The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-13

Where justice Is w edk-
Justice has not had a very secure footing
in New York for many years. Not since
the courts fell into the common receptacle
/ for spoils and became the undisputed prey
of political performance has the lovely
blind goddess ever found there permanent
habitation where she could always be
| found ready to minister TO the needs Of the
wronge1 and perpleXed or distressed. Nor
has she a steadfast champion visible within
the metropolis
Only short time ago a woman was ar
rested "red-handed,' so TO speak, after the
act of murder, and her guilt was confirmed
| by the ante-mortem statement Of the vic
tim. There Was no pretense Of provocation
for the crime so far as menace or even sud
den evaporation was concerned. II was
clearly shown TO have been so fully pre-
rneditated as to have been twice before at
tempted in the same manner IN which it
it was eventually effected. There was no
earthly excuse for it unless a sentimental in
jury of rather an Involuntary nature by the
victim may be justly considered a palliating
circumstance amounting to an excuse for
hberate aud conolusively proven beyond
dispute. Not outstanding the irrefutable
evidence Of guilt as to the charge the jurors
brought in a verdict Of not guilty without
explaining upon what ground they decided
to ignore the evidence and exercise executive
clemency.
Another peculiar case in a court OF the
same city recently completely reversed the
order of things Instead of a preconvicted
culprit the prisoner in this case was charged
with murder committed just about the time
and in the same locality that he was ar
rested, merely as a suspicious character, be-
cause he was foreigner and out at an I'M
usual hour leaning against a wall smoking.
But very boastful and couCeited detective
had pledged his putation-whatever that
may amount to-that he would catch, with
in twenty four hours, any person who COM
mitted such a crime, and when he failed to
make good his boast he Immediately seized
the most forlorn and helpless, as well as
plausible-looklng Suspect" in custody, and
proceeded TO fasten upon him one Of the
most fendish and brutal crimes ever
committed in the crimestained history of
that city. Yet with all the bullying and
brow-beating to which the ignorant Orien-
tai was subjected and with all the motley
array Of depraved witnesses brought TO tes-
tlfy against him. guilt was so far from being
established that even biased charge from
the court failed to convince the jury. So
the perplexed jurors went entirely out of
their province, as in the other case and de-
cided that the accused had committed de-
gree Of crime with which he was not
charged. Whether the higher courts will
hold that TO be legal verdict remains to be
seen. But the bombsstic disciple of Hawk
Shave IS satisfied to have his victim held
even by the probable blunder of the jury.
Nevertheless it would be rather awk ward
for him if the real criminal should be run
down by some country officer and bagged
and convicted.
Notwithstanding these and many other
examples of the awkward way that New
York has of handling justice and blunder-
ing with law, the New York newspapers
never miss an opportunity to criticize other
more quiet parts Of the country, and offer
advice relative to the administration of
law where exact justice is melted out
with much more promptnes5 and less dis
play. While such absurd travesties upon
jury trials prevail there the New York edi-
tors would do we'll to give their undivided
attention to advancing the methods OF their
own corrective appliances up into line with
the front of progressive civilization and
enlightenment.