The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-31
The Case of Hunter Once More.

A daughter and brother Of BENJAMIN
HUNTER have applied TO Gov. MCCLELLAN
for Communication or a reprievc for tho
condemned man. So far as any facts bear
ing upon the case have been made public,
there would seem TO be no special reasons
for expecting any executive Interference
with the execution Of the dread sentence Of
the law.
Dreadful indeed, however, II Is. more
atrocious crime il would be difficult 10 CON
ceive Of. The murdered and the murderer
were acquaintance OF many years, and
protested friends. They had long had
social as well as business relations,
and their families were intimate.
The victim was decoyed away from
home for the express purpose of killing
him. A weak-minded man was employed TO
strike the fatal blow, HUNTER only coming
to his aid In the last extremity. when the
hired assassins heart failed him. Tho OBJ
iect OF the crime was gain-a motive which
seems more base than revenge. II would
seem as though II any man is to be hanged,
HUNTER deserves his fate
Perhaps he does. According 10 the pre-
vailing religious belief, most persons de-
serve all that Is bad Still, by this very an
nouncement that daughter and a brother
OF HUNTER have applied 10 the Executive OF
New Jersey to avert his fate. We are re-
minded that there are others-those who
are wholly innocent, too-who must suffer
almost as much as the guilty wretch him
self. All the relatives and attached
friends Of HUNTER suffer. Nor these
alone. Littlo as there Is in his case
calculated to excite sympathy, there is,
in fact, no case 30 bad that sympathy IL not
enlisted in behalf Of the man doomed to such
an awful death. The very atroclty OF the
crime committed by HUNTER has led some
people to question his sanity The Gov
ernor to whom the last appeal Ia made,
however clear his conviction OF the Justice
Of the sentence may he, will find 1t most
painful duty To cay No to those who pros
trate themselves In tears before him to suo
for mercy,
1t would DO more satisfactory II we were
certain that the infictiOn OF the death pen
atty exertcd an influence to diminish capital
crimes. Whether 1t docs exert such an
influence or not Is necessarily predetermined.
We know it does not wholly prevent such
crimes Whether II makes the number less
lHuI ll'lt nOull w III lOl llt
were substituted for it Is mostly matter
Of gucsswork.
New Jersey is proverblal for It's sternness
in carrying the extreme penalty for murder
into execution. Pennsylvania Is not Yet
in this case one Penney lvanian decoys
another Pennsylvania over the limo into
New Jersey and there murders him. Just
so few years ago young man In this city
went over 10 New Jersey and killed. per-
son To rob him OF few dollars, though by q
similar crimo he might quite as easily have
obtained q like amount In New York where
one Of his kind had pronounced hanging TO
DO played out.
From this time, on New Years Day and
every day and every hour up to the hang
ing OF HUNTER ON tho 10th OF January, tho
minds Of thousands and thousands OF per-
Sons will dwell" morbidly." 1t Ia called
but, from some principle or another i'm
planted in human nature, their thoughts
win dwell on HuNTxA and his fate. Let 10