New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06
THE L1UiS DELAYS.

By strange coincidence the State OF New
Hampshire contains to-day two men under SEN
tence of death, for cold blooded murder per-
petrated under circumstances of horrid cruel
ty, each Of whom has confessed the crime with
which he is charged and yet each hopes upon
a technical plea to escape the extreme penalty
of the law. One Of these, Abbott or Amy" as
he called himself, finished somewhat romantic
criminal career by killing a young woman who
rejected his addresses, and there being no pos
sible escape from the conclusive testimony, ne
pleaded guilty, throwing himself upon the mercy
of the court. The judge, having heard the
testimony and finding no extenuahng crcum-
stances, sentenced the accused TO be hanged but
the Judgment of the court was not announced in
the presence of the prisoner, and it was not until
several days after it had been made public that
he was informed of the fact 1t is now said that
on account of some technical informalites in the
procedure growing out Of the unusual action oil
the accused in pleading guilty to a charge Of
murder it is not impossible that he will escape
the extreme penalty, though it is not credible
that under any technical plea he will ever be
permitted to go at large.
The other case is that of Isaac Sawtele, found
guilty after long trial of having killed his own
brother. whom he had deliberately decoyed with
murderous intent to the neighborhood OF the
boundary line between New-lampsbire and
Maine. This, too, was the finishing touch to a
criminal career which, like Abbotts, had been
varied by prison life. Sawtelle pleaded not
guilty. and made a desperate defence against
overwhelming circumstantial evidence. Among
the questions raised on the trial was the neces-
saIily preliminary one as to the precise locality
where the crime was committed. The jury were
satisfied from the testimony that the crime was
committed within the jurisdiction OF the State
of New Hampshire, and rendered verdict OF
guilty, on which Sawtele was duly sentenced to
be hanged Several months have passed. and
now, the day OF execution drawing uncomfort-
ably near, Sawtelle makes what he calls full
confession of the fratricidal crime, but locates
the scene of the murder just across the New
Hampshire border in Maine. Upon this con-
fession the murderer hopes to have new trial
ordered, the ew-Hampshre verdict annulled
and his worthless life prolonged few months.
Here are two cases in New-Hampshire where
there seems a possibility at least OF miscarriage
of Justice, a delay in its operation at any rate,
because of mere legal technicalities and quib-
bling And probably a majority of persons
seeing here only two brutal murderers who have
forfeited all claims to considerations OF mercy
or humanity, and who certainly deserve speedy
hanging if anybody ever did, will say on the
spur Of the moment that there is something wrong
about it, that they ought to be taken out and
hanged at once. That would, no doubt be the
almost unanimous judgment of the community
of organized society. And the curious thing
about it is that organized society thinks its i'm
patience with slow-footed justice is rather credit
able as the exhibition of virtuOus quality.
Better think twice. Impatience was the funda-
mental trouble with these poor, worthless fell
lows, who wait now only TO be hanged. They
have been all their lives getting into trouble
because they could not wait. Organized society
can do better than initiate their impotence. The
greatest lesson OF life is not " to labor" but to
wait" We do not need to be inpatient because
punishment does not speedily and invariably
overtake crime We may be sure justice gets
there some time, though we do not always see
it, In the end nobody ever gets away