Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-22
AN EYE FOR AN EYE.
THE CRIMINAL SHOULD nEcour
TIM LOSER rHaouam MS CRIME.
A Novel nat Eau,tabi. r'au rre-
posed For the nsform of tho
orimlna, s,.,em.
Fort Worth. Dec. ~.

| domain Into whose lnbryinthinr pre-
| cincts tho man moi thoroughly veraed
therein. though seeking for the shrine
OF Justice. hcnitates IN entering, lest
among tho many twista, turns ana
maaea OF It's tangled path he lose ms
| way entirely. and give w the aenrch
/ IN dIsgustrd despair. Woe hetlde inc
| wretch who attempts the Journey with.
out "A trained guide, for However Just
J be the petition he carries, without
| lawyers assistance he viii almost I'm.
| iniiingly return cnpty-hanued. nnu
worse In pocket for the trip.
Since those learned In the law must,
| OF necessity, he but u small per cent
| OF our business community. those not
inltigtcI In It's mysteries and having a
/ sui, TO present must engage tho aerv-
| lees OF a lawyer. send him IN, mud wait
| patiently 10 receive thankfully what.
| ever he may bring out Of tho depths OF
the legal Jungle. To question the JUS
| ticc of tho returns. or TO crltcise the
methods of the lnw's workings, " usu-
| ally regarded us an evidence OF iHnor-
nnco or treated ~ presumption fut.
| since the common people can only
| Judge of the Internal workings OF the
! law by the effects IL brings thcm ny
| It's work. II may be pnrduned one u ne
| comment ON some OF thcm from inc
| standpoint Of an everyday pusihcss
| man.
II IL not the purpose OF this writer
to speak OF the innoeeaslhiliiy OF lesh,
| Justice, save through channels at
whose every turn money must clear
| tho way. Each individual contestant
must. OF course, hire his own attorney.
| 4nis IL necessary and Just. l,ut our
| courts should be supported by Honetni
| tnSatinn, and not by fees and costs,
! witch make the seeking of Justice 80
| expensive that the poor man ~ oiWn
| barred out OF It's advantages. aud when
causes II to be too often claimed Win
| truth that the law IN the rich mans
servant and the poor mans master.
| This we only wish to consider inci-
| dentally, and To turn our attention
more particularly TO the workings OF
some OF our laws which touch the ih-
tcrests OF the greater body OF our peo-
pie, and consider the effects OF decisions
In accordance herewith.
That part of our criminal lava when
relates to the punishment OF persons
convicted OF larceny, AwindllnK, irhud.
arson or other felonious destruction OF
property, IN what We wish 10 consider.
While the laws for punishment for
these crimes are Just and good ns fhr
ms they go. they are incomplete mas
much M they do not compel the oriml-
nal. to the extent OF his ability. 10
mike repnrntlon for his crime, aud do
Justice TO the man he has injured. :.
While It II the peace and dignity,
/
Tended by crime. II IN the personal huf-
ferer thereby whose peace and dignity
nre actually occndrd. and whose prop
erty iB lost or destroyed VI the athter
peace and dignity ore offended by a
criminal injury TO one OF its citizens.
why should not the beat cmollicnt for
that wounded dignity he the making
of fun reparatlon to that citizen by tho
oirenderY
Az the law now stands the offender
~ tried, convicted and put IN penal
seryinde. The labor OF man u worth
a certain amount. The Theoretically
offended, the state. gets the profit OF
guch labor The actually injured VICE
Tim OF the crime gets the aatlsfHeton
OF knowing H. lie gets nothing else
We Will suppose n cnnH. john Doe
stenis one hundred dollars from Rich-
ard Roe. Az this end OF week DO" w
caught He has spent all OF the stolen
money or has changed II into other
money 20 avoid ltn identification. ON
his trial evidence IN conclusive. he u
! convicted, and IL sentenced TO three
FEARS penal servitudc for the htnte.
Doe IL an ahc-bodlcd man, and MS
J lnbor for three yrnfH IN worth. ABOVE
The coat OF his keeping more than one
, hundred dollars. This profit the state
! getu Roe the real huiferer ana loser
\ by the ciimc, gntg nothing but the
: yntiafnctlon of Hcelny Doe put IN
= ptison g RIB, consisting Of ntfipca ana
I chains, which satisfaction II. TO say we
! ionpi. very thin substitute Tor ms
. | hnrd-oprned dollars which lie secs thun
/ Indirectly transferred from his pocket
: | 10 Tho treasury OF the htafe, Poor ltoc
r | scratches hin head. wonders whorc ne
/ comes In, and thinks gomethlng nluhl
: be wrong. Iiut Zip spenka wluc attor
, | ney-nt.lnw who snllghtcnH RoeH IT,
; norancc by informing him that he may
1 hri q cIvli action nsninai Doc and Rel
iudtrmrnt against him FOR ihs amount
OF h,s damages. lie might an well tel
him that ha can sun the vino thhl
blows down MS barn, ns wuulu ~,
lust as much from tn. wird an from
J inc average thief. and the Idea OF nuirH
4 such would be silly; no Roc IN loser
! by one hundred dollars and hin time
/ and troubls spent on trial Of the case
1 while the state Ealns the labor or ono
r man for three years.
Should Doe burn Roe'a barn ana ~
1 convicted OF tho crime. the proccHs ana
8 effect Is the snnc. and Hoe ~ loser hnu
! the rtate yniurr by H. We VIII tnke an
Q other possible phase OF Inc cntr' DOC
!. defrauds or steals from Roe tho puir
!. ~ one thousand doilarn. Doe H. caught
given an examining trinl and N nd
mitted 10 bail In the sum o. ono thouH
/ and dollars. Doc nees that his chances
are good for going % inc pcnncntiaiy
: has stolen IN the hands OF his frieno
!, Low. and Low makes his bond. Dos y
y eIysn his liberty, and leaves for part
unknown. The time for trial comes
mi Doe door not appear. The bond :,
/. forfeited. and Hoe has the pleasure Of
: reeing the thousand dollars which wh'
: stoirn from him by Doc twho has vtr'
! finally confessed his guilt by running
: ON handed over to--himselfy Well. no
= Thnt has 10 90 into the treasury Of ths
I ntate 10 help appease its offended dig
4 nifty. Happy should he the state Whose
: dignity n oftcn offended. The above
4 IL not nm Hypothetical case. hut " az
!, uctuai instance Of the workings or oui
! present ryatcm OF Justice.
!. The court, having gotten thc amount
/. Of the bond. does not spend any OF Y
I in catching the criminal " No has let
The state, n simply pockets Eoc''i
. money, and markn fhs case 'continrsd'
! from Term 10 term until u " mail,
|. dropp~d from the docket. That " gen
! orally the last OF the cnsr. and u oil
! ways the last OF Ror's money. Doe be-
: inr out OF the state the officers, thouEf
they msy be fatty aware o. his where
nboutn, 40 not have 10 60 after hiu
, unlcss higher authority makes. specin
: appropriation OF money for the pur
4 nose. or unless Roo Is willing TO pa,
In expense OF having him brought