The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-12
STRICTLY NECESSARY.
Why an Innocent Man Was conaemne.
 so be Hanged.

Why an innoeen, Man Was Condemned
 to be Hanged.
 In one of the rural oountie. of Arkan. saw, aptain Slocas was afrAlgned before court. on a ohsrge of murder The cap tain was defended hy he leading lawyer of the district, and from the hrs, |, was esiden, that the .nd,c,mcn, could not he sustained. As last resort. the amba. t,oas prosecuting attorney. not eele- brased ior legal ability. arose and .aad
 "four honor. and you. gentlemen of the iury. don't suppose ,ha, in all this country there can he found a man who is more than 1 am disposed to do right and thereby rshes, credit upon my country and myself. The able gentlemen ~ho have opposed me in this case. may he honorable gentlemen, bat they have mol immigration a, heart. They have shown. ny oratcry and argument. that the prt.. oner IS innocent. and that he should be allowed to go free According to the s,Tiet construction ef law. thus may he true, but such sini,s a,lon and eonse- auent liberation would not, [ am pet. suaded. serve the best interests of our rapidly developing eoan.fy"
 "Nour honor,s exclaimed lawyer fe. the defense. the gentleman talks like mad man. The idea of hanging A man. when he ,s innocent. speaks more of the eannibal than the American e,,lfen.''
 !" les me explain" continued the pros. ccuiing attorney. affirmed tha, am working for the best interests of the eoan- try, and 1 repeat the assertion. Within the past SIS months we have hung three negroes n this county. bat not a white man has been stretched. This IS dis elimination. which immigration will m, tolerate. Unless you hang a white man oes as,onaily. you cannot hope 10 become known as an impartial neIghborhood. 1, ~ould br Jna A bad fl you ~efe io hang all white men and no negroes. fo,. in either event, discrimination is esh,b- tied Now, in the interest of fairness, 1 ask Ina, he captain. ~hn ,s ~hi,e man. be ha aged, and that ], copy of the resalu tons hc sent to each immigration agent and n~~SpspeT in tise north. Gentlemen of the Jury and you. judge. ali have land for sale. Do you expect that, under the presen, one. sided lass. you will eses be able tn dispose of II. No you anno,. hved in community once, where for siA years none bas negroes had been hanged, The lands were rich. and the mineral fesoarees .ers wondensi but immigration held zioot. 4 committee was appointed to investigate the cause, The committee reported that the cause rested with the fac, shss no white men .ese hung. immediate action was taken. and wbs'e man who. as Irving, wss of no service ,o the community, was hung. upon the principle that every man. either living os dead, must serve his country. Then. gentlemen, fl vas teaii1ed that grea, deed had been committed. People 
 from all parts of the country poured in, and to-day you cannot buy foot of land in the ooupsy. These arc my reasons. Look ,o your lands. gentlemen of the jury look 'o yocr lands. judge"
 The judge. in h,s charge to she Isry, szid
 "C.en.i~nen. have listened ~ith s great deal of interest 10 the speech of the pscseeu.ssg attorney. and fnass say that 1 am deeply impressed. Ali of us are iand-poor, and are A, Loss so know bow to r,d ourselves If oar burdens- Wah immigration, we could seii lands and bay fine horses and hzi tobacco and old whisky. You could throw aside your patched pants, and could wear shoss coats without shame. am mach struck ~sth the idea of improvement, and sd- ysse iss adoption. The captain, here, ii of 10 use to the community. and, believing that his corpse will bs wonh more than his living body, and believing that you aii agree with me. l sentence him to bs hanged ss son as the sheriff can fad roo<.s