The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-17
OUTSIDE OBSERVATIONS.
What the World is Saying and Doing
About South Carolina.

Nor is the verdict Of the jury the verdict O.
the people-Citize1l.
McDows own testimony was enough to con-
vict him of anslaugher.-Mont9omeTy Aa-
| pertLSer.
The deed was one OF the most horrible in
| the annals of assassination. and If the man
who committed it shall go free the verdict
will be a disgrace to Observation-Disclosures
Times. ,oo.o,,..,,
| in cold blood by low "masher' and the
murderer goes free. South Carolina Justice
seems to be about as rotten as South Carolina
politics. -lfinneapolis Tribune.
Nor will any verdict OF any Jury a11ect the
still more deepseated conviction that when
| Mellow perpetrated the damnation OF his TAX
| ing of he deprived the South OF one of the
abIest. best and most useful of It's citizens
| 81. Louis Republic.
An earthquake that would engulf in uneX-
plorable depths DR.. Mellow and all his Char
lesion admirers and friends would be an un-
mltigated blessing and purifier of the moral
atmosphere OF South Carolina.-Ncw York
The teaching Of the trial is that in the GRIM
| inal jurisprudence Of South Carol ina killing
| is no murder when it Is ommitted as an IN
cident of lbertne's preparations for rob-
| bing a woman Of her virtue.-NeU York
Times.
Probably the most disgraceful and most
shameless verdict of recenty years was render
ed on Saturday in Charleston, South Carolina,
| when the brutal and cowardly slayer of f.
| w. Dawson was declared mot guilty."-Ricf-
| ,noTtd State. =.
cularly in Il state OF society like that exist
Ing generally in South Carolina, that the jury
could not provide way for administering at
feadedmfOvsideaee ensE sOmf nesdsa a 4. Journal '
| What has the State of South Carolina lost
by its failure to punish the cruel slayer OF
| Capt. Dawson? The thefts OF the carpet-bas
scoundreds were as nothing 10 the credit Of
the State compared with This recent demon
stration that justice had been banished from
her borders.-Ne,0 York World.
The expert criminal lawyer finds all the
means for packing jury and excluding
"good and loyal men" ready to his hand. III
its exceedingly great tenderness Tor human
| life the law has made it almost Impossible 10
convict murderer who has sharp lawyers,
plenty of money and active friends.-Ndsh-
riUc american.
Trial by the jury has received another pic
torial Illustration In the Mellow trial for the
murder of Dawson. The value of the panel
to the culprit cannot be easily over-estimated
It is the secret exit through which no guilty
man can fail to escape, except by reason OF
his own folly or from the poverty OF his de-
fence.-Savdnnah Times.
DR.. McDow's guilty actions after the shoot
ing, and the fact that he shot Dawson when
the latter's back was turned, taken IN con-
nection with McDow's worthless character,
which would make any unsupported story
he might tell absolutely valueless, all tend to
the conclusion that the verdict Is sad mis-
carriage of justice.-SprinQtseld Republican.
The acquittal of DR.. Mellow of the murder
of Capt Dawson has amazed all persons of
Intelligence and impartiality, the friends OF
Justice and order. 1t took the mixed jury two
hours to arrive at the opinion that Dr. Nc
Dow is not guilty. A very much shorter
time should have stuffed to ensure verdict
Of precisely the contrary character.-Ne1o
York Morning Journal
The lawyers for the prisoner laid much stress
on the fact that the tragedy occurred in the
house Of the priso2er. A mans home, they
said. is his castle, and Capt. Dawson had no
right to be there. But the shooting was In
Doctors Office. A mans office, though in his
own house, is not his home, but his places OF
business, and is open to all persons having
business with him.-Ne,U York Herald.
That one OF the leading men Of the country
while protesting against the invasion Of his
family circle by an acknowledged debauchee,
| should be shot down like dog, and shot IN
| the back by the guilty wretch, who afterwards
burying the body-and the murderer be sum-
marily acquitted-is q sad commentary on
| that law which is said to be the best example
OF human reason.-Jacksonville Times
| Our South Carolina friends have long enjoy
| ed the reputation of permitting the honor OF
| a woman to be protected, even to the death
| OF the betrayer. and never hanging white
| man, whateve: his offence may be. For the
former there is much to be said for the lat
| ter there Is some excuse, perhaps, arising
from the exceptional circumstances surround
| ing them. But what showd of reason can
be given for allowing married libertine TO
dishonor his own household and seek the
ruin of friendless stranger, to kill in cold or
hot blood the man who sought to stop him,
| and who had moral right to stop him, and
| yet go unwhipt of justice ?-Bdltia,ore Stn.
! The outcome Of the trial is bad omen for
| the State, however. 1t shows TO the outside
world the dangerous condition of society
/ there, and this is unfortunate at time when
South Carolina, like her sister States, is look
| ing anxiously for outside capital to develop
her resources. Nobody cares to emigrate to a
State where killing is no murder, and nobody
cares to invest his capital where society holds
such loose notions or right and wrong as In
dicated by the Mellow case.
| South Carolina has set herself back on the
dial Of human progress. She will see this
hereafter when she sees other Southern
States prosperous and happy under the slim
ulus of Northern enterprises and with the
assistance of Northern immigrants, while
she is left to her unciviliZed, unreconstructed
SELF Her crime will bring its own punish
| ment.-Phiiadeiphiu Enquirer.