The Washington herald., 1909-03-11
Some More aunwritten Law.

SO the highly interesting and snug Col
Cooper. of Carmack murder fame. has
pleaded the "unwritten law in justifca-
ton Of that bloody business. after all. Not
the usually cited variety, Of course-that
being well outside the range Of the pos
sible-but something quite new. not to
say novel. nevertheless.
said Gen. Meeks, the coloneTs counsel,
speaking to the jury for and in behalf Of
his client:
When man sits. as Camaok did. behind the
editorial counter Of paper and writes. day after
day. editorials that attack and assault who
is not himself in an editorial position. he be-
comes insulting. and there is no greater insult
possible"
"Oh. gentlemen. tell you that the streets Of
this. city. have run red before with the blood
Of men who Improperly used other mems names In
public prints.'
The prosecution viii tel you you have your r.
course in the courts Yes. and you get a judE-
ment for 5000 against man not worth tho prioo
Of plug Of tobacco. Is that satisfaction
In other words. "shoot the editor" and
trust to jury of your peers" to pull
you through subsequently on a phase OF
the ''unwritten law here newly enunci-
sted and defined.
Moreover. and in addition TO the quota
tions heretofore set down from the ar
gument Of the eloquent Gen Meeks-who
IS evidently the "coioneFs' superior officer.
as we'll as his senior counsel-witness the
following:
You are not trying common thieTes or mur-
derers now, sentlemen- You are trying meu who
come from fine stock as ever human flesh was
made of-ths best people Of the South
Evidently Senator Carmack made a
great mistake. so far as the possible con-
viction OF his murderers was concerned.
in not having his life snuffed out by a
Reelfoot Lake fisherman-they are con-
victed. on occasions. IT appears. in Ten
nessee-or go white trash" Of parallel
persuasion Instead OF berating the gal
liant Col Cooper, and the unmistakable
chip of the old block. who actually fired
the fatal shots. it appears the living
friends and acquaintsnces Of the dead
man should assemble themselves into con-
ventions and pass resolutions Of high ap-
probation. and so forth, that Carmack
was sent TO his eternal reward aristo-
cratically and by chivalric hands, II
somewhat precipitately.
Again. the late Carmack's immediate
and crowning offense seems 10 have been
the designation Of the noble colonel as
the diplomat OF the zweibund"-what-
ever that is. This was fatal True. 9th
ers in Tennessee had frequently men
toned the colonel as a rather notorious
gambler" an 'embezzler OF the funds of
women and children" a crooked poll
tician." and other inconsequentiaI and
playful things Of that kind, but until the
luckless Carmack appeared on the scene
nobody had ever dared hurl so formi-
dable thing as diplomat of the zwei-
bund" at his good gray head; and il was.
naturally, too much for his sensitive and
grand old soul.
Wherefore, under the ''unwritten law. -
as latterly interpreted, it was in order,
beyond question, 70 shoot the editor. %
and vindicate TIE coloners besmirched
honor.
Verify and of certainty. we are falling
on some amazing times, in so far as mod
ern murder trials are concerned. this one
Of the immensely patrician and blue
! blooded colonel and his jury Of peers
being somewhat near the ultimate limit.
assuredly.