The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-20
WLEISURELY AMERICA."
English Writer Thinks Our Reputation
 for Push Is Unmerted.

From the Living Age.
 The conception of the American as im- patient of technicallties, and eager to get immediately at the heart of things. receives a severe shock if one examines his handling of questions of law and government In these matters America is pre-eminently the land of red tape. The delays in the administration of jus tice are a crying national scandal. A few years ago. on the hanging of the "Moat House" murderer less than three months after the discovery of his vic- tim's body, surprise and admiration were generally expressed by the American pa- pers for the speed of English justice. The Philadelphia Ledger remarked that sim liar case in America would have occupied as many years, and the history of the American courts abundantly supports this opinion. In Vermont, for instance a woman murdered her husband on August 13. 1902. was arrested a few days later was shortly afterwards condemned to death, but in consequence of several ap- peals was not actually hanged until De- cember s. 1905 A New York lawyer, ar- rested for murder in September, 1900, was indicted in May, 1901 was convicted in March, 1902 and remained under sentence of death from that time until Decem- Der, 1906 when his punishment was con- muted by the governor of the state to that of imprisonment for life. A judge of the New York court of general ses- sions, when recently pronouncing the sem tence of death on a convicted murderer, and naming date for the execution. de- clared his own sentence "a farce" There Is only one instance" he said, "of a sentence of death being carried out on the date fixed by the lower court. That was in the case of the slayer of President A1.. Socum, which was burnt in the East River, in June, 1904. with the loss of 1000 lives, was not tried until January, 1906, and the owners of the steamboat. although pronounced equally culpable by the government inquiry, have not yet been placed in the dock. At the begin ming of 1906 the manager of the Irouuois theatre, Chicago burnt in December, 1903. was at last notified that he would have to stand his trial. but his attorney im- medately declared that they would at tempt to secure a change of venue and 'this notion" the newspapers reported. twill be argued In a few weeks" It was not until March o1 the present year that the anticipated trial actually began. Tn all serious criminal trials, by the way, an amazing time Is consumed in form ing the jury as In the notorious Thaw case.
 In civil courts also American adminis- trdtlOn appears 10 De mOdeled on Jdrn- dyce vs Jarndyce. A boy In Cleveland, Ohio. was injured by a railway train ten years ago, when he was II years old. The case had been bandied to and fro between the courts until the lad has come of age. and 1t Is now ruled that what ever 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 aver ages 1t has been found that year must elapse for jury case to be reached for trial in Indianapolis and San Francisco. two years in Boston. and three years In Chicago and New York. It has been estf- mated that an English judge disposes of twice as many cases in the time as his American contemporary.