The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-05-21
HOMMER'S AWFUL DOOM,

Oners convicted at the present term
upon the opening Of court, Saturday
morning.
Simon Hommer, the slayer of
Samuel McCarrier, was sentenced
to death. While his doom was be-
ing pronounced by Judge Stake the
utmost solemnitY prevailed. HON.
mer sat with his eyes riveted to the
oor,apparently totally unconcerned
as to what was transpirlng about
him. When asked by the judge if
he had anything to say why sentence
should not be pronounced upon him
he answered in the negative. Judge
Stake is a master of dIctlon and
pathos and the words he uttered
were most affecting. He said:
Upon the testimony of number
of witnesses whose several statements
make a narrative of indisputable
proof, your case was submitted to an
impartial jury. The law applicable
to case of homicide was intelli-
gently expouuded to 1t, and every
theory that right and reason could
suggest or eloqrence and strong
language portray. was presented
by able counsel in support of the
theory advanced by you on the wit
ness stand to justify your act of
killing. After a patient hearing and
deliberate consideration this jury
has found you guilty of murder in
the first degree.
Your conviction is of an offense
the most heinous known to the law,
for it involves the taking of human
life with malice pretense. with de.
liberate purpose to deprive fellow
being of that which was his by de-
vine right, not to be interferred
with save by that Omnipotent
Power which rules all things, or the
eXigencv of the State, determinable
in its sovereign laws and admins
tered by the duly constituted ma
cbinery of government.
In the heat Of ARRAY the law COM
pa.sionating the infirmities of hui
manity makes allowance for the
pc ,sions which rule IN stormy
moment, for the sense of pain, for
the apprehension of further injury,
for the difficulty of ascertaining
with due accuracy the precise degree
of violence which is necessary to
protect the person of the individual
without annoying or injuring the
assailaut more than is necessary.
But when the act of killing is one
Of premedltated revenge or malici-
Gus aforethough, the law in its re-
gard for the welfare of the people
neither can, will or ought to have
sympathy or allowance.
The first and highest object of
civilization IS to place the law, ad-
ministerd with just regard for the
rights Of all in the room of that
wild justice which every man cuts
and carves for himself according to
the length of his arm or the force
and power of his weapon. The law
saws to the individuals of commu-
nifty with a voice inferior to that
of Deity, vengeance is mine"
The instant that there IS time for
the passions to cool and reason to
interpose every one must become
aware that the law assumes exclu-
sive cognizance of the right and
wrong between contending per-
sons and oppose It's inviolable
and majestic buckler to every at
tempt of the individual to right by
force his real or imaginary grievance.
To this end our government is. es-
tablshed among men.
In the matter of the atfray be-
tween you and the deceased, it is
impossible to discover any excuse
for the violence, either in purpose
or degree, which you inflicted to
the extent of depriying MIN OF life.
1t is true there has been difficulty
or disagreement of some kind be-
tween you two, but from the point
of time when that difficulty resulted
in blows, in which you, perhaps,
were the sufferer, to the time of the
firing of the deadly shots by you
upon unarmed and defenceless man
more than sufficient time has
elapsed for reason to control the
luminosity growing out of the pre-
vious brawl, for the cooling down
of stormy passions engendered by
the prior blows, and for the subst-
tuition of duty in the place of hate.
The Chaud Medlee was at an end
and YOU and he as com batants in
an unarmed struggle were bound
by law to let your antagonism cease.
With this breathing and cooling
time as clearly proven fact in the
case, it was impossible for the jury
in the application of the rule of law
governing the facts, TO discover any