The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-06-01
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The slow course of Justice. both civil
and criminal, in the United States. has
often been the subject of unfavorable
we compare unfavorably with England,
for example. is well known. and 1t is
no wonder that our methods are severe
ly criticized by the people of that
country. Recently in The New Eng
land Monthly Review there appeared
an article by H. W. Horwell, which
contains so much truth In condensed
form that we make no apology for
copying literally from him. He says:
The delays in the administration of
Justice are crying national scandal.
few years ago, on the hanging of the
'Moat House" murderer less than three
months after the discovery of hts vic
tins body surprise and admiration
were generally expressed by the Amer
lean papers at the speed of English
Justice The Philadelphia Ledger re-
marked that similar case in America
would have occupied as many years,
ana the history of the American courts
abundartly supports this opinion. In
Vermont. for instance, woman muir
dered her husband or August 10. 1902,
was arrested a few. days later. was
shortly afterwards condemned to death,
but In consequence of several appeals
was not actually hanged until Deem
Der s. 1905 A New York lawyer, ar
rested for murder in September, 1900.
was indictedein May, 1901. was con-
victed In March. 1902. and remained
until December. 1906, when his pun
ishment was committed by the Cover
nor of the State to that of imprsofl-
ment for life. A Judge of the New
II
recently pronouncing sentence of death
on convicted murderer. and naming a
date for the execution. declared his own
sentence "a farce" There is only one
death being carried out on the date
hxed by the lower court That was in
the case of the SLAYER of President Nc
kinley." The Captain of the General
Slocum. which was burned in the East
river Ii: June, 1904. with the loss of L.
900 lives, was not tried until January,
1906, and the owners of the steamboat,
though pronounced equally culpable by
the government INCUR lave not yet
been placed IN the dock At the be-
ginning of 1906 the manager of the Iro-
quois theatre, Chicago. burned in De-
cember. 1908, was at last notified that
he would have to stand trial, but his
attorney Immediately declared that
- venue, and this motion" the news
papers reported. will be argued with
in few weeks" 1t was not until
March of the present wear that the an
tcipated trial actually began. In all
serious criminal trials by the way. an
amazing time is consumed II forming
the jury. as In : the notorious Thaw
case
In civil courts. also. American adj
ministration appears to be modelled on
Jarndyce VS. Jarndyce. A boy in
Cleveland. o., was injured by a rail-
way train ten years ago. when he was
II ala hnG ho ~
died to and fro between the courts I'M
til the lad has come of age, and 1t Is
now ruled that whatever results have
so far been reached are invalidated by
the fact that he is an adult and must
therefore plead in his own name By
a careful study of averages IT has been
found that a year must elapse for a
jury case to be reached for trial in In
dianapolis and San Francisco. two
wears In Boston and three years in
ChicAgn and New York