Daily Republican., 1883-11-26
The Lises -Thsir Crios, -nsss

Though the general drift OF PuDic
opinion is that the verdict In the Lists
case is justified by the evidence and tho
circumstances surroundings very large
number of people dissent from the YER
dict, Even those who favored the extreme
verdict up TO the time Of its rendition,
did not expect anything more than
murder in the second degree for young
List, and Of manslaughter for the elder
List, and In such . verdict there would
have been . general acquiescence.--
Though we are amongst those who
think the verdict severe one accord :
ing to the evidence, we are gratihed to
find that there are juries in Delaware
who are willing to accept the conss'
quences and stand by the expressed law
of the State, no matter who may be its
victims.
At casual sight 1t does not look as If
the Lists were more guilty Of murder
than Carbsrry, Harrigan and Croney,
but because juries failed to 6na two Of
them not deserving Of the extreme SEN
tence Of the law, and by other means
within the law the other has escaped
the extreme punishment, their cases
could not be brought up as a precedent
in the Lists case. Indeed we are not
sure that the very clemency extended
to others as guilty did not initiate
against the unfortunate Lists. The re-
suits of murder trials for several years
past we're not such as to inspire general
dread and respect for the law AZ applied
to capital punishment. 1t looks In the
List trial as II there had to be revolu.
ton in trials for murder. The escape
of 40 many who we're guilty of shed.
ding the blood Of their fellow man be-
gun to look as il the declaration Of the
Almighty that Whosover sheddeth
mans blood by man shall his blood be
she'd had lost Its force and had become
obsolete. 1t looks as ifthere had to be q
new departure.
The drifting away from the old land
marks had to be checked. Looking
back over the annals Of crime for twenty
or more odd years there was no record
ofa white man being executed for
capital offence, while . c0lored man
charged with capital offence rarely
escaped. Carberry escaped. His VIC
tim was only negro. Hardgsn's vic
tim was white man and he was con-
victed. But he has not been executed,
nor is there . we'll informed man that
believes he will be. We do not charge
it, but it is no secret that many believe
that his escape from the extreme pun
ish ment to which he was sentenced,
was through political influence. Har,
rigsn was Democrat Soon after.
wards came the trial of Croney for the
murder Of Mcguire. Croney was a
Republican. bow could Croney be
made to suffer the extreme penalty
while Harrigan WAS reprieved 1t
looks as if all these instances came up
in array before the public, the Court
and the jury in the case of the Lists,
The question seems to have been asked
when are these things to cease" Is 1t
not about time to get back on the old
track when murder meant murder and
conviction meant punishment" There
seemed to be nothing in the way Of
commencing the. stern. administration
of justice with the Lists.
Are they guilty ? A sworn jury, and
We believe . conscientious jury, has
said NO. Is the verdict too severe &c
cording to the evidence ? As we have
already stated, we are amongst those
who believe that it Is.
There seemed to be as many extenua-
ting circumstances in their cases As In
many others that were decided differ
emily. We need not 60 over all the evi.
dence. 1t has been read and re-read by
the public. With the same evidence,
would the List, If they had been men
of uublemished character up to the
time of their last misfortune, been con-
victed a. they were?
Looking at it In this light, we cannot
see why the ends of justice would not
have been as well subserved with less
severe verdict say second degree for
the younger List, and msnslaughter for
the elder. However, if this course IL
hereafter to be applied to all future
cases and this is to be the beginning Of
the new departure, society will not sui
fer. One thing is settled, halt Is call.
cd upon crime and criminals in Will
mington. There are still juries that are
not to be swerved from performing theil
sworn duty.