Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-24
In Justice to Benson,

The following article from the Ia.
coma Ledger, SO nearly meets the
views OF the STANDARD, that we quote
it entire, merely adding the generally
expressed opinion that Benson was in
luck that the veil of futurity shrouded
this result from view at the time OF
capture:
lone Benson has just been convicted
of manslaughter at Olympia. He had
been prisoner there, under sentence
for serious Offense, and was about to
be taken to the penitentiary to serve a
year. This was an experience that Ben
son did not relish, and, to avoid under
going it, he murdered his jailer in cold
blood. He first hit the man on the head
with piece of gas pipe, and, this not
proving effective, finished him with
shots from pistol which he had wrest-
ed from his injured victim. 1t must be
said to the credit of Mr.. Benson that
there were more shots in the weapon,
and he might have manifested vindic.
tiveness by putting these into the body
of the dying man; but no. A gas pipe
and three bullets he deemed enough to
show his proper resentment at the at
tempt of the jailer to restrain him of his
liberty. Jailers are apt to be ofiicious
and disagreeable.
Having killed the jailer, Mr.. Benson
went his way, and for some time was
at large, a period during which he had
to humiliate himself by stealing a wor.
| III q, n 70 o1Iox, tha of
ger. Then he was captured, and there
was clamor raised in favor of lynching
him. A lyncling is bad thing for a
community, but community not ad-
dicted to these breaks might live one
down. There will be wicked feeling of
regret that Olympia is not now engaged
in the wicked effort to live one down.
According to accepted tenets, there
has to be trial. The belief was that it
would be mere form, for as to the guilt
of Benson there never was the shadow
of doubt. Divested of all foolishness,
the plain fact is that he tried to escape
from Jail, and, when the official in
charge sought to stop him, he killed the
official. For this he deserved to be
hanged, and, with all respect for the wig
dom of the Judge and the intelligence of
the jury he deserves it still; else there
is no such thing as murder.
If this is sample of procedure it does
not go far enough. Certain suggestions
come to mind. AS the penalty for man
slaughter is not of necessity more than
a year, and as the worthy Benson is al
ready under sentence for this term, let
the two terms run concurrently, SO he
may not be over much annoyed, and
then let the Governor pardon both Of
lenses. So will it be possible to dispose
Of Benson. Prisoners have received O
valuable tip. They have always regard
ed the practice OF keeping them in prison
as an imposition, and now they know it.
This is the first time they have received
the information that it is their right to
get away by the simple and seemly OPP
GRAFTON of killing the jailer. They are
still generally subjected to the hardship
of being without arms, but this can be
corrected. They should be furnished
with pistols, knives, bludgeons and an
assortment of poisons. Ii the jailer does
not like the plan, of course he can resign
while his skin is whole. And only few
months ago we were making a row be-
cause Tracy shot few guards.
Mr.. Benson is to be congratulated.
Perhaps it is well that Morrell was put
out Of the way. His fate would have
been something awful to contemplate
had he removed from the scene the gen
tie and genial soul who, in the approved
course of duty, had to remove him."