The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-26
The ruter.nn Hnrrnr

me tuIeFSOn HORROR.
We sincerely wish that we could pass
by the siekening horror of the Paterson
outrage and murder in silence. 1t is a
case of kind that the most callous in
dividual cannot think about without rag
and pain. or without a sense of shame
that there exist in the outward form of
men. creatures as utterly degenerate, de-
PRAYED. and beastIy as the ruffians who
drugged, assaulted, and murdered the poor
mill girl are shown to be.
The public will be all the more shocked
TO learn that the frightful crime to which
reference is unwillingly made in these col
umns is not the first one of its kind in
the history of Paterson On the contrary.
there is evidence that it was only one of
a long series, committed by the slayers
of Jennie Bosschieter, and the filthy gang
of indeseribable brutes of which they
formed part. One of the victims who
survived the knockout drops" admins
tered TO her, has come forward and con-
fessed. Her statements have opened the
way to reach other unfortunates who have
been the prey of the Mcanister combina-
ton.
not unreasonable to deduce the proba-
bility that knockout drops" form a
customary part of Paterson roue's So
cial equipment. They seem TO have been
Tesorted to habituaIly by the wretches
who are now IN Jail, and the fact is
stated to have been common gossip
among the class of men with whom they
associated for three or four years Al
together the affair discIoses a condition
of society in an American city CT hitherto
excellent reputation, which, but or the
horrible and conclusive evidence IN the
case under discussion, would have been
considered absolutely impossible. The
criminals-or two Of them, at least-are
persons who have means, and had some
position IN the community. Yet their OF
fences against law and decency were of
a kind of which apes and ours would be
incapable.
The worst feature of the affair. as il
stands at present. is that there is too
much ground for fear that The guilty
creatures viii escape punishment We
look in vain for any exhibition of that
swift and certain Jersey justice" which
was once the proud boast of the State.
The material witness-the cabmau who
drove the party to the scene of the crime
has been released on almost nominal
bail. The matter has not been presented
tc the grand jury. The prisoners are. per-
mitted free communication with each
other. Able counsel has been provided
for them. 1t is no secret that the wealth
leading families in the city will be used
unsparingly TO save their scions from the
gallows, and from punishment of anv Kind
if that be possible. 1t does not speak we'll
for the public conscience of Paterson.
when prominent citizens of the place ex-
press the belief that these efforts to
thwart justice probably may succeed.
1t would be disgrace and a disaster
not alone to the Commonwealth Of New
Jersey, but to the whole nation, if the
murderers of Jennie Bosschieter were to
be allowed to escape the full penalty of
the law. Crimes of peculiarly atrccious
character, unhappily, tend to become cpl
demic, Unless an example is made of
these miscreants, and made quickly. the
chances are we shall soon hear that the
knockout drop" habit has made it's ap-
pearanee in many localities, perhaps
wherever there are degenerate youths
and possible girl victims. The decent
people of Paterson owe it to themselves
and TO the country to see that justice is
not defeated in this case If it be true
that there is danger that witnesses Will
be spirited away and that other means
will be resorted to that the guilty may
escape the consequences CT their offence,
then some action outside CT the law
might be regarded as excusable. A little