Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-01-03
attistellaneuus 8eadim9.
MURDER FOR MJSDEMEANOR.
Here Is Strong Protest Against Mos'
fragrant Tendency.

| gro VINO was unQer arrest op Ilo SHa' 20
of disposing of property under lien,
tried to escape and was shot in the
back by the constable who had him in
charge, and who should have had him
tied. Next day, Mr.. w. A. Clark, OF
Columbia, addressed the following
timely communication to the Columbia
State:
Upon reading in the mornings pa
per the account of the shooting OF a
prisoner by a constable, it was with
profound regret that l turned to your
editorial columns and there found no
protest against such fragrant violations
of law.
The great crime of the day is the
utter disregard of human life ; and no.
where does this evil more abound than
in our own state.
The current of this evil must be
stayed or our civilization will be i'm
perilled. II '..-
To say nothing of the moral law, it
would seem as though we had driited
far away frdm' both the fundamental
principles of both the English Com
mon Law and our own Bill of Rights.
There we are taught that human life is
sacred; and that none shall "be de-
priyed of his life, liberty or property
without due process of law"
Under the benign influence of our
civilization, aud under the gradual
evolution Of better law; but few
crimes are so hideous as TO be punish
able with death and yet we find in the
midst Of this very civilization, ann un'
der the projection Of this very law,
the growing tendency on the part OF
the individual to avenge his wrongs,
or even fancied wrongs, with the life OF
his fellow man.
This disregard of human life is bad
enough, indeed, among the lawless
but how incomparably worse when
witnessed among those clothed with
the authority of law, and wearing even
the insignia of their high office.
The reckless use of the pistol Ivy our
peace officers (constables, policemen,
guards, etc., while making arrest, or
preventing an escape from arrest, in
the ordinary cases of misdemeanor, has
come to be such common practice
that it sutfices to cause alarm among
law. abiding citizens. How it has been
tolerated so long it is hard to con
ceive. The impression seems to pre-
vail that, for any cause, the peace OH
Ger is warranted in taking life in order
to affect the arrest. How such an idea
ever became current it is hard to un
derstand.
Ignorance of the law affords no ex'
cuse, and they should be Informed thai
no crime short of felony will warrant
the taking of life as necessary means
of affecting the arrest; and even then
only under very peculiar crcumstan'
ces. In fact, the peace officers weapon
is intended as means of defence rath
er than offense.
From the newspaper statement, the
prisoner was under arrest, charged
with having "disposed of goods under
lien." From the statement it further
appears the goods were of but smal
value. At most, the offeDse was but
misdemeanor, and had he been tried
and convicted the severest sentence o.
the court would have been "hard la
Dor on the chaingang" for perhaps 3(
days.
And now, for an attempt TO escape
from arrest, before trial and before con
viction, he is shot down, and probably
shot to death by the constable. Fol
this act the constable is guilty of q
most aggravated assault should the
man live; and should he die, he is
guilty of murder.
The great crime committed by this
officer is, of course, against the person
of his unfortunate prisoner. But the
offense does not end there. BY such
reckless, useless and unwarranted use
of pistol upon the public streets, in
one of the most densely populated
portions of the city, whereby the lives
of those passing were at least en-
dangered, he committed crime
against the city and every citizen
thereof.
We have witnessed in the past too
great disregard of the lives of our
people by the reckless use of pistols
upon the public streets, and it is high
time that it should be stopped.
The responsibility rests with those
in authority. The peace and dignity
of the state and of the city should be
preserved and the lives of our citizens
duly protected.
For the sake, therefore, of the peace
and good order of this community, as
we'll as for the protection of the lives
Of our law abiding citizens, l trust
that those clothed with the proper au-
thority, will use this as an occasion to
remedy this great evil.
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