New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-05
SHEA ANU HIS TEACHERS.

SHEA AND HIS TEACHERS.
Governor Morons refusal 10 interfere win
the execution of the death sentence in the case
If the murderer Of Robert Ross is entirely prop
or ANY humane Executive must naturally hest
tate 10 withhold clcmency in the face OF strong
appeas If he can find a reasonable excuse 10 HIS
conscience for the exercise Of mercy But the
case OF Bartholomew Shea Is one III WHO"
leniencv would have been misplaced For the
wretch himself who In all likelihood VIII suHer
death this week pity may predominant over
all other feelings but his crime was one Whlch
struck at the very foundations OF our society.
l. was the elimination of rising tide OF politi-
cal corr,lption and disorder. in which the right
~ the peoplc to choose their own rulers ana
mako thcir own laws vas resisted and set aside.
HITS conspiracy to retain power 10y stealing
legislature and Maynard's theft Of election re-
turns from a public office were the legitimate
precursors of armed intimidation of electors III
The pos in Troy in March. 1894. In the posi-
hllIty Of furnishing most severely the crime there
committed rested the answer 10 the question
whether law and freedom were to prevail
in our elections and order was TO be main
tanned In spite Of party squabblcs. or our
Government was 10 degenerate into par
harlsm. which settles It's disputes by revo-
ution and regards crimes committed In
nolitlcal struggle as necessary adjunct Of war
fare utterly 10 be distinguished from similar
crimes committed for private end II requires
n terrible lesson 10 make 1t cmphatcally known
In this State that crime committed III inc hu"e
OF politics IS nevertheless n crime, that killing
man to win an election is not "A disturbance al
the polls or "A clash Of hostile forces but
,l,t al. hut IN
The conviction Of Shea was just. In cold
blood he sho, down Robert Ross for no other
reason than that his victim insisted on excr-
clslng his rights as an American citizen The
plea that his offence should not have been de
tcrmlned murder in the first degree because II
was not prcmedtatol and was committed in a
general melee, is not we'll founded. shea per
haps had no personal grtidge against Ross. Then
he had not even that excuse for his crime. lie
entered into a conspiracy 10 prevent IN honest
vote 70 that end he armed himself. planned
10 create disturbance. and unlawfully began IN
timldation at the polls He was fully prepared
beforehand to so 10 any lengths in the service
Of those who employed him. Murder was the
natural outcome Of his operations; he faced the
prospect before he began, and even IT he ala
NOT fix upon Ross as the particular recipient OF
his bullets until the moment Of the shooting, yet
he went about with the fixed purpose to bully,
fight or murder whoever stood in the way or MS
purpose TO secure q fraudulent election. lie can
no more claim that his murder was not dclb-
crate than can the burglar who finds IT con
vcnlent to kill anybody who interfcrcs with his
houscbreaking. II is Il welnnderstood maxim
Of law that when one crime follows from the
ATTEMPT TO commit another the plea or sudden
impulse will not prevail
The law once vindicated and the lesson OF
this murder enforced. the public VIII have done
with Shea But what Of the men whose hands
will be stained with his blood as well as that OF
his victim? How will they feel when he is dead!
An election brawl did not seem IN awful thing
TWO years ago, when they hired the roughs or
Troy to tclrorize honest citizens. fatal shoot
ing and the funeral Of n young watcher ut the
polls did not much matter when an election WAS
to he carried by desperate means. man i'll
TAIL charged with murder done in their service
had little TO complain Of 50 long as they were
powerful in politics TO protect him and had
friend in the Governors chair who considered
II judgeship the proper reward for election theft.
Assrredy. their tool had nothing 10 fear But
how do they feel now when he sits awaiting
death for his attempt To serve them: they
have made every effort TO save him. Senator
Murphy the leader Of the Troy machine for
which Shea worked, sent long and pleading
letter to tho Governor for Communication OF the
sentence, and we'll he might Common deccncy
dic,atcd that he should. He organized the
rufiians Of Troy. founded his power on their
work. and made that city one of the most noto-
rous in this country for fraudulent and disorder
" elections. He educated the ward heclcrs to
regard violence as Il Legitimate avenue Of polii-
cal activity and rewarded them when they plir
suel thar policy with success. He paved the
way for just such crimes that which Is To he
cxpiatcd on Tuesday. He climbed to political
authority in this State on the ladder OF stuffed
ballot boxes and browbcaten voters. and he
sits in the United States Senate by the votes
Of stolen Legislature. We'll he may concern
himself over the plight Of the servant who only
too logically carried TO the end his teachings Of
success by force, and only too blindly trusted
to his protection. Had he confessed his sorrow