The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-08
FLAWS
BLACK CRIMINAL
Roosevelt Declines to Interfere in
Case Of Negro Condemned
to Death.
Scores Pleas Made. on Allegation
of Insanity and Points to
Lynching Tendency.

Washington, Aug. s.-President
Roosevelt has declined TO interfere
in the case of John w. Burley, ne
gro confined in the Jail OF the District.
Of Columbia und erssentence of death
for the crime of criminal assault, the
victim having been a little girl a "
years old The president has directed
that the sentence OF the Jury be car
ried into effect on Aug. 49, instant, as
degreed.
An application was made to the
president to commute Burley's SEN
tence to life Imprisonment, it being
alleged that the prisoner was Of Minis
so weak as to be irresponsible. The
subject was referred to Attorney Gen.
eral Moody, who Investigated the, case
and reported fully tot the president
today.
In rejecting the application for the
communication of Burley's sentence,
President Roosevelt made the follow
ing memorandum
The application for the Communication Of
sentence of JOIN! w. Burley is denied.
crime known to our laws, and twice be-
fore he has committed crimes of similar,
tho less horrible, character. In my judg-
ment there Is no justification whatever
for paying heed to the allegations that he
is of unsound mind, allegations made after
the trial and conviction. Nobody. would
pretend that there has ever been any such
degree of mental unsoundness shown as
would make people even consider send
| ing him to an asylum IL he had not com
mitted this crime. gnder such circum-
stances, he should certainly be esteemed
sane enough to suffer the penalty for his
monstrous deed.
| have scant sympathy with the plea OF
ansanity advanced to save a man from the
consequences of crime, when,- unless the
! crime had been committed, it would have
/ been impossible to persuade any responsi-
| BILE authority to commit him to an asylum
as in sane. u.s.
Among the most dangerous criminals,
and especially among those prone to com
NIT this particular kind of offense, there
are plenty of temper SO fendish or SC
brutal as to be incompatible with any
| other than british order of Intelligence
/ but these men are nevertheless RESPONSE
Bile for their acts; and nothing more
/ tends to encourage crime among such
men than the belief that thru the plea Q,
insanity or any otssersHeth bod lit is pos:
sible FOR them to escape paying the JUS
i penalty OF their GRIM 81. IL
4 The crime in question is one to which
4 the existence we largely owe the exist
ence of that spirit of lawlessness which
takes form In lynehing. It Isl a crime
SO revolving that the criminal is$not en-
titled to one particle OF sympathy from
i any human being. It is essential, that TIL
punishment for 1t should not only be n
+ certain: but swift as possible. TIL
i jury in this case did their duty by rec
ommending the infliction Of the dealt
penalty.
It is to be regretted that we do not hav
special provision for more summary deal
ing with this type Of cases. The more VI
Il do, what In US lies to secure certain an
| jl1S in x1,3fo hoe
the more effectively do we work agains
Il the growth of that lynching spirit wlic
is SO full of evil omen for this people, be
cause 1t seems to aveRge one infamor
crime by the commission of another
equal infamy.
The application is denied and the ser
! tenoe will be carried into effect
Theodore Roosevelt"