The Washington times., 1895-03-11
District Cycle CO
SOLE sd. c." AGENTS,
3tl sr
452 Pa. Ave.
CONVICT AND THEN PARDON.
Rev. DR. Lees Idea as TO What Should
Be Done With Green.

Be Done With Green.
Reuben Foster ought to be arrested,
indicted, convicted of manslaughter, SEN
| fenced to the pententiary, and pardoned
before he gets there"
These were the thrilling words used by
Rev. DR.. George W. Lee, pastor of Vermont
Avenue Baptist Church, In closing his SER
mon last night.
An immense audience, every seat in the
vast building being taken, while many
stood in the asles, faced Dr.. Lee when he
rose to preach discourse from the
passage of Scripture, Thou shalt not kill"
1t was understood that the preacher in
tended to refer to the killing OF Reuben
Foster, and many white persons of both
sexes were among the large gathering.
When DR.. Lee said that in his opinion
Officer Green should be tried, convicted,
and sentenced, there were visible signs
of approval on the part of many in the
congregation, but when he continued and
said that Green ought to be pardoned be
cause his character up to the time of the
shooting was good, there were loud mani
festations OF disapproyal.
In thrilling language DR.. Lee rehearsed
the scenes attending the shooting, and then,
among other things, said:
Had the policeman shot Reuben Foster
in some OF his lower limbs and the man even
subsequently bled to death ! would be will-
ing to forgive him. but for the man in an
angry moment TO take life which he could
not give is more than / can overlook.
Il cannot Compre bend what sort OF men
they were who composed that jury They
certainly never read the Bible or they
would nothaye brought themselyesto todeclare
in the face OF the evidence that the shoot
ing was accidental
THE officer took the pistol knowing it
was loaded for nemergency and fired and
killed the man. He had said he would
stop Foster from running and he made his
words good, for he stopped him forever"
DR.. Lee then analyZed the evidence before
the jury at much length.
''Some of the witnesses" " said he, "oc-
cupied most of their time IN telling what
bad man Foster was, and others what
good man Green was / have no doubt that
Green was a good man until he fired that
fatal shot So was Adam good until he
committed the first sin.
"If Green did rot know that his pistol
would kill at the distance Foster was from
him. he is unfit 10 be on the force AS well
make little children guardians OF the law.
/ do not believe that he killed Foster be-
cause Foster was a Colored man. / think
that, angered at the prospect of losing his
prisoner he in a moment OF forgetfulneSs
of the command OF God, Thou shalt not
kill, and in disregard of the excellent police
regulation on the subject, carelessly and
wantonly fired the weapon.
II do not-call Green's offense a murder,
because it was not pTt meditated. l think
that the crime was committed hastily and
that ten minutes later he would not have
done il for the world, but / predict that Z
through the teehnicalities of the law Green
is permitted to escape punishment, the judg-
ment of God will follow his descendants to
the fourth generation
Reuben Foster may not have been
worth the trouble he has already caused
Officer Green. hut whenever man stains
his garments with human blood his ChaTac-
ter is stained and his conscience will make
him suffer the pains of hell
Il think a legal investigation of the
case is demanded. Why, here in Wash
ington if your horse kicks you on the street
and you hit him or If you carry chicken
with its head down you will be arrested.
and yet it is proposed by some to let the
killing OF Reuben Foster pass by without
notice by the constituted authorities.
Dr. Lee announced that Hon. John NJ
Langston VIII address the Equal Rights
League in the church tomorrow night on the
killing of Reuben Foster and that a public
meeting relative to the same subject will
take place there on Wednesday night, when
a number of prominent speakers will be
present.