Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-01-22
"a Jury.s 1Ioral Co,vardice., J,

Judge A. M. Aiken, of the Corpo-
ration Court Of Danville, Va. Gre
ated quite a sensation a few davs
ago in sentencing a prisoner who
had been tried for the murder of a
man named Hankins, and whose
punishment had been fixed by the
jury at eighteen years in the peni-
Tertiary. He said
"Scott Thompson, your present
situation, whether you be guilty or
innocent of the murder of Hankins,
il due to the moral cOWardice of
twelve men. Either you are alto
g.ther innocent of the accusation
made against you by the Common
wealth, or you perPetrated murder
Of the first degree in law, and of the
foulest in cold-blooded and unfeel-
ing atrOcity. If you were believed
innocent, nonstrous crime rests
upon those who declared you guilty.
III you are guilty, your wicked life
has been saved by the criminal
weakness of a jury who had not the
moral courage TO act fearlessly and
to the full extent of the law upon
evidence, the truth of which they
Endorsed by the verdict they rem
dered."
His Honor then reviewed the ev-
inence and concluded as follows:
upon this testimony, it was not
even insisted by your advocate that
Hiankins was dead when he was
thrown into the canal, and the YER
dict of the jury, in ignoring the ev-
idence and finding you guilty of
manslaughter, Was a despicable eva
sion of their diragreeable duty to
NindicAte the outraged law OF the
commonwealth by infiicting on you
its awful, but well-merited, penalty.
The court has no power to set aside
the virdict against you. If you are
innocent, curses and contempt must
be mingled with your feelings Of
grief at the injustice that has been
done you. If you are guilty, you
should rejoice and praise God that
you fell into the hands of, and were
tried by, jury of your peers. The
Judgement of the Court is that you be
imprisoned in the penitentiary for
the period found by the jury"
Home .-COnfOrts'' and their Effect
On Health.
The Builder.
1t Is not clear, but it may be sus-
pected, that there is some element
at work in the present state of civil
izatiOn, which renders the more
gently nurtured, or more highly
cultured. members of society especi-
ally untitled to resist malarious in
fiuence. Connected with this must
be borne in mind the manner in
which the external atmosphere is
more aid more kept out from our
houses. Doors and windows close
better, draughtS are more carefully
excluded than OF old. Appliances
are introduced fol- artificially warm
ing the passages and vestibules, 50
as to afford gradual transition
from the warm atmosphere of (
chamber to the external tempera- |
ture. Clothing is much more COM
pick than was formerly the case. In |
the time of our grandfathers man |
was called puppy if he wore an |
OVercoat. What would those hardy |
gentleman have said to an "Ulster"
of the present day? or the Sealskin |
jackets and coats? Human habit is !
so much modified by circumstances,
that the adoption of all these safe |
guards against an occasional chill |
may have a direct tendency to |
lower the resisting power of the |
constitution. And there are well |
known facts that square with this |
view. Such is the influence on the |
constitution of the prolonged heat |
Of frOniqaI ar Cuh-frOnipai cnunfr rios |
The inference is not unnatural that |
the greater comfort, as we regard |
it-at all events, the more sustained |
heat which we are steadily giving !
to our abodes-is really tending TO |
lower our constitutional power of |
resistance, not only to the great |
tonic, cold, but to those influences
against which that tonic has the
prime function of Strengthening the |
frame.