Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-02-09
coLE-H HARMON.

AFTER nelbg out ~ nOurs Drought IN
verdict Of manslaughter. This leave
Cole liable 10 a sentence TO the Peni.
tentiary Of from one to twenty years
for shooting a man who had seduced
his wife and made a wreck Of his once
happy home. The following is from
the Toledo Democat: "The conviction
Of Cole Of msnslalgh'er by the jury at
Napoleon, was certainly surprise to
a large majority Of the people, Of this
city at least. OF all the men whom
we heard express an opinion, during
the trial, and We heard a large num-
Der speak of it, we Fever heard a
single one who was not in favor Of an
acquittal. Cole certainly had greater
provocation, stronger justification, for
killing Harmon than General Sickles
had for shooting Barton Key, and yet
Sickles was acquitted in the same
court that tried Guiteau, while Cole
was convicted in the same court IN
which Scott was acquitted of murder
ing young Drury. 1t is a strange
and unlocked for result and to US en-
tlrely inexpl!cable. Cole, we have
been told by several Of his neighbors,
was, until he learned of the infdelity
of his wife, quiet, peaceable, indus
trious, good citizen. Harmon was a
village bully, a brutal coward. who
beat Cole for obiecting to the intimacy
between him and Cole S wife, and did
not stop with this outrage upon the
man whose life he had made wretched,
but publicly, and in the presence of
several other men, said to Cole, "Pete,
you had better go home and look after
your wife. / was with her this morn.
ing and if you do not, l will go and
see her again. We cannot un-
1erstand how any man. endowed with
The attributes Of manhood, could vote
rs a juror, to convict Cole for killing
,he brutal beast who thus publicly
him with having debauched
lis wife. What adequate punishment
IAN be inflicted by law upon a man
who wrongs another as Harmon
vrongel Cole? 1t will be said bv
hose who justify the conviction, that
Harmon might have been fined and !
for short time, and Cole
'ould have got a judgment against
Harmon for seducing his wife. Would |
hat repair the awrong? Would o
Judgment against Harmon restore the
happiness of Cole? The man who
would punish and degrade another for
;illing the seducer of his wife, who
rove him to madness by boasting
ublicly in his presence Of doing it,
re cannot believe is possessed OF true
manhood. The only thing in the con-
uct of Cole that surprises us is. that
g did not shoot Harmon down when
Q made the beastly statement that,he
ad debauched Coles wife. The only
,lution is that Cole was so quiet and
naturally, that it took a
ng time broodlng over his wrongs to
1T worked up to a sufficient degree
take life. 1t is said Cole had ample
me for reflection before shooting Har-
on. That was just what prompted
m to do the shooting. 1t was the
Election which drove the injured and
ined man to desperation. Every
ne he looked upon lis wife and little !
irl, fresh,wound was inflicted upon s
5 heart which continued to bleed un- y
he could endure the agony no long S
and he did just what manhood, q
,arting under deep sense Of wrong Q
lich Harmon continued to infict 2
on him, ought to do. :
We hope and believe, if Cole should u
sentenced to the penitentiary, bat '
} do not believe he will be, for we
ink he will get new trial, that Gov.
1or Foster will pardon him at once. a
e think the Governors good heart
: he is kind man, will prompt him
do this act Of justice and mercy.
THEY have done talking about