Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-27

THE SCENE OF THE MURDER
The taking of human life in any unlaw-
full manner is naturally regarded as the
greatest of all crimes. Others, that need
not here be specified, are perhaps more re-
voting and worthy of nearly as severe pun
ishment, but murder stands out alone as
the most hideous thing for which person
can be held responsible.
Yet, strange to say, the full severity of
the law is visited upon less than 25 per
cent. of the fends who shed the blood of
innocent victims. Some evade not only ar
rest, but even suspicion, others find the
machinery of the courts exactly suited to
their wishes for acquittal or light SEN
tence, and the few who reach the gallows
are generally those whose guilt is coupled
with unusually shocking details and whose
pockets are not well filed enough to meet
the demands of able but high priced coun-
sell
Still it can hardly be said that the assas-
sin who walks from a court room free
man, ''vindicated" by "a verdict of not
guilty, is beyond the reach of punishment.
There remains the sting of guilty con.
science; popular opinion may not be at one
with the finding of the jury, and there is
always the vague, haunting fear that a
higher power will sooner or later rectify
the error of a human tribunal Catherine
Ring believed thoroughly in the righteous
vengeance of God when she stood up in the
old city hall of New York late one night
ninety years ago last spring, and, shaking
her finger at the judges, the jury. the de
PENDANT and the lawyers, cried with indig-
nant fury; Il call upon the Almighty to
curse you all, and he will do it."
Who was Catherine Ring and what the
occasion of her wrath?
She was Quaker woman, whose fair
young relative bad been murdered on the
evening of the day she expected to become
wife. The Rings, Elias and Catherine,
lived on Greenwich street, near Franklin.
With them resided their cousin, Gulielma
Elmore Sands, a beautiful girl just bud
ding into womanhood. Elma, as she was
called, had several suitors, but gave her
preference to Levi Weekes, a wealthy
builder and owner of the City hotel. How
far she trusted to the honor of her be-
trothed will never be known, but one thing
Is certain, when he suggested n secret mar
riage she gladly assented, and Dec %,
1919, was set as the date for the ceremony.
Weekes insisted upon the most absolute
privacy, but when the wedding morn ar
rived Elma confided her prospects to her
cousin.
The day seemed one long shrek OF win
ter and of storm, and in the darkness of
early night the frost king grew even more
fierce and bitter in his fury The snow
swept about in binding eddies. The wind,
rushing down from the sound, howled over
Manhattan Island, while the piercing cold
Joined hands with these to complete the
trinity of the tempest But when the clock
on St Pauls struck s and jingling sleigh
bells ceased their music before her door,
Miss Sands babe her friends good-by and
stepped out confident of speedy return
as the wife of her lover. The watchers
within waited her home coming, but they
waited in vain. Three hours later Weekes
entered-alone. What followed is best told
in the language Catherine Ring:
"The moment he entered / cast my eyes
upon hin. His countenance was pale and
much agitated. He sat down and said, Is
Elma gone to bedg' answered No; she
has gone out. At least saw her ready to
go, and have good reason to think she
went He said: 1 am surprised she should
go out so late at night and alone re-
piled: I have no reason to think she went