The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-01-03
a hG!SANT OUTRAGE.
Constable Shoots n Negro in the Usual
Place, the BaCk-Strong Denuncia
ti0n of the Cowardly Act.

tion of the Cowardly Act.
COLUMBIA S. G, Dec % 1899.
To the h iitor OF The State:
Upon reading IN the mornings pa
per tho account OF the shooting Of IL
prisoner by constable, it was with
profound regret that | turned to your
editorial columns and there found no
protest against such atgrant violation
Of law.
The great crime OF the day i sthe
utter disregard of human life: and no.
where docs this evil more abound than
i n our own Stase.
The current OF this evil must he
stay cd or our civilization will b. i'm.
perilied.
To say nothing Of the moral Law, it
would seem rs though we had driited
far away from Doth the fuudamcntal
principles OF both the Englsh Com.
mon Law and our own Bill Of Rights.
There we are taught that human life
Is sacred anu thai none snail " be de-
rived Of ris life, liberty or property
without due p ocess OF law
Under the benign ilfllence OF our
civilization, and under the gradual
evolution uf better Law, but few
crimes are SO hdeous as 10 ho punish
able with death; and yet we fl cd in the
midst OF this very civilization, and
under the protection Of this very lag,
the growing tendency on the part Of
the individual to avonge his wrongs,
or even fancie wrongs, with the life
Of his fellow man.
This dier"gard OF human life 10 bad
enough, indeed, amOLg the lawlcss
but how incomparably worse when
witnessed among those clothed with
the authority Of law, and wearing even
the Insignia OF their high ltfice.
The reckless use OF the pisto! by our
peace officers (c0nstab!es, policemen,
guards, etc., while making arrest, or
preventing IN escape from arrcst, In
the ordinary cases OF misdemeanOr has
come to be such. q common practice
that 1t suflices to cause alarm among
luw-abiLing citizans. How it has been
tolerated 80 long II is hard to con
ceivc. The impression scems to pro.
vail that, for any cause, tho peace OH
Ger is warranted In taking life In order
to effect the arrest. How such an idea
ever became current 1t IS hard to un-
derstand.
Ignorance OF the law affords no cx-
cuse, and they should be informed that
no crime sho t OF a felony will warrant
the taking OF life as necessary means
OF ehectlng the arrest; and even thcn
only under very peculiar circumstan.
ces. In fact, the peace officers weapon
ls intended as means of defence
rather than oifense.
From the newspaper statement, the
prisoner was under arrest, charged
with having disposed OF goods under
lien" From the statement it further
tho nlo 81 l,,. II
valuo. AT most, the offenso was but O.
misdemeanor, and had he been trlei
and convicted the severest sentence OF
the court would have been hard In
Dor on the chain gang" for perhaps 30
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. For |
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
oncer is, OF course, against the person
OF his unfortunate prisoner. But tho
offence does not end there By such
reckless, useless and unwarrsnted use
OF pistol upon the public street, in
W WY ''ooN 'SboOiy poPuioICu pOT-
tions OF the city, whereby the lives OF
those passing were at least endangered,
he committed crime against this city,
and every citiz an thereof.
We have Witnessed In the past too
greata disregard OF tho lives OF our
people by the reckless use OF pistols
upon the public streets, and it is high
time that 1T 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
luly protected.
For the sake, therefore, OF the peace
and good order OF this community, as
veil as for the protection OF the lives
,f our law abiding citizens, 1 trust
hat those clothed with the proper au-
nority will use this as an occasion to
'emedy this great OWL.
w. A. CLARK.
O n - TO RTA