The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-08
THE LAWS DELAYS.
A Murdered Mans Father Writes About
the Leaden Heel of Justice.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: Referring
to the news Item from Columbia. s. c., report
ing the lynching of the white man. Morrison.
who shot a man because he would not give
him ten cents notice that Governor Hayward
condemned lynching as q blot on Our civil
fzation." He added: Even in cases Of assault
punishment by death could and would be
melted out by the courts. 1t is time the good
people of the State should rise up and call
halt"
1 claim that the stigma does not attach to
the mob that does the lynching SO much as
1t does to the laws and the courts which en-
courage delay in melting out justice to the
guilty. 1t is time that the people should rise
up and call halt, but not so much against
lynching az the way the laws are admins
tered. When people learn that they can get
prompt justice In the courts lynching will
cease The people have seen so many cases
Of the laws delay and the murderer finally
going free that when they see murder COM
mitted before their very eyes 1t Is hardly
worth while to appeal to them TO be calm and
allow the law TO take Its course"
This Is particularly true in South Carolina.
When Senator Tillmans nephew shot down
the defenceless editor. Gonzales. he was tried
by jury OF his peers and exonerated. Further
back In history we have the example OF one
Of South Carollna's most famous statesmen
shooting down his daughters music teacher
q very worthy young man-because when she
exhibited love for him he presumed to
Coming nearer home. we have the case, Of
a prominent citizen killing in cold blood
man who was unarmed After the murderer
erected to carry out the sentence OF death,
a certain Judge found some reason for setting
h sos the tbss aer
pen pei, We city house and place il the country.
Is a st Hoping to be set free through the liberal
s Ss for Tie %Ssasr q assd NJ. IIcs. 'On ~.
murdered in the Adlrondaeks Sept. 10. 1905 1905.
over year ago: Az the circumstances point INT
Adirondscks. He was away from home the
seen near the property with rife over his
the road saw awe him a1 orcached down Behind
stone wall With his ride. Watching those who
y by sds to hss
pieoe Of land which this man was eager TO
a trail leading from the scene Of the shooting
te the mans camp The rife he used carried az led
make threats that he Would &p Kill my som, Who
was buying all the land he could in order to
water supply. while this man and his class
wanted to despoil the forests fol-, gain. This
man was anxious to purchase the land that
his numbering operations interfered with.
The witnesses ia the case are all afraid OF the
suspect.
AS time wears on they are quite willing to
forget what they have seen and heard. even
to the extent OF perjuring themselves. saying
that they did not see or hear things they were
willing to swear to ut the time of the murder.
An assistant District Attorney OF a county
adjoining the one in which the murder was
committed has said: There IL much stronger
circumstantial evidence in this case than
there was in the Howard Burt murder case,
and yet he was convicted Of murder"
In the face OF all these facts the State has
done nothing. The county did not offer
reward. and the Grand Jury has not indicted
the suspect. The county collected taxes
from my son 10 help pay the officials FOR en-
forcing the laws, and they have shown little
or no interest in brin ring the murderer to
Justice. My son was shot by q citizen Of the
Adtrondaoka and tho other citizens seem to
approve OF his deed. as they have done nothing
to force the officials to act.
II at the time OF the murder those on my
sons estate had apprehended the murderer
md lynched him q great hue and cry would
have been made. rs In the case Of the Morrison
ivnching referred to above. about allowing
the law to take its course, and yet In many
cases there does not seem to be any other way
to secure iustice.
say again: Blame the le and the admin
istration OF II more. and the lvnchers less.
NEW YORK, Oct. Q. Henry DEXTER.