The Sunday globe., 1901-07-07

the warden and the clergyman men
toned. Ruthven knows that 1t is not
time for the fatal march, and looks al
his visitors. Perhaps the gov.
ernor has reprieved him. His heart
beats stronger than ever, and he
licks his fevered lips with his almost
parched tongue. The clergyman looks
at him kindly, and then, in a few
words, explains to him the situation.
Mrs Ruthven has confessed that she
was the slayer Ruthven is staggered
at such deathless devotion. He knows
| ii is lie. He knows, also that by con-
| firming his wife's statement, he will
live, and there is now but an hour or
/ two between him and the chair. He
/ weakens for a moment only, as his pale
face fiushes with hope and then, with
| sublime courage hC efclaims;
MY wife is innocent she has made
this confession to save me. ! also am
| innocent"
Thus Ruthven, burglar and murder
| er, signs his own death warrant, and
within the hour passes to immortal
| ity
Ruthven deserved death. There is
no question about it, A burglar, an
| outlaw, and a murderer. Society in
/ it's own defense, and for its own pro-
lection, could do nothing else but we
may be permitted to truly say of this
| criminal, Nothing in his hle became
| him as his taking off" He died game,
/ Of course; such a man as Ruthven had
no fear of death when the Zig was
up" He philosophically, like all pro-
| fessional criminals, took his medi-
! cine" and there is hardly doubt that
/ Ruthven found consolation, or, If not
consolation, extra nerve in dying when
| he might have saved himself by sacri-
| ficing his wife or woman"
There is a thought in this connection
which may startle the criminologist
in his future researches into the de-
generacy of the criminal, and that is
supposing, after all, that Mrs. Ruth.
ven told the truth, and that she and
not her husband committed the muir
der? This is possible, nay, it is prob
able. What then? Did not humanity
and Justice alike demand the suspen-
sion of the arm Of the executioner?
Are men to be put to death by law on
! whose guilt rests a doubt? Why all
these Mysteries about Judge Lynch? Is
not the cold-blooded oficial-who is
governor of Ohio-equa1ly as sanguin.
ary and impatiently thirsty for blood
as Judge lynch? If not, why was
Ruthven's life taken on lis own testi-
mony as against that of his wife's?
Was she not as worthy Of belief as her
burglar husband? If Ruthven was
guilty. he deserved death, but If his
wife as she says, committed the MUIR
der. the State Is guilty Of a grave
crime.
The following is a sample case OF
these murder trials and the methods
and manner Of securing vsrdicts
against accused criminals. Our edito.
rial last SUNDAY on this subject is more
than substantiated by this excerpt
from the said murder trial, which was
brought to a close last week in the
State Of Indiana:
Samuel S. Harmon, who shot and
killed Charles Reynolds October 27
1900, was given a life sentence by the
Jury for his crime. The trial, which
has been on in the Clay county court
for the past week, ended Saturday af
ternoon.
The jury announced that they had
agreed upon a verdict shortly before
midnight, after being out from q
o'clock in the afternoon. When Har.
mon heard the verdict finding him
guilty and providing a life sentence,
No. dif NOT chow +h- 'c0"+ Gign ~
o.ma' ... '.r h. 600" vHs at llN.