Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
A DISGRACE TO WASHINGTON.
The FrightfuI Travesty of Justice in
the Tharp Case.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Allow me through your columns to call
the attention of the citizens of Washington
to the frightful travesty on justice which
has disgraced this city during the past
week. | allude to the acquittal of the man
Tharp, on trial for murder. There is no
dispute about the facts. He went into the
9th street railroad station and demanded to
pass through the gates. On being very
properly refused, he drew revolver shot
the policeman at the gate and then began
firing all around him. killing another man
and narrowly escaping several other muir
ders.
For these crimes, for which he most thor
oughly deserved hanging, If ever a man
did, he was tried last week-and acquitted.
jury was actually found so devoid of
common sense and conscience as to set him
free But this was not all. 1t would seem
that civilization and the common veal had
sun a refuge against turning loose this
criminal on the community to recommence
his shootings. There was the district at
torney-the representative of justice. He
might inoict The man for wounding the
othcer, at least. But no! He decides that
If he cannot convict for murder he cannot
DO so for assault. By what reasoning?
we might well ask. If one jury has failed
to do it's duty does it follow that another
Will necessary be dereict? If a man can
not be convicted of one thing, may he not
De OF another? No, says the district attor-
ney, and he proceeds to ask the judge to
set the criminal free.
But, fortunately, the people have still an
other defender There is this judge. WIN
he not denOunce this opera b0uffe justice
and compel the district attorney, through
his very Indignation, to proceed? No again.
Note the impressive picture. The account
says Il hope it is inacCurate) that the muir
derer steps up to the bench and is shaken
by the hand by the very judge himself, and
he leaves the court after this congratula-
ton presumably with his tongue in his
cheek and his ready revolver bullying his
pocket. Why not? He has only come here
from a far-Off state to Kill man or two.
lie might just as Well have killed your
wife and children. Oh, reader had they
been III the station while he was firing
wildly about him! For my part, | cannot
help wishing some of the jurymen who ac-
qnitted him had been there at the time.
The murdered man and the wounded officer
might then have acquired some Importance
IN their eyes by comparison with the brute
VINO shot them. And if a few of the jury
had only been wounded, the miserable SEN
timentality which was lavished upon them
Ill appeals to remember the wife and child
OF the prisoner might have lacked some
force
But still there is something further. Per-
maps the public can depend upon the police
IN the last resort, to protect them from the
released murderer. But will it be credited
that just at his moment Wnless all reports
are false, the police are busy circulating a
p ltion to the President to prevent an
C'l''l III II utItI IIOil Dtlng hanged! refer
10 the man Horton. who was lately con-
NicteG of cutting a Womans throat in a
pucilc square in this city. and then stamp
ing upon her writing BODY. 1t is said. 1
repeat, land has not been contradicted),
that the police of Washington are actually
signing a petition, not for justice. but for
grace to this fend. Well why not? If jurcs
practically proclaim to the world that ii is
less crime to murder in crowded station
IMAM to steal pocket handkerchief #
they, in substance. invite any one with
homictdal tendencies to choose Washington
for his game preserve, and pot his victims
here. why should not the police think
rather Of begging off the criminals than Of
prote citing the citizens?
All this has occurred, not, as one might
suppose, in the tOpsy-turvy adventures of
Alice in Wonderland,' but in the capital
Of the United States. in the year of light
and reason 1889. l do not hesitate to say
that it, and hundred like cases, which
could be cited, set a deep and damning
black mark upon our civilization. To-day
hundreds Of murdered men lie cold in their
graves, Thile their wives and children sink
into poverty and obsCurity. And all the
while their murderers are Furnishing about
the streets of our cities, unWhipped Of JUS
tCe, because of that Wretched and con-
temptible good nature, on which forsooth.
we Americans pride ourselves, that nerve
less lack of principle which emasculates
all our moral energies and makes our tears
fall thick at the sufferings of criminals
while we forget their dead and buried
victims.
Mr.. Editor. l call all this (and there are
thousands Of citizens who mourn over It
as [ do. denial Of justice, burIesque
civilization, stigma on the sacred name
Of law, here at the very Utmost temple and
altar Of that august figure If it stood
alone it would be terrible enough in the re-
Elections awakened But it is only one of
"A multitude of proofs that a deepseated
disease is gnawiug at the vitals of our
republic-a disease which shows itself In
recklessness and carelessness as to whether
is Iowa an Inn ia hnl
| venture to say that there is not another
so-called civilized country where such
travesties right could be witnessed in
silence. And if the citizens are silent on
whom can the country depend to protest
against this terribly wrong condition of
things? When crime and more particu-
larly the crime of murder, goes unavenged.
as it SO frequently does among us, the very
foundations of whole political and
social structure trembe.
November p. A CITIZEN.