Connecticut western news., 1880-05-12
States Evidence.

StaCo1S EVluenCes
 A very noted burglar was lately con- victed' in Boston, and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment at hard labor in the Concord. State Prison. He is an | old man now, and has been leading the life of a criminal for many years. He has been concerned in large and small burglaries in 0 dozen different States, some of which have been success ful, and others, failures. Much of his life has been spent in prison, an d when he has been at liberty he has been forced to keep in hiding to disguise himself; i; to pass under various ;names ito flee from city to city; aAd to live in per petual fear of arrest and punishment.
 The manner in whiselSAis con yEiction was brought about is an Illustration of another peril to which men who break the laws are always exposed. The evidence against him was given by man who had been with him in the con- mission of the crime for which he is now suffering punishment.
 There is an old saying that there is "honor among thieves" The saying is not true, at least not in the sense in which the word "honor" is used by honest people. Thieving is essentially meanness, and treachery is not lower in the scale of baseness. The man who will steal, will, as rule, be treacherous to his companions in guilt, if by doing so, he can save himself from punish ment,
 So true is this that there is a special phrase used to describe men who confess their own crimes, and testify against their accomplices, to escape the con- sequences of their evil deeds. They are called in this country "State's Evidence" In England they are called Kings or Queens Evidence.
 If two men have been arrested for a crime, on suspicion which amounts almost to certainty, it often happens that the actual evidence against them which can be admitted in court is slight. In such case the prosecuting officer may be able to persuade one of them to become g. witness against his fellow Or one of them may even offer to testify against the other.
 Criminals who are shut up in cell, awaiting trial, can rarely be aware how strong the evidence against them will really be. Their imagination will generally make it stronger than it is. So they are in degree prepared to accept propositions to avoid trial, by going into the witness-box.
 Ordinarily the prosecution against person who has turned traitor is dis continued-though not always. In Eng land free pardon is sometimes granted to Queens Evidence. The usual course in this country is for the prosecuting attorney to enter nolLe a0rosequi, that is, to declare that he is etn,oizli,eg to prosecute, or to ask the judge to order the indictment against States Evidence to be placed on file.
 In the case of the burglar to which we have referred, another course was pur- sued. The traitor was placed on trial upon a minor charge; he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 8 short term in the penitentiary. He escaped the State Prison, and under the lighter penalty will in comparatively brief time be at liberty again. ....
 The system is necessary evil. By 1t the State becomes sort of partner with 8 criminal, and makes 8 bargain with him to do a despicable act and so to evade the punishment which his mis- deeds have merited. But unless this bargain was made, in great many cases, all the guilty persons would escape, from lack of proof against them. ...-..
 A grave responsibility is placed upon the attorney in charge of the prosecu- tion. If it is possible to convict without accepting State's evidence, he makes mistake if he allows one criminal who is under arrest to escape. If he tries to convict all, without showing favor to a treacherous accomplice, and then fails, the mistake is worse.
 An odd fact in regard to these traitors must be mentioned They rarely suffer from the vengeance of their companions in guilt whom they have betrayed. The most reasonable explanation of this is, that those who get the punishment are conscious that they would have been equally treacherous if the opportunity had been given them, and so are charita- ble towards the fault. Whether this is so or not, one thing is certain, that no criminal can rely on the "honor" of his omrades.- Youths Companion.
 niScOvara6 in Tima