The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-08-09
AN UNNATURAL DECISION.
A Very Queer Decision by the Georgia su
preme Court.

preme Court.
From the Atlanta Herald.
The supreme court of Georgia render
ed very remarkable decision in the case
of Frank Wilkinson, charged with the
murder of C. F. Stevens of Rome.
The substance of this decision is that
it is not murder to kill an injured hus-
band who surprises and assaults the de-
spoile1 of his home.
This, we think, is new law in Georgia,
and if followed would induce new Gus
tom.
Stevens suspected that his wife and
Wilkinson were too intimate, and giving
it out that he was going away for the
night returned and surprised the guilty
pair in most compromising situation.
The outraged husband opened fire on
the man who had invaded his home,
when the wife sprang between the two,
and Stevens, having good opportunity,
fired and killed the husband.
There has been an old idea in this
state that when man invaded the sane
THY of home the outrage could be
wiped out only in blood, and the more
swiftly the revenge was taken, and the
more true manhood displayed by the
dishonored husband, the more did the
people applaud. The supreme court. inIren-
Il
went SO far as to declare that in such
matters as this there was no ''cooling
time'' for the voice of reason to be
heard, and the husband had the right to
kill his man whenever and wherever ne
found him.
This was an old southern sentiment.
The men were ready to xiii in protect
ing the honor of their families and the
custom worked we'll.
While the supreme court is
unfolding Wilkinson for killing Ste
vens, Sam Hill, who killed Simmons,
walks the streets of Chicago free man
and nobody cares to bring him back.
The supreme court releases the man
who invaded the home of Stevens, was
caught by the husband, and who muir
dered the husband. 1t seems that the
husband had no rights in the premises.
1t is doubtful what the supreme court
would have done with him had he killed
wilkinson. If Wilkinson had gone TO
the house to steal and had been fired on
by Stevens, and had returned the fire and
killed Stevens, he would have been hung
as murderer, but as he went there for
another purpose the supreme court says
be had as much right to defend himself
as if he had been ON the streets-that is,
he could kill his assailant. The sanctity
Of the home counts for nothing. The |
man who invades the smokehouse is I'M |
der the ban. Tbs man who invades the |
family circle, puts a blight on home, |
brings woman to shame, wrecks the |
husbands happiness, brings the finger
Of scorn % be pointed at little children
q poisoned fanged social serpent-may |
kill and be justified.
Clearly there is decay somewhere,
either in the supreme court that take
such a view of things, or in the senti
ment they expect shall sustain their de-
cision.
We repudiate the doctrine. We shall |
teach that the sanctity of the homo with
all that it implies is more precious than
all else, and that he who invades home
to destroy it, does so at his peril; that
he has outawed himself and that when
be is shot down like dog he has no.
body to blame but himself.
The supreme court may turn loose
this murderer, but it cannot stay the arm
of any outraged husband who is moved
by the slightest instinct of manhood.
A Million Friends.
A friend il need is friend indeed, and
not less than one million people have
found just such friend in DIR. Kings
New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs