The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-22
MURDEROUs MODS.

Reports of the murder Of criminals by mobs
are becoming painfully frequent We can
scarcely read a report of daily news which
does not contain one or more of these sicken-
ing stories. Sometimes the act Of mob muir
der is committed in broad daylight, without
disguise or any attempt at concealment, but
in most instances the victim is dragged from
the Jail at night by masked men and slaugh-
tered by hanging or shooting.
In most instances the guilt of the captive is
very completely established, and the life that
is taken is justly forfeit to the law. The
killing is done with perhaps as little pain as
when done by sheriff. or his deputy, or a
professional executioner. The indignation oil
the public against the culprit, whether a
murderer or other notorious criminal, is usu
ally as general as it is just There is always
danger that he may break Jail, that he may
escape by mistrial, that jury may be bribed
to acquit him, or that he may be pardoned.
But all this does not justify mob of men in
taking away his life.
He who commits an atrocious and enor-
nous crime, punishable capitally, does not
thereby forfeit his life to the friends and kin.
dred of the person whom he has murdered,
nor to the indignant community in which his
crime was perpetrated, but it is forfeit to the
law after due and formal trial by court hav-
ing jurisdiction under the law. His arrest
arraignment, Indictment trial and punish
ment are the exclusive prerogatives Of the
State.
The offense of the murderer is not alone
against the relatives and friends Of his VIC
tim, but it is against tie sovereignty, peace
and dignity of the State, which is bound to
protect the persons and property Of its citi-
zens. When he is killed by an avenging
committee or mob, the majesty of the law is
not vindicated nor the just vengeance of the
insultei State appeased. The killing is not
an execution, the decree of the mob is not q
sentence, the gathering Of the mob is not a
trial, the accusation of the mob is not an ia.
dictment, shooting or hanging in such case by
the mob is not justice.
The per petrator of the most heinous crime
has still the right to be tried by a jury, ac-
cording to law and before duly authorized
court of Justice. Whoever violates this right
of formal trial by taking the life of the &C
cused without due form Of law, commits 6
crime against the criminal, crime agains
society and crime against the State
Let us take, by way of illustration, case
which occurred last Tuesday morning in Por-
tage county, Wisconsin, where two brothers,
Ames and Isaac Courtwright by name
had a few days before killed sheriff who was
serving upon them writ of ejectment from
the house which they occupied. The Court
wrights were in Jail awaiting trial, when {
gang of forty masked men rode into the towr
in the night, broke open the Jail, overpoweret
and chained the Waterman in charge, dragged
the prisoners into the Jail yard and murdered
them by hanging them on tree. This was
all done noiselessly and Systematically by TIL
mob, who left no clue by which they coul'
be Unidentified.
In the eye of the law every one OF thos
forty members of the masked mob is guilty o
murder and is amenable to arrest, prosecu
ton, conviction and execution for an atrociou
crime. The right of the Courtwrigh's to liv
until they had received fair trial, had beel
found guilty and had been sentenced to SUITE
death for their crime, was an absolute an
perfect right. Their days may have beel
few and unhappy, scarcely long enough 70
repentance and preparation for death, bu
during that brief period their lives wer
under the protection of the law. Although
their hands were red with the blood of thei
victim, it was crime to destroy their live
otherwise than under the sanction and au
thority Of Law. The forty men who killet
them committed an atrocious murder. NOR
injurious to society than that which had beel
done by the murderers themselves.
~ MIfhe2t 1'spssf 6 e naIsssy g &c ~ ..