Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-02-12

AT his disposal. and used layishly. But
neither that nor political pull saved
him.
Morse Not Saved by Riches.
The Morse case in New York is an
other example of the ineXorabeness of
laws made for the govern 'nent of rich
and poor alike. Dealing in millions, the
ice king had transgressed the laws at
times when in his arrogance he believed
himself stronger than the law. His
hard-fought trial, only recently finish
ed, which resulted in his being SEN
fenced to prison for fifteen years, which
in his case amounts practically to life,
and the refusal of the court to admit
him to bail, have placed him securely
behind prison bars, while his lawyers
still are seeking legal loopholes
through which their client may escape
The cases of former Mayor Eugene
\. Schmitz of San Francisco and Abra-
ham Reuf, the wealthy and influential
political boss of the western city, are
fresh in the public mind by reason of
the attempted assassination of Prose
cutor Heney, who has been the nemesis
Of the grafters Of the western coast
Once Schmitz and Reuf were sentenced
and actually served several months in
prison. Then they were released on a
technicality, but the law is pursuing
them more vengefully now than ever.
and Ruef was at liberty when Heney
was shot only because of his ability to
furnish $1,5OO,OOO bail.
The case of Harry X. Thaw, who
killed Stanford White. is probably the
hardest contested in which the wealth
Of the criminal played an important
part, in the annals Of the country
But even in the Thaw case it is posi-
BILE that his wealth has been against
him. At any rate, had it not been for
the Thaw millions he would either have
| been acquitted or convicted promptly,
without all the narrowing suspense.
and the expenditure Of million dol
lars, that has not even resulted in Civ
ing him his liberty. His wealth made
I it possible for him to be branded as in
sane. 1t saved him from the electric
chair, but had he been very' poor the
circumstances leading up to the crime
probably would have caused a jury to
be merciful
In this connection the human SYM.
pathy which normal beings feel is
found more correctly the cause OF
biased verdicts. In the case Of mer
who have occupied high and respected
positions in community, the judge
and the jury cannot help rememberins
the mans former estate, similar tt
what they themselves are enjoying
his wife and his children, If he has
them. and most such criminals have
The put yourself in his place" idea :,
strong. and shrewd lawyers take pain
to develop it.
But sympathy benefits the rich n,
more than the poor, except as it ma,
be manufactured by money. The cas-
Of Johann Hoch the wife murderer
: and Billik, whose case has been in al
the courts Of the country. although h
had no money, refutes the charge tha
it is only the rich who can invoke al
the machinery of the law IN their aid
, General Charles w. Russell, assist
! ant attorney general of the Unite,
, States, declares that 1t isabsurd to 81
: that wealth prevents prosecution, OF
in general, convictions. He refers {
, the work Of Bank Examiner Moxey
: who appeared as the principal wltnes
, for the prosecution in the Morse tria
{ and who has the reputation Of havin
) sent thlrty-three wealthy and so-calle
respectable men to jail. But none
i helps, General Russell admits.