Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-29


A very few years ago Texas had the
reputation of atiording less protection to
human life than any other state. 1t was
easy TO convict a horse-thiet there, out
very difficult to convict a mau who had
shot TO death his neighbor or his friend
under circumstances that left no doubt
that his crime was murder. There Is
different condition Of affairs IN Texas
now. A man who commits murder IN
that State at present is pretty apt to be
{ hung. The law is administered with a
/ good deal Of yigor, and peaceably-disposed
/ citizens do not feel that they must have a
revolver whenever they step outside Of
their OWE doors.
j kentucky has the reputation now which
Texas had few years ago. There are
counties in that state in which murder
is a very common crime. Two men of
prominence have quarrel and their
neighbors and friends become involved in
It. The shotgun and the revolver are re-
sorted TO at once, and the bloody work
begins Before the quarrel is permitted
| to die out half-dozen or a dozen persons
may be killed.
i There is no such thing as a regular
I fair and square fight. The shooting IS
/ done only when one party has an advan-
+ tage of the other. The bullet generally
! enters the back. A halt-dozen men will
/ lie in wait for their victim and shoot him
TO death when be is least suspecting dan
/ ger.
/ The latest murder that attracted wide
! attention was in Harlan county. A
! Democrat named Hoskins had quar- rel
! about political matters with a Republi-
/ can named johnson. soon afterwards,
| as Hoskins with friend and his little
/ niece were riding in an open wagon into
| the county town johnson, who was wait
! ing for him, fired load Of buckshot
| from his shotgun at Hoskins. The little
/ girl was killed, Hoskins was mOrtally,
and his friend severely, wounded. An at
| tempt was made TO arrest Johnson, but
| his brothers came to his assistance and
they defied the officers of the law The
whole county has taken sides in this
case, and it would be impossible to pre-
dict the number that will be killed before
the fued is ended.
But why is it that there are so many
murders in Kentucky? This question is
not difficult to answer. The law is not
enforced. Human life Is taken with com
| parative impunity. There are many muir
! ders committed in that State that are
| never heard OF Outside of 1t, and many
! that find their way into the newspapers
/ because OF the prominence Of the murder
I ers or their victims. but when was it that
a murderer Of any social standing was
| hung in Kentucky? Is It to be wondered
at that there are so many murderers in a
State when so little is done to make it
dangerous to commit murder or to make
the crime odiousY
In the mountain countries, where most
OF the murders are committed, the people
are only partially civilized. Judges are
afraid to enforce the law, and jurors can
not be obtained who will convict muir
/ derers. In fact, criminal courts are Of
very little account. In these counties
/ the C0u7ier-JOUrndl says that ''the State
! gives no protection to life and Furnishes
| no murderec" In one instance lately the
court house was the convenient hiding
| place Of assassins who shot down then
victim as he was entering the temple
Of justice. The same JeurHafsays that in
| these lawless counties of Eastern Ken.
lucky the Idiots are increasing SC
rapidly that they will soon outnumber the
murderers, and that the time is not dis
tant when they will outnumber the
voters" How long will Kentu ckians
who love their State and are jealous o.
her fame consent to allow murder to g
unpublished within her bordersg