The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-04-08
THE CINCINNATI RIOT.

the accounts of deeds of bloodshed
and violence committed by moo at
Cincinnati which it seems, that
the military and civil authorities
combined are utterly powerless to con-
troll.
The cause which instigated these
bloody riots is already we'll known to
most of the readers of the BAzoo, but
a brief recapitulation. will probably
prove of general interest. On the
9th of last Decemyer, William Bern
er a German youth aged Is years, as
sisted by a negro named Joe Palmer,
murdered their employer William
Kirk for the purpose of securing a
cum of money, which they knew that
he had in bis possession. Both of the
murderers were arrested and lodged in
all. Berner was recently tried and
the jury returned verdict of man
slaughter, and his punishment was as
sessed at twenty years in the peniten-
tiary. Previous to the trial Berner
and Palmer made full confessions of
their:: terrible crime, and hence the as
constituent and Indignation of the
populace knew no bounds, when the
verdict of the jury was made known.
threats of Iynching the jurors were
freely made. it having been charged
that they were bribed. Some of the
jurors caught upon the streets were
subjected to all kinds of indigbities
aud with difficulty escaped with their
lives.
An indignation meeting at which
ten thousand people were present con-
vened at Music hall to prutestagainst
the injustice of the verdict. Public SEN
timent was the more infamed, because
there were large number of murder
ers in addition to Berner and Palmer,
awaiting trial and sentence. Resolu-
tons strongly cOndemning the verdict
we're adopted, and after adjournment,
mob composed of many thousand de-
termined men moved ON the jail. and
then commenced the enactment OF the
scenes of destruction murder and
bloodshed full accounts of which have
been given in our press reports.
1t has long been charged by the
eastern press and in fact by many re.
publican journals in our own state
that Missouri is the hot bed of crime
and lawlessness, but the enactment of
the terrible tragedy in Ohio, the usur.
patton of all authority by reckless
mob, indicates that Missouri is not the
only state where law and order is
sometimes set at defiance.
For years past, there has been q
woeful laxity, aud dangero us lenien
sy manifested in the execution of our
criminal laws, and until even handed
Justice is administered to criminals in
loses. commensurate with the guilt OF
the offenders against law decency and
order, We may expect frequent repe
titions of the Cincinnati horror.
Perhaps in order to CIR
rect the great evils now
existing it may be found necessary tc
make extensive amendments to oul
criminal code, notably the jury sys
tenn. Ignorant men, men VINO are
swayed entirely by their emotions OF
their prejudices, and even worse, il
many instances by their cupidity, ar,
too often selected TO sit in judgment
on case involving the guilt or limo
csnce. the life or death Of a fellow
being.
Again a corrupt Judiciary, or We
nal prosecuting attorney may detea
the ends of justice. The remedy i
the framing of laws which will afiorC
no loop-hole for escape to the guilty
: and in the election OF legislators anC
executors of the law, who are incOr
ruptible. OF course this cannot bt
done in every instance. As long a
the world stands, unworthy and dis
honest men will be elevated to posi-
tons of trust and honor, but Their,