New-York tribune., 1880-02-19
rHE CONYICTyON OF COWLEY.


The jury system still accOmpishes some
thing. The Rev. Mr.. COwley, the hard
hearted Shepherd, the minister of the Gospel
who starved ard beat little friendless chl-
dren, has been convicted, and unless he Sc
cures new trial followed by acquittal, which
seems hardly probable he viii be fined and
imprisoned. He no doubt regards himself
as the victim of prejudice and perhaps
perjury but he seems TO have had Il
perfectly fair trial, and he will suffer accord
ing to the law and the evid, nee lt ought
also to be considered that the public has no
particular desire to see a clergyman occupy
ing the felon's cell. II there has been same
prejudice against this one, there has also been
something very much like a prejudice IN his
favor. We do not suppose that bis own
church desired that he should escape the
Just punishment of his misdeeds; but,
at the same time, it would have
been naturally gratfed if it could have
been fairly shown that he bad not
committed them. Such assistance and SYM
pathy as every criminal in the dock is entitled
to Mr. COwley has received in large meas
ure; but there was testimony against hum
the force OF which no crOss-eXamina,lcn could
diminish. The wre:ched condition Of Victor,
a. described by trustworthy WITNESSES, was
enough. SqualOr does not commit pciJury !;
cmaciation tells the truth and the whole
truth. No lawyer could be clever enough to
argue from the minds eye of the jury that
picture of premature decay and intOlerable
suffering. a little girls puny arm. uncovered
before the jury, was competent evidence,
= 4 .,,.tlt
ness Of cmldren's spoken testimony.
Though the world has never been so tender
of the comfort and happiness of children
as it should be, the neglect has been mainly
occasioned by ignorance of their sufferings.
When these have been distinctly brought to
view and sufficiently confirmed, society has
never been found lacking in righteous wrath
aud wholesome Indignation. Nearly two gem
eratiOns of readers, mourning over the
fictitious gr1efs of Oliver Twist, have grown
hot with wrath at the beasty cruelties
of Soueers and for several weeks the public
has felt toward the Rev. Mr.. Cowley in
the same way. Curiously enough, there
was a presentment that he would escape pun
ishment through the influence of the powerful
religious body of which he had been the ser
want. Dul IhlS lttilHS, VIC dIV SdtiNh'u, uiu
the Episcopal Church injustice. If Cowley
had been acquitted, the mischief would have
been much greater If the Court could not
afford to let guilty man go scot-iree, much
less could the Church afford to east its
shield about him. Cowley is convicted
not only in the interest of justice
and of benevolence, but also in that Of
a church which is particularly active in
good works, and which in spite of its own great
wealth is Obliged to appeal TO the liberality Of
the general public. Nor DO we believe that
the lesson of this mOrtfying exposure will be
lost 1t would be surprising and intolerable
if it did not lead to increased vigilance and a
better system of supervision. This the public,
made somewhat suspicious by more than one
recent revelation, will righttully demand. us
the condition of any support which ii may
hereafter give to charitable institutions.