The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-21

Lynch Jaw cannot be defender. Il is an
outrage upon the commonwealth in which
il occurs, and a menace TO every citizen
directly or indirectly. II constitutes the
most fragrant contempt of the law and Of
courts, and violates one of the fundamen-
tai principles of our political system, the
right Of trial by jury. Lynching is muir
der, and murder cannot be justifed. At
the same time. # sometimes occurs that
lynching can be explained in such man
ner as 10 carry the responsibility for the
occurrence beyond, but not excusing, the
lynohers themselves.
The Ryder lynching may be considered
a case in point. In measure the respon-
sbility goes back to the practice of the
courts DR.. Ryder committed cold FLOODED
murder upon the person Of an estimable
young lady. whose only offense was that
she was lovable and lovely. 1t seems that
Or Ryder was infatuated with her. Be-
cause she did not reciprocate his sent-
ments, he blew her brains out In the par
Tor of a friends house while she, all I'M
suspecting was engaged in pleasant con-
versation with a visitor. The affair was
80 open tIldA tllElt Ndo AAVFNA III a nv
ment a suggestion of doubt as to DR.. Ry-
der's guilt. He was brought to trial, and
after a hard fought legal battle, was con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged Then
began the usuaq contest for saving the life
of the condemned through techniealities.
The case was taken to the supreme court
and a new trial secured. A called term Of
AZ, F1r he
pose of hearing the case. There were pre-
scented certain reasons why the trial
should go over until another term of the
court, ana a continuance was granted. The
delay of justice. and the probable
dnal escape of the accused through a loop
hole of the law, exasperated the people
to an extraordinary degree, and they took
The law into their own hands.
1t thus appears that the lynching of Or.
Ryder was not brought about by momen-
tary excitement. His crime was commit
ted more than fifteen months ago. There
was a long and a patient wait upon the
machinery Of the law. The people were
willing that the law should take 1t course.
Finally. however they became impatient
ana desperate. lney noted the law de-
lays, and the gradual eradication by time
of the evidence against the accused. 1t
is a we'll known fact that the songer the
time between the crime and the trial, the
harder 1t is to secure conviction. We do
not suggest that there was anything of
the kind In this case, but in some cases
lawyers purposely delay trials in order
that witnesses may die off or move out of
the reach of the courts.
While we have not a word to say In
mitigation of the crime of the lynchers of
Ryder. we feel justified in saying that one
of the principal causes of the lynch
ing was the shaking of confidence
in the ability of the courts
TO mete out prompt and proper punish
ment for crimes of violence. And the in
cident of the lynching we think is pow
erful argument in support of our conten-
ton. and the opinion of the Georgia Bar
Association, that there needs to be a re-
vision of the rules OF practice in the courts
by which there may be more speedy trials
with greater prospects of convictions and
the carrying out of the judgments of the
courts.