The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-31
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0 COMMUNICATIONS. Z
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Editor Leader: There is nov so
much being said and written of the
lansing prison and treatment of our
Ixlfs9hqrs by the ofnciafs 'bf Same = |
EAiAtkjt would be well to distliss Okl9 |
homa's relations to and with her Grim. |
inal class from a somewhat broader |
standpoint than whether or not It be |
proper 10 punish them for violation Of |
prison rules. However / desire u |
preface my remarks with the admits |
sion I am not biased for or against |
the Barnard report. not being possess |
ed with sufficient Information relating
thereto.
But do we owe enormous invesfigal
tion expense as to the convicted crimi-
nails when we seem unable to stop
wholesale murders and citizens are
afraid TO come from their homes al
night In more than one city of the
state?
Only few days ago a man was
turned loose by jury (the charge be-
/. ing murder and the one killed shot in
/ the bacfD, the defendants plea of self
defense being sustained. A man was
killed in an ther one of the states best
cities by two men. The victim WAS
shot down as he was getting on or off
car and all bullets entered the back.
| Self-defense and justiflable homicide
| ,ilowcd tde killers go free.
| One county has newspapers which
| esteem il out OF the ordinary FOR less
| than twenty murder cases 70 be ON the
| docket at the convening of t1e district
| court AS no one has as yet been sen
| fenced to life Imprisonment OF to be
! legally executed. L take IL thai there is
7, lack of appreciation of the cnO-mity OF
the offenses. II is beyond credenee to
assume each of these men VIII have
taken life in the rght-the victim al
ways wrong!
The records for the year of 1905 In
the way OF progress of commercial ma
ture are such all can repeat tlem to
VISITORS with pardonable pride; our
Institutions of commerce have n been
noticeably checked by the 1907 panic;
there is not the slightest apprehension
there will be other than 4 forward
movement There are as many people
ppCse0 10 lawlessness, proportlonatc
to numbers, in Oklahoma as in any OF
the stateg. But we also had that Gle
ment w1iCh made of the cd depart
mental misNt called laws a refuge OF
varions sections. The long ago's his.
tory. especially in the heavy timbered
regions or the foot hills, is Z rec I'd of
blood and outlawry not surpassed by
Italian or Sicilan brgands.
admit the Oklahoma criminals
/, should not he treated with the idea of
, making them worse: brutality has and
ever viii make the victim cry out
: against those Wh. wrong him. and i1c
sullen cDuntenances seen In many pris
, ons. (attmbuted to criminal micn). is
more often resentment in being made
show of to visitors. or because some
drunken guard has violated tho rule Of
, conduct. can not believe warden
possessed of a modicum of sense would
allow prisoner to be killed or manned
II he knew it. But, to disspate The
doubt or controversy admit all Miss
Barnard said of the prisoners and their
future care: let us nrst get through
with about twO-score legal executions
and send s. me who are now in the
criminal making industry to the peni
4 tentiary before we undertake to doc
E tor them from That end of the line.
J The state owes debt TO each per
+ son from whom it takes his liberty
T. That obligation should be paid In ful
e and without stint cr reservation.
= The criminal and his defenders, how
0 ever, should, before the Niobian tears
S make rivers, allow law-abiding people
I an opportunity TO care for orphans anC
q wrecked adults, caused by the depreda
+ tions OF the criminals aforesaid!
There are women, pr I'd, noble
g brave and as pure as Gods sunlight
+ washing slaving-martyrs for the lii
$ tie ones left fatherless by the lawiess
There are men ruined by the saa'
element. and the ramiflcaticns are be
0 yond computation or comprehension.
}. Does the state OF Oklahoma oR'
n more t. those deprived of equal chance
s. With their fellows by reason Of th'
n lawless than to these lawless aDon
/ whom we hear a wall?
III Organized society was established Il
h protect the righteous from doers o
d evil; the admission all e-r being th'
# My excuse for allowing legal elem
II ency. Until we can attain the higl
Il civilization and culture which enable
n one 10 have a reasonable amount o
e confidence in his safety Tor lie an
Il limb at the hands CT his fellows, !. lik
II many others, feel our duty lies NOR
a in the suppression of crime t,an in IN
education + our criminals 70 the whir
cf any cult or advanced thinkers.
Respectfully,
h BERTRAND WILBUR.
/ Guthrie, Oklahoma, Dec. 20,
*
C Rsary 4aiSsr'a Opinions.