The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-08-04
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Fh,a mHf BE- some eHud Ht had
rrasau fo awh condition. end fest
un 'at, Isl sentiment ahi.t mates
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rle
rhm tuuHiHs ppou homicide
shonil foliov Tact pur uuon pa,
ath0r. evidences e. mnnl 1f mmotai
sentiment vhi,h BE- born Bo. suis ont
of utter diNrerafd of lsv bot ehst
II pussIh. worse a reckless dis-
urnurd of human utr
When men shoot each other be-
cause the, bave had IrV cross
eords oesf some trivial matter they
have gone long vay back foNard
barbafiam or have not got Far from
it
Recently on the same DAY and al-
most at the same hour iu two of the
best interior towns in Texas, towns
noted for the refinement. culture
and high character of their citizen
ship. occurred murderous tragedies
Tho killer IN each instance used q
shotgun and shot his victim without
warning. The use of a shotgun in
ninecases out OF ten rs we'll nigh
proof positive of generalization and
murdcrous intent, and Yet for some
reason such tragedies. which blot tho
good name of Texas. do not seem TO
arouse the public mind TO realiza-
ton of what such deeds mean.
OF course. there is need OF arous-
ing public sentiment. out of which
will come processes of correction, or,
rather, prevention; but the first
thing to do is to 50 provide as to in
sure speedy trials for the killers.
This will never be done as long as q
mossback, antiquated system Of
courts continues in Texas.
In all likelihood there will he no
district court or grand jury in either
of those counties-or at least may
not be-for six months, and then the
chances are the court will continue
the case until the next term, so
twelve months viii elapse before
trial
Then an appeal, in case of conyic-
ton. may reveal an error in phrase
word or punctuation mark in the in
dictmeut, and then we will have a
disquisiton upon the sanctity of the
rights of the citizen, and the necessi-
ty OF following ancient forms, and
the case will be reversed; and final
". when the victims bones are dust
and the witnesses are dead or scat
tered to the uttermost parts Of the
earth, trial will be had and the
killer will be declared to have been
a victim Of persecution.
The dead man got no continuance
there was no technical defect in the
shotgun; the widow and orphans
were surely and murderously made
but, thanks to a system of courts
that would do discredit to Dahomey
nobody could be punished.
I The codifiers of the laws ought tC
send in a report revolutionizing the
whole judicial system and providing
for a perpetual grand jury in every
county, and for number of capable
judges for the state at large, who
could be sent into any county where
a homicide might be committed and
try the case while the judge of the
district was engaged elsewhere.
The constitution guarantees a
speedy trial, and such guaranty was
not intended only for the benefit OF
the criminal, but as well for the
benefit OF the people, who have yet
some rights to life and safety and tc
civilization which even shotgun kill
ers must resepct. Houston Chron
icle