The San Francisco call., 1903-09-17
A FAILURES OF JUSTICE.

TINE country deplores the increase in lynching
and the readiness with which communities con-
done the ofense. If they would not also as read
lily condone the miscarriage of justice administered
by juries perhaps there would be less occasion for
lynching The President and members OF the Su-
preme Court have called attention the delay in ad-
minstering the criminal law of mob yio-
lence. This is no doubt true. The many ways OF
procuring the laws delay, taken advantage OF by
lawyers, frequently result in the escape of red
handed criminals unusty diluting their punish
ment and making the law farce.
But all the blame cannot be put upon the lawyers
and the Judges. Juries as frequently culpable,
and by rendering fantastic verdicts perhaps more
often violate the strict principles OF justice than any
other part of its administration
Oakland has been rather celebrated for freaks in
her judicial administration One of her Justices
filed an information aganst,himsef for being drunk,
arraigned himself before himself pleaded guilty to
himself. and fined himself and solemnly paid the fine
to himself Another judicial officer being called
upon to pass sentence on a very contemplate
scoundrel who was convicted Of bgamy, committed
under circumstances of extreme turpitude, took oc-
casion to compliment the wretched sneak upon his
good character. Still more recently Oakland
Police Justice has sentenced a non-union lineman
attacked by a mob of murderous strikers. Now
jury has joined the procession The negro Walkirez
has been tried and convicted of murder in the first
degree but the jury gave him life imprisonment in
stead of the rope
The murder was peculiarly atrocious. The victim
was an old woman who had considerable money, the
fruit OF hard work and small savings. The muir
derer deliberately planned kill her and steal her
money. He debated various ways in which to effect
this and finally murdered her in very brutal fashion
and buried the body in her own cellar, robbed the
house and fed 1t awful crime, deliberately
committed, with sordd motive 1t was committed
in order that debauched and dissolute wretch, too
lazy to work and willing to live by stealing what
others earned, might possess himself OF the hard
earned dollars OF helpless old woman whose in
dustry and foresight had made provision against
the weakness Of old age. The murderer was enjoy
ing her hospitality when he killed her He had,
part OF his plan wormed his way into her pity and
confidence, so that he often enjoyed the shelter of
her roof Under these circumstances he struck her
down without pity for her age or gratitude for her
bounty.
As long as hanging is the legal punishment for
murder, unless jury will otherwise, such murder
deserves punishment by the rope. But jury saved
this cowardly wretchs neck to impose his support
upon the taxpayers of California during life SEN
tence. 1t is gross miscarriage OF justice and an
outrage upon the people OF the State. 1t is more
than that The jury that rendered the verdict put
courage into the heart OF every criminal in the
State it made crime safer and life and property
less safe 1t not only increased the burdens OF the
taxpayers by the amount of this murderers support
during his life sentence but it increased the outlay
of public money that is necessary to police
cities hunt criminals in the country and run to JUS
tice the human hounds that prey upon society.
Against such verdicts the people have right to be
heard, and only voice the public judgment in
holding such jury up to reprehension and con-
tempt