Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-07
A MORAL PROBLEM.

The killing Of Stephen L. Pettus
of Brooklyn, a wealthy business
man, by Mrs. Hanna b. South
worth, which occurred some weeks
ago, in the streets Of that CITY. was
sensational incident which has
served TO bring out thesentiments Of
many American newspapers relative
to certain questions Of right. wrong
and Justice which are involved in
that tragedy, and in the conduct
and deserts Of such men As Pettus.
Mrs. Southworth is represented rs
an attractive widow about thirty
years Of age, having qualities and
accomplishments calculated to in
'Tire the admiration Of society,
men. She was dependent upon her
own resources for n livelihood. ana
probably found it difficult to skeen |
up appearances" Her reputation |
was unsullied.
Pettus was 4 "societyD man. He 1
had plenty Of money and devoted
much Of it TO pleasure and gaiety
According 10 representations that
have been made OF him, he was n
ilhertlne, having not the slightest
regard for woman's honor. lint
rather glorying in the destruction NJ
1t. He was a married man. hut his
WIleS, destinations and persuasions
overcame the young widow. He
accomplished her ruin and then
quickly firing Of her, cast her ]
adritt. She, filled with emotions
OF shame, remorse and bitter resent
nent at his treatment Of her, shot :
him To death in the street.
Some OF the papers take rains 10 L
apply the epithet, s.murdcress, >, 10 c
Mrs. Southworth, in commentipg Il
upon or referring to the tragedy ]
They speak Of her as they would Of 5
any abandoned miscreant who had !
taken n human life in cold blood "
other papers are less severe in their l.
treatment Of her, but she is very p
spoken Of by the press os I
a criminal Of very had type. We I,
have not yet noticed, in any eastern Il
paper, any article in pronounced o.
ienunciation Of Pettus. q
The burden Of guilt and conden,- in
nation Is east upon the woman. but b,
the moral problem in the case Is IN W
apportion TO each Of the PRINCIPALS 4 IL
ust share. Both merit condemna-
Ion, but which is the greater sinner
That public sentiment which saws
he woman is, is wrong, unsound j
md immoral. According to the high j
ST standard Of morality which has an
revealed in ancient or in modern III
imes, Pettus deserved the fate that OF
vertOok him. His crime against re
he woman was greater than hers in tet
filing him. He took her honor: &c
he, his life. \ woman's virtue Is 81
norc precious than its destroyer's of
lie. "a
The same drama is played very W;
ften in American society. excert
nat the principal climax is not gen.
rally reached 50 abruptly. Usually. =
10, it is a female member Of the
ist who dies in expiration of sin -,
is an unwholesome drama to Wit
ess, and an uniuviting one to criti- -
sc. Its leading elements are re-
Iisive, and it constitutes an upsav-
Y mass.
While divine wisdom is requisite Eas
the fixing Of the exact degree Of San san
tilt attaching TO the drdnlatis per- p,
aea, and TO the apportioning Of a 0sJ
4 punishment TO each, the judg- SS ssT
ent Of an intelligent man Of sound Par Par,
d cultivated morality would never Sou
ndone the conduct of Peltus while Nj 81
that of Mrs. South me he
nth. Yet this is precisely what W
r American society and press are Alta