The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-04-05

murder, was found for the reason that
his (Berner's) own confession was
ruled out of the evidence.
Though our jury system may bl
defective, we think it is not only in i,
that defects are to be found. As
much, and more exists, in our opin,
ion, in our laws upon the subjects OF
crimes.
Our able contemporary, the Times
Democrat, in an editorial on the riot,
says; months ago the press com
mented on an epidemic of crime that
seemed to be sweeping over the coun-
try. That epidemic is now traced to
failure to punish the criminals hence
the present feeling, restricted to no
section, but general throughout the
Union, relative to the failure of iuries
to convict, and the necessity for some
reform. Nearly every paper COM
menting on these riots, whether in
Chicago, St. Louis or. any other city,
has sought to point a moral with this
outbreak and to declare that some
popular demonstration is likely to
take place in its own city, if criminals
60 unpublished as they have gone"
The New Orleans States, in com
menting on the same subject matter,
says: "The mob which for several
days past has kept up reign of ter
ror in Cincinnati, as we have said be-
fore, was the logical outgrowth of the
INSTRUMENTATION of the criminal law
A condition Of things little less terri
bic and disgracefnI prevails in New
Orleans, and unless there is some
change for the better, will sooner or
later lead to, just. such n mob as that
which has distracted Cincinnati. There
has been there and here, also, of late
no punishment melted out to murder
erS. The most cruel, bloody and
dlabolicaI crimes are committed, and
invariably the murderer is declared
not guilty. 1t is folly for the commu-
nifty to vent their Indignation Oh the
acquitted criminal. If murder was
only perpetrated by men under the
influence of anger, or in resentment
for real injuries and insult, society
would have little to apprehend from
lax administration Of justice. But,
unfortunately, there are large classes
OF brutes who wear the shapes of men,
IN every community, who have a natu-
raj instinct to murder; they feel no
horror at the contemplation of crime
and no remorse for having perpetrated
1t. They would rather murder than
not. 1t is this villainous class to
whom the lax administration of the
criminal law give a loose rein Salts
he'd from experience that iures NAV
be bribed, or otherwise corruptlv in
tiuenced, they do not hesitate, when
occasion presents itself, to indulge
their bloody propensities.
clad Sykes aud Ryan been hung, |
as they ought to have been, Clark
would not have murdered poor Keller
few nights ago. With the cases
cited in his mind, Clark felt secure in
butchering his victim, and there is not
now a murderer or citizen in New Or
leans who has the least idea that
Clark will ever be punished for this
most damnabIc murder. The fault is
not in the law it is in the compost
ton of the juries. The Cincinnati
mob ought quietly to have gone to
|
work, seized the jury that acquitted
the Cincinnati murderer, and hung
them to lamp post. In other words,
they should have struck at the root of
The evil at first, as they did in the
end, when it was too late. AS it is, no
good has been accomplished. Public
Indignation, so slow TO arise to the
point of violence, has expended its
wrath, and murder will |
'esume its sway under the patronage ::
md protection of Cincinnati and New :
Orleans juries." &
Now, we must say in all candor we
10 not approve of this method of !
the evil, and suggest in. '
tead, more attention to the intelIi- &
,ent selection of legislators. The $
ending of demagog1es to the Legis. r
lture, by election machinery, has, we t
ear, engrafted into the honorable :
rofession of legislator too much
emagoguism for the public good and u
he protection of our morals. Verify P
the matter now stands, it seems !.
nat the science of the law has reach ;,
q point of refinement which is in a
ttect infnitismal, and assumed the a
atnre Of sieve after removing the P
ire gauze, and leaving the hole still y
Iere. =
The indictments against Henry w