The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-30
HI,AWn AND Its VICTIMS.

The thing technically termed 'justice"
seems to be pretty much the same the world
over. In the indefinite "out West" of this
country it is very eccentric in its character
and sudden in it's conclusions, which latter
are by no means always just what civilization
would have. But this is all lightly laid off
with the apology, not always vouchsafed, that
it is owing to the unsettled state of society
"out there" where formal trial is next to i'm
possible and where the impulsiveness of vigi-
lance committees seldom works harm to an
individual wholly blameless, since few there
be there who can oonscientiously cast the
stone of condemnation. As result this is
rough on Western-far Western-society, but
the people multiply, naturally and by immi-
grafton, and the few taken off sans ceremOnie
are not long missed. But what is to be said
and done when fragrant crime takes place in
an old-established city like the capital of
FranceG We do not refer to vice, So
cial and moral, fragrant and Haunted
as it is in that gay city,
but to bold premeditated crime; to murder,
like the one committed on Wednesday on the
threshold of temple of justice. and that, too,
by woman, the wife of public officer. The
account says that Madam Hughes was driven
to madness and to murder by the success of her
slanderer in obtaining postponement and de-
1oxx ~ Lo,o 4 Is.
ties, until at last, despairing of ever securing
justice, she takes the matter into her own
hands, and, meeting him on the stairway, she
shoots him-not once only, but twice, thrice,
and even four times, until six shots have been
fred and four balls are lodged in the SANDER
er's breast. This is not so very remarkable
for similar deeds have been done before. But
it is very remarkable that report should say
that ''the public is enthusiastic over the con-
duct of Madam Hughes, whose acquittal is
expected"
That last clause reads as though written of
before her victim is dead cher acquittal is ex-
pected." The enforcement of the law must
be very crude in France after all to permit
such paradox as must follow this woman's
probable acquittal. By relying on the claw"
and conforming to court processes her victim
raised such wrath in the heart of this woman
that she determined to murder him. The adj
vantage afforded him by the claw" made her,
for the time being, mad woman. And al
ready the exulting pOpulace predicts her
speedy aequittal. How can this BET How
can the claw" which but yesterday stood to
protect him. be SO suddenly turned to exoner-
ate her for casting contempt upon itY In
all probability Madam Hughes will
be promptly and entirely acquitted
So be it, But what Of the law
and the manner in which it is made to de-
feat or postpone justiceH And is it the Claw, "
or is it something in the mind of the most
learned judge, that magnifes senseless tech
nicalities until they obscure the law and defer
if not wholly defeat justicef
Let the slandered woman go free; she was
but human; and being human broke down
under the awful strain put upon her by the
technicalties of the claw" But while the
body of the victim is being prepared for it's
place in Pore la Chaise let some thought be
given to the Flaw" and to courts, which allow
such monstrous paradoxes as this case pre-
sents. And, by the way, we might as we'll
change Paris to America, for we have had just
such claw" here, with murder in San
Francisco. Not alone in Franco, but in
America, there is need of looking closely into
what is called claw" or into its administra-
ton.