The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
THE scoTTsBrRG MURDER.

There is no possible excuse, even by those
who defend lynchiAg, for the murder of
Tyler, in Scottsburg, by a mob early Satur-
day morning. He had tried to kill both his
wife and himself. He was in Jail and the
date for his trial had been set. He was a
weak, helpless and friendless creature, so
that there IS not the pretext that he would
escape punishment through the influence of
powerful friends. There was no possibility
Of his escape from Jail or from conviction
on trial unless it should be found that he was
insane. The lynching of the man was simply
an outbreak of the spirit of murder which
seems to be latent in some communities
The deed could not have been the sudden
impulse which often follows the perpetra-
ton Of a shocking crime, but a cool pre-
meditated plan to take the life of the man
because the men who did it were possessed
by desire to take human life. The masked
towards thirsted to commit murder, and so
this defenseless wretch, whose life was not
worth anything to himself. was made the
victim instead Of another. If it had not been
this man, some other man would, sooner or
later, have been the victim of the lynchers
midst of such lawless and bloodthirsty mon
sters no mans life is safe who is liable to
give them a pretext to lynch him. After the
defeat of TIE ends of justice in Ripley
county, it is a wonder that there has not
been an outbreak of this sort before in some
locality where lax enforcement of law in
spires crime. 1t may not be so in this case,
but in most cases of such exhibitions Of law
lessness failure to enforce the laws for the
protection of life ard property is the indirect
cause Of such outbreaks.
It must be said that there is cause for
reasonable complaint on the part of the
friends of law and order that ofrenses against
life and person not always promptly or
adequately punished. Comparatively few men
who take life are adequately punished OF
men who are arrested for taking life or at
tempting to do so, it is said that the last
was their second or third offense. The SEN
fences which are left to juries are more fire.
quently inadequate than up to the measure
which the taking of life or the attempt to
take it really demands. Furthermore, the
moment a man is arrested for the crime of
murder or manslaughter the resources of the
county are at his command to procure de-
Tense. The people must pay for the most
skillful counsel to defend him, while the law
is represented, too often, by men without
experience if not without ability Long de-
lays are procured and the trial is taken out
of the county where the crime was COM
mitted In fact, the county often really APP
pears as the defender of the murderer There
should be some radical change in method of
procedure. Further, counties should be held
responsible in the payment of heavy dam
ages for the benefit Of those who are de-
pendent upon the victim for support. In
other ways the county should be made to
pay penalty for the inefficiency of its
officers who are responsible for the safety
of prisoners.
If the authorities of Scott county do not
at once make thorough investigation of
this entirely unnecessary outrage the state
authorities should exhaust all their power
to discover and punish the murderers This
is not necessary SO much to punish the muir
derers it is to make an example of that
lawlessness. which, if not punished, will
spread. Not as punishment, but as a warn
Ing, the perpetrators Of the Scottsburg muir
der should be prosecuted to the limit Of the
law.