New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1904-08-13
ROOSEVELT SAYS NEGRO MUST
HANG FOR ASSAULT.

| Washington. Aug. 8.-Presl
dent Roosevelt has declined to in
terfere in the ease of John w
Burley, negro, confined in The
| Jail of the District of Columbia
under sentence Of death, for the
crime Of criminal assault, the vic
tim having been little girl -four
aud half years old. The President
has directed that the sentence OF
the jury be carried into effect OF
Aug. 26, as decreed An applica
ton was made to the President &c
commute the sentence of Burley tC
Imprisonment for life, it being
alleged that the prisoner was OF
mind so weak as to be irresponsi
bic for his crime. The subjec,
was referred to Attorney General
Moody. He investigated the case
and reported to the President to
day fully as to the facts
in rejecting the application fOr
the communication of Burley's sen
tence, President Roosevelt made
the following memorandum
"Whte House, Washington,
Aug. 9.-The application for the
Communication OF sentence of John
w. Burly is denied. This man
committed the most hideous crime
known TO our laws, aud twice be-
fore he has committed crimes of a
similar, though less horrible, char
acter. In my Judgment, there is
no justification whatever for pay
ing heed to the allegations that he
is not of sound mind, allegations
made after The trial and conviction
Nobody would pretend that there
has ever been any such degree of
mental unsouudess shown as would
make people even consider sending
him 10 an asylum if he had not
committed this crime. Under such
circumstances he should certainly
be esteemed sane enough to suffer
the penalty for his INDUSTRIOUS deed
| have scant sympathy with the plea
of insanity advanced to save man
from the consequences of crime,
when unless the crime had been
been committed, it would have
Impossible to persuade any reason
able authority to commit him to an
asylum as insane.
Among the most dangerous
criminals, and especially among
those prone to commit this particu-
lar kind of offense, there are plenty
of a temper SO fiendish or so brutal
as to be Incompatible with any
other than british order OF in
telligence; but these men are
nevertheless responsible for their
acts, and nothing more tends to
encourage crime among such men
than the belief that through the
plea OF insanity, or any other
method, it is possible for them to
escape paying the just penalty of
their crimes.
"The crime in question is one to
the existence Of which we largely
owe the existence Of that spirit
of lawlessness which takes form
in lynching. 1t is crime so
revolving that the criminal is not
entitled to one particle OF sympa-
thy from any human being. It
is essential that Punishment for
it should be not only certain, but
bnt as swift as possible.
at is to, be regretted that we do
not have special provision for more
summary dealing with this type of
cases.
1.-The more we do what in us
lies to secure certain and swift
justice in dealing with these cases, |
The more effectively do we work
against the growth of that lynch
ing spirit which is SO full Of evil
omen for this people, because it
seeks to avenge one infamous crime
by the commission Of another Of
equal infamy.
"The application is denied, and
he sentence will be carried into
effect. THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Operators Wanted.
Nh - 4