Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-19
COL. COCKRELL
Indicted for Murder in the Second De.
gree for the Killing OF Mr.. Stay
back, and
Bail Fixed at $4,000, Which is
Promptly Given-A Knoxville HOr.
rOr-M0ral DepraYity.

ST. LOUIS, October IS.-Between and
O'Clock this evening Ed Dierkes, prosecuting
attorney of the Court Of Criminal Correction,
issued a warrant for Col. John A. Cockrell,
charging him with murder in the second de-
gree Hall an hour later Joseph B. McCul:
lsgh, OF the Globe Democrat, and Joseph Pull
iizer, of the t-Dispateh, Mr.. CockrelPs
counsel and several of his personal friends
repaired TO Judge Cady's private office,
where he was in waiting, and offered bonds
for the release of the colonel. After the
usual preliminaries in such cases Judge
Cady named $4,000 as the amount of bail,
whereupon George 3. McCullagh and
George D. Capen, the welI-known insurance
agent, signed the bond, and Col. Cockrell
was released 10 appear for examination be-
fore the Court of Criminal Correction, No
vember I'd. Mr.. Cockrell, after re-
ceiving the congratulations of his friends
present, went to his room at the
Lindell Hotel, where he received numerous
callers. After the bond had been executed
by McCullagh aud Capen it was signed BY
several other well-known gentlemen, and al
most any number stood ready to attach their
signatures for any amount that might be
required. 1t is Understood that Mr.. Cock
rell will leave the city tomorrow with Con-
gresham Hurd, OF Ohio, for a short visit 10
relatives and friends in that State.
TREE ANDITs FRUIT.
New York Tribune.
A brilliant and genial man in the prime Of
life aud in the full tide of success in the le-
gal profession, hiss been shot down at st.
Louis. A wife is made desolate and ak
children fatherless by a shot which the slayer
saws that he fred in self-dsfense. The evil
dence is conflicting rs 10 the occurrences i'm
medistely preceding he deadly shot. But
the real cause was a personal attack which
had been made upon the victim in the col
umu. of the paper of which the slayer was
managing editor. No doubt, at the moment
of shooting, Mr.. Cockrell thought that his
| life wss in danger. But his paper had
brought that danger upon him, not merely
| by attacking Mr.. Siayback, but by long
continued line of conduct which had led the
victim to denounce il as an assassin OF pri-
va,e character. Mr.. Cockrell himself is 4
gentleman of many amiable qualities, OF
| hrst-rate abilities and undoubted character
a firm friend and a dangerous foe. Those
uho know him best, and best know the
points of his successful csreer, will most pro-
| foundly deplore this lamentaoe occurrence.
How far he may have been responsible for
the conduct Of ths paper on which he was
| employed we do not know. This, at any
rate, is clear. The tragedy is another fruit
! of Whist is called personal journslism-that
| style of journalism which relics Tor success
more upon a faculty for abuse than upon
worth in newsgathering or weight In argu-
ment The number OF these tragedies is in
| creasing. San Francisco was greatly excited
| by the De Young Kslloch sffsir; Washing
| ton by he Soteldo Gaze; and hardly week
| passes without some sffrsy or duel, more
| frequently at the South, resulting from some
| attack upon private character Ia nsrsp1-
| per. The frequency OF these dlsgraceiul
| events is not indication that men are
growing more hot-tempered or more lawless.
/ T. Al OF oIua ~
| sonal journalism has become more common
| than il formerly was. In some conspicuous
| cases a newspaper conducted in this style
| has achieved marked succk So of a certain
| sort. This has led other journalists to the
belief that a well-cultivatcd gilt for vituper-
| alton will make paper pay, even though II
may have not much else 10 recommend IT.
They reason thatthe principal difficulty is to
arrest public attention, and that nothing else
arrests it so quickly or generally as scsndal
brutal personalities, or qusrrels that threaten
to riper into tragedies. 1t is true, to some
| extent, that a public taste is necessary &c
| mske even the worst sort OF journalism pos
sible. Even among intelligent and law-re
| specting men there are far too many who
read with relish personal attacks that pass
| all decepcy and tempt TO a disregard Of all
law. Had there been no public appetite ii
st. Louis for such degrading journalism nc
paper would have made itself notorious there
by it's attacks. II there were no such aPpe'
lite here, more than one New York paper
would starve. Those who encourage such pa
pers and keep them alive after they trans
gress are directly responsible for the crimes
to which they lead. In a community of &
different fort any. respectable citizen would
feel quite able to treat with utter contempt
any journalistic blsckguardism whatever
But where tn atsort of thing is relishsd and
made town-talk, and considered to iuvolv'
mans "honor" il he does not get down tC
the level of his asssilant at once, the whole
come restraints of law will be disreg arded
foul words will be answered with clubs anC
pistols, and semi-barbarism will prevail
Any state of society is less than half civil
lied in which it is possible for blackguardlsn
really TO injure gentleman. Mr.. Slaybacl
may have been entirely mistaken in suppos
ing that personal abuse would ipjure hin
in 81. Louis. But the prosperity of am
rank specimen of personal journalism in {
Town is unfavorable evidence as to the stat,
| of society there.