Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1889-12-07

things which are talked about with
reference to the murder Of Stephen
Pettus by Hannah Martin Southworth
which have nothing to do with the
case. One of these things Is the allie
CATION that Stephen Pettus wasa very
bad man. The law provides for the
killing Of only one class OF very bad
men, murderers or attempting ib}fe
deres. His determination XIch tbe
outside OF The conditiR and of the
law i''poses upo%hich it delegates
conditions Non of life taking to
the just
off is declared, however, that Han
Bah Martin S0uthwOrth had received
Fgrievous injuries from stephen Pettus.
The question of the extent and dura-
ton Of those injuries would have had
pertinent place in actions for which
the law provides civil redress and
criminal punishment Oh the convic-
ton Of the offender. A qualified or
presumed endeayor was made to test
that question at law some time ago.
Indeed, three years ago, according to
Lawyer f. e Dana, Mrs. South
worth tentatively began suit against
Pettus, upon which issue was never
joined. That is to Soy, the suit was
not pressed. 1t was virtually aban-
doned. The matter was placed in
the hands of Howe & Hummel, GRIM
inal lawyers, in New York, last Feb.
ruary or March, and the suit was
discontinued last September, as it was
found to he barred by the law Of
limitations, which provides that a
person who brings charge of seduc-
ton, betrayal or the like against
another shall do so within three years
after the commission Of the alleged
offense or that the charge will be bar
red from trial.
Either Of two suggestions can be
avaiIed Of to explain why the case
was not brought; one superstition
would be that there was not evidence
to make out a case. The other sup
position would be that, as to the case
which the evidence would make out,
it might be shown that there was as
much blame on the oneSide as there
was ON the other, or that there was
more blame on the Woman'Aside than
there " as on the mans side.\
1tshOuld be borne in mind also that
not only was no public trial brought
but that the lawyers with whom the
woman conferred, and some of whom
afterWard conferred in her interest
with Pettus or his representatives,
did not get any money out of him or
Ofthem for private settlement. He
persistently declared that the appli-
cation for money had its basis in her
mind, of course not in the minds OF
her lawyers, in blackmail, and that
he would not be blackmailed by her
or anyone else. His Characterization
of her pecuniary claim would seem
10 have been one that would have
1-s,-o., 1870 voaiu, IL anytHlilS
could, but instead Of that she kept
out of court. That the Eagle may
not be thought unjust in this state
ment let our readers ponder the fol
lowing remarkable language from
Counselor Dana: "Near the conclu
sion OF an interview with him said
mir. Pettns, ycu are Il wealthy mar
and you had better settle this affair
If it comes out it will ruin you and
it will come out at the trial. Give
her, say, $4,000 and she will go away
to some quiet retreat where she viii
never bother you. If you do not dc
so it may yet cost you your life. "
This interview appears in the New
York World to-day. If it is incor-
rect, the columns of the Eagle arc
open for its correction by Mr.. Dana.
Assuming it to be correct, Pettus'
denunciatiOn Of the claim as black
mail to his friends, Dana's statement
to him that $4,000 would settle tho
case, PettuS' refusal to pay cent, the
consequent or subsequent abandon
ment Of the case and the verifcatiou
by the Woman's action Of Dana :,
prophecy that the woman wou!d Kill
Pettus, are facts to be put in theii
proper relation, and Wh7t that rela
ton is the Eagle hardly needs to point
out. 4 financial claim which lawyers
omitted to bring into court was every
where to his friends denounced By
pettus as blackmail His refusal t.
submit to one whom he considered
SIS q blGckmailer has been followed
by her butchery Of him. Her former
lawyer says that he told him tire,
years ago such would be the result
Such was The result.