The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-04-05
Making Use Of Murder.


The murder of man is a fearful thing OF it
self, without turning the calamity to account 10
crafty personal hatred. We last week MENTION
cd the killing of j. Clarke Swayze, of the Topeka
Blade, by j. w. Wilson. The tragedy has been
industriously made use of in certain quarters
and the very facts of the case are perverted, ap-
parently for the qualification of enmity against
per,op, not connected with the affair; and ces-
perate effort is being made to create strong
public opinion against the unfortunate man who
did the killing, with the evident hope that 9TH
ers will be implicated.
One popularity We notice about the matter Is,
that all those newspapers in the State that are
.t enmity with F. p. Baker or the Commonwealth,
pronounce the killing deliberate, premedtated
murder, and shape all their accounts of the affair
40 rs to lead the public to believe it was so.
They also assert, day after day, that others nsti
gated Wilson to the deed, clearly creating the
inference that Baker did it, without actually
saying so. In fact their effort is not to excite
feeling against the crime Of murder but to use this
murder rs a means of creating public feeling
againstBs They persistently ywithhold from the
public the fact that the Blade was devoted Who'll
ly to scurrility and scandal, and that no age,
sex or condition was safe from him, except
through the sole means of buying his silence
with money He has abused almost every public
man in the State without stint, and has piled up
abu BE upon private citizens, until he has pro-
voked his own murder.
We are opposed to murder, or even to violence,
such as kicking or beating, as . means of redress
for wrongs; but while We are so, We are very
well aware that there are many who feel other
vi,e It is the nature of some men to fight, and
to avenge wrongs by acts Of violence; aud when
Swayze made business of scandal and slander,
he should have expected kicks and poundings, if
not sbootings
There il not particle of evidence that Wilson
premeditated the murder OF Swayze. He took
an officer with him, saying he wanted to have
friendly talk with Swayze; and he notified
Suayze that he did not come to attempt violence.
But Swayze drew pistol, and threatened Will
son the latter then drew one, and the testimony
is, that IL Swayze did not fire first, he at least
fred at the same moment with his antagonist.
An outcry is made against Wilson for beating
dying man (who died in selfdefence) over the
head with his revolver, and kicking him. The
testimony on this subject is also plain. Swayze,
the dead man, fred twice, while Wilson fred
only once; and after shooting, both parties
clinched. While Wilson pounded Swayze over
the head with his revolver, he also had wounds
on his face and head where Swayze pounded him
with his revolver. II, then, Swsyze could clinch
Wilson, and hammer him with his pistol, it il
not very reasonable to suppose that Wilson knew
he was mortally wounded Wilson had no more
reason to suppose Swayze was dying, than
Swayze had to suppose that Wilson was dying
The description of the funeral has been written
with an especial eye to creating public feeling
against Wilson; the circumstances connected
with the bailng of Wilson, are turned in the
same direction; and reports are even sent abroad
representing the lawyers of Topeka as acting in
highly improper and unprofessional manner, to
forestall public opinion to Wilson's disadvantage
Now, if this bloody affair is to be used as q
means of accomplishing partisan revenge 1t 10
possible that the effect may defeat itself. Too
many of those in authority have experienced
Swayze's attempts at black-mail, to assist in
canonizing him as martyred saint to crafty the
personal spite of his applauders and abettors
For instance, there is Gov. Anthony, the day he
was nominated, Swayze pronounced him one OF
the best men in the State, and declared that his
nomination was evidence that men of brains and
purity of character were to be brought to the
front The next day, he wrote Anthony letter,
expressing surprise that he did not call to see
him, and notifying him that it took money to
run newspapers, and he was entitled to pay, for
having assisted to secure Anthony's nomination.
The next day or two, not having received his
black-mail, he opened his batteries upon An
thony, denouncng him as thief swindler,
and everything else low and mean, which he
kept up until the day of his death. Governor
Anthony now wields the pardoning power. We
presume he will let the law take its course, SO
far a. it metes out justice to Wilson; but We
doubt very much whether he will permit him to
he made victim of the spite of the aiders and
abettors of professional slandersr and black
mailer, who have echoed all his malicious raw
ipgs, and in turn furnished him with the materi-
ais for additional tirades-in . word, men who
participated in his offences, and are now seeking
to make capital ont Of his blood.
We say, in the game that is apparently now
on foot, there 10 chance that it may operate
more to Wilson's advantage than to his hurt.