Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-05

1t appears that even as late as 1888, when
the table commences, so common was it to
pass sentences of this description for Of.
lenses not of the gravest kind, that out OF
93l such sentences in that year only nine
were for actual murder. Death sentences
must however, clearly have lost their
| peculiar terrors for out OF these 93l con-
formations, with all their attendant
soLEMNITIEs OF THE BLACK CAP
And the Judges exhortations, the extreme
penalty was really carried out in only
thirty. three cases. The last year in which
sentence of death was passed for crime
short of murder was 1874, when there was
one sentence only. With this exception
there has been no such case since 1862.
The enormous disproportion between SEN
fences and executions has long since disap-
peared, but the chance of capital sen
tence being carried out appears to be still
in favor of the condemned, for in the four
years from 1879 to 1882, inclusive, there
have been one hundred and seven con-
formations, whereas the executions have
been tifty-one only. In regard to crime,
the whole
NATION Is STANDING AGHAST
Just now at the revelation made st the re-
cent Stafford Assizes of the condition of
affairs in what is known as 1.-The Black
Country" Black it appears TO be in more
respects than one. The Judge, in charging
the Grand Jury, said he regretted to see
the number OF serious and grievous charges
of assaults upon females TO be found In
the calender. There was, he observed, no
circumstance wanting that could add hor.
ror to the crime committed, whether they
regarded the age OF tie men-in one
case a prisoner charged with a
criminal assault was an old man of 76 -
whether they regarded the victim upon
whom the crime was committed-he be.
lieved there were three children under the
age of u years who had been so treated
or whether they looked at the circum-
stances under which the act was done, for
there was one case in which a crime had
been committed upon girl who had hardly
attained the age of puberty, and accord
ing to the evidence the prisoner charged
a man-got the assistance of boy OF - to
hold the hands of the victim. Sir John
added that he did not know that there
could be found anywhere such a series
of crimes 80 black, and he did not be-
lieve there was any way OF stopping a
crime of this kind other than by bringing
public opinion to bear against it, and by
teaching everyone that it was not a light
crime at ALL but that it was serious, both
as regarded the moral offense and the in
jury. In the subsequent proceedings all
the prisoners were found guilty, the SEN
fences ranging from one to twenty years.
The old man got fifteen years. l have re-
Trained hitherto from any allusion to the
UNDERGROUND RAILWAY EXPLOSIONS,
Hoping that further investigation might
give them different aspect. The railway
company, | know, would be glad to place
the responsibility elsewhere than upon
themselves, and have been flattering my
self as a member of the human family that
perhaps, after all, this terrible affair was
not Fenian outrage. But in clinging to
such hope, 1 must say, that l have been
almost alone, for the general and over
whelming verdict from first to last has
been that the Irish sre at the bottom of it.
America. too, comes in Tor no small share
of condemnation as the country under
whose flag these horrible plots against life
are coucocted. II the purpose was to slarm
Londorers, it has certainly been accom-
plished. Trsffic or the Underground fell
off to an amazing extent for some days,
and the most innocent went about in NOR.
tai fear. Public confidence Is By no means
restored even yet.
THE PANIC
Into which the authorities were thrown
can be imagined from TWO incidents. a
discarded weight, such as is used in the
construction of cranes, is found in pub
lie thoroughfare, aud it Is mistaken at once
fn- q Inaded shall and amin n cnrsi m