Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-06
BEN BUTLER.
He Writes a Remarkable Letter
to Capt. w. P. Black,
Of Chicago.
In Which He Re.ers 10 the Execution
OF the Anarchists as Judicial
Murder.
lChicago spocial.l

Murder.
lChcago spocial.l
The following letter from Gen. 3. f.
Butler to Capt. W. P. Black is given to-
the public through the columns Of the To-
cal press:
" am very much obliged to you for your let
ter, ana L am also thankful for the receipt OF
your argument to the jury i'll the case OF Spies
as the anarchist case.
Our pleasant acquaintance under the most
unpleasant circumstnnccs-the joint unsuc-
cessful advocacy of life for men who were un-
lawfully convicted and uuwisely executed-has
given given me me an insight into your purpose and
ing one, at least on my side.
IND n nad not believed it possible that papabe
country. They once did in what we have been
accustomed to regard as tho best and purest
days OF the colo lies. It's less than two centu
ries since seven mon Of the highest standing,
majority Of whom were reverend gentlemen,
ctlergyinen, as good and pious men ever
!.Vea, as exemplary i'll every relation of life as
called court OF justice, each morning session
whereof was opened with fervent prayer to the
divine :. source PURGE, Of all knowledge, srace. and
the judges of that court; and in that court
were arraigned day after day poor, miser-
able: broken-down, superstitious women and
children upon the accusation that they had
commerce with tho devil and used his power
as a means Of spite upon their neighbors, and
cause thereof the devil had empowered these
poor creatures to shoot common house pins
from a distance into the flesh of their neigh
Dors' children, by which they were greatly
afflicted. Being put into the bar to be tried.
tney were not allowed COUNSEL and. thank
God our profession was not dsgraced, because
the Encouragement was q merchant The
deluded creatures sometimes pleaded guilty,
and sometimes not guilty. but in either event
they were found guilty and executed, and the
pins. which were produced in evidence, Gun
now be seen among the records of that court,
IN the courthouse Of the county of Essex,
And beyond all this that court enforced,
worse than tine tortures of inquisition. dreadful
wrongs upon prisoner in order to accomplish
his conviction. Giles Corey was an old man,
30 years of age He had daughter some AZ
years Of age. simple minded not able to earn
her her own living, and small farm, piece Of
leave to his daughter ut his then impending
death. Giles was accus I'd OF being wizard.
His life had been blameless i'll everything
except his supposed commerce with the devil
Upon OK parte testimony he was indicted for this
too great intimacy with the evil one, and set to
the bar to DO tried for his life.
Giles knew that if he pleaded not guilty he
was sure to be convicted, because that was the
doom of the anarchists OF that day. and if he
pleaded guilty no would be sentenced to death.
and in either case the ia. m would he forfeited
to the king, But, if he did not pleud at all
such was the law-then he could not be tried at
all, and his property could not bs forfeited to
the king and ken from his daughter. So Giles
stood mute and put the court at defiance.
And then that court of pious clergymen re-
sorted to a method to make him plead which
had not boon in practice in En-. land for two
hundred years, and never bore; and poor Giles
was token AID laid on tho ground by the side OF
the court house on his back, with the flashing
sun burning in his eyes and single cup of
water from the ditch of the jail with q crust of
hours, and weights were placed upon his body
until at last the life was crushed out OF him,
but not the fathers love for his child He died.
but not until his parched tongue protruded from
the old mans fevered mouth. 1t WAS thrust
back by the Chief Justice with his cane. The
cherished daughter inherited.
Being fully i'm bued with this knowledge Of
what good men will do when they are either
frightened for their souls or their bodies it has
it might otherwise have been how the law was
administered in frenzy in Chicago Yenrs
hence when you and I have passed away the
cases of the anarchists will be compared by
just-minded men more than they are now l
hope there may one fnct Follow in the an,
cases. Judge Sewall, reverend clergyman,
one of the judges Of the witches, before he died
learned how greatly he had erred and sinned
before God, and he reDented in sack cloth nnd
ashes, literally coming out in the face of his
congregation and standing in the broad aisle of
the church exclaiming. while his written con-
fesson of his sins and folly in the witches
case was being read Alas! God have mercy
on me for whit have done .
Il hope you will live to be present when one
of the judges before whom you argued will find
it his duty to take a like step: but fear that
while he has had the incredible folly of Judge
Sewall in the treatment of his prisoners, he
won't have the piety of Sewnll in publicly ap-
pealing to his God for mercy, as an example
against all others offending in like manner
"A learned and upright Judge, writing the
judicial history OF witchcraft in this country,
sums up as follows: If the popular cry is to
be the standard of what is right, the security
of property is at an end, personal liberty is no
longer safe, and the blood of the innocent will
often seal the triumph of O popular admins
tration Of justice. in the triumph Of popular
vengeance.
Some later writer judicial proceedings,
comparing the judicial murder of the witches
with the trial Of the anarchists, will close by
history repeat herself One furth .r fact, which
I send to you for your comfort: The determined
standing up against this craze brought it to an
end. lcok for like fruits to come from what
you have done"