Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-05-18
Are the Innocent EZec uted.


Carlyle Harris, con victed OF the
murder Of his wife in the most
brutal manner, was electrocuted at
Sing Sin. on Monday last, and his
last words were, Il am absolutely
innocent of the crime for which |
was convicted.' Such a dec!ara-
ton made in the very presence tf
immediate death, naturally creates
grave doubts in the public mind as
to the administration of the law,
Nearly or quite oneshalf OF the
criminals executed for murder in
this country are ushered into the
presence OF the Great Judge wi th
falsehood on their lips, declaring
their Innocence. We can recall
not less than one hundred such
cases during the last generation in
the older States, where the Court,
are highly respected and where
justice is judicially administered;
ont we cannot recall one single
case where the innocence of the
person executed was subsequently
established by the discovery of an
other as the murderer. There have
been such cases in the hasty ad-
ministration of justice in primitive
communities; but we believe that
there is not one such case during
the last half century in any OF the
Eastern or Middle States.
In some cases, and perhaps in
most cases, after the execution of a
person wrongfully convicted Of
murder, the guilty parties would
keep their secrets safely in their
own breasts; but 1T is impossible
that scores OF such cases could uc-
cur each year and the real mur@
| derers always escape. Public in~
terest in even the most appalling
murders gradually ceases after the
crime has been atoned by execution;
but it is not possible that there
could De dozen or more Of uu-
punished murderers in nearly every
State for whose crimes others had
innocently suffered the death pen
atty, without a considerable pro-
portion of them being discovered.
1t seems too shocking tor belize
that murderer on the gallows and
about to be ushered into the pres
ence Of his God could add to biz
crime By making his last ute ran cs
falsehood, but such men und oubt
| edly do die with such lies upo1
their lirs. A pointed case of the
kind occurred in Pennsylvania
| some fifty years ago. A mar
named McConaughy, resided il
the mountains Of Huntingdon
county, deliberately mt rdered hi
wife's mother and five or six chill.
, dren, and attempted to murder
the father to inherit a property no
worth over $500. He was con,
vioted on circumstantial evidenc
and sentenced to death. He ap
eared.on the gal ows ,solemnly de
clared his innocence just before tn,
) moose was placed about his neck
and was swung off, and he and hi
executioners expected, into eter-
nifty. The rope broke and he fel
. TO the ground without dislocatin.
his neck, aud when revived an,
! about to be covered with The death
cap again he begged permission t
t peak. the request was granted
+ and he then gave frank confes
sion of his guilt.
}. That the men who die by tn
6 law as murderers declaring thei
i innocence, are chiefly or who'll
y as blunted in their moral sensibil
r tiles as was McConaughy, tn
: Huntingdon county murderer. W
cannot doubt; and it is safe to as
sume that when such dyin
declarations are made even a
the moment of execution, the
o are simply the brutal bravado of
3 criminal who is hopeless oflife an
e hopeless in death. With the safe
a guards which now surround th
person accused OF murder, upjuI
conviction is hardly within th
:. . range of possibility. Ii one TT
:. bunal convicts when thel
~ is shade ot doubt as t
~ guilt, there are other an
- higher tribunals in all the State
l. to review the case and to give fu
weight to after-discoved testimon
Sc while the pardoning power is a r
at serve resort in any commonwealth
J. One OF. two conclusions must
p, accepted ss true-either that on
N half or more of our executed mu
II, derers have been unjustly col
.ss victed, or that like number gi'
be the climax to their crimes by fin
RS ing the lie into the face tof dea
We and of the Great Judge of a
Which is true, can be best judg,
: by the fact that we have. no recor
NIB of discovered murderers after t
Nv execution of those who died Z
an aa claring their innocence.-Phi
Times.