New-York tribune., 1876-10-23
4 LESSON IN CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE

4 LESSON IN CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE.
Ouimbo Apo is Chinaman who some years
ooo driftcd into the low life of this city Via
California. In 1859 he was convicted of muir
der in the first degree. and sentenced to be
hanged His attorney obtained for HIM new
trial. He pleaded guilty to an indictment for
manslaughter, and was sent to sing sing for
fern of ten ycais. He was pardoncd in 1868.
Only n few months after he was again IN the
Tombs charged with manSlaughter and es-
capcd without trial. In 1872, for assault with
intent to Kill, he was again sent To Sing sing,
and served out his term. Last January ne re-
turned To Ncw-YOrk. In few weeks he was
in another fight, and was sent to BiackwcIs
Island for six months. Three weeks ago he
WAS liberated and to-day he Is in the Tombs
upon another charge of murder. In tins
instance he appcars to have acted under great
provocaiion; but all his murders have resulted
from his quarrelsome and uncomfortable tenn
Der. and he seems to have been specially an
adept in the assassns weapon, the knife.
II is worth while for the reader who Is in
terested in questions concerning the peace OF
the State, and the due restraint OF the crm-
nal classes. to consider carefully these facts,
none of them intrinscally remarkable or ex-
ceptional We have here an instance of the
uncmbcd barbarian temper of the East,
brought into collision with the colder
habits of our Saxon civilization. which
is in theory at least intolcrant of the knife
and of "A private arrangement OF per-
soual injuries Here the case is isolated and
peculiar; but in san Francisco, and IN other
uaIts of California, the Chinese inhabitants
4
have become an apprcciable part OF the popula-
ton with scarcely any assimilation whatever.
We see there how far it is possible for foreign
race to establish Itself in new country with
out adopting its customs, its manners, and
still less its mOIaliucs 1t is clear enough, If
We had here in Ncw-YOrk twenty thousand
Ouimbo AppOs, with an ingrained habit of
Getting into quarres and of adjudcatiug most
controversies by killing, that there would be
special problem for our legislators and plenty OF
work for our policemen, our judges, Jurors,
iaeIs, and, perhaps, our exccutlOncrs.
This case goes further, for it illustrates
! the fccbleness of our administration OF
criminal law. Certainly with all our prepa-
ration and apparatus we should be able
to protect the people of The State of New
York against one poor, weak, miserable Mon
rolan. He has been in this vicnagc twenty
six years, and during that time has been in
chronic condition of arrest or trial or imprs
onment He has again and again showed that
| he is about rs fit to be at large as the Bengal
tiger of a menagcre or the permanent inmate
of the homicidal ward of a lunatic asylum
1t is useless to say that he would be harmless
! if he were well treated or if he were left alone
The same would usually be true of any wild
beast or OF any maniac He has II temper for
provoking assault and when it is provoked, he
repels it by stabbing OF other violence. He
does this over and over again, yet last week
he enjoyed precisely the degree of freedom
which we accord to those men who never
struck blow in anger in the whole course
of their lives. 1t Is true that We have
criminals of our own race by not a
whit more desirable members of society !;
but they do not form masses, gangs, tribes,