Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-02-07

simply an impossibility, though it
seems twelve men have been
found to acquit him upon the Inn
probable and contradicted state
ments oftwo men, who were not
known to have been near the scene
of the shooting. Editors of papers
denouncing the verdict, are now
i'll as much danger of being shot
down in their offices as was poor
Clary. But still performing their
duty as fearless journalists, they
speak out in plain English their
thoughts. The Baltimore Ameri-
can says:
"There was general impress
sion among those who read the tes-
timony that John Resley, recently
on trial at Cumberland for the
murder of Lloyd Clary, would be
convicted. Nevertheless he has
been acquitted. Without Knowing
anything about the character of
the Piedmont witness who testi-
fled to having been close to the
two men at the instant of the
shooting, his story seemed to be
exceedingly improbable. Ninety
nine out of every hundred persons
who read it did not believe it, but
they may have been doing injus-
tice to a perfectly truthful man.
He may have had "a better charac
ter before the jury than his testi-
mony gave him before the public.
The result of this trial will not
help to strengthen the popular re-
spect for the verdicts of juries. 1t
is SO easy to acquit a man charged
with murder that every one feels
that the law affords him but little
protection. If there had been no
witness who could truthfully tes-
tify as the Piedmont man did, it
would have been an easy matter
to hire one to tell the same story,
or any other one that the exigen-
cies of the case required"
The Baltimore SIN says:
The effect of the verdict of this
Jury is to declare that a resort to
the revolver in defense of political
reputation is a justifiable and an
honorable act. 1t is to declare
that any one in Allegheny county
feeling aggrieved, may enter the
house of any citizen, who may be
armed or not and shoot him down,
and then, borne up by faction, per
vert the great privilege ola trial by
jury and secure aneasy and trium-
plant acquittal. That homicide
was committed, and that the per-
son who committed it went armed
to seek his victim. no one has de-
MED ; and though ii may be true
that the party assailed may also
have displayed arms, Il was
hardly ia the puryiew Of reason
to expect that no punishment
whatever would follow the she'd
ding Of blood in this manner 1t
is hoped that this verdict, given
in a part Of the State notorious for
its personal its family and its
factional feuds, will not be con-
strued abroad as a fair reflex Of
public sentimentand justice insuch
cases in Maryland.
The Hagerstown News says:
Thepoor man who pliers bread
for his hungry family, or the PEN
niless tramp who steals a few
needed dollars arc consigned to
hard labor in q ponitcntiary ; but
murderer, with his hand reeking
with the blood Of his victim, is
petted and fawned until he deems
himself a hero, and after the
mockery Of a trial. is permitted
TO breathe the air Of freed0m and
reap the plaudits which are in
creased with the f0ulness Of the
crime. What is justice? Is it
condemning one murderer to
death and setting at liberty an
other equally guilty? Is it i'll
building a scafIo Id for the one and
a, monument of sympathy and
pardon for the other? Is it
right on next Friday to take the
life of Joseph Davis, while John
Resley walks the streets Of Cum
berland in freedom ? Say not to
an intelligent public that Resiey
was legally tried, that jury pa
tiently heard and sifted the evil
dencc in the case, ana rendered a
verdict according to that evidence
The public must submit, but their
intelligence will not permit them
to believe the justice Of the YER
dict.
We feel in duty bound 20 add
that from all the evidence pub
lished in The papers, and from all
the circumstances surrounding the
! Killing of CIarY. it was the mos