Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-27
MRS. DRUSE,S CASE.

The case of Mrs. Roxana nruse Of New
York will now attract national attention.
The woman murdered her husband, bru
tally, deliberately, Gas was abundantly
proven on the trial, and the jury award
ed the death penalty. The execution day
was set for next Friday, the Goth inst,
but Gov. Hill has granted a respite Of
thirty days. 1t appears that the governor
possesses the pardonlng as well as the
committing power, but he declares that
after careful examination OF the case he
does not feel warranted in exercising
clemency in any way save to grant the
above respite, which is done In order chat
the legislature, now about to assemble,
may modify, II 1t sees fit to do so, the
laws regulating capital punishment.
There Is an intimation in this that society,
in New York at least, will acquiesce in an
amendment excepting females from the
extreme penalty If the governor had
any doubt as 10 the existence of such
sentiment, IL Is hardly conceivable he
would have respited this woman, who
he declares to be unworthy OF any
mercy, until the law-making power
can tinker the existing law, providing q
loophole of escape for Mrs. Druse, so far
as the death penalty is concerned. He
puts her tate entirely in the hands of the
legislature, leaving the public to infer
that unless the legislature does some
thing for her she win have to hang when
the respite IS up. Thus Mrs. Druses
case win be lively topic when the New
York legislature meets, and as she hap
pens to be a woman 1t will elicit attention
outside of New York. II the woman
were not in jail, awaiting the outcome,
the legislators could probably approach
the consideration OF the subject with
greater degree of disinteredness than Will
be possible under the circumstances,
and with no case on hand to excite sym
pathy it IL TO be doubted II they would
agree to make any exceptions In the law
of capital punishment on account OF sex.
With Mrs. Druse alive, however, and her
fate purely dependent ON the voice of the
legislature, it is rather likely sentiment
will come into play and result in such a
revision of existing laws as will preclude
her execution and allow the governor
to wash his hands OF the case.
If any action is taken it will,
OF course Of it is to affect
this woman's life) have to be retroactive,
and the measure ought really to be styled
a "bill for the relief of Mrs. Roxana
Druse," etc. Appeal to the gallantry no
less than the reverentlal in mans nature
and he will agree that it is something
almost outrageous to hang a woman. But
considered practically, and one is puz-
zled to furnish logical answer to the
inquiry why deliberate murder, COM
mitted by any person of sound miHd, no
matter of which sex, should be palliated
or condoned. Murder is murder, whether
the death blow come from the rough
hand of man or the fragile hand of woman.
II there are any grounds at all why an
exception ought to be made on account
of sex, it is solely because OF the posi-
bly, demoralizlng tendencies of the appll-
cation of the extreme penalty to one of
the weaker seX--the possible danger that
men may thereby be led to entertain less
reverence and consideration for women
generally, which would be something to
be deplored.