The Elbert County tribune., 1907-08-01
The Unwritten Law.

y sensational case was settled several
weeks ago in Virginia court when
Judge Loving was acquitted of the crime
OF Killing the man who his daughter al
legged had betrayed her. The Des Moines
lrloune contained an editorial on this
subject which is worth reproducing here.
itstrlkes the true facts squarely on the
head,
"a jury of twelve men in a Virginia
court OF justice has decided unanimously
that there Is an unwritten law by which
man Is Justified in killing his fellow
oeing when the latter commits an act
which despoils his home. Judge Loving
shot to death a man named Estes, whom
Lovlngs daughter charged with having
nrst drugged and then outraged her.
III Estes committed the crime alleged
ne was worthy OF death, and the father
OF the girl might be justified in the heat
OF passion IN dealing out summary pun
lshment. But the lips of the accused
are sealed by death, and cannot speak in
his defense. He had always borne
good reputation, while his murderer is
SAID to be a man stepped in liquor and
whose brain has for years been inflamed
and distorted by the excessive use of al
cohol The young girl who makes the
charge IS said to have been in the habit
of drinking liquor with young men, and
admitted in court that on the occasion
when she claimed she was defiowered
and dishonored, she had of her own yo
iton drank liquor with Estes, as she
had done before. Under such circum
stances jury, acting with proper delib
erhtlon, could not have so hastily nc.
Quilted a man of murder under any law
written or unwritten.
"A daughter who goes from childhood
TO womanhood under the fostering care
of her parents, as Miss Loving has gone.
reflects IN her character and conduct the
training and influence of her parents
She is the full grown Productive com
pleted iiower-of the garden OF the
home. II she is allowed too much free
dom II her habits and associates are Of
her own making and choosing what
ever may be her fate-outside OF those
things that may be beyond her physical
power to preventive responsibility for
the same rests largely on the shoulders
OF her parents. 1t was their duty to
throw about her the sacred influence
and loving protection that would make
her secure from the Vaccinations Of evil
men. father who sets n wrong exam
pie in his home-who does not guard
with jealous eye the footsteps OF his
danghter-has no right, either human or
divine to murder the man who finds her
an easy and willing associate at the wine
table No self-respecting girl will drink
liquor with any man in secluded places
"lf one man deliberately enters the
home OF another and by brute force ac-
cassplishcs that which dishonors a wife
or daughter, one could find some justifi-
cation in such a case for the operation
OF the unwritten law. But il man in
vites to his home men who he knows to
be libertines-if he permits them to as
sociate unrestraincd with his wife and
daughters if he stands before the world
as man Indifferent to the pure and
loftier ideals of life-he should not com
plain when the inevitable result is at
hand. A bird will defend her nest
against the enemies of her offspring. An
eagle guards her aerie from the talons of
the vulture. But man too often leaves
open the door Of his sacred temple to the
Welcome invasion OF human pirates. and
when the shadow falls across his thresh-
old, he undertakes to blame some one
save himself
"We believe Judge Loving committed
an uncomfortable murder. We believe he
was partner to his daughters betrayal.
If betrayed she was, and that his daugh-
ter in order to save her father from the
fate which awaited him, charged the
man whose lips are dumb in death with
a crime he did not commit"