The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-22
The Lesson of Beck's Trial.

/ SSOIEtu1 iot AA' WtS
and sister.in-law in October, 1884, fur
nishes practical lesson of the dangers
of the coup" and an unanswerable argu.
ment against the license system. The
news of the terrible crime, connected
with the character and standing of the
accused, created surprise. horror, wher-
ever it was read, and its very unnatural.
ness and atrocity led many to regard it
the work of mailman. 1t furnishes
actual proof that there is no crime whis.
key may not father, and if the thirst for
whiskcy in the case of Beck was inheri.
| ted, as tho testimony indicates, it fixes
the duty of every State to prohibit its
retail as beverage, not only as a pro-
lection to society, but as a preventive of
crime. No one can doubt or deny but
spirits are useful in medicine and the
arts, or that they are virtually harmless
when used in moderation, but this does
not justify the licensing of retail shops,
which sell it purely for the money to be
made in the business, and which not
only temptingly open their doors to the
youth of the country, but by the seduc.
tions of fancy drinks, cards, billiards
and other devices, draw them into this
malestrom of sin and death, leading, as
it does, to moral, mental, social and
physical ruin, to end only in poverty
and crime and disgrace.
We have never been radical in our
views of the making and sale of whiskey,
though we have, and always will oppose
its retail by the drink, for social gather
ing, fancy drinks and games of chance,
always found at bar.rooms, seduce the
| youth of the country and lead them into
the broad road to ruin. Few are the
men who will, at home or elsewhere,
apart from these indictments, drink to
excess. If then liquor be beneficial at
times let it be sold by the quart or gal.
lon, not to be used on the premises where
sold, as provided in the old distiller's
law, though we are of opinion it should
not be sold at all except as medicine
and on the prescription of a physician.
No one can deny but its use weakens
rather than strengthens the powers OF
labor and endurance.
Beck, the victim of that terrible trag-
edy, was a man of good birth, was
brought up in comparative af1uence, and
though possessing but few advantages of
education, had seen much of the world,
and must, by contact with the world,
have gained much general information.
His wife was said to have been lady of
fine family, we'll educated and beloved
by all who knew her. This young
couple entered on life with bright hopes
and expectations. Where has it ended?
In gloom, despair, death. What changed
the sunshine of their lives into darkness ?
Whiskey. One lies cold in the grave,
while the other fills felon's cell, where
remorse, sorrow, will be his only COM
panion through life. Gould he recall
one year how different would be his
course, but moment passed can never
pass again. =.
Beck has been tried, and though his
life has been spared by the merciful view
Of the jury, he is doomed to imprison-
ment for life. His counsel spared no
labor or pains to acquit him. Hypothet-
ical facts, expressive of his conduct
prior to the tragedy, were submitted to
the ablest medical experts, and their
opinion asked as to the sanity of man
so acting, and though the answer was
invariably in favor of the insanity Of
Beck, still he was convicted. The de-
baucheries of his past life, his irritability
and his thirst for liquor were used as
evidences that be had been crazy from
birth, aud that these temperaments were
inherited from his father and mother,
both of whom were addicted to the use
of iutoxicants and the latter of whom
had frequent fits of frenzy. The love he
felt for his wife in connection with the
atrocity of the crime were drawn in to
build up the defense of mania potu.
All failed. After conviction Beck ex-
pressed surprise at the verdict, stating
he ought not to have been convicted,
and that he neither intended to kill his
wife nor knew he had done so until the
next morning. In talk with reporter
of the Atlanta Constitution, and in reply
to question as to whether he had any
thing to say in the light of his expert
ence Beck answered "Yes. Say to the
people it is the first drink which makes
man drunk. If he does not take that
he will not need the second" There is
mint of truth in this expression, and
coming from man, who has had such
extensive and sad experience as Beck, it
should be q warning to all tipplers,
ror,o ond old - IVo1boU1 Gn1trier