cases alone, it would be productive of
much GOOD. We want all the murderers dis
posed of some way or other, from the
Oldest criminal now untrisd down to
the rufianly Nixon. Let such as are
innocent or as cannot be proved guilty
90 Free and let all those who are con-
victed suffer the death penalty together. After
this terrible example we should hear Of no
more murders for some time to come, and our
citizens might again walk the streets without
the terror of Stokes, Foster or Nixon
constantly before their ewes