Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-19

he said that this was accomplished forcibly;
Hill returned home that night land found his
wife sick; after this Simmons had power over
her. AMI persuaded her to go off; Hill then
looked for her, and on Monday she sent him
a letter detailing what had been done and
begging her husband to forgive her; he took
her into the country; Simmons followed her
there, and finally wrote her note, which
she at once closed back to Hill; Hill then &C.
termined to kill Simmons; went to hunt for
him; Summons avoided him, he says, and ne
wrote him letter begging him If ne had one
spark of manhood to meet him; he met Sim
mons accidentally on the street and followed
him and shot him.
Gentlemen Of the tuIy, loved my Vile .o snS
love Ne' her 0 too: I killed John R. simmons be
cause he invaded my homo and ruined my WlIei
A. da wrong ba H:nf %s 'OG %
turn to the sixth chapter Of Proverbs In the bible
a BEEN h nsrs worse tnSn
wife better than my life. Our welded life has been
one long honeymoon. We had our home frol1cs and
played together. Now gentlemen. 1t is with you to
decide want no sJmpatny but justice ny, ny ne ne
bse en- Sone IonIy regret haViST to DO i Gentle.
men, bid you aaieu. put my trust In God.
During the delivery of this short but
strong statement of fact, the audience was
profoundly moved and the jury wept freely.
So plain, 50 simple story, seconded by the
deep feeling, the tears and agony of an out
ragged husband broke even strong hearts
whence the, tears welled up. All present
saw only man who took the law into his
own hands because there is no law to punish
seduction save by suit for damages-or, in
other words, suing for the price of a
woman's honor, as if the most sacred thing
in woman had none but commercial value,
was worth no more than FIVE or ten dollars,
and the tendersst emotions Of the human
heart were 6t subject for the jest and jib of
courts. The brave act of Hill, in condoning
his wife's participation in the crime, and of
confessing in open court with the strength of
perfect simplicity of manner as well as
speech, has not, unfortunately, secured for
him verdict such as every father and hus-
band acquainted with his story had recorded
in his heart long before the trial began. The
jury has found him guilty of murder, but has
so far condoned the crime as to recommend
that he be sentenced to imprisonment for life
instead of the gallows. Doubtless he viii de-
mand new trial. If not, the governor will
no doubt intervene his clemency and give
him his freedom. Seduction is worse than
murder-it Stays the soul as well as body OF
the woman, it ruthlessly destroys her reputa-
ton, it impairs her usefulness in the world,
and makes a wreck of once happy families
1t Is without excuse or palliation. There ii
not, as in tina case of rape, the white heat Of
an auimahsm that makes a demon, wild
beast and brute Of the man who is guilty Of
| it; but only the deliberate, snske-iike cum
ming, extending over days, perhaps weeks Oh
months, the plots and plans, the pretexts and
the promises by which snares and traps are
laid to drown sensibility and dull and deader
the purity that is sentinel over women s chas-
tity. When women have voice In making
the laws, and not until then, will there be any
eff,rt to adequately punish by law so daI-
tardiy, sneaking and cowardly crime with
out recourse TO the shotgun, the pistol, the
bludgeon or the knife. Until then, and SC
long as the law infamously puts price or
woman's chastity, we may expect that there
will, whenever occasion offers, be a Hill tt
appeal to fathers, brothers and sons, every
one of whom, as he thinks of wife, .ister Oh
mother, will become pleadsr, and therefore
an avenger, too.