Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-08-14
NO. 10.
A TERRIBLE CHARGE
By rALLrE MORGAN, SCRANTON, PA.
lCopyrlghted.1

judges question.
Will the prisoner answer
Is there nothing that will make him show
some sign Of emotion?
VIII he maintain the cold, Indifferent atti-
tude that he has shown through the long trial,
even to the place Of execution7
Such were the questions that passed through
the minds of those who had followed the case
from day to day.
The Judge still waited In dignihed silence.
Not q whisper was heard anywhere, and the
situation had become painfully oppressive,
when the prisoner was seen to move. His head
was raised, his hands werc clinched, and the
blood had rushed into his pale. careworn face.
His teeth were firmly set, and into his haggard
| eyes came fash light.
| Suddenly he arose to his feet, and In a low,
firm, but distinct voice said:
II havel Your honor, you have asked me q
question, and now ask, as the last favor on
earth, that you will not interrupt my answer
until 1 am through.
II stand here before this bar, convicted Of
the willful murder of my wife. Truthful wit
nesses have testified to the fact that was q
loafer, a drunkard and wretch; that re-
turned from one Of my prolonged dcbauches
and fired the fatal shot that killed the wife
had sworn to love, cherish and protect. While
have no remembrance of committing the
fearful, cowardiy and inhuman deed, have
no right to complain or to condemn the ver-
dict of the IL good men who have acted as jury
in this case, fer their verdict is in accordance
| with the evidence.
But, may 1t please the court, I wish to show
that am not alone responsible for the murder
of my wife.'
This startling statement created tremen-
ton 10 i,,Hp 1oan naI
| desk, the lawyers wheeled around and faced
the prisoner, the Jurors looked at each other
| In amazement, while the spectators could
| hardly suppress their intense excitement. The
prisoner paused few seconds and then con-
| tinued in the same firm, distinct voice:
| II repeat, your honor, that am not the only
one guilty of the murder OF my wife. The
! judge on tbs bench, the jury In the box, the
| lawyers within this bar and most of the wit
| nesses, including the pastor of the old church,
are also guilty before Almighty God and will
have to appear with me before his judgment
throne, where we all shall be righteously
judged.
IF 20 men conspire together for the murder
of one person. the law power of this land will
arrest the 90 and each will be tried, convicted
and executed for whole murder and not one
| twentieth of the crime.
II have been made drunkard by law II it
had not been for the legalized saloons of my
| town, never would have become a drunkard;
my wife would not have been murdered; I
would not be here now, ready to be hurled into
eternity. Had 1t not been for the human traps
set out with the consent Of the government,
would have been a sober man, an Industrious
workman, a tender father and a loving hus-
band. But today my home is destroyed, my
wife murdered, my little children-God bless
| and care for them-cast out on the mercy of q
| cold and cruel world, while am to be murder
| ed by the strong arm of the state.
"God knows tried to reform, but as long as
| the open saloon was in my pathway my weak,
| diseased will power was no match against the
fearful, consuming, agonizing appetite for liq-
uor. At last sought the protection, care and
| sympathy of the church of Jesus Christ, but at
| the communion table received from the hand
of the pastor who sits there, and who has testi-
fed against me in this case, the cup that con-
tained the same very alcoholic serpent that Is
found In every barroom in the land. It proved
too much for my weak humanity, and out Of
that holy place rushed to the last debauch
that ended with the murder Of my wife.
For one year our town was without q ga
loon. For one year was a sober man. For
one year my wife and children were supremely
happy and our little home a perfect paradise.
"Iwas one of those who signed remonstrances
against re-opening Of the saloons in our town.
The names Of one-half of this jury can be found
today on the petition certifying to the good
moral character Cp) of the rumsellers and false
ly saying that the sale of liquor was 'neces-
sary' in our town. The prosecuting attorney
on this case was the one that SO eloQuent1y
pleaded with this court for the licenses, and
the judge who sits on this bench, and who
asked me if had anything to say before sem
tence of death was passed on me, granted the
licenses"
The impassioned words of the prisoner fell
like Goals Of fire upon the hearts of those pres
ent, and many Of the spectators and some of
the lawyers were moved to tears. The Judge
made motion as II to stop any further speech
the nj the rrfs0ner wh0n the Rr1pAE0r
hastily said:
mo, no, your honor, do not close my lipsi
am nearly through, and they are the last words
I shall utter on earth.
"Ibegan my downward career at a saloon bar
-legalized and protected by the voters Of this
commonwealth. which has received annually
q part of the blood money from the poor, de-
luded victims. After the state had made me
q drunkard and q murderer / am taken before
another bar-the bar of justice C)-by the
same power Of law that legalized the first bar.
and now the law power will conduct me to the
place of execution and hasten my soul into etcr-
nifty. shall appear before another bar-the
Judgment bar of God-and there you who havo
legalized the traff1o will have to appear with
me. Think you that the great judge will hold
me-the poor weak, helpless victim Of your
trafic-alone responsible for the murder OF
my wife? Nay, in my drunken, frenEied. tr-
responsible condition have murdered one, but
you have deliberately and willfully murdered
your thousands, and the murder mills are In
full operation today with your consent
"Al Of you know in your hearts that these
words of mine are not the rawlings Of an un-
sound mind, but God Almighty's truth. The
liquor trafio Of this nation fs responsible for
nearly all the murders, bloodshed, riots, pow
erty, misery, wretchedness and woe. Il breaks
up thousands Of happy homes every year, sends
the husband and father to prison or to the
gallows and drives countless mothers and lit
tie children into the world to suffer and die.