The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-09
LESSON OF THE URBANA TRAGEDY.

LESSON OF THE URBANA TRAGEDY.
The recent deplorable tragedy at Urbana
was so horrible in all it's aspects that it
may prove point of new departure in pub
lie sentiment regarding the grade of the
crime for which the negro was lynched and
the penalty that should be attached to it.
The crime itself is one of the most fragrant
in the entire calendar In some respects it
is worse than death. By the Jewish law
it was in certain cases punishable with
death, and in the exceptional cases with
other severe penalty. The civil or Roman
law, which is still in force in Latin coun-
tries and in the State of Louisiana, makes
it punishable with death and confiscation
of goods. The early Saxon laws made it a
capital offense, and the present English
law makes it felony without benefit of
clergy though the penalty has been
changed from hanging to imprisonment. 1t
is felony in all of the United States, pun
ishable with death in most if not all of the
Southern States and with long term of
imprisonment in the Northern States. In
Ohio the highest penalty is imprisonment
for twenty years and the fact that this
had already been imposed on the wretched
victim of the recent lynching shows that
even prompt punishment to the extent of
the law does not always satisfy the popu-
lar sense of justice. There are indications
that this event may lead to a change in
the law of Ohio and perhaps of other
States. Urbana is a cultivated and refined
community and the sorrow and disgrace
which have been brought upon it by this
event will be shared in to some extent
throughout the State and country. mass
meeting of the women of that city which
crowded the opera house on Monday
adopted a memorial to the Legislature, as
follows:
In consideration of the terrible events of
the past week, whereby owing, as we be-
lieVe, to the inadequacy of our State laws,
disaster. death and sorrow have come upon
us, and law-abidng, order-loving citizens
have been led to punish ca horrible crime
by lynching the criminal, and in view or
the fact that, according to reliable author-
ity, 176 similar scenes were enacted through
out our country during the past year, we
are convinced that so long as human ma
ture remains as 1T IS. so long VIII n, IL De
true that when pure women are brutally as
saulted and robbed of that which Is more
precious than life, good men will demand
III eXpiation the life of the inhuman mon
ster who makes the assault. Therefore, we,
the makers and keepers of your homes, do
most earnestly entreat you, who are our
natural protectors and most honorable law
makers, to so decree that the crime or rape
shall be punished by death, and, further-
more, that such criminal shall be given an
immediate trial, thus rendering mon Vlo-
lence hereafter and forever unWarrantable
and ineXcuSable.
A community must be deeply stirred when
it's women are moved to the adoption of
such a memorial to the lawmaking power.
1t is startling to learn that there were 176
cases of lynching for this crime in the
United States during the last year. When
to these are added the number of Grim
inals of this class sentenced to prison and
the number who escape punishment alto
gether il is evident the crime is fearfully
prevalent From all accounts it is far more
prevalent in this country than in any other,
and it seems to be on the increase. If max
ing it punishable with death would lessen
the frequency of the crime it should be
done but it does not seem to have had that
effect in the Southern States, where the
crime itself and lynchings of its perpetra-
tors are more frequent than they are in
equal populations in the North. AS a gen.
eral rule promptness of trial and certainty
of punishment are better preventives of
crime than are severe penalties. The de-
lays of the law ard judicial trif1ing with
Justice by weakened or incompetent
Judges are a fruitful source of the senti-
ment which gives rise to lynchings. Govern
or Mount states the case clearly in a let
ter to a New York paper in response to a
request for his views on the subject. He
says:
The remedy for such violent outbreaks is
in the quick impartial dspensation of JUS
tice without fear favor. AS a rule. the
people would not give way to such trenzles
if convictions for offenSeS against the law
were speedy and more certain. Delays of
courts, resulting in part from legal pro-
cesseS, which are necessarily slow, ana IN
part a mistaken idea that CRIMINALS ought
not to be tried while feeling against them
remains high, is one of the promo causes
of mob violence, for any delay enhances
the opportunities for the criminal 10 es-
his crime deserves, and hence, seems TO
Justify to many the Swifter retrtbuton that
comes from organized MODS.
Undoubtedly this is a correct view 1t is
questionable if affixing the death penalty
to the crime of rape would lessen its fire.
quency or the frequency of lynchings on ac-
count of it to any appreciable degree with
out more promptness and certainty in the
enforcement of law and the administration
of justice. The lesson of the Urbana trag-
edy is the imperative need of a swifter and
sterner administration of justice by the
courts in order that criminals may have
more fear and people in general more re-
spect for the law and its ministers.
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