The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-02-13

MANY questions have been discussed in
connection with the recent murder trial,
the foremost being that of expense.
The fee to be allowed counsel for defend
ant was quickly removed from the argu-
ing line by the lawyer himself, who asked
for half of what the public appeared to
think would be just in a case like this.
The News has been asked If there is any
law whereby the sheriff is entitled to re-
ceive extra compensation for hanging
no law on the subject, but custom in this
county has made law. In the executions
which have taken place here within the
past ten years the sum of $500, in addition
to the legitimate expenses. has been grant
ed the sheriff by the board of freeholders.
This is not too large a sum and nobody
will enter any objection to this fee.
The duty naturally comes in the line
of the sheriffs Office, and the argument is
advanced that candidate for that Office
knows he is likely to be called upon to
hang some one during his term. That is
true, but at the same time there is no
reason whatever why he should be called
upon to perform this duty without compen-
sation. We hold that money expended in
bringing murderer to justice and having
the law carried out is one of the very best
uses to which the contents of the treasury
may be diverted, and while nobody wants
unnecessary expense or extravagant out
lay there should not be any objection to
reasonable compensation. and the $500
given the sheriff for performing the most
unpleasant duty that will come to him in
his whole life is not large recompense
BURLINGTON county has again sustained
its reputation as an upholder and expon
ent of Jersey justice. Less than month
ago murder was committed which, for q
time, baffied the authorities and caused
the uneasy idea that it might not be solved.
In less than a month the criminal has been
detected, tried and sentenced to death.
In this case the Office of the Prosecutor of
the Pleas has been no mean agency.
With the crime on his mind day and night
Mr.. Atkinson worked hard, exhausting
all means at his command and, at the
same time. nearly exhausting himself, and
he now has the satisfaction of knowing
that his efforts have not been misspent
and that the amount of money he was
compelled to use has not been wasted and
was well expended. He can now take a
rest to which he is entitled. The citizens
of the county, especially those in the
neighborhood where the murder occurred,
are to be commended upon the manner in
which they respected the law. Highly
indignant and outraged at the terrible crime
committed in their midst it is not to be
wondered at that they clamored for JUS
tice and insisted that punishment should
be speedy. 1t is not remarkable that there
were those who In the excitment of the
moment should discuss taking the law into
their own hands, but with the remem-
brance that the part of the county In
which they live has never yet done
anything to bring reproach upon its good
name, they patiently awaited the verdict
of the courts. and it shows that the au-
thorities may be relied upon to bring all
evildoers to the bar and that there is no
need for mob violence.