The daily gazette., 1880-05-27
THE CONVICTION of William Neal

THE CONVICTION of William Neal
colored, yesterday, of the crime OF
rape upon the person of Mrs. Gosser,
in The house of her husband, in the
country, while it inflicts the penalty
of the law, and will, in all probability
cost the hardened criminal his LIE
upon the gallows, serves to awaken
the dreadful apprehensions that have
existed as to the safety of the family
in all lonely coun ry districts. This is
deplorable, and universally regretted.
1t affords no pleasure to inf1ict punish
ment, but it must be done. the fact
that even the punishment of death is
frequently endured by such or minals
with indifference, and the crime COLI
tinues to be perpetrated by the colored
race upon the white, leads to the re-
mark that the wretches who attempt
such acts are not aware of the dread
full consequences which are sure to fol-
low. But this is mistaken supposition
wherever it is indulged. These men
know well that they are perpetrating
horrid wickedness. The very fact that
in nine cases out of ten they threaten
to kill if secrecy is not promised and
in most cases attempt to kill, and in
many do kill their victims to prevent
the discovery of their crimes, is con-
Trajectory of any such supposition of
ignorance by the colored villains who
have committed so many deeds oi
this character in our State, and in the
borders of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania within the few years past. As
we have stated before in these col
umns the commission of these crimes
has very great tendency to keep
down the value of country home
steads and farms. Young men reared
to farming are compelled to leave
their homes without protection the
young wife often being from necessity
compelled to do the work of her OWL
home. What fearful apprehensions
these unavoidable circumstances mus
create may readily be imagined. Now
could there not be some way of rem
dering our rural districts less loath
some and thus securing better pro
lection? ? Could not our country friends
manage to build their farm houses anC
country dwellings adjacent and by
forming clusters haye more security
and at the same time enjoy more
sociability, with the attending circum-
stances of such condition promotive OF
neighborly intercourse. OF course
this would be work of time. But as
it is never too late to begin to promote
the general interest, the suggestion
may be worth consideration.
These crimes are attended with seri-
GUS consequences in the matter of cost
to the people of the county, adding
materially to the expenditures and the
necessity of taxing the better class of
laborers to pay for the acts of the
vicious. This is not to be overlooked
in referring to the duty of every citi-
zen to denounce the wrong and the
wrong doer. No pity should be shown
for such wretches. The man who
pities may himself be the next to suf.
fer the intrusion of some vile wretcl.
into his dwelling. Neither race nol
color affords excuse for apologies fol
crime. If our newspaper press vii
endeavor to make these acts and thu
actors in them as wicked and horIi,
as they are there would be feweI
crimes. No man ought to fail to de
nounce the crime and the criminal whei
ever an opportunity offers. No one
knows that in doing so he may no
shed an influence that may be the
lns rument in preventing the perpetra
tion OF a hornd crime.