The Washington times., 1904-01-28
FAVORS DEATH
FOR WRECKERS
Western RailrOader Says
Penalty Not Too Severe.
WANTS A FEDERAL STATUTE
Fear of Pursuit by Washington Au-
thorities Would Have Deterrent
Effect, He. Says.

TOPEKA. Kan. Jan. &.-W- ]. Black,
general passenger agent of the Atchi-
son. Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. be-
heVes that the death penalty should be
inflicted on a person who willfully
wrecks n railroad train or is In any way
an accomplice TO the crime To make
sure OF the certain punishment of train.
wreckers Mr.. Black believes that Con-
gress ought TO make train wreclsing a
crime against the Federal law. He is
confident that certainty of punishment
would deter many from committing the
crime. and that lies only in FeGeral
Jurisdiction
Piracy on the high seas" MIR Black
says. has ceased because the nations
OF the earth have declared that the fate
OF pirate is death. Burning merchant
ships. looted by Infamous robbers. no
longer dot the paths of commerce. The
passengers and crews of merchantmen
no longer walk the plank. pushed to
death By pirates. Ocean travel is safe
except for accidents no human laws
can prevent. And yet. at one time, the
pirate was more numerous than the
train robber and train wrecker in this
country.
The people of certain barbaHous conn
TRES. whose seas We're traversed by the
shlps of the world. regarded piracy as
must Sdlidnl occupation. And dpG-
perate men with a grudge against civili-
zatlon waged war on the innocent car
fiers or commerce and the travellers
tnat ventured to sail from one port TO
Crime Against Civilization.
But finally piracy on the high seas
became a crime against the civilized
world. The pirate knows that not only
the warships OF the country whose yes
sells he robs Will pursue him. but that
the navies Of the whole world will Join
IN the chase. international law means
everything TO the traveller on the deep.
lie Is protected. not alone by the coun-
try whose flag the ship flies. but by
the united power OF civilization Not
only the passenger on the ship. but the
Shippers OF the goods and treasure IL
carries and the owners of the vessel re
projected from piracy by international
What international law means to the
ocean commerce Of the world Fedora
law means. or ought to mean, to the
vast traffic and travel on RAILWAYS i'm
this country The lives Of the millions
OF passengers ought not to be denied
any means OF protection that can be
employed. Recently dynamiters threat
ened &c wreck trains unless the rail-
way companies paid them blackmafI
Inc railway companies, in one case at
least. kept the threat q secret and thou
sands OF passengers rode unconscious
OF the terrible danger. A number of
attempts 10 wreck trains have taken
place.
The train robber is bad enough. but
the train wrecker is oiabolical He is
as near the hend incarnate as man can
get He deserves no mercy,N Death is
too good for him. The TRAN Vrecker
should be stamped out. II ought to be
made as sure death TO wreck or rob a
train as TO attack and loot a ship. The
way TO do 1t Is TO make attacks on the
lives OF railway passengers an offense
against the Federal laws, with pursuit
by United States officers and the army
II necessary. and with trial in a United
States court, and with death melted out
the national power.
Fear Of Federal Laws.
1T is well known that criminals fear
the Federal laws and authority more
than the. State laws. The element of
locality does not exist in the United
States court Moreover, United States
officers are not handicapped by lack of
means. The government can pursue an
offender TO the ends OF the earth. The
United States Is a power, vast imper-
sonai, ineXOrabl e-and the criminal
fears IL because he respects f. The
United States has constitutional power
over Interstate commerce, and IL is ex-
ercising that authority over the railway
tariffs at this time. Surely the lives OF
passengers are as important as the
freight rates.
Why not place those lives, so far as
protection from the train wrecker and
train robber Is concerned. under the
strong hand Of the United States?"