The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-08-11
NO MERCY FOR BRtjTES
President Says Insanity is No Ex-
cuse For Criminal Assault.
WON'T COMMUTE FUNDAMENTALLY

Refuses to Pardon Negro, and says
He Is Not Entitled to Particle
of sympathy - Swift Punishment
Should Follow.
washington, Aug 9. - President
Roosevelt has declined 10 interfere
in the case of John W. Burnley, a negro
confined in the Jail of the District oil
Columbia under sentence of death Tor
the crime of criminal assault, the vic
tim having been a little girl Az years
old The president has directed that
The sentence of the jury be carried into
effect on August e. as decreed.
An application was made To the pres
ident TO commute the sentence OF Bur
lev to Imprisonment for life. II being
alleged that the prisoner was OF mind
so weak as TO be irresponsible for his
crime. The subject was referred 10
Attorney General Moody. He lnyesti-
gated the case and reported to the
president fully as to the facts.
In rejecting the application for the
Communication of Burley's sentence
President Roosevelt made the follow
ing memorandum
THE application for the commuta-
ton of sentence of John w. Burnley Is
denied. This man committed the most
hideous crime known to our laws. ana
,wiea before he has committed crimes
of n similar. though less horrible. char-
octer In my Judgment there is no JUS
tincation whatever for paying heed 10
the allegations that he is not or SOUND
mind. allegations made after the trial
and conviction. Nobody would pretend
that there has ever been any such de-
gree OF mental unsoundness shown as
would make people even consider send
ing him to an asylum II he had not
committed this crime. Under such cir
cumstances he should certainly be es-
teemed sane enough to suffer the pen
atty for his monstrOus deed. have
scant sympathy with the plea OF in'
sanity advanced TO save man from
the consequences of crime. when unless
that crime had been committed itwould
have been impossible TO persuade any
responsible authority to commit MIN
10 an asylum as insane. Among the
most dangerous criminals. and espe'
cially among those prone TO commit
this particular kind Of ofense, there
are plenty of a temper so fiendish OF
so brutal as to be Incompatible WIFE
any other than a british order OF IN
telligence: but these men are never
theless responsible for their ACTS anC
nothing more tends 10 encourage crime
among such men than the belief thai
through the plea of insanity or anS
other method II Is possible for then
to escape paying the just penalty OF
their crimes. The crime in question Is
one 10 the existence of which We large
w owe the existence of that spirit OF
Iawlessness which takes form In lynch
inc. IL is a crime so revolving that the
criminal is not entitled to one particle
of sympathy from any human being
IL is essential that the punishment fol
il should be not only as certain but as
swift as possible. IL is 10 be regretted
that we DO not have special provision
for more summary dealing with this
type of cases, The more We do wha'
in us lies to secure certain and swift
Justice In dealing with these cases, thu
more effectively do we work agains
the growth of that lynching splri
which is so full Of evil omen for this
people. because il seeks to ayenge on'
Infamous crime by the commission o
another of equal infamy."