The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-25
SHALL TT coNrrNUns

ton given by the books is: The crime
of killing a human being Of malice
aforethought." That is the brief defi-
milton. but the law books and writers
enlarge on the methods ana degrees
Of the crime. 1t is also set down that
1t Is immaserial what means are used
to effect the object The essence of
liberateiy and with malice. Our laws
are not 50 severe as were the old laws
of England. which punished with
death the man who took human life
in almost any manner. Here there
are degrees OF murder and manslaugh-
ter which are punished less severely
than by taking the life Of the offender.
A man may be a murderer at heart
without feeling malice towards any
one individual II Q man deliberately
wrecks a train, he is a murderer in In
tent. although 1t may not be his de-
sire to injure any individual on the
train BY tampering with track or
bridge, or by removing the rails or
placing distractions on the track to
wreck the train. the perpetrator de-
liberately takes the chance Of destroy
ing human life and thus he is a MUIR
derer at heart, although he may not
entertain malice against any passenS-
err or employee of the road. Whether
his object Is robbery or whether 1t Is
caused by malice or spite towards
others, he shows himself to be a MUIR
derer at heart. even II no one 10 kill
ed.
So II a man throws a bomb into a
crowd with the hope of killing one GER
tain person. or explodes 1t in or un-
dee a building where there are human
beings. he is a murderer in intent.
whether any life is taken or not, be-
cause his act was done deliberately. II
lives are lost, he Is a murderer In fact,
for his action Is deliberate and inten-
tional, and that implies malice. and
malice is the essence OF murder. and r.
always supposed to exist when MUIR
derous act Is done with premeditated
Intent.
And so, too, tho man who places a
bomb or other explosive on railroad
track with the intent to wreck a train
knows that II there are human beings
on the train some of them may lose
their lives; therefore. his intentions are
murderous, whether life Is lost or not,
and II any one is killed the perpetra-
tor is a wilful and deliberate murder
err though a court might not convict
and punish him. His action shows
that the intent was there, whatever
the actual result of his action may be-
To narrow the situation down and
fit It to some recent occurrences in
this city a man who places an explos-
i've on a street-car track is essential
ly murderer. If he is not an imbe-
cile or lunatic he knows that the ex-
plosion of the bomb or other missile
Is calculated. as we'll as designed. to
wreck the car, and he also knows that
the wrecking of the car Is liable to
bring death to any one who may be
on 1t. II no one is killed the wreck
er is a murderer in esse, but II life Is
lost he is murderer de facto. No one
can claim that such attempts are acct
dental or that no wrong ,is Intended.
The act is done deliberately, done with
intent to destroy property, and with
the full knowledge on the part of the
criminal that death may result So
far no loss of life has occurred in Mont
gomery, but that does not remove the
murderous intent of the lawless char
acters who take this method of graft
flying their spite.
And finally, to narrow the subject
pie who are expressing and showing
sympathy with the lawless element
now engaged in smirchins the fair
name of Montgomery ever stop to re-
fleet that they are virtually encour-
aging lawlessness and upholdins those
who are murderers at heart? We are
not discussing the merits or dement's
of the strike We are not now con-
demning or upholding the Traction
Company or the strikers. We are not
arguing the rights or wrongs of either
party to the controS ersy. but we are
law and order, of good government and
the reputation of our city. Above ALL
we are arguing for the safety Of man.
woman and child, whose life Is endahg-
cred by the murderous and dastardly
attempts to wreck cars Good citizens
may hav. been IN sympathy via tho
strikers, but those good citizens know
that these outrages resulted from the
strike and whether they are commit
ted by strikers or sympathizers they
are equally to be condemned. Is 1t not
time to leave out all other considera-
tions and let all unite to stop
lawlessness? The good name OF
our city is endangered and the
good citizen cannot afford to re-
main Indifferent and impassive under
such grave conditions as now pre-
vail.