The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-31
CORRESPONDENCE.


CHICAGO, Oct. 26lh, 1880,
To the Editor of the Banner DEAR
SIR II suppose by this time you have
in measure forgotten your poor CORE
spondent, but l have not forgotten
when the BANNE { ia due here; and u
you only knew how glad l am to receive
it, you would not forget to mail 1t. /
read good many papers, but none more
willingly than l do the BANNER. Our pa
pers here are filed up with the terrible
and wicked deeds of men, those too, who
in important and responsible positions
have betrayed the confidence reposed
In them, and in so doing have opened
-the prison doors on themselves for
period IT years, bringing disgrace to their
ouce prosperous and happy families.
The murder OF DR.. Cronin is bringing
characters that live on the face of Gods
green earth. Ard the longer this case
continues the more of the dark and dam
nng deeds Of this most vile conspiracy
are being found out. Al the head of this
great crime aud wicked conspiracy is a
cotorie of the most treachpTous class Of
men to be found in this OF In any other
country, connected with the Gamma
Gael. And, Mr.. Editor, if you can study
out the real meaning of this compound
word you are better scholar than your
humble correspondent. There has not
been in modern times more deeply
laid plot to commit cold-blooded MUIR
der, than in the case of DR.. Cronin. Nor
could greater security have been pa ned
for escape. It was long and well con-
sidered it had the help and protection
OF an oath-bouud order ; it bad money K
it had the help Of unsupported officers OF
the law. For time after the murder
was committed, all was dark, there was
no clue to the mystery, justice seemed
powerless. But then the body was
found, and step by step the dark and
deeply laid conspiracy has been traced.
from one to another, and as the awful
details are coming to light, and in their
fear and desperation the guilty ones are
seeking to corrupt the very foundations
upon which the security of right depends
for support, the avenging power of jus
tice is aroused and demands that neither
church, nor party, nor position, nor
power shall shield the guilty, All such
scenes are but evidence of the safeguards
that God has placed around the right,
lest the wrong should prevail. The very
recent developments in this great trial,
which does and will attract the atten-
ton of all who love justice and hate as
sassination, have given US and all good
citizens everywhere reason to be awake
to the interests, not only to this and
other large cities but in this great and
glorious country Of ours that we need
at this eleventh hour Of the trial system,
we as law abiding citizens OF this great
city cannot give to much praise to the
brave and true men: lawyers detectives,
who, as public servants, have discovered
this hideous and devilsh conspiracy be-
fore it had wound its deadly coils about
the law herself and send it's poisonous
fangs to the very heart of justice. We
give all honor, too, to that vigilant tire
leSs, sin-detecting, crime exposing, jus
tice protecting press, which, like faith
ful Waterman and loyal conservator OF
the public, veal, has sounded the alarm
ard put justice and the people on their
guard and has so generally aided in
battling this foul, traitorous, hellish con-
spiracy TO corrupt the jury and over
throw the law, 1t has come to light, at
list by legitimate infer I ce, that there
has grown up in this community,
especially, vigorous brood OF profes
sional jury-packers not only lawyers
who depend on their powers to corrupt
a jury rather than on their powers to
en Tighten and convince jury, but also a
class of men whose low-browed, bare
hearted, reasonable profession it is to
fix juries. Aud it is ru21ored that the
lawyers who depend for success upon
corrupt methods know just whom to
call upon to furnish the jurors to their
liking. They know how prevalent lie
this evil, and how rapidly it is growing;
ard yet, we seldom hear one of that high
and honorable profession cry out in pro- I
test. This corrupt jury System is be-
coming more and more dangerous, and
is, on account of disbonorable men, sap
ping the very integrity of the legal pro
fession. The people have a right to de-
mand of the bar crusade against all
attempts at jury corruption. What has
lately come to the knowledge of the
people of this city is enough to astonish
the world. And does not this show that
their parties are guilty? "The wicked
flee when no man pursue b, but the right
GUS are as bold as a lion," At last a jury
has been found. The work of getting
this jury began August 30th. There
were summoned 1901 men, by special |
venire, making 1115 men in all. There
were examined aud excused 927. In
ages these jurors range from 80 to 55
years, and they are mostly, Christian
men. One, a Mr.. Henry D. Walker.
was born in Massachusetts, one in Penn
sylvania, one in Ohio, another in Troy,
N. Y, all but one or two belong to, or
are unidentified with arthodox churches
in this city. We hope this very impor-
tant case, which has become 80 familiar
to the world, will be decided on the lao
and the evidence. Let justice go where
it belongs. What is lacking to day is
the enforcement of the law. We are
getting awakened somewhat in this res
pect on the liquor question in this city. ,
Great meetings have been and are being
held, agitating the Sunday closing law,
which is a state law, but the Mayor OF
this city has not yet complied with it.
Indebtedness, misery, drunkenness,
debauchery are often seen upon our
streets. Young men by the score are
going the downward road to destruction,
and they are being drawn into this vor-
tex, losing sight of mother and friends,
Till at last they become inmates of the
poor house or lunatic asylum, beyond
the power of reform. God speed on the
day when this great curse, rum, will be
awant from the land