The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-02-24
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT



t.m1,r 90 Mnis.n.
Edu.. L.ad,r.
Iu regard to t.c application for the
communication of lao dcalh sentence
winch hangs over Miugau 60 may be
urged. jhat There arc number ot per-
-o.s VINO urcoi the opinion that sew
erlI men have committed murder IN
cold blood. with malicious intent, aud
under circumstances which made their
,G.cs most utrO.iou.ly wicked, and
. vet these muu have escaped the gall
lows. MuHgan B, GOT crimiual ot
. iII- Sort 10 reports concerning him be
/ u-lc His crime was probably not
conceived iu malice. nor executed Tor
revenge
+ Greed OF gain scents TO hay, been the
motive with him. and his moral per-
.crpti1ue were OF 500 low AN order that
.it doubtful whether hc really he'd
currr appreciation OF the cuOrmity OF
. his offence.
me- Killed his victims more iftcr the
pattern of one who would slay "a beast,
having nothing against ,hem, but
killed them that he might be the gamer
|iu what be conceived TO bc OF value to
him. They were i'm his way, and he
removed thcm for that reason, and not
tH.tIHII~t ne iN~IIFit NItll hNfLAhA
The other murderers who have been
ON trial for their crimes were intelli-
rent. and they knew something of the
nature OF the terrible crimes they
committed yet they killed because
they wanted 10 slay They were not
seeking gain in worldly possessi )ns,
bur the death of the victim They had
murder in their hearts. The objective
'of MuHgan was money, and his heart
may have been free from malice, but
lin the other cases the objective was
murder. the expectation OF pecunlary
.advautage being altogether absent
MiIHpuu'- heart was not bent on
murder but on the acquisition of
money: the others were determined to
have revenge. aud had murder i'm their
hearts, The distinction is clear and
should not be ignored Not that we
should excuse murder, even when the
killing is done without actual malice,
but the thought is this: that some DIS
.crimiuatiuu should be made in the ad-
minietration of the law so that there
shall be balancing of the equities,
aud that the general public may see
that these distinctions are observed IN
"a sensible manner and the reputation
Iof the commonwealth be preserved
from harmful and unwaranted criti-
cism.
The strong point in this case seems
Ito Ic.--as mo- murderer has yet been
cNecutcd i'm this territory, and several
foul murders have been committed by
pcr.1ns whom % large number OF peo
bic think should have been hung, 1T Is
iucuuilablc and repugnaut TO the con
science. tnat the first hanging
should be for murder committed
without malice, by person deficient
p i'm mental and moral cndoV VmentS ana
devoid of education who cannot know
how great am offence he has committed
while these other murdcrers have been
permilted To escape. 1t Is not that
} this man shall bc protected from the
pouf-hmeut due for the crime perpe-
tratcd. but tuat his punishment shall
bear some reasonable relation To that
imposed upon moro cuIpahle often
J ders
II these other offenders were ont
. of the case the reason for committing
the death penalty might not be urged
p with $50 much propriety, and the pre-
- scrvation of the fair name OF the ter
ritorv might not be an important con-
sideration.
Ru. i'm the face Of the re ord already
lldlt Ih 'H' "'N' wv W ~ =
, mcut upon murdcrer7' we can nov con
s. -i-tentlF begin our hang ,nE' VIII" S"e'
am unfortunate as VI lIan "'"Nt
crime Wi' DC com pure" w ~" .',''' "
more intelligent men VINO nave e'
capped the penalty a"a."'" nun.
b. When ONahonA begins 10 u'uE '''
the victim be one whose guilt is es'
ubn.hrd beyond doubt, and whose
y execution the general Puo't I'B"I"
T. as lu~tihaole ana necessary go,
Q The world looks ON u" see ll,
A., What regard for equity we '"""uCl
our aHar7 ana we S""" J..
Oe careful now we ''N ''s'
VI iu haste and under the pressure OF
% some wrong impulse we do that which
- will forever stain the pages OF our ms
tory.
IL is not Mjligau so much a. 1T Is
the principle involved, and the reputa
S jou of this fair land We want TO bt
a right We want 90 DO Justly We
want 10 be consistent We want tC
~ show the world that the principles OF
equity and just discrimination mark
b the conduct OF those who administer
, to emotion and impulse, who are
= ~vaved hoy the tumuluous passions o
" the ever. Jealous or the passionate, bu'
that wc can calmly exercise intelli
y geucc and wisdom i'm Judging and exc
Il cutting. SD that the educated and re
. fined conscience of the world will CO. n
' mend our action.