The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-24
nonors her criminals with a great deal OF

parade, as you Sec"
Nv American was silent for few minutes
He was probably adding up the salaries Of
the Judge, the police officers, heralds and
ushers. tho lawyers fees, tho cost Of the
building. carriages and show generally, and
no doubt comparing the total With tho pound
or two stolen from bis employers by dis
honest clerk. for whom all this grand repro
sentation was taking place
Nothing Is moro simple than an American
court OF justice Four walls innocent Of dec
GRAFTON Of any kind. few plain chairs or
benches No uniforms, no robes. no wigs, no
trumpets. no livericd usiers The judge and
the barristers arc in black frock coats The
ushers not quite 50 well dressed rs tho barrts
ters las a 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: 81 pay the police.
IL is for them 10 discover the criminal. IL /,
Ul' llF ObHii'H1f ttiitf bN0tAAN'f AhS li'ANN'aNA
Of detective is not in my line or to my taste"
It is not the samo In the United States
There public safety concerns every ono.
The population OF town feel dishonorod
by the preparation Of a crime in thor midst
Every one is on the alert to catch the Grim
NAL men organize themselves into bands t.
search the country round. An assassin l.
tracked in the woods with bloodhounds and
guns, like wild beast, II no is discov
cred and offers very obstinate resistance,
bullet is lodged in his body and the hunters
20 TRANQUILITY home again.
Something which is much to DO blamed, ]
think. is the procrastination Of American
justice By going tho right way to work,
CONDEMNED criminal may often succeed In
getting his case to be tried again and again
in CASES of murder, what good can 1t do e
keep poor wretch, that it Is decided ~ hang
in prison for a year or moroi 1t Is adding
torture to death penalty.
II that were only all
Jonathan IS such philanthropist that hC
With difficulty makes up Ills mind 10 execute
a fellow creature even legally. So. when he
aas kept a year in prison a criminal. whom
no Is at last forced to hang he leads him e
The scalold. puts a ropo round his neck
Jerks him up in the air, and manages to take
twelve or sixteen minutes dispatching him.
This Is philanthropy with a vengeance, and
it is to lie hoped that execution by electricity
which has just been adopted by the governor
d New York state, viii put an end to such
,ickening proceedings
II is 10 be hoped also that the American
will somo day do better than that |, for my
part, DO not doubt that they Will abolish
death sentences before very long They arr
100 intelligent not 10 understand that thf
Heath sentence deters no criminal, and thl
FOR a very simple reason \ crimo Is com
nitted under the impulse Of passion, or it has
ocen premeditated In the first case, the
-rirninal never thinks Of the punishment to
.ome. he is blinded by passion, In the second,
ne always believes he has pianned his crime
n such a manner as not TO be found ont
To tighten this rather lugubrious subject
VIII pIiUll4AAt Will II univ thI't'i'f NhiNN
aas never seen tho light, and which think Is
20 delightfully."- humorous and pathetic to be
allowed 70 remain unpublished
The scene was the smoking room Of the
Savage club IN London.
4 notorious criminal had been hanged In
he morning Several members Of the clut
we're talking Of the affair, and each one de
cribed what his feelings would be If he wer
ed 10 the scafioli TO be hanged.
During this conversation an actor, wei
,nown, but to whom managers, scarcely
lnow why, never intrust any but secondary
parts, sat silent in an arm chair, sending up
.ong pulls Of smoke soaring to the ceiling
Hello, there is ~, who has not given biz
opinion" said one Of the group, suddenly no
ticing the actor; 81 say, ", toll us how you
would feel If you were being led to the scat
.old"
The actor raised bis eyes to the ceiling and,
after another pun at his cigar, said quietly
"Well, boys, should feel that at last was
rrus;el with leading part"
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