Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-06
And as the Scripture Hath IT.,
Reap the WhirIwind.
AcQUlT RED HANDED SLAYEHs
orTheir Kind and the Red Handed Mob.--Riaht
al First, Made Mad by Blood, win Shake
The Foundation Stones OF Order and
Anarchy Will Como.

II stopY"
As Buckle writes in his great work on
the Civilization Of Europe, the average
Of crime for the years Of a term Of years
Is the same, but this does not lessen the
profound impression made upon the
minds Of those who live in the particular
year In which the outbreak Of blood
comes
And 70 It Is In Texas in this day.
The record Of the last sixty days for
murders assaults on female chastity
arson, Is fearful. aud many Of the muir
ders arr absolutely exempt from single
cXteuunting circumstances
Take thost that have ensanguincd the
annals of Dallas county aud our own
county of Tarrant since the middle Of
December and IL is hard 20 make record
for counties of IN equal degree OF ia.
tclliCpnt civilization that will exceed the
blood stained record Of these, two Of
the most representative counties in the
state taking MI OF the better elements
into consideration n record of seemingly
cnuseless, and often deeply premeditated
murder
Men are asking what does it mcanY
why this continuance OF Crimef WHY rs
there NO punishment for the murderer IN
ToXasy what rs the remedy for remedy
There must boz for a condition so ulwhulc-
some. so luxurious go the welfare ot the
state as prevails just now.
The lnymun says the fault Is IN the
laws. the lawyer says the fault is la the
people. Maybe both are right for some
of the profoundost and most egpv. need
lawyers In the state, who guin'd their
experience MS district or appellate court
judges, have Insisted there wcrc ccriuin
very ncpdful changes iu the criminal
jurisprudence of Texas, aud Il b. the
fact that The people compose tie iuries
who have, at least the power 10 give the
verdict that concludes the trial
Crime is punished In proportion TO the
volume of public sentiment in favor of its
punishment When the public voice de
| mands the enforcement of q law that
law Is enforced. 'Iis true. The voice
| whispers sometimes only In the ears OF
q class often a small class aud the meme
| hers Of that class make noise enough
for the body polite aud Ia the same
| spirit that uctuuted the nine tqilors of
| Toolc street. who resolved we the peo-
pie. etc
But there Is no conrounding the roar
| 81 public opinion when it cmnates from
| the people. aud The Gazette catches
| the rumhlings of storm of public iu-
| dignation that will lead 10 the JUST pun
| ishmvnt Of some OF the red handed muir
dercls, who, under the promptings of
| their own yindictiyc spirit for the graft
ihcntion of their private Vengeance, are
/ doing the state an Injury that will long
lingcv 10 retard her progress.
| CHANGES IN LAW SUGGESTED.
When Jno ID. Tcmpleton was attorney
! general of Texas, he wrote 10 every dis
! trict judge In the state asking for such
amendments % ponnl code anl code of
| penal procedure MS would add 10 their
! effectiveness Ia Furnishing crime, or sug-
| gcstong that might lead to amendments
looking 10 the same end.
Restricting this article 20 the qucs-
tons OF homicides, some of these suggos-
tons are copied.
One Is, the common law definition of
homicide should take the place of statu-
tory definition; another, that q disregard
OF any of the requirements OF the articles
ON the subject of the charge of the court
should not be cause for rcversnl. unless
| Che omission was excepted To ut the timc
or Ia the opinion of the court of appeals
such nm error might have influenced the
jury 10 injury of the defendants rights
Another II, that Ii shall be presumed that
all the procecdni gtOasfXzfAn nivbwgyp
| All the proceedings of a trial court were
IN accordance With the law, unless Il be
made 60 aihrmnuycly appear Ia the re-
cord that IN error injurious to the de.
! tendnnt had been committed
| Another, that n Judgment OF conviction
ahnll not be- rendered because the state
nent OF facts does not contain evidence of
the venue OF the Office or the identity oil
! the defendant, or the time OF commission
OF thc oitensc, IL shah be presumed such
| evidence was introduced aud was sulB.
client TO establish these requisites 10 con.
viction, Only those have boon selcctpd
eeee eeeceee xzhll0in ybgkQj ETAOTH
except one that would seem 20 be- only
technical TO the non-professionul meme
hers Of society
In Judge A. A, Stcdman's careful ar.
tiele on why so many murdcrs2 why so
Few convictionHf that appeared In last
sundays Gazette, several OF those above
quoted suggestions ARE deemed hy him
essential 10 Dc incorporated In the laws
| OF Texas. The most serious evil. ia his
opinion, IL the laws delay In homicide
casrs aud he makes a pointed suggestion
| Tor remedy. HUT his article rs therp Ia
apenk for Itself, 0s ID does In strong terms.
Some interviews of this subject were
Obtained and some are here given.
The questions asked were.
| Why this continuance of rrnye crir,a ?
Why are these crimes not punished
What Is the remedy
Ana these are some OF the statements,
CAPTAIN b. b. PADDOCK.
'Phe continuance of crime Is duo IN
lack oi hangipgs and these are due 10
lack OF public sentiment Then mo
public geta Disguised with the ouibbling
over the tochnicnliucs of law. Too oftcn
the arguments OF the lawyers are In de,
veope technicalitles that the Judges sns.
tain and even after a jury has wondered
Just verdict the court reyetses tbe
case and the accused goes FREQ
WE should have some iudiclous bano-
ings, judicial II we can, hut IL Nc c,n
not hang 10y law IL may become neces
Raiy 70 hang without law. Tho reued 9
should speedily be applied Tor the emf
demlc OF crime is injurmg our stats
BEN l., AYRES.
THAT crime has been on the lncreose
90 I'm extent fearful to contempiate M
late y an indisputable fact
THE PERSISTENCE Of crime h largely,
due 20 the future Nf our iuries Ia do tbei,.
duty, As q rule the judges CHARGE ia
law ana The officers of the court do
iheir duty but the sentiment of tl,e mos
ses Of the people from whom NJ, draw
our lures, ~ not IN favor OF the enforce
mont OF law, for they will accept tbe
presnmptlons Oi the counsel us n stats.
nent of facts they viii let sentlmeatoify
Intervene 70 permit juaiice being dome,
On 0nt ana every excuse they win avoid
conviction, esNciallY capital con.
ficuoh, and this leaves the prosee,ttinp
officer Nud courts helpless
Tic remedy rs Ia etucate tho neorla
l INFO A more healfhful rtnlli. .....at ~.