New-York tribune., 1896-10-06
DELAYED TRIALS.

| The DOOR OvercrOwded prisoners III the lOlhDS
doubtless rejoice that dates have been nxed
for the trials of few Of their NUMBER. IL IN
trur that the DistrctAttorney's once N OIL!
stirred ND TO move few cases for traI, ana
the crowded condition of the city Prison VIII
no, be materially improved. The warden VIII
find need for all the hunks which b" mas IaEeh
| 10 iamming into the cells tier on tier but 'he
fact that the machinery OF justice ~ moving
however slowly. gives promise that each prs-
oncr's turn may come some day. ana mat 'he
packed mass of humanity awaiting trai ma!
be- changed. if not reduced
For people who have exalted views or h'l'
man rights and are extremely particular about
the preservation of the liberties OF the lndl-
yidual. we are extremely careless of what Is
dine To porsons accused Of crime. In one way
orr administration IL ovcr-libpral. BY multi
| pyny opportunities for delay and causes for
technical appeal. il makes the convection ana
punishment Of an offender all but Impossible.
ON the other hand. il takes men, locks them up
| two three and four in Il CELL under condltiohs
less hcalthful and more irksome than those
surrounding convicted criminals serving sen
icnce and leaves them there month after
month mniried This practice operates entirely
| in favor Of the guilty person. and to the dls-
advantage of the innocent. The law preslmes
that all persons in the TOmbs awaiting trlal
are innocent and. in fact. large number or
| them are discharged when their cases finally
come IIp I'm court. Now. n person under s'lspi-
cion of having committed crime must expect
10 put Up with some Inconvenience. lf ne is
wrongfully accused that is his misfortune. But
he certainly has n right to complain mt being
made 10 suffer from the failure of the officers
| Ia to IN
that a man should he in prison for months
while his business is ruined and those de-
pnndcnt on his labor are left in want when
there are officials paid 10 conduct the trial Of
his cas-, taking long vacations. In no other
civilized country is Justice so slow. Some time
ago whom complain. was made the District
Attorneys office explained the large number
of murder cases awaiting disposition by the
plca of the reluctance Of the courts TO deal in
the summer with trials likely to take long
time.
Rui that explanation did not suggest to the
officials the cxpedcncy Of pushing the hun
drcds Of smaller cnsos i'm which the injustice OF
long imprSonmcnt without trial is more glar-
| ing The staff of public prosecutors is not
| ovcrworkc,I No lrwycr in private practice
would dream OF succeeding In his profession
with so little cxcrlon as they make. The pri-
vaio practitioners laziness would harm nobody
but himself or the clients who voluntarily em
ployrd him. The officials Iaziness. however.
means misery for hundreds Of human beings
who placed in his power 10y the law. tn"
Indifference which is shown 10y the District
Attorney and his assistants To their work
amounts 10 more il.an neglect Of sworn public
duty II is h"art'cSs disregard of others suf-
f,ringS which IS almost incomprchensible II
nearly passes belief that young men of cduca-
lion and feeling should be- willing 10 90 jaunt-
ing about through the summer while poor
wretchcs swelicr and wait on their pleasure
for chance to prove their Innocence and re-
gain heir liberty.