Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-08-21
BREWER ox LYSom,So.

IM H.H....
Associate Justice David j. Brewer
o. the Supreme Court Of the United
States has contributed TO Leslies'
Weekly m article ON the crime OF
pnchipH, in the course OF which The
gays:
4Many Of these lynchings arc accom-
panied by the horrible barbarities Of
torture, and all that eau be said
in pulliatiop is the atrocity OF the Often
SEES which lead up to them. For Il time
they were confined to the South, hut
that secsioh Of the country no longer
has the monopoly. The chief ofrcnse
which causes these lyEchinGs has been
the rape OF white women by colorcd
men. No words can he found too
strong to describe the Rtrocitv Of such
a crime. 1t is no wonder 'hat the COM
munity is excited. Men would disgrace
their manhood il they were not. And
il Il few lyDchings had put Il stop to the
0iTehsc, society might have condoned
such breechcs nf its laws, but tho fact
is, il We may credit reports, that the
black beast (tor only Il beast would be
guilty Of such an otTense) seems to be
not deferred thereby. More than that,
rs might be expected, lyycirng for such
atrocities is no longer confined to them,
but is beng resorted TO for other Of
fesses.
"Whnt can DO donc to stay this cpl
demic Of lynchinI. One thing is the
establishment OF a greater confidence in
the summary and certain punishment
OF the criminal. Men are afraid OF the
laws delay and the uncertainty OF It's
results, Not that they doubt the intcg-
rity Of the judges, but they know that
the law abnunds with technical rules,
notwithst audIng "A full belief i'll the
guilt Of the ccusrd. II all were certain
that the guilty ones would be promptly
tried and punished the inducement
to lynch wouli be largely taken
away.
sin nm address which | delivered be-
fore the American Bar Association at
Detroit some years since, | advocated
doing away with appeals IN criminal
cases. Ii lid not meet with the favor
If the Association, but | still believe in
its wisdom.
at is said in ~cXtcnuation of lynching
in case OF rape that it is an additional
cruelty to the unfortunate victim to
compel her to 90 upon the witness stand
md, III the presence of the mixed audi
cnce, tell the story Of the wrong, espec.
tally when she may be subjected to
cross examination by over Jealous coun-
sci. | ito not believe this matters, but
it must be remembered that often the
unfortunate victim never lives to tell
the story of her wrong, and il she does
survive, she must tell it TO some, and
Even i'll the courtroom any high. minded
Judge will stay counsel from any I'M
necessary cross examination. and, final
ly, il any lawyer should atte it, the
community may treat them lis on ont.
cast.
Il can't but think that il the commun.
ity felt that the criminal would certain.
~ receive the pun hment he deserves,
and receive it soon, the caGerncss for
lynching would disappear and mobs
whose gathG ring too often means not
merely the destruction OF jails and other
property, but nlso the loss Of innocent
lives, would greatly diminish in num-
Der. One thing is certain, the tendency
OF lynching is to under mine respect for
the law, and unless i. be checked VIC
need not he nstonishcd il it he resorlcd
to for all kinds Of ofrcnses, and often
timcs innocent men suffer for wrongn
committed by others