Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-27
MOBS AND MOBLAW.
Some Chicago Comments on
the DanviIIe lynching.
TWO SETS OF FACTS AS TO PARDoNs,

One, Supplied by Governor Asgeld. Differs
Widely from the Other-Judge Moran
and Other Prominent Men Sec Nothing
Good in Lynch Law, While C. 8. BARROW
~Brsaks Lance" in Its Favor . Per-
msnent and Recognized Institution.
CHICAGO, May 27-The double lynch
ing at Danv;lIe, Ills, was the subject of
a days wonder in this city, and received
general condemnation with the usual
'but" in a majority Of the interviews
published, but absolute approval in one
case. Those Who were afraid the mob
might get into trouble were treasured by
the headlines of one Of the morning
papers which announced that the mob
was in no danger. The principal reason
that this lynching attracted SO much at
tention was that it was laid at the door
Of the governor Of the state. because he,
1t was alleged, has abused the pardoning
power. This allegation has raised direct
issue of veracity between the governor
and some press representatives.
Nobody Knows the Lynchcrs.
One curious fact about the mob is that
not member was recognized by the
sheriff or any of the witnesses who ap-
peared be fore the coroner's jury. One ac-
count Of the outlawry gives the very Sec
ton Of Vermilicn county from which the
lynchers came, too. The jury brought in
the usual verdict OF changed By parties
unknown" At the lynching both the
young thugs were thrown bodily over the
railing Of the very bridge where they
had first assaulted their victim and al
lowed to drop fifteen feet. Tho bodies
hung there all night. swaying in the wind
and occasionally humping against the
the bridge frame. Miss Barnett, whom
Halls and Royce outraged, is still il a Sc
rious condition.
Abuse of the Pardonin: Power.
Chicago legal notabilities see no excuse
for Judge Lynch in the fact-if it is q
fact-uhat the governor has been too
ready to pardon thugs. That is Luther
Latin Mills view, who, rather incon-
sistently with the facts, also said: This
is the state Of Illinois-a community Of
civilization, of Schools courts and
churches. Lawlessncss has no place with
in its limits, whether it appear in the
form of anarchy, or manifest itself in the
wild acts Of lynchers." The same view
of the excuse of the lynchers was held by
Judge Moran, Ex-Governor Hamilton and
others, and interviews brought out the
fact that there are a good many prOmi-
nent men, who ''dcprecate" mob law with
a few who come Out squarely and repro
BATE that method of punishment for
crime.
Judge Moran Doesn't Mince Words.
Among this latter class were Judges
Moran, Goodrich and Adoiph Kraus.
Judge Moran said: "Lynchiny has no
phase except an immoral one, in my
opinion. In an organized community
where there Is no violent obstruction to
the administration of justice there can
be no excuse. moral or legal, for lynching
person accused of crime, or q person
supposed to be guilty Of a crime, or who
is in fact guilty of crime; for no one can
be said to be guilty of u crime such as to
entitle any one to administer punishment,
until such person has been adjudged
guilty by the Judgment of court of COM
petent jurisdiction. All who engage in
lynching man who has perpetrated muir
der are themselves guilty of murder in
law and in morals"
The Popular Judge Has Champion.
But the institution called Judge
| Lynch's court had one out.and- out advo-
cate and defendant. ..Lynching," said C..
>. barrow, very deliberately, sis the only
| cxcusabls way of executing peoole. 1t is
not nearly as bad, cowardly and cruel as
the execution of a human being, hanging
him in cold blood after a jury trial. If
anything can be conceived more horrible,
cowardly and cruel than taking a strong,
healthy man to the scaffold before the
eyes of q morbidly curious crowd-there
either under the pretext Of law or not
and there choking him to death, can't,