The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-03-05
GOV. PHELPS coURsH.

GOV. PH1LPE' COURSE.
The course firmly pursued BY tn
Governor in refusing to interior
with the action Of the courts in case
of capital punishment, entities him .
the gratitude of the entire State. 70
the first time in years in the history o
Missouri. the death penalty for muir
der Is being rigidly enforced. 1t is n
longer q dead letter upon our statut
hooks, but the certain forfeit tina
must be paid by those who pre-
meditatedly imbrue their hands in tn
| innocent blood of their fellow-men
The knowledge that capital punish
ment will be certainly enforced, can
not but exert q salutary influence upoE
those who have heretofore Knocked d
the laws inef6ciency.
Gov. Phelps has sworn to enfo'ct
the laws of the State As he finds them
enacted BY the proper authorizes
| One of these laws is, that when . man
is found guilty of murder in the hrs'
degree, he shall expiate his crime upon
the scaffold. The same law allows the
criminal q fair trial, he is supplied with
able counsel, he has the benefit oil
every presumption of law and doubt
he is tried by q jury of twelve OF his
peers, who weigh the evidence care
fully and impartially, and if, after oil
these advantages, he is adjudged guilty
and is sentenced in conformity with
the verdict, the sentence of that court
should be carried out, and no power on
earth has a moral right to interfere
with it.
True, the power of pardon is vested
in the Governor, and very properly,
for there is bare possibility that the
court might err, or circumstances de-
velop in the interim between the SEN
tence and the date Of execution, which
might warrant the interposition of ex-
ecutive clemency, which, of course,
could then be rightly exercised
The law is erected as q barrier for
the protection of life and property.
To accomplish this, the law must be
enforced firmly and impartially. This
has been done to-day, and the life Of
every man, woman and child in the
State of Missouri is safer for it.
A great deal of sympathy has been
manifested for Daniel. This Is natur-
al. The tender and sympathetic
hearts of the ladies of Sedalia have
overaowed with pity for him, and they
have tried to avert his awful doom.
This is also natural. Strong men
have thought it hard for this
young man to be thus suddenly cut
down in the prime Of life by an igno-
minious death.
1t Is hard.
But tell us, ye sympathetic souls of
have you thought of the
mangled form that Is Wondering away
in a grave on yonder hill? That in
nocent man who was inhumanly muir
dered-have you no pity for him.
In an humble farm house in Henry
sits q sad widow, who mourns
for the strong supporting arm and
presence of q husband who
was basely murdered. Out of the
OF all this sympathy, is
there any for herr
1t seems that the public have lost
sight of these facts altogether, but
stern and avenging Justice has not.
And now what are the facts in this
.ase? As we have before said, Dan
el has had fair trial, he was ably de-
ended. and allowed every advantage, |
BY Judge Rogers, consistent with the
aw. The jury was composed of in
;elligent and humane, but just men.
They listened carefully to the evi.
lence, weighing every doubt with a
Gaming to the side of mercy, and upon
hat evidence they returned the YER
lict that John William Daniel was
utility as the indictment charged.
Guilty of what! Guilty of taking
he advantage of mans unhappy do
nestle circumstances to induce him to
cave home that he might obtain pos
ession of the property he coveted.
suilty of feigning friendship for his
companion, while he knew
n his own murderous heart he was
eading him. step by step, to his doom.
Ind finally, after arriving at that Sc
luded camping place after partaking
f their evening meal together in ap-
aren't friendship-after the poor. I'M
lspicious victim had laid dswn in his
vt sleep, John William Daniel arose
, the night. secured the murderous
<, and dealt his unconscious victim
hose cruel and deadly blows that in
tantly deprived him of life, And