New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-31
SPEEDY PUNISHMENT OF CRIME.
plsn Followed in Early Days in New-Jersey
Recalled.
the Editor OF The Tribune.

Plan tOllOWtu III Larry lays III NeW-JeISey
Recalled.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir. Tie recent wide discussion OF the subject OF
murders by mobs and your mastery editorials
N the theme cannot but prove beneficial in Great
,ng a healthy popular sentiment regarding this IA
,s,paf disgrace. AS Justice Brewer has so forciby
ssf5 ivrch law is murder. II should be added that
,hs-e IS no statute OF limitations I'm the case of
,-nr5er Every man who participates IN q Iynching
oss the rest Of his life with 4 halter around his
,-k II nay be ten. It may be twenty years
ns,oe or longer but sooner or later there is going
% bs IN ava keniEg OF the public conscience,
- these beniebted communities where conscience
sears dead and then there viii be sheriffs who will
ss1acr Jurors who viii indict and others who will
,,-rict these murderers. and there will he ter
rfble vengeance wrought on those who have set all
lsv II defiance
g.t fbe punishment Of the murderer does not
.vsf- that day. 1t begins at once. No matter how
- ray attempt to Justify himself. he feels that lie
hears everInore the mark OF Cain. Never again
5srA hs raise his voice in favor Of law and order.
s.-,e fellow murderer VIII whisper in his his
oyedge Of his crime. and his voice will be stilled.
ua Is A marked man IN the eye Of every man who
,,7s-s Of his fall Even those who boast at first Of
1f- crime soon find that II is better 10 say nothing
Sbo;.t IT, The sober second thought of the COM
-,r-itv even Of the vile rabble who mostly CON-
r.rise these murderous mobs. prefers 10 avoid the
e,-aiart and TO shun the society OF those whose
hands have been stained with human blood Those
-.o ,ske part IN these crimes feel that their only
safety is in numbers. They feel stin safer when
they are masked and can go in the darkness of the
night They are towards. The anarchist is vastly
more respectable BE usually goes boldly and open
~ about his crime, without seeking the support
C- The shelter Of the crowd
ant sorne suggestions have been made in the re-
ron. discussion which cause me 10 wonder that
,o.s Of the apelesists for mob murder have cited
r1crr
snse5v trial and one that viii avoid the annoy
s-oe and Inconvenience of the usual processes or
rsv- for determining the guilt or innocence OF
human being well IS one that Will sanction
torture and other iuhumau punishments. The early
laws Of NewJersey furnish Just the precedent that
ought 10 suit their case When the province was
cursed with the barbarism Of slavery there were
frequent minors Of threatened uprisings Of the
slaves as has always been the case in communi-
ties having q servie population, from the days or
Rome 10 the present OF course, these fears never
were realized. nat under the spur Of some unusual
incident looking IN that direction the legislature
enacted Law providing that in the case Of a
slave who murdered his master or mistress 10y
poison or otherwise. or who struck or committed
other violence upon the person Of any member OF
the masters family, a complaint might be MADE
forthwith 70 any justice OF the peace. who could
thereupon summer three freeholders Of the pre-
cinct and theTeupon the justice and the said free
holders might Try the accused, and If they found
hin guilty could sentence him to any punishment
they might choose. In some eases death by burn
ing actually imposed. but there was no tor
turing or mutilatng tolerated To the credit of
the province be 81 said. there few such cases
Nor is there a single instance on record where a
woman was found 50 lost 10 all sense OF decency
eI n , - ny &c ae 1S 1 s4cI ~ c
,2rea ~ p-'i1 - l''-' a - pay -' '--
This burning at the stake was so revolving to all
II
seldom resoFted 10. hanging being the usual
method Of punishment. This shocking statute was
not permitted to remain on the books for many
years. but was repealed, having been found in
convenient queintly says the repeater. and then
sssn The saTe was was placed On precisely the 5 same me
laue and subjected 10 the same penalties as other
The results have justified the change 20 the
-rfn7a-er system II NAV shock some people 20
learn that the extreme penalty imposed ~ law IN
criminal assault is fifteen wears imprisonment at
hard labor IN the state prison T his penalty has
t6e criminal and the protection Of society. The
crime IS 50 rare that many lawyers and most
-1rors are incredulOus and require The strongest
xbe a a man IS tried loT il IN our courts the pubic
ere usually excluded from the courtroom, and Il
and sue. PeuoloEists regard this as far more ef-
feCuve IN eeterfing others from committing such
plan Of burning the accused the stake. with all
sorts % revolving tortures. without even pretence
think IT uav he asserted without fear Of con-
1F1Gs-i-Dl4 tLlfl Sttlr LdS D6Eli
rs mob murder. II such thing should occur. it
may also be safely asserted that within twenty
four hours the Jail Of the county where the mob
had done murder would he filled by the guilty
criminals sad within a few weeks the law would
have moved steadily and swiftly 70 their punish
Inent and from the gallows would dangle the
bodies Of the feous.
Let wise men and humane men and Christian
men ana Patriots begin anew the slow and pain
81 task ~ educating the barhaTous communities in
our broad land into a knoTIedge of decency and
righteousness and fair dealing as between man and
nan, and ia the course Of century may
hope 70 see them attain that degree of sweet
ress and light and dealing with crime and
criminals n which New-Jersey attained more than
century and quarter ago. ". y.
Paterson y. J.. Aug. =. 1903.