Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-01-19
The Risc0c Decision.

The Baltimore Sunday Ne,rS and the
! Port Tobacco Times have made the recent
decision OF the Court of Appeals in the
comment, and both papers are strong in
their condemnation of the laws delay"
Ii capital punishment is TO be the penalty
for w!ful murder, like our contemporaries,
We subscribe TO the belief that il should
be inflicted promptly and not delayed until
the crime be all but forgotten. 1t is not
our purpose 10 discuss the proposition,
whether or not the law should ever require
life for life. For rremeditatcd murder
it does so require, and we join the Meas
! in inviting the attention of our Legislators
| to the Bisccc case as . cause for either thc
abolition OF capital punishment or such {"
simpli!ication of our criminal code dat
those who have incurred the supreme pom
ally may have it injected out 10 :hr:A 3,
! promptly and swiftly that to all tn pnn-
i>hmcnt may seem the patent on;comr o:
tn, crime Says The Nc.cS:
The Court OF Appeals has just ,',cal-.
! for tho second time an appeal IN thu .a-c ,i
the State ". Biscuc, the murderer nf Capt
! Dixon 1t has been over one year amt
! iuur months since the murder MAS canmi,
! tel, of which Biscoc has been at lasl con
| Victcj. There has never been dn;ilt ui'
the guilt al the prisoner + if ever : cr.m-
| was brought home IA villain AMI Els;C,!-
! al upon him this Was. Indeed "a more
/ than one person the man confessed Mi-
guilt lie saiind with his victim IN q
schooner; was the only hand al the bat.
! robbed hi, employer AMI murdered him in
the cabin; took the plundCr and iloi anl
was captured with some Of that plumber In
/ his possession. Since then he has admitted
! that he did the deed.
/ lie was tried and convicted and the case
/ was taken Ia the Court of Appeals upln =
/ tcchnicality il was decided in his favor
/ there and the case was rcmandcI for n new
/ trial. The new trial WAS had and a-ain
an appeal took it w, and il has Just been
! decided and the murderer will hang, pro-
( vided executive clcmcncy docs not inter
I icrC. Ii has cost the county considerable
/ in money 10 reach this result, and altnSc.h-
/ or a year and half, if not more, will have
/ ELAPSED between the preparation If the
murder and the execution oC the Crim.-
nal.
/ How many have forgotten the crime of
\ this brutal rnbbcr! What salutarv result
7 will his execution have after the lapse of
I such period Punishment % bc effective
/ should he prompt and certain rs well as
I severe. Justice could not possibly 20 as
/ tray in = case as plain Is this. If the law
/ would hang a man rs n warning 70 others
/ IL should assert its majesty and power and
! impress its unrelonting hrmneSs by ass0oi-
ating the crime and the penalty 50 closely
( together as to make one appear necessary
| consequence Of the other. Yet, in case
IS plain as this, 50 much time has been
/ consumed that the offcnso Is almost forgot
/ ten and public indignation against the
wanton horror has entirely subsidci.
/ Here Is an illustration of the necessity fnr
\ simplification Of our criminal code Il
I is bad policy u defer punishment until the
, crime i forgotten and the criminal becomes
a martyrCr hero. Ii he Is guilty Of oriyue
\ which deserves the highest penalty II
4 should be inflicted promptly, 50 as 10 prove
I 4 warning 10 the dcprayed and impress all
with sense Of responsibility for their acts.
4 This man Biscoe ought tn have been hung
/ q year ago, and yet he still dawd!eS about
Y the county jail where he Is confined, sun
/ ported at the public expense and elicitinr
I sympathy from those Who have entirely
I lost sight Of his deed ard lis deserts. As
4 we are at the beginning Of long session Of
/ the General Assembly the attention Of that
I body should at once be called 10 this CRYING
/ evil and the necessity for remedy be deep
/ ~ impressed upon il. There is too much
latitude allowed u prisoners accused of
/ capltsl offences and some salutAry Cherk
I which would insure substantial Justice
Z should be cnacted-Sunday Aetes