Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-09
CHAPTER XIV.


had. Just returned from America, and
was sitting In the smoking room Of the North
Western Hotel, Liverpool was chatting
with an American fellow passenger on the
Atlantic voyage, while admiring 81. Georges
hall, which stands opposite. This magnia-
cent building, which serves as palace OF jus
tice, q the finest modern ediflce Of the En-
glish provinces
All at once we heard blast Of trumpets.
A crowd rushed toward the hall, and lined
the flight Of steps leading TO tho grand en-
with scarlet and gold, presently descended
the steps. followed by police oficerA Sew
eral carriages then drove up From one Of
them there alighted man arrayed in a scar
let robe and ermine tippet and wearing pow
dered wig. The scarlet robe, followed by
tho cortege which had formed, solemnly
mounted tho steps between the crowd, which
stood gazing with open mouthed and wide
eyed admiration.
"What show is there going on oppositer'
asked the American, in the easy going tone
that so distinguishes tho Yankee.
He was an innocent abroad"
my dear SIR" said to him, ''it is simply
Judge going to try thief or two. England
honors her criminals with great deal of
parade, as you see."
My American was silent for s.few minutes.
He was probably adding up the salaries Of
the judge, the police officers, heralds and
ushers, the lawyers fees the cost of tho
building, carriages and show generally, and
al,
or two stolen from his employers by dis
honest clerk, Tor whom all this grand repro
sentation was taking place.
Nothing Is more simple than an American
court of Justice Four walls innocent Of dec
oration Of any kind, a few plain chairs or
benches No uniforms, no robes, no wigs, no
trumpets, no livcried ushers The judge and
the barristers are In black frock coats. Tho
ushers not quite so well dressed as tho barris-
ters tas rule, and that is all
In France, we pay legion, a host rather,
Of judges and police officers, to look after
our security, and never should We dream Of
helping them in the exercise OF their func-
tons II crime remain wrapped In mys-
terry, we say to ourselves; ~ pay the police;
It Is for them to discover the criminal; it Is
not my business, and, besides, the profession
Of detective is not in my line or to my taste. ("
1t Is not tho samo In the United States.
There public safety concerns every one
Tho population Of town feel dishonored
by the preparation Of crime in their midst.
Every one is on the alert to catch the GRIM
inal; men organize themselves into bands to
search the country round. An assassin is
tracked in the woods with bloodhounds and
guns, like wild beast; II be is discov-
cred and offers very obstinate resistance, a
bullet is lodged in his body. and tho hunters
60 TRANQUILITY home again.
Something which Is much TO bs blamed,
think, Is the procrastination OF American
Justice. BY going the right way to work, a
condemned criminal may often succeed in
getting his case to be tried again and again
In cases Of murder, what good can it do to
keep poor wretch, that it Is decided to hang,
In prison for year or morei 1t Is adding
torture to death penalty.
II that were only all
Jonathan Is such a philanthropist that he
with difficulty makes up his mind to execute
. follow creature even legally. So. when he
has kept year In prison a criminal, whom
he Is at last forced to hang. he leads him to
the scaffold, puts a ropo round bis neck,
jerks him up In the air, and manages TO take
twelve or sixteen minutes dispatching him.
This Is philanthropy with vengeance, and
It d to be hoped that execution by electricity,
which has just been adopted by the governor
Of New York state, viii put an end TO such
sickening proceedings.
It Is to be hoped also that the Americans
win some day do better than that l, for my
part, do not doubt that they will abolish
death sentences before very long. They are
too intelligent not to understand that the
death sentence deters no criminal, and this
for very simple reason A crime Is COM
mitted under the impulse Of passion, or 1t has
been premeditated In the first case, the
criminal never thinks Of the punishment to
come, he is blinded by passion; in the second,
ho always believes he has planned his crime
In such a manner as Lot to be found oat.
To tighten this rather lugubrious subject,
viii terminate with a lttie snecdote, which
has never seen the light, and which think l.