The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-23

of the larger jury scattered all over this
State and throughout this country-the jury
which will as certainly condemn the law IN
South Carolina by its failure I'm this
case the law has condemned itself. NO one
can now say lawfully that Mr.. Tillman II
murdersr' as charged IN his inoictl d b,s
deed, as voiced by his helpless, unarmed
victim, looking into the very face OF death.
and of which the lonely grave i'm the Gene
terry at Columbia will ever continue an
accusing witness. He can come and go as
he Will; there is no authority now which
can place any restriction upon his move
ments. In office and market-psace and Held.
whether working among the flowers IN MS
garden. or seeking the fellowship OF his
neighbors, or pleading at the bar for some
quired by the law for the life that he has
taken. he will always have with him the
company of the dead-the actual II invisible
presence OF the man whose body he killed.
but whose spirit will follow him without
mercy forever.
1t is now as il was i'm the beginning. The
judgments of men are colored by Ignorance
and prejudice and passion by politics. by
Observation-Disclosures OF the law, by the con-
fusion wrought by eloquent counsel, by the
association of the issues or men on trial
with the things of immediate concern IN
daily life. These were some OF the matters
which were introduced into the trial OF the
case at Lexington, 10 the confusion OF a
Jury entirely incompetent to discriminate
between the issues of fact presented by the
witnesses and the Interpretation OF these
of the jury il was more important TO de-
liver the defendant from the consequences
of his act than it was TO maintain the SUI
premacy of the law in South Carolina. We
are not surprised at the outcome OF the
trial. Except in rare cases the killing -
one white man by another is the safest
crime that can be committed in South Caro-
lima. If Mr.. Tillman had taken Mr.. Con-
zaless pocketbook he would have been re-
quired to pay the penalty prescribed by
law; he took Mr.. Gonzaless life and South
Carolina jury says that he did nothing 10
deserve punishment.
We shall not attempt any review or the
caSe-it would not change the result. There
is appeal from the verdict OF the jury
except to public opinion, and that tribunal.
while awaiting the judgment of the court
at Lexington, made up its own verdict upon
the evidence submitted TO the jury in the
case and to the people through the press.
1t is so much the worse for the law that the
verdict of public opinion is not the verdict
of the Jury. Mr.. Tillman has been released
from the custody of the law and walks the
earth a free man and is entitled to the pro-
lection of the law. We do not envy him
his freedom-the dead man is far happier
than the living.
The trial is not ended OF course. There
has been a change of venue from the court
at Lexington to the court of conscience.
There will be no question now about who
shall preside in the trial of this case. The
rules will not permit very great latitude in
the examination of witnesses, the merciful
Christ Of Calvary being the same In sub
stance as the avenging God OF the Jews,
who commanded: Thou shalt not kilii''