The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-05-01
a Riohteous Verdict.

A Righteous Verdict.
The acquittal of Mrs. Julia Martin,
by Birmingham jury, is one OF the
interesting news items of the week.
Her story is sad one. She was
b sautiful girl, and-lIke many anoth-
er beautiful girl-was the target for
handsome, rich, villianOus man. He
ooured O 1t his professions of love
and Iavished upon her his riches.
Young and beautiful, perhaps vain
certainly innocent and credulous,
she was charmed by the affiuence he
could promise and won by the sweet
ness of his vows, and she yielded the
diadem of her innocence to the beast
ly passion of his soul and sunk her
self into the pit where the sunshine
of purity never enters.
1t was the old story then, for the
creature who will entice to ruin will
surely betray. Thus it was when her
beauty had lost its freshness, AID his
passion had spent its day, he thre"
her into the slum and went his way
into the world, clean shaver and well
dressed, and ladies and gentlemen
took him by the hand and led him into
their drawing rooms, and toasted him
because of the family he had disgraced
and for the money he could call his
own.
But the woman was not to be cast
off so easy. She followed him and
claimed his name and called herself
by it. For that, she was watched,
lied about, bounded from place 10
place, and prosecuted from day to
day. Detectives were hired to ira
duce the good name she was honestly
striving to regain, while traducers
and seducers were set upon her tC
ply their deceitful, cunning and
damnable arts. Whatever effort she
made to atone for or redeem the fatal
error of her youth, the tempter was
at her side, the traducer at her back,
and the gold of her husbands brother
followed to prosecute her.
Not satisfied that one brother had
robbed her of the priceless jewel Of
womanhool, the other brother tC
make impossible her return to the
virtuous way, makes every step she
takes an obstacle to her, aud with
hired liars tears down her character
as fast as a friendless fOrlOru anC
tired woman can build it up. Hi!
emissarie5 dog her footsteps; they
waylay her to insult her with theil
presence, and follow her to the
privacy of her humble retreat tina
their presence there may condemn
her.
Followed, bounded, prosecuted, il
desperation she turns at last, anC
taking the law into her own hands
she coolly, deliberately, kills the II al
who has so cruelty and coWardly
wrOnged and persued her She made
NJ other defense than this. She
pleaded no defense the law sets up a
valid. He cruelty, par5istently
wronged her-and she killed him
She told her tragic story, simply, anC
not all the arts Of WHY lawyers cOulC
brighten or confuse her from it-fOr i
was builded on the rock of truth
When that was finished, q jury o
manly men were called upon to con
denim or approve her act, and will
one accord with promptuess said
$50 thou and sin no more"
We have told the story aud giver
the history of the case, merely tina
We Nigh endorse the verdict. 1t wa
a verdict for the homes, and a yer
dict all honest manly hearts will give
the hearty "amen" to. 1t is the
written law that rises spontaneously
out of chivalric hearts and rights tn,
wrongs that base men do. 1t is the
voice of civilization, and its echoes
will resOuld to the renotest parts o
the earth, aud will grow louder anC
stronger until the smiling, fawning
tiattering william who invades happy
home. and by his touch pollutes it
fairest member, is Outlawed and AZ
OI'cast, whom to kill is the recog
nizsd though unwritten right of thos,
who have been most aggrieved.