The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-15
WHAT AND WHEN?

w ANb WILL DCSOAO VI hSpO INV
When will he be tried again? and
similar questions, which lawyeri
themselves cannot answer and
courts would not attempt. II one
were to undertake to reply to such
queries he would at once be con-
fronted by probabilities, possibili'
ties and other questions without
number. Hopt may escape from
the P enitentiary, as many prisoners
have done; after getting away he
may go on numbering people for
money or for the pure love Of kill
ing, and if caught may rely upon
courts and the law to keep HE preci-
Gus neck out Of the halter. He may
conclude-and suchconclusion would
be wise-that 1t Is safer for him
IN the Pen than out, and may live
long there in the tho enjoyment Of
the quiet repose Of retired gentle.
man, until nature runs its course
and he shall pass away at a good
old age. In such case, most of this
generation would be In heaven or
elsewhere while Hopt was yet liv-
ing off the fat Of the land at the ex-
pense of the public ana guarded
from disturbance by paid officers.
There are many things which arise
when We contemplate an answer to
the question, What Will become OF
Hopt now?
When we come to consider the
possibilities Of the murderer being
executed, the probabilities are almost
as vast as in the other ease. This
much, however, we can say, there is
little or no chance for b is execution
taking place inside of year, while
there is very great chance that the
event will not transpi.e foG many
years. A good deal depends upon
the persistence with which lawyers
will scheme and work
for MIN; and more depends
upon the courts The murder was
committed four years ago, and ever
since the prisoner has bean in GUS
tody; the courts have been open all
the time, and there has been no
lack of funds for carrying on q Wig.
orous prosecution; there has never
been a want OF convincing testi.
mony; there have been three trials
and three convictions of murder in
the first degree; there have been
three appeals to the Supreme Court
of the United States ;twjes the iudg-
ment of the local court has been re-
versed and the case sent back for a
new trial; there is no guarantee that
it will not be returned a third time
for the prisoner has been tried
the three times Ia the
same court, the evidence was
practically the came on all occasions,
and the conditions varied little from
one trial to another the judges who
sat in the case have given no strik~
ing evidence of having learned any
thing in the law during the four
years; it looks as if the Judges were I,
to be continued in their positions;
that is to say, they will never go un-
til they are kicked out, knowing as
they do that to leave their office
means pauperdom or starvation, as
one or the other condition would /
necessarily follow an attempt to
&setice law, or in other words to
engage in something they know
nothing about. In view OF the
many blunders committed by the
COURTS District and Supremel ia this
case there is nothing to encourage
the belief that Hopt will ever re>
oeive the punishment which the
aw declsres shall be inflicted on the
murderer.
But under the most favorable con-
1itions, with everything hereafter
running regularly, and the local
courts laundering into the correct
of the law and the
proper application Of its methods, q
year, as remarked. will be about the
.ipe the people must wait to see the
a@ enforced in this instance. The
Supreme Court Of the United States
Will meet the second Monday in
October next, but will not get down
% business before November. Thel
dopt case will. as heretofore, be fer
varded on the calendar, and taken