The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-06
A JUDGE.

A negro man was tried mere FRIDAY
for assaulting a woman and was fined
five dollars and cost. which amounted
to something over eight dollars. The
defendant after the judgment i
been pronounced by Squire Watson
came out and Informed his counsel of
the sentence. There We're severaI
standing by who heard 1t, but one
promptly remarked why didn' you
kill her and it would have cost you
nothing"
This remark was evidently inspired
by the verdicts in the Haywood and
Tillman trials.
Surrounded by so much glass, crIt'-
cism of the Tillman verdict does not
become a North C~arOlinian. AS to the
why's n WherefOreS of the acquittal
Of the slayer of Gonzales we do not
intend to enter, and into the Hay
wood case. only to draw attention to
the evident unfairneSS. with its con-
Comitant dangers to a citizens life
and liberty, of a judge of the superior
court of the good Old North State.
Whether Ernest Haywood was GRIM
inally guilty of Staying Skinner or
not. is not "a matter now to be IN
quired into. A jury that violates its
duty may be trusted to, sooner or
later, receive the condemnation of
their neighbOrs. The jury in this case
returned the only verdict that was
admissible under the charge Of tie
presiding judge, Robert b. PEBBLES.
That charge was the strongest plea
for the defense if the newspaper re-
ports are correct. 1t evinced IN
unfairness, pu~nctuated with a bias, a
disregard of the judicial proprieties,
that we hope has not been eQualled
since George Jeffreys was imprisoned
in the tower of London for the fla
grant injustice he displayed on the
bench.
The ~acquittal of a guilty man
amounts to little with the state. be
cause it is far better that ninety-nlne
guilty men escape than one innocent
man be punished. And herein lies the
danger Of a man wearing the judicial
ermine so constituted. to take a char
table view. that he cannOt avoid TAX
ing sides, beng a partisan. If Hay
wood were as innocent as the defence
claimed and Judge PEBBLES declared,
how would it have been if this judge
had been as unfair towards the de-
fence as he was to those who repre-
scented the state. h same jury
might have placed Haywood by its
verdict in a felon's cell or on the
gibblt.
With such ineXcusable leanings on
the part OF q ma WnO1n the people
expect to hold the scales of justice
evenly balanced, who can tell on which
side his partisan mania will break
out?
Throughout the entire trial Judge
PEBBLES displayed an unfairness if not
animosity, towards the cOunsel foi
the state, that not only grieves his
friends, but also gives great and deep
concern to all lovers of law and order.
Judge Lynch needs no better apostle.
Who can respect the law. the deliver
ances of a court. when it is so patent
that the judge is lost to all sense OF
fairness and. at times, common cOur-
tesy?
Is it any wonder that such a &C.
claratIOn as is printed in the begin
ming of the article is heard or WOris
Of similar import about the streets?
The reflections he made upon Wal
ter Daniel. who has been the superior
ever since Judge PEBBLES left his
cradle: the deliberate insult offered
DOnneIl Gillian and every attorney
ceive at the hands of the state bar
association the scathing condemnation
ii deserves.
This is due to the profession anc
even more. for the profession Of law
Is an honorable one and no man. be
he the highest judge in the Lana.
should be allowed TO go unchallengai
IN his curse of unfairnesS and part
sanry.-Tarboro SOutherner. Octob &
30. 'O3.